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ahhh, bump chenille...so 1970's
the humble pipe cleaner + sequins.
pair these up with a favorite wreath form and you have a simple, minimalist wreath--add more poinsettias if you are of the maximalist persuasion.
Revisit my 'Wreath Re-Dux' project in Ez's 2010 Gifted Magazine.
(holiday revisited is a random series devoted to project ideas from holiday past that i am currently re-sharing' + adding additonal notes + ideas)
one of my favorite "display cases" to use during the holidays are vintage ornament boxes-they are perfect for housing a collection of items to create a unifying theme of color or occasion--or both.
i tend toward the old flimsy plain lightweight cardboard ones--they pair up nicely with kraft paper filler.
i find these at the thrift store and usually am scouting out the box, so i donate the ornaments right back at the same time---unless they are vintage Shiny Brite ones, of course.
this little arrangement above will turn into a holiday card or postcard as soon as i decide on a final composition--but admittedly i am having a bit of fun, sorting through treasures hiding in drawers, so this may take awhile.
i have a fairly large personal collection of vintage alka seltzer jars. i love their turquoise blue lids.
usually i have them filled with what-nots and nestled inside of a vintage seed packet display box.
during the holiday season i like to remove the bottle lids, insert tiny trees, replace the lids and stand them up in a cluster. here, there and everywhere.
if you have some stray jars you can do the same:
gather an assortment of jar sizes + simply paint the lids.
instant cloche!
if you prefer an upside down cloche ...you could cut out some stars from some special decorative paper scraps, adhere them to some pretty silver thread. tape or glue to the interier of the painted bottle lid. replace the lid and have them "dangle" down into the bottle.
baby food jars would work well for these types of project--i see these often at the thrift store. or simply gather an assortment of various sizes + shapes of bottles.
hotel condiment jars used for room service would also be interesting. the jars can be larger of course, whatever suits your fancy. i also like the idea of mixing lid colors. i would love silver + turquoise or a red + turquoise combination.
these would work perfectly for other seasonal celebrations--just pick something interesting + meaningful to you to "showcase" within the jar.
(holiday revisited is a random series devoted to project ideas from holiday past that i am currently re-sharing' + adding additonal notes + ideas)
....another recycled 2010 craft idea
Tea Ball String Storage
A quick + beautiful way to share your twine stash—these make lovely ‘take away’ gifts at a cookie swap with a bundle of recipe cards or add them to a personalised craft kit for a fellow crafter.
You will need a few tiny Styrofoam balls for wrapping your string around, tea balls (vintage or new) and your favorite twine—I used Divine Twine.
Wrap 5-10 yards of twine around the Styrofoam ball to make a tiny little ball. Tuck into your tea ball and thread the twine end either through the bottom or the top.
You can either remove the tea ball chain or add your own decorative ribbon for hanging.
i just noticed that the Holiday Divine Twine is back in stock--a wonderful pepperminty twist--perfect for a tea ball twine holder stocking stuffer....fits perfectly in the toe!
(holiday revisited is a random series devoted to project ideas from holiday past that i am curently re-sharing' + adding additonal notes + ideas)
{this is a project i contributed to Creature Comforts' 2010 Gifted Magazine}
i realized i probably hadn't shared this with you .....i hope you won't mind me recycling a craft project from 2010?
Supplies
1- 2 ¾ ” round aluminum tin (Lee Valley)
Hand held hole punch
Florist wire (i like using wire because i think it 'disappears' when you hang your ornament on the tree)
Wall Paper or other Decorative paper
Assorted decorative items or figurines to fit tin
Not shown: tacky glue, cotton swab for applying glue, pencil for tracing
Remove the lid from the tin and set aside. Punch 2 holes in your tin approximately ¼” apart—this will be the top of your ornament.
Cut a piece of decorative paper to line the interior of your tin using your tin as a template.
Glue into place.
Using a cotton swab, apply glue to the interior walls of the tin.
Fold your florist wire in half and insert an end into each hole + pull up through so that the wire is on the outside + at the top of your tin. Pull taut.
While glue is still tacky sprinkle a spoonful of mica flakes along the perimeter of the tin interior. Gently shake it around the same way you would flour a cake pan for baking. Shake excess mica back into container.
Mount your figurines within the tin. I snapped the pick off of the bottom of the snowman and used “instant tac” to position the figurine. Swab around your figurine with glue and add additional mica flakes if desired.
You can permanently glue the lid into place by swabbing a bit of glue onto the exterior rim of the tin before repositioning the lid.
Your tin shadow box ornament is ready for hanging.
additional notes:
last year i made these with 3 boys ages 6, 8 and 9 and they loved it! we were able to complete these ornaments in approximately 30 minutes. they picked out penguins to nestle inside and i had them each sign the back of their ornament, along with the year. of course their favorite part was sprinkling the mica flakes!
there are so many possibilities and variations with these little "ornament curios":
here are some others that i made:
{this is a craft project i contributed to Creature Comforts' 2010 Gifted Magazine}
(holiday revisited is a random series devoted to project ideas from holiday past that i am curently re-sharing' + adding additonal notes + ideas)
Copyright 2010, 2011-Janice Rusnak/ Papier Valise
