25 Ornaments - Day 14

I realize this post is late in coming. I honestly thought I had written one up, and had it set to automatically post. Guess not, huh?

In stead of sorting through gads of photos to find one of my own, I am (once more) featuring an ornament I found on another blog. I remember making these (or something similar anyway) as a kid, and loved how colorful they were.

Take a peek over at Life As I See It to check out Jessica's awesome Tin Foil Stained Glass ornaments.

{photo credit: Jessica at Life As I See It}

Glitter... Everywhere!

In a classic bout of, "Just WHAT was I thinking?!??", I finished a project last night. I didn't get good photos of it, because it was dark out. The flash washes it out, and the natural light turned everything yellow. Ugh. Today I will get some natural light photos.



Where should I start? Earlier this week, the night the storm was just starting, Nick had to run into Lansing, so we both went. Of course, we stopped at Michaels, as well. While looking around, I was hesitant to pick up any Christmas specific crafts (because I still have many, and because, frankly, I have too much to get done before Christmas), but Nick found a cute set. It has 2 reindeer and a sleigh, all flat wood, but they have stands with them, so they can stand up. I liked it, but said no, but Nick realized I liked it, and stuck it in the cart. It was on clearance for $2.49.



Thursday night, I was contemplating what to do with it. I could certainly decoupage it, but I was worried at the time involved in getting the paper cut just right, and hesitated to do it. Then, I got "The Idea". You know... "The Idea" that later turned into "Just WHAT was I thinking?!??"

What was it? Oh, sure- "Why not cover the entire thing in glitter?" -slapface- Yes, glitter. It's not huge, but it is good sized. Each piece is about the size of a regular paperback novel. Ok, so here I am, with this brilliant idea to cover them in glitter. I had plain mod podge finally (also thanks to the mid-week Michaels run), and plenty of glitter left over from the craft day we had last weekend.

Gold for the reindeer, and red and gold for the sleigh, is what I was thinking. I wasn't sure what to do with the stands yet. Friday morning I sat down to do it. I wasn't sure what to use under it, but knew I should have something. I used a big ziplock bag, simply because it was sitting there. Note- they aren't horrible, but they are not, perhaps, the best surface for keeping ALL the glitter where it belongs.

After 1 coat, it became apparent that a second coat would be needed. Maybe not an entire second coat, but at least a spotty second coat. The first reindeer I did, I added a full second coat, but it used way too much glitter. On the next side, I used only 1 coat, and then did spot fill where needed, and you can't really see a difference.

Either way, I had only gotten two sides of 1 deer done, and 1 side of the second deer done when I ran out of gold glitter. Sadness! Dollar Tree run, it was!

When I came back, I was armed with a lot more glitter. And other stuff. I set the project aside, though, for a bit.

I just got done with it. I was naive when I started, and opted to glitter all the EDGES of the reindeer as well- despite some spots that were extremly hard to get the mod podge into. On the sleigh, I did not. Today I will use glitter glue to cover the edges. It won't match exactly, but it will cover the edges without my sanity being the victim.

In the end, I had 2 golden reindeer, one with a red nose, 3 green glittered stands, and 1 sleigh, glittered with gold runners, a red sleigh, and green trim on the sleigh. Oh, and carpet, pants, hair, CATS, fabric, and a desk coated with gold, green, and red glitter. Yes, the cats sparkle. They did not look amused when Mommy was grinning at them last night, and oohing and aahing over how pretty they were.

Yes, it's everywhere, as the title of the post might suggest. I was SO careful with it, and yet, it was everywhere. Just... everywhere. I'm suddenly very hungry. And re-thinking my love of Glitter. I mean, I love me some serious Sparkle. LOVE LOVE LOVE sparkle. Always have. My mom called me gaudy when I was a kid, for my love of anything that sparkled. Well, I did not out grow it. Until today, maybe.

That's not fair. I still love glitter. I just have no desire to work with it again. I was meticulous when I cleaned up- sweeping the glitter into piles, and trying to get it back into minuscule containers. I have a nearly full container of red/gold/green combo glitter.

-sigh-

And the sick thing is, I can't bloody well wait to use it on something.

I have a problem. The first step is admitting it.

Santa Craft

A friend of mine posted this adorable Santa craft yesterday on Gather. Isn't it just the cutest?

For instructions on how Amanda made this little cutie, check out her post, Christmas Santa Ornaments

{Photo Credit: Amanda at Gather}

Frugal Dollar Tree Wreath

Last night, I found a tutorial for a gorgeous Christmas ornament wreath here. Isn't that wreath just gorgeous? Today was such a lovely day, it was leaf raking day, so I went to Walmart for leaf bags- conveniently located right next to Dollar Tree.

Christmas Ornament Wreath
You'll Need:

50 Christmas Bulbs- I would recommend getting Shatter Proof. I found these 5/$1 in coordinating colors at Dollar Tree
12+ small Christmas bulbs- again, I would recommend getting Shatter Proof. These were 12 or 15 for $1 for plain, or 8/$1 in glitter finish at Dollar Tree. I bought 12, but probably could have used a few more.
1 Wire Hanger
1 Glue Gun
1 Spool of Ribbon
Pipe Cleaners

Total Cost: $13, not counting on hand items. I had to buy 11 total packs of ornaments, 1 spool of ribbon, and a package of wire hangers (I've gutted my own closets for these in the past, and knew I was out, but on the plus side, I do have a lot more now). I had the glue gun & pipe cleaners on hand.

1. First off, you will want to shape the hanger into a circle. Once that's done, untwist the hook, so you can string the ornaments on them.
2. Start by sorting your ornaments into piles, and then add them one at a time to the wreath in whatever order you want, adding in small ones every now and then, to help fill in the games that show.
3. Once they are strung on, give the wreath a good shake- some of the ornaments don't stay in their hanger, and will need to be glued back on.
4. When you are satisfied that the wreath is full enough, twist the top shut again. I used needle nose pliers to make sure it was shut tight.
5. Arrange the bulbs, and if you would like, glue them together. In spots where my bulbs wanted to spin to the other side, I glued them in place against each other.
6. Add a bow to the top. I also added ribbon trails, and wrapped them around the hanger to keep it in the places I wanted. I used gold glitter pipe cleaners to attach the ribbon to the hanger (use whatever you have on hand- I happened to have that already)
7. Use an over the door wreath hanger to hang it on your door!

I choose colors that were more of a harvest theme- orange, gold, burgundy, olive, etc. This way, I can use the wreath for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!

My Blog

With minimal effort, I was able to find a totally cool background image, customize a banner, and make my own buttons for people to add to their website or blog.

The only part that gave me pause was adding the scroll box with the code to make it super easy for anyone to link back to me.

If you have a blog and want to link back to me, I would love to return the favor! Simply copy & paste the code from the scroll box for your own image link to my blog! It's quick & painless, I promise.

In the mean time, back to having frugal fun! I've been itching to make some felt Christmas ornaments, but here I sit, felt-less. I do have fleece and batting, though, so maybe I'll go super frugal, and craft from my supplies at hand.

Gifts Kids Can Make

I have 3 kids, and a whole lot of extended family. While we no longer try to buy for everyone, I do like to give something to as many people as I can, even if it's something small. This year, we are focusing on homemade gifts, such as the Christmas Dishtowel Angel.

With 3 kids, there is no reason not to involve them in the process as well! What Grandparent doesn't love a small homemade ornament, or a card? Or hand print art? While Christmas is still 2 months away, now is the time to get started on craft projects, so that you don't feel so rushed when December arrives. I like to set aside a Saturday with no other plans, and let the kids get creative.

Here are a few idea's I've been looking at to help get the kids into the spirit, and to help cut back on our Christmas gift costs.

Reindeer Pots

What You'll Need:
Scissors
Craft Glue, Hot Glue, or Glue Dots (school glue won't cut it on this one)
Terracotta clay pots- any size you want, but a 4-5" would work nice
Plastic google eyes
Red pom-poms- glittery or non
Three shades of brown craft foam, cardstock paper, or construction paper- your choice.
Tulle or netting to wrap candy in unless the candy is wrapped already
Pretty ribbon if you use the tulle or netting
Holiday Candy

You are going to need to make 2 antlers (dark brown), 2 large ears (medium brown), and 2 slightly smaller ears (light brown) to be the 'inside' of the ear. You'll also need 2 eyes, and 1 red nose.

If you have a larger pot, the easiest way to make the ears is using a child's hand to trace the shape. With the smaller pots, simply draw an ear shape on the medium you choose from the darkest brown color.

Glue the middle ear to the bigger ear, then glue that to the middle bottom of the antlers. Glue the antlers to the inside rim of the pot in the back.

Glue the eyes to the middle of the front of the pot, and the red pom pom nose under that, near the bottom of the pot.

Fill with wrapped candies, or make a tulle or net bag to wrap candies such as M & M's into. Voila- a cute reindeer candy dish to give away. This is great for teachers.

Beaded Ornaments

What you'll need:
Pony beads in assorted colors
Tinsel pipe cleaners
Jingle Bells

This is basically just bead stringing, and twisting the wire to create shapes.

Similar to the Holiday Napkin Rings, you can make a snowman. Bead about 18-20 beads in the middle, then twist to create the bigger snowball. String 12-14 beads onto the remaining portion, leaving enough space to twist the strands together on top.

Cut 3 pipe cleaners in half. Laying flat, twist two of them together in the middle to create a cross shape. Use the remaining two to create an X shape on top of the cross. String 3 beads towards the center of each strand to create a sparkling snow flake.

Use a gold pipe cleaner to form a bell- fold the pipe cleaner in half, and pinch a small bit of the bed to twist. Fluff it out to a circle to create a hanger. Now, shape the two end strands into a small bell shape, bending the ends towards each other to form the bottom. String 1 small jingle bell to the bottom center as you twist the ends together.

These ornaments make a great addition to a tag on top of a gift, and take hardly any time at all.

Christmas Puzzle Frame

What You'll Need:
Assorted puzzle pieces, any size
Red paint
Green paint
Paint brush
Glue
An old picture frame- this works better if the frame is flat, and not decorative with edges and bumps, and designs
Thin holiday ribbon
Glitter

Have the kids paint the puzzle pieces green or red, leaving an assortment of both. While still wet, the kids can sprinkle glitter onto the pieces. Once they are dry, the child can start gluing them to the frame, covering the whole outer side of it. Let this dry flat over night.

Once it's dry, tie a bow to place in the top corner, then run ribbon trails across the top, and down the side, gluing them into place here and there to create a bump going down it.

You can add a pretty picture from a past holiday if you would like, or the kids school photo, or leave it empty. This is a great craft for all those puzzles that are missing a piece or two.

The frame is my own directions, based on doing this when I was younger. Here are some alternate plans I found online, which differ, but could be a lot more frugal!

Christmas Puzzle Frame Alternate Directions

Glittery Holiday Napkin Rings

With two large holidays creeping up on us, I'm looking for new ideas for crafts that the kids can help create, and that will tie in with our holiday fun.

Today, as I was searching up ideas, I came across easy to make glittery napkin rings. These are listed as a Christmas craft, but I think it would make a nice addition to any nice holiday dinner table. I plan to have the kids make a set for Thanksgiving, and for Christmas.

Sparkly Glittery Napkin Rings

What you'll need:

Sparkly tinsel pipe cleaners
Pony beads in an assortment of colors- use translucent for the tinsel to shine through

1. For each ring, string 24 beads into the center of the pipe cleaner, leaving about 2 inches open on either end.
   
2. Once they are on, twist the two ends together a few times.
   
3. You can either use wire cutters to snip the excess ends off, or twist them into curly q's to sit on the top of the napkin.

Some ideas:

Use red & white to make a candy cane motif.
Use gold tinsel, yellow, orange, and red beads for a Harvest theme at Thanksgiving.
For a night time meal, use silver and blue colors, for a Starry Night theme.
Pick up some cute, shaped buttons at a craft store to string into the middle.

To tie a theme in, have the kids string the left over beads onto the left over pipe cleaners, in the same colors. Bead them about 1/2 way up, securing a knot at the end, so the beads stay in place. Twist the pipe cleaner to make a long curly q, and hang them from the ceiling to dangle over the table just below your light from fish string.

Christmas Dishtowel Angel

This year, I'm concentrating on making items for gifts, instead of buying them. Here is my first attempt- A Dishtowel Angel.
You'll Need:
Ribbon (I've made 2 so far- one using wide, pretty, wired ribbon, and one using curling ribbon. The curling works better, the pretty ribbon looks better)
1 pot holder
1 dish towel
1 dish cloth or wash cloth
I shopped for supplies at Dollar Tree, and had decent luck. Almost all of their pot holders come in a 2 pack, as do their dish cloths. So far, though, I have not found any dish towels that came with more than 1, so that's the expensive addition at $1 each, instead of $.50. The total cost for this angel is $2 to make, if I don't count the cost of the ribbon, which is pennies since I can use it for quite a few angels.

Step 1: Fold the dish towel accordion style, length wise. I try to make sure the end edges are
folded towards the back, not the front. If you use a patterned dish towel, that is the "front" side. (See above)

Step 2: Fold the dish towel in half, and tie a ribbon around it near the tie, to create a
rounded "head" for the angel. (See above & below)

Step 3: Next, fold the dish cloth accordion style as well, also length wise,
if it's more rectangular than square. Set this aside without tying it. (See above)

Step 4: Pinch the pot holder semi-accordion style in the middle. Try it from
different angles to see how you like it best. (See above)

Step 5: While still pinching the pot holder, place the folded dish cloth on top of the front of the
wings, then tie them together. It should resemble a bow. (See above & below)

Step 6: Set the angel's body on top of the wings, and using a criss cross pattern,
tie the wings to the body. (See above)

Step 7: Last, gather the dish cloth "arms" together in front of the body, and tie them both
together near the ends of the cloth, so that they resemble two arms with the
hands clasped together in front of the angel. (See above)

I have not tried it yet, and likely won't, but you can use a chenille stem (pipe cleaner) to form a halo to go over top of the angel's head. Simply create a longer 'stick' on the end of the halo, and secure it between the wings & arms, and the body, so it rests over her head.

I think I may pick up some small flowers of some sort to add to the 'hand' part. When putting these together, keep in mind that they are a functional gift as well, so don't glue or cut the items to add things, unless you do not care if they are functional items still.

Here are some poems I have found on various websites that you can print out and attach to your little angel.

I am your Kitchen Angel
I'll watch over all you do,
Baking all those goodies,
And snitching one or two!

And if you ever tire of me,
Or some help is what your wish is,
Just untie my little ribbons,
And I'll help you with the dishes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An angel in the Kitchen
Watching the stew
Blesses your cooking
And all that you do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These angels are just adorable, and only take about 5-10 minutes to make. For $2, you are able to give a functional gift set, that looks unique, and not like just another store bought gift. Sure, it really is, but the presentation is so much nicer!