24 Days of Christmas - Day 24 - Let It Snow Wall Decor

 

Merry Christmas Eve, crafters! If you're here, then congrats, you survived the 24 days of Christmas. Wishing you all a happy holiday filled with family, fun and food. And of course a safe and prosperous New Year...

My make today is a matching set of wall decor. The square wooden pieces were clearanced at some thrift store, and the snowmen were a part of a Christmas placemat. After painting the wood white, I adhered the material to them. The greetings are buttons I bought a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. There are sparkly snowflakes that came from a garland I never used. The placemat has another four panels that include another snowman, a tree and ornaments, which I will put away for next year's projects!

With today's project, I won't be back until after the New Year starts. Stay safe, be kind and live in the moment!!

24 Days of Christmas - Day 23 - Who Let the Dogs Out

 

The presents are wrapped, the tree is trimmed, the bathroom is clean, the craft supplies are all put away, and here is today's project. It's another wall decor. I used an embroidery hoop as the frame. I dug through my scarp material pieces and found this cute puppy pattern so on it went.

I added the felt Christmas wiener dog to the bottom, and a wooden ornament to the top right. It reads, "Dear Santa I really tried". LOL I think that fits my terrier to a "T". I added a small pine branch and a snowflake for decoration and my wall decor is up and looking good!

Challenges I am Entering:

The Crafting Challenge - Christmas

Morgan's Artworld - Anything Goes

Sisterhood of Crafters - Christmas

AS You Like It - Anything Goes

Moving along with the Times - Winter Animals

Christmas Craft Creations - Christmas Decorations

24 Days of Christmas - Day 22 - Snowball Christmas Tree

 

We're down to the wire, crafters! I still need to clean my house, set up the table, finish decorating the tree, wrap presents, and the list goes on. If you don't see me here before Christmas, I am in the last-minute throes of preparing for a house full of guests.

My make today is a snowball-covered Christmas tree decoration. I used a Styrofoam tree, plastic snowflakes off an old garland, tons of different-sized snowballs and the bottom of an antique lamp from my gram's house. The lighting doesn't pick up the glitter on the snowballs, but it is a bright and shiny decoration, joining the others I've created this month and throughout the years. 

I use my glue gun to adhere everything, and the tree stands about eight inches high. The star is made from one whole and two half snowflakes. It is sitting on my kitchen chair, which is cover by two holiday seat pads. Very festive!  

24 Days of Christmas - Day 21 - Christmas Mixed Media Wall Decor

 Today's make started off as a framed watercolor. It just didn't look right, so I used Stickles (glitter glue) to each light bulb...eh. So out came the paint markers and colored pencils and what you see is what I got. Using watercolors, I created the string of tree lights. I sparkled them up with glitter glue, traced the cord with black paint markers and wrote the words Merry Christmas with the markers. I added a few glittery swirls here and there and then framed it. Not my best work but a new holiday creation nevertheless. 

Not gonna lie. I had just three weeks to create holiday projects and a couple of them are fair to middlin'. Some of them are gorgeous and some of them I'm also happy with. I still have three more projects to go and then I can get Here on the blog! LOL

FEELING KIND OF STRESSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS? Play this quick game and find out what your holiday character is!!

24 Days of Christmas - Day 20 - Ornament Wreath

 

I finally gave in and created an ornament wreath. It only took me a few years to decide to make one (slow and steady wins the race LOL). I dug inti my stash and pulled out a small grape vine wreath I had purchased at the thrift store in years gone past. It wasn't the most beautiful one; in fact, I bought it solely for the wreath shape!

I pulled out my leftover bag o' ornaments, which also held jingle bells and holy berries. Grabbing my hot glue gun, II adhered almost all of them onto the wreath. I missed a few times, and now have a lovely burn blister on the top knuckle of my ring hand. I'm glad you didn't hear the obscenities I screamed as I tried to get the glue off my fingers as quickly as possible! 

I tried to fill in all the little holes in my ornament-covered wreath, mainly with small leaf sequins and tiny lightbulbs that go to my ceramic Christmas tree. A leftover piece of ribbon(?) and a small silver bow was almost my final act. I finished off the day by running cold water on my poor crispy finger...

24 Days of Christmas - Day 19 - Merry & Bright Wall Decor

 

Hi, crafters!! Less than a week away now--are you ready for Christmas? I have another Christmas decor project to show you today. I used a well-discounted 4th of July metal star decoration that I had bought at Hobby Lobby eons ago. By the time I got to the store, the discount was 90%!! I just can't pass up a good deal like that. I've used it for the last three summers, hanging it on my front porch.

Today I gave it new life by first painting the red, white and blue star with white acrylic paints. After it dried, I added the words Merry & Bright using a green and red Posca paint pens (these are so nice if you don't have a Cricut). I put a protective coat of gloss varnish on the star, adding an outline of gold adhesive-backed gems while the varnish was still wet. I just don't trust the sticky backing of gems, especially when the project will be outside in the elements.

I sprinkled some shiny clear glitter, using up the last of my Stampin' Up glitter I had bought before the turn of the century! I don't normally use glitter on projects because it gets everywhere, but Christmas often calls for the shimmer and shine...

I'm going to hang it under the front porch light so the light catches the glitter. So now 'm down one Independence Day decoration, but have a new Christmas one. I'd call that an even trade, wouldn't you?

P.S. (Okay, you caught me. When I painted and decorated my star, I didn't realize I had turned it so that the chain with which to hang it was not centered. But it doesn't look bad).

24 Days of Christmas - Day 18 - Winter Bird Feeder

 

I have the best neighbors. The one on the right of me has been especially helpful. We often end up meeting and walking our dogs together. She has watched our dog when my daughter and I are out of town and I was holding her dog while she got ready to take him to the vet that final time. She loves birds and has several bird houses. I see her almost every day throwing nuts popcorn, cheerios, etc., out in the yard for the squirrels and the birds.  

So I decided to make her a bird feeder. I saw a video on YouTube that used a cup and saucer to craft a feeder. I pulled out the china cups and saucers that I had bought a few years back from the thrift store. Gluing them together was easy, using some E6000 and a bit of hot glue. The trick was to get the string to gather up the cup and saucer and hang perfectly straight!! 

I persevered, although it took more than a dozen times to get it right. I think I'll make only one of these this year. However, I do think it looks lovely. What do you think? Will the birds enjoy the winter treats my neighbor will put out for them in their fancy new feeder? I don't think I've ever seen a bird turn down food, do you?! 

P.S. (I gave my neighbor her gift today and she loved it. She put on one of her backyard hangers below her massive maple tree. I gave her a small bag of bird seeds and she filled it up. I hope the birds love it as much as she did!).

24 Days of Christmas - Day 17 - Christmas Gifts for My Girls

 

I've been busy making gifts for family, neighbors, friends and service persons. Today I crafted two necklaces for two girls who are like sisters to my own daughter. She met one of them in Middle School, and the other while at college. They've been out of state (and country) for a while, but are both in town for the holidays. I pulled out my jewelry supplies  and found two polished stones.

 One of the girl is very Boho so I used a strip of leather to fashion hers. I spent most of the time attaching an extra stone to it and had a little trouble with the jump ring. I finally got it closed (above on the right).

The leather looked so good with the first stone that I used it for the second necklace. I added an extra piece to hers, too (took just as much time as the first). I haven't made jewelry in a while, but this project was super easy (except for attaching the extra pieces LOL). I think I'llhold off on making more jewelry until after the holidays...

24 Days of Christmas - Day 16 - Holiday Gifts for Neighbors

 Earlier this month I posted twice with Mussie Tussie makes. Here are the last three I'm making for my 3D "cards" for neighbor's gifts. I've run out of cardboard tubes!! LOL I enjoyed making these, and knowing my neighbors (and them knowing me), they will love to hang these holiday ornaments. doorknob hanger (whatever they will call them) somewhere in their houses.

I pulled out my holiday papers and adhered them to the tubes. Using hot glue, I attached the strings with which they can hang them. I used lace and a string of pearls for these three. Other craft supplies include tiny ornaments, candy canes, snowflakes, stickers and a snowman ornament.

Tomorrow I'm making ornaments out of a pool noodle. If they're successful, I'll post them!! 

 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 15 - Front Door Decor

 

I am just powering through my Christmas craft stash! Today I took out this metal hanger. The only things it held were dusty greens, so I refreshed the bunch and added gold and silver ornaments and red balls/beads. I decided to go with the original red slightly tarnished or aged color. Onto it, I adhered strings of pearls on the front. I also added a goldish bow and a hanging, uh, thing? It's a tiny ornament from which a tassel is attached. One lone pearl rests in the middle of my hanger and I am finished.

This was a quick make, since the frame of my project was ready to embellish. I love finding metal designs that I can alter, paint or embellish. I find loads of them at thrift stores at decent prices. This was a purchase I made last year and put away. You can find some great deals both just before and after the holidays.

24 Days of Christmas - Day 14 - Santa Wreath

 

You know I can't pass up a bargain. I bought 2 skeins of that thick fluffy yarn that seems to be the rage for 2023 during the summer. After finding the Dollar Tree metal wreath, I watched You Tube and looped my yarn through the spaces between the metal rings. I fell in love with its fluffiness!! I mean, it looks and feels like freshly-fallen snow (well, looks at least).

Then I trooped downstairs to be an over-sized ornament shaped like Santa's head and attached it with clear fishing line to hang in the center of the wreath.  I pulled miscellaneous items from my holiday crafting supplies and decided on various snowflakes, as well as a few pinecones, poinsettia flowers and a bird.

I like the white wreath against my mahogany door. It really pulls the eyes to it. I hope you like it too!!

Christmas Craft Creations - Christmas crafts (obviously)

Crafty Gals Corner - tis the season

Fab & Funky - Christmas

Sisterhood of Crafters - Christmas

The Holly & Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Try It in Tuesdays - Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Christmas Crafts All Year 'round - ANYTHING GOES CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 13 - Small Centerpiece

After years of being psychologically allergic to anything related to flowers, I finally made peace with myself and was able to paint and watercolor the pretty posies. But when it comes to arranging them, I am still at a loss of creativity as you can see by today's make above.

I pulled out a clear vase from my all-things-glass bin and filled it with tiny ornaments and pinecones, adding tiny white stones as filler. My tree branches came from a worn-out Christmas tree I got rid of, minus these pieces. 

I also have a cart of flowers, etc., from which I plucked two silver leaf bunches. And, you guess it, from my animal crafting box I retrieved this pretty dove/French hen. After fiddling with the arrangement, I added a Christmas bow and I have a nice little centerpiece for my nice little kitchen table. Honestly, I bought a table and "L"-shaped bench for my kitchen since there's only my daughter and me. Did I tell you my kitchen was small?! LOL

Anyway, we're past the halfway point of December, before the holiday. Are you ready? I'm not. Dirty water started coming up from my shower drain. Twenty-four hours and  ton of money later, I will have had my water lines rodded out, partially replaced and a liner put in that's supposed to last 25 years, guaranteed. At least it didn't happen on Christmas Day, right?!

24 Days of Christmas - Day 12 - Christmas Card Catcher

Can you believe how fast the days are passing? I was able to craft another project today. Both inspiration and creativity smiled on me as I dug up a thrift store find from last year. It was a framed bulletin board with pockets. I thought it would make a nice holiday card catcher at the time, and I was right! LOL

I sanded the wooden frame before I pulled out my holiday designer papers. All my papers are either from past projects or torn out of the stacks I bought at thrift stores or on clearance. I was lucky that all the papers I used were from the same set (DCWV I think). I cut them to fit above each burlap pocket using spray adhesive.

I chose some lines of adhesive-backed gems to run across each top of the pockets. I like a simple craft, but my card catcher needed a little extra, so I added a few snowflakes around the frame. A Christmas bow and Santa button finishes off today's make. I added a few of my own handmade cards and I must say it looks great...
 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 11 - Shadow Boxing the Holidays

 I have finally climbed out of the pit of crafting despair. I haven't been inspired to create a shadow box for almost a year!! I love making shadow boxes, esp. for Christmas and Halloween. My cabinets are full of empty boxes waiting on me to bring them the holiday spirit.

Today I crafted a whimsical scene of the inside of a house getting ready for December 25. Throughout the year, I have hunted and gathered tiny ornaments and after-Halloween and -Christmas craft supplies for my shadow boxes. Salvation Army has a thrift store where I found a whole box of figures. Michaels was good for pkgs of tiny gifts, pets, stockings, etc. And of course my mom's crafting supplies and Christmas deco's helped my cause. If you look at the bottom shelf of my shadow box, you'll see some vintage children I've paired up with a Michaels holiday figurine and a tiny ornament of grandma baking cookies..

I'm always on the hunt for bottle brush trees, and found one that fit onto the 2nd shelf. Stickers where I didn't need a lot of depth, and paper doilies mimicking a snowy roof. When my closest Michaels closed with deep discounts (90% off) about 20 years ago (!), I bought up all the shaped buttons. I couldn't resist, They were 10 cents each for multiple buttons on a backing.

Anyway, I worked all morning on this, spending some time looking for the right pieces to add to my design. And I really like the final make. I hope you do too!

Christmas Crafts All Year 'round - Anything Christmas 

613 Avenue - AG w/optional twist winter holiday

Peace on Earth - Anything Christmas

We Love 2 Create - Anything mixed media

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas

Morgan's Art World - Anything Goes

24 Days of Christmas - Day 10 - Chenille Stick Ornaments

 

Another busy day at home. Weather is awesome, getting up past 40F degrees. Put up some lights on the front porch, a potted Christmas tree with lights near the front door, and a shadow box I created a couple years ago. Still looking for my big chubby plastic Santa - he is nowhere to be found!

Meanwhile, I had a frustrating time playing with chenille sticks (we used to call them pipe cleaners). That's what I get by eyeballing the measurements instead of using a ruler. It took an hour or so just to bend enough sticks to make four ornaments for our new Christmas tree.

I hung them on the tree, the fist of many-to-come, in order to take a decent photo of them. They are not the best, but it's all I had time for, especially when they gave me such trouble! The two largest ornaments use two gold and two white sticks, folded in half, then twisted, bent and shaped. I put a large white pompom in each and glued some clear fishing rod string to make the hangers.

The angel uses one and a half sticks, and if you look very closely you will see a butterfly above and to the left of the angel. It's made from three half sticks and two beads. I made a star out of gold and encircled with white...do you see it? That's because it came out so poorly my daughter and her gf couldn't recognize it as a star. You can find most of these ornament how-to's on YouTube. 

24 Days of Chrustmas - Day 9 - Mini Lace Tree

 

I was digging in my holiday craft supplies and a styrofoam tree form rolled out. Just the one - I have no idea when I got it! But it sang to me, so I pulled out my glue gun, some pine cones and my box of lace.

I decided to go with a cream color theme and separated them from the whites and colored laces. Using sewing pins, I attached my rows of lace onto my tree. I liked the elegant look of the creamy lace, and considered what to used to decorate the tree. I had colored ornaments, strings of pearls and beads. I decided on a string of very tiny peals and adhered it onto my tree as I would a garland. It barely showed against the lace, but when I put it under a light, it sparkled!

Colored ornaments or metallic? ef metallic! I cut a string of cheap Mardis Gras beads that were silver, and one by one glued them onto my tiny tree. I found a cardboard tube that had held some lace. I was just the right size to use for a tree stand. Covering it with some pretty burlap ribbon, I finished my make for today. Oops, forgot that i put a glittered pinecone on top of the tree instead of a star. I used leftover beads from the necklace and glued them onto several levels of the pinecone...

On the Christmas gift list front, I just finished my daughter and my cousin, and am hunting down some special items for my granddaughter and a few good friends. I have 2 weeks left--I better hurry up!!

24 Days of Christmas - Day 8 - Holiday Greetings for My Neighbors

 Here's another one of my holiday gifts for neighbors. It's called a mussie tussie, and was popular several years ago. I think it's a perfect gift for those neighbors who mean a lot to me. They know I'm a crafter and expect something homemade.

I started with a toilet paper roll (any cardboard tube will do) and wrapped it with designer paper. Then I added some frills around it - lace, button, bow, etc. From there I chose trinkets to put inside. I have a wooden nutcracker ornament, candy cane, snowflake buttons and a string of crafting pearls.

I already dropped off my first mussie tussie and now I'm ready to deliver this one. Since I have quite a few yet to craft, I think I'll show off the rest (once they're made) in one post. I have a lot more crafting ideas bubbling in my brain. time waits for no crafter!

24 Days of Christmas - Day 7 - Present Toppers

Brrr! It's getting cold out there! I can't believe it's just 17 days until Christmas! I better get my crafting butt in gear before time runs out. I have cards to deliver, gifts to make and a house to decorate. Well at least I have today's make for you...

These cute little kitties are crafted from felt. I added features on their faces and decorated their stockings with cut-out felt, a now and some lace. After twisting pipe cleaners together to make the candy canes, I stopped at three. They are are all different, just the tiniest bit. What I want to know before I craft more is...

Which one do you like best? Or should I make each one a tad different? Inquiring minds want to know...

Challenges I am Entering:

Little Red Wagon - Animals or Humans

The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes

The Creative Crafters - Challenge #70
 The Four Seasons - Anything Winter Goes

Your Scrapbook Place - Anything Goes

Ally's Angels - Anything Goes 

 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 6 - Alternative Tree

'tis the season to figure out where your Christmas tree is going! If you have a small living room like I do, space is tight. Last year's tree was just the top of a pre-lit tree I inherited from my mom. It lasted through last Christmas, then met its demise due to old age and improper storage.

I also have a habit of rearranging my living room furniture often...like twice in 2023! So when my neighbor's daughter came over with a jewelry ring holder, I figured this might be a good way to think outside the box. The first thing I did was to color the hand from PURPLE to white. I used spray paint.

I painted her nails gold and pulled out my box of holiday crafting supplies. I found some felt border in the shape of holly leaves that I ran up down her arm and added my own take on holly berries (adhesive-backed red gems).The bottom needed something, so I added a cuff of lace. I just might have gone overboard with the gold bows all around the cuff, but by the time I changed my mind about them, the hot glue was dry and those ribbons ain't coming off without a fight, I gave up.

I then hung  a few assorted tiny ornaments onto each hand. They kept slipping around on her fingers, so I used a tiny dab of glue to each finger. I just couldn't get a background up and better lighting, so I used Photoshop to "spray paint" the background to match the sign I had put my Christmas Hand Tree against. 

It looks kind of funky, but I just came back from 2 weeks in the Caribbean and got a shock of cold weather and instant holiday lights, decorations and a countdown until the big day. I am crafting these goodies day by day instead of having most of them ready and scheduled like I did for Halloween. 

FYI: Never go on a trip over Thanksgiving for 2 weeks. My body had acclimated to the heat and humidity and lack of anything Christmas-y. It's like jet lag but instead of my sleep being off, my calendar for the holidays is off and I am freezing!!

Time to root around for another make for tomorrow. I'm already missing two days out of my 24 days of Christmas celebration!! Happy crafting, y'all! 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 4 - Holiday Mussie Tussie

 

Does anyone remember when Mussie Tussies were popular? I even facilitated a craft workshop for Valentine's Day back in the day. Well, I'm bringing them back this Christmas. Inspiration hit me one night as I was sitting and contemplating my polished nails in the bathroom. I saw an empty toilet paper roll sitting NOT in the trash basket and, well, here is my finished project.

First I covered my cardboard troll with designer paper (I believe it's from DCWV), one end extending from the stapled-closed bottom; I cut 1/2" slits in the paper before folding them over the top opening, and adhering it all with spray adhesive.

I added a piece of coordinating paper to the bottom, the houses and snow-covered ground adhered to the bottom to make my little scene. To give the bottom a little dimension and shine, I added a line of pearls. Up top, I ringer slightly larger pearls and added the silver bow.

I had to stuff the bottom of my Tussie with tissue paper so that my tiny gifts could be seen when hung up. If you zoom in, you can see the Christmas tree, candy canes, snowflakes, star and kitty. I used a piece of leftover lace with which to hang my ornament/wall decor/holiday gift. 

Last Christmas I decorated cardboard book boxes, filled them with handmade trinkets and gave them to my neighbors. This year they'll get my Mussie Tussies with a tag, in place of a card.

Sorry I missed yesterday's make. I had just returned from a 2-week cruise. I had crafted the forst 2 projects before I left, but didn't have time before nor after to get yesterday's made and posted...

24 Days of Christmas - Day 2 - Stitched and Painted Canvas

 

Today I have another wall decor project. This one combines stitching and paint. I received a couple framed cross stitch canvases from a storefront called Help Heal Veterans. Any veteran can come in and browse shelves of craft kits and supplies once a week. I served in the US Army a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (well, it was a long time ago LOL). I was actually the first female mechanic in the 54th M.P. Company at Fort Ord, CA. Like I said, a long time ago...

Anyway, I picked up these free framed canvases and took them home just in time for my Christmas crat series here. I started with acrylic paint, setting the background for a forest of pines around a frozen lake. Once I had colored in the sky, trees and lake, I added a some snow on the trees, but it was very abstract.

Enter the needle and embroidery thread...I sewed the stars first, lighting up the night sky. My trees definitely needed some definition, so I went in with two different shades of green to give the trees some support. The sky needed a little more lightening, so I took a toothbrush and sprinkled on some distant stars, and my project is finished.

I just recently started to use both paint and thread on the cross stitch canvas material, and I like it! Have you tried it yet? Careful, it's addicting! LOL

 

24 Days of Christmas - Day 1 - Wall Decor

 Welcome to my blog! Today starts my series of DIY, artwork and crafts celebrating the winter holidays. I thought I'd start my offerings with an easy Dollar Store DIY. I had picked up a bag of wooden easter wall decor back in the summer. There were 13 of these in a bag for $6 and I found them at a thrift store. Thank you Dollar store for donating them to one of my fave thrift stores! I had created several summer and Halloween wall decor and had two left. Here's the first...

I found holiday napkins after Christmas last year. After stripping the Easter poster off the front, I painted it white all around, front and sides. I pulled one napkin apart so that I had the thin decorated print (I used the plain white backing for lunch). I used homemade mod podge to adhere the scene to the front, applying a second coat on top of the napkin. Using thin paper and mod podge often leaves tiny crinkles that are really difficult to smooth out.

The effect was nice, almost vintage-looking. After it dried, I added a couple sparkly snowflake foam stickers. I also attached some glitter-covered die-cut letters to spell out the word JOY. And my first project of the season is complete and hanging in my living room!

I hope you come back throughout December to see what I'm creating, hoping you get inspiration. 'tis the season to DIY!!