Showing posts with label christmas tree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas tree. Show all posts

Monday, November 2, 2015

Taking Home the Tree Ornaments


Last year, Taking Home the Tree ornaments were all the rage...

With good reason...

They are adorable...

  Here are a few for inspiration this year.


I have been keeping my eyes open for small cars this year.

 I  pick them up when I see ones I like.


Some of them are new...


Like this little guy...

He looks old but he came right out of the box.


And then some are reclaimed.

I like the chippy, loved look.

I also like creating an unconventioanl interpretation.

Like this garbage truck... 

 How fun is this?



Cute on so many levels...


If a had a son, I would so make him an ornament for the tree with his favorite kind of truck.


I did clean this little guy up so the dirt left on him is intentional...


This little car is new as well.


But it is perfect for a vintage look ornament.


I add a drop of hot glue to the top of the car and add the tree.

The baker's twine is mostly for show and a way to hang the ornament.


Hope you make a few of your own...

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

An Ornament and a Snow Globe....Two Recycled Light Bulb Tutorials

I don't think I am alone in being fascinated with  hollowed out light bulbs.

Last winter I found directions online for removing the inner workings of the bulb and tried it with a few.

I found this tutorial from Team Droid and really liked it.

I removed the inner workings from several burnt out bulbs I had.

 Then they sat on my workbench until recently....

Here is what they became....


I love the way this little ornament turned out.


There are a couple tips and tricks here.

These bulbs have fairly large openings in the base so the trees do fit through with the wooden base still attached.


Before you start, check this.

Also be sure to have a set of tweezers that are long enough to reach the bottom of the bulb while you are holding the ends.

Practice navigating the tree to the bottom a couple times.

It reminds me of the old kid's game Operation.

Once you think you can do it well without touching the sides, add a drop of hot glue to the bottom of the wooden base and carefully guide it to the bottom of the bulb.


 I added two so each is a little off center.

Wait for them to cool and add some fake snow.

I used purchased snow.

For my hanger, I used a piece of snowy holly garland.

I bent it into a U shape, stuck it into the socket with some hot glue and sealed it up by pushing a white pom pom in.


I am tickled with how they turned out.


I only wish I was better at photographing glass.


You could put anything inside that fits through the hole.


Definitely a reason to save light bulbs....

The second thing I made was this cute little light bulb snow globe.


The directions for this one are a bit different.


The tiny trees barely showed up in here so I used a larger tree and removed the wooden base.

Add your snow first with the bulb upside down.

Stick the tree up through the base of the light bulb while it is still upside down.

You can see mine bent a bit but I like the character it adds.


My tree is actually down into the metal base.

Then I added hot glue and put a wooden block on the bottom.

I turned it over and set the block down so the glue would flow down while it was still hot and create a good seal.

Then I wrapped the bottom with twine to cover the glue and tied a bow.


The blocks came from the flea market this summer.

A big cloth heavy tote and a couple dozen blocks for $2.

Some of the blocks were chewed on by someone's puppy, but I don't mind.

They work perfectly for me.


Even though the tree is not perfectly straight inside, it looks different depending on how it is turned.


I love to recycle things that would be thrown away...


This is versatile and can stay out all winter.


Thanks for stopping by.....

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Dyed Pine Cone Mini Trees

I recently showed you how I dyed pine cones with RIT dye.

You can see how here.

I used some of these pinecones to make some cute little mini trees for Christmas.



These would look great in a vignette....

As a package topper....

Or nestled in the branches of your tree.


They are supper fast and easy.


I added a wooden block to each as a base.


I got a whole bag of these at the flea market this summer.

I think someone's puppy may have played with them before I bought them.

I don't mind...

Adds a little charm...


Just use a hot glue gun to add one little pom pom to each petal of the pine cone.


Add a star to the top.


Mine is a little distressed white tin star.


One of the pinecones was sort of wonky.

He sits a little askew.


The white one could be out all winter...


If you used tacky glue instead of hot glue, this would be kid-friendly.


What a fun little craft.


Thanks for stopping by.....








Tuesday, November 25, 2014

15 Handmade Gifts for Under $10

I create all year but some projects are just perfect this time of year...


So I wanted to do a round up of great handmade gift ideas that can be made for under $10.

Some are actually under $5.


Get Ready...



Get Set...


Go!



  First up, is a Shabby Chic Wind Chime from goodies you already have laying about...







Transform a candlestick into this great girly accent for your favorite girl.









My daughter and I spent about a month making mosaics.



Her coasters are easy and inexpensive to make for gifts.







I covered recycled bottles to make neat garden accents.



I had the marbles on hand but you can use whatever you have a bunch of.





Tutorials here, here, and here.



An old glass bowl and vase become a crystal mushroom for the garden is mere minutes.








 Strips from an old sheet become a shabby chic bracelet in minutes...







A cardboard cone from the craft store and a pack of coffee filters become this fun Christmas tree decoration.








Another cone gets a makeover with a burlap sack...








These Rose Bangles actually started as white sheets that we dyed beachy colors.



You could make your own with any fabric you have on hand.








Some coffee filters and sheets torn into strips become a shabby banner.






Transform plastic bangles into chic accessories in minutes with washi tape.








Transform coffee filters into chic home decor....








You can use coffee to dye them.



Or coffee and RIT dye to achieve the look you want.






An old book and one coffee filter rose makes a beautiful gift that will be perfect for someone on your gift list.








 Use some old sheet music and some scraps to make a cute banner as a gift.



Nestle it all in a mason jar and you are ready to go.








Speaking of Mason jars...



This simple craft comes together in minutes.








Have a roll of burlap ribbon left over from a project?


Use it to create these fabulous burlap roses in a mason jar.








Last but not least, use a few cinnamon sticks and some twine to create some sweet Christmas tree ornaments or package toppers.






I hope you found a couple of ideas you can try for handmade gifts this Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these great blogs...