Archives for 2012

Make Advent Calendar Blocks

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This is the first year I have made an advent calendar, and I am loving it! It was so fun to create. I busted out my stamps and other scrapbooking supplies and went to town on some wooden blocks. What is so cool about it is as you turn each block around when that date passes, a wintery scene is revealed on the other side!

To make your very own advent block calendar, you will need:

25 square wooden blocks (I used 1 inch cubes, but size doesn’t matter as long as they are all the same)

Gesso

Christmas scrapbook paper

Acrylic paint in silver, red and green

Matte Gel Medium

Glossy accents or Dimensional Magic

Craft knife

Distress ink pad in Antique Linen

Ranger crackle paint Clear Rock Candy

Ranger crackle paint White Picket Fence

Number stamps

Stazon Jet Black Ink Pad

TUTORIAL:

To finish, I painted the sides of the blocks green, and coated the wintery scene paper side with clear crackle paint to seal.

Calling all Paper Crafters and Givers

by Johnnie Collier

One of my very favorite things about being a blogger is the amazing community and sense of belonging it brings. I have become so close to so many talented, giving, compassionate and downright good people through this journey. When someone is in need, we all ban together and do what we can, which is a lot. With social media amplification of posts, word spreads far and fast, and the result is often overwhelming to the recipient. That is what I am going for by sharing this story today. A friend, Rhonda, is in need. This story tugged at my heart strings in a huge way because my grandmother is my very best friend. I will give it to you in Rhonda’s words, the way I got it. The request is so simple. Just a handmade Christmas card to a woman who is likely about to see her last Christmas here on Earth…

Friends, it is with a heavy heart that I ask you all for a favor this holiday season. This is a picture of my grandma taken at last year’s family Christmas gathering. Grandma was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, news that shook our family. Today the news took a turn for the worse as we found out that her cancer is stage 4 and she has only a couple of months left.

She is understandable depressed going into this holiday season. And I don’t think the reality of it has hit grandpa yet. Knowing that this will be grandma’s last Christmas makes it a melancholy affair. In order to lift her spirits, my mother is trying to get as many people as possible to send my grandparents a Christmas card. I thought it would be lovely for her to receive a whole bunch of handmade cards as well. Th

ere is just something about a handmade card makes it special to open and to possess. I know it’s a busy time of year, but could you perhaps take a moment to make and send a card to my grandmother, to bring some smiles to her last days? And if you see fit, I would be very grateful if you shared this story with your readers, in the hopes that my grandparents’ mailbox is overflowing with love this Christmas. Cards can be sent to: Ed and Betty Vogel
425 E. Coleman Rd.
Clare, MI 48617

Thank you everyone for helping to make my grandma smile!

Friends, it is with a heavy heart that I ask you all for a favor this holiday season. </p>
<p>This is a picture of my grandma taken at last year's family Christmas gathering. Grandma was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, news that shook our family. Today the news took a turn for the worse as we found out that her cancer is stage 4 and she has only a couple of months left.</p>
<p>She is understandable depressed going into this holiday season. And I don't think the reality of it has hit grandpa yet. Knowing that this will be grandma's last Christmas makes it a melancholy affair. In order to lift her spirits, my mother is trying to get as many people as possible to send my grandparents a Christmas card. I thought it would be lovely for her to receive a whole bunch of handmade cards as well. There is just something about a handmade card makes it special to open and to possess. I know it's a busy time of year, but could you perhaps take a moment to make and send a card to my grandmother, to bring some smiles to her last days? And if you see fit, I would be very grateful if you shared this story with your readers, in the hopes that my grandparents' mailbox is overflowing with love this Christmas. Cards can be sent to:</p>
<p>Ed and Betty Vogel<br />
425 E. Coleman Rd.<br />
Clare, MI 48617</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for helping to make my grandma smile!

Won’t you join me in sending a simple card? Let’s spread Christmas cheer where it is desperately needed. Here is the Facebook Event page, which you can send to your facebook friends to help us get as many involved as possible. Thank you for reading, and for being a part of this.

Make a Winter Tree

by Johnnie Collier

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Today, Amy from Plucking Daises is back to share with you this technique packed tutorial for a lovely, glittery winter tree decoration. You will learn several ways to create fun wintery decorations for little to no cost using recycled items and dollar store supplies. Warning: you will be headed to the dollar store after reading this post. I know I am.

Hi there! so happy to be back at Saved By Love Creations! Last time I was here I showed you how to make a mosaic flower-pot. Today I’m going to show you how to use that pot to create a festive holiday display. You can make this winter tree with some spray paint and a few items from the dollar store!

All you need is a tree branch from your back yard and some spray paint (Krylon Brilliant Silver)…or you can skip the paint and leave your branch au naturale!

*Be sure to pick a sturdy branch…brittle branches will break under the weight of the ornaments. (Gently pull down on the branches to test their durability.)

Now all you have to do is decorate! Creating a branch tree is a great way to use up those mismatched ornaments from your collection, vintage finds or other pretties you may discover in your travels that may not fit the decor of your big tree. Like these craft birds for example.

I can’t resist a craft bird, much less a pack of 2 craft birds for a buck! You can find cute clip on craft birds like these in the dollar section at Michael’s. If you have some vintage birds that aren’t looking their best check out this tutorial for re-feathering old birds. These tiny birds would get lost on a large tree but perching them on a nearly naked silver branch allows them to sparkle and shine!

I have a “Mieneke” approach when it comes to decking the halls. I wouldn’t “pay a lot for a muffler” and I certainly won’t pay a lot for ornaments. A quick trip to the dollar store does it for me!

I found these sparkling snowflakes in a pack of 6 for just a buck! Six seems to be the magic number with dollar store finds. Notice the silver blossoms, also found in a package of 6 in the bridal section at Dollar Tree.

Altering Dollar Store Snowflakes

The snowflakes were a bit too plain for my tree and most of the glitter fell off when I pulled them out of the package. Not to fear Ranger Ink is here! By using a wintery blend of alcohol inks, Elmers spray glue, and Martha Stewart glitter my snowflakes are new, improved and far from plain. Plus, I still have a bunch left over for other projects. Tie your snowflakes to your branches with Tinsel ribbon for an extra pop of holiday flare.

Create Floating Stars

To fill in the gaps among the branches I created floating stars strung on monofilament. These are easy to create with paper punches and mounting squares.

Punch stars from sheet music and card stock using a Marvy Star punch. *I used Core’dinations Couture Glitter and Shimmer card stock
Adhere monofilament to back of card stock star with a mounting square.
Add Distress Ink (Tumbled Glass) to edges of sheet music star and adhere to top of mounting square.
Embelish with rhinestones, snowflake punches, and crystals with Glossy Accents.
Attach monofilament to branch with a drop of hot glue

Creating Faux Snow

To “plant” your tree simply stuff your pot with floral foam (also available at the dollar store). Create snow by filling the top of the pot with cotton batting. In a pinch you can use bubble wrap painted white.

Give your batting or bubble wrap the look of freshly fallen snow by misting it with spray glue and sprinkling it with a variety of glitter. I used a variety pack of Martha Stewart Glitter for a range of sparkle and shine.

A tree like this can be displayed all winter long even after the holidays have come and gone. The mosaic pot (made with dollar store glass gems) can be used as a planter when warmer weather arrives. This particular pot is used to grow Sunflowers in spring time .

By using smaller pots and branches you can create a festive tree to give as a gift for Teachers, neighbors, and friends. No time to wait for mosaic adhesive to dry? No problem! Try Mod Podgeing wrapping paper to your pot and tie a ribbon around it. I’ve made many of these trees for teachers, family and friends. They make lovely gifts that won’t break the bank!

I hope you all have a warm and wonderful holiday season!

Amy*

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

DIY Paper Star Garland

by Johnnie Collier

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What is more beautiful than glittery, 3D paper star garland? I strung this above my fireplace, and it is mesmerizing. This is easy to create, especially with a die cutter, but can be done by hand with a template in no time too.

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock in white, glittery white and glittery silver

Tim Holtz Star Die

-OR-

This 3D Paper Star Template to cut by hand

Baker’s twine or other string

Embroidery needle

TUTORIAL:

Cut out stars and fold creases to create the 3D form

There are tabs on the back of the stars in the template above and in the die cut by Tim Holtz. You can make your star double sided by gluing 2 stars back to back at the tabs. I chose not to do this since my garland would be against a wall and you would only see one side.

String the needle with your thread and sew through the top point of each star (in one side of it and out the other. Continue until your garland is the length you want and hang with excess string at each end.

Gift Wrap Hardware Store Style

by Johnnie Collier

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Need a unique, inexpensive way to wrap your Christmas gifts this year? I am loving Lowe’s Creative Ideas use of hardware store supplies for gift wrapped beauty. What a cool holiday repurpose. I am always wondering the aisles of tools and hardware, wondering how to creatively use the supplies in surprising ways. I never thought of gift wrap!

Make a Felt Poinsettia Wreath

by Johnnie Collier

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This Sizzix Poinsettia petals die has gotten quite the workout from me lately. I love the paper and the aluminum can version, but there is nothing quite like a felt flower wreath, in my opinion. For this project, I did the same thing I showed you for the paper poinsettia wreath, except instead of gluing the petal layers, I stuck a pearl head pin through them to hold the flower together.

I didn’t have another styrofoam wreath form, so I traced a small plate inside a large plate onto some foam board and cut out a DIY wreath form. I wrapped it in duct tape for strength and durability.

I used wire cutters to trim the excess pin from the flower center that stuck through the back of the wreath.

I used a gold wired ribbon to create the bow, and stuck it on with hot glue.

This one is currently in a box, on it’s way to spread holiday cheer to a home in Texas! I will miss it.

Make a Christmas Tissue Bouquet

by Johnnie Collier

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Every once in awhile, I love a project so much that I am not ready to get rid of it for the next season. That is how I felt about the Halloween bouquet I shared with you early in the fall. I decided to replace it with a Christmas tissue pom pom bouquet. The process is exactly the same as for the orange and black bouquet, except for the tissue paper colors. I used silver, red and white. Some flowers I made with petals of all three or two colors together.

For the vase, I used a milk bottle. Silver wired ribbon tops it off as a shiny bow. To see the process, visit here.

50+ Things to Make From Wine Corks

by Johnnie Collier

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This week’s 50+ is all about wine bottle corks. Did you know there are a ton of ways to repurpose corks? I was surprised at all the different projects I encountered while compiling this round-up. Between this and the wine bottle repurpose round-up from awhile back, no part of your wine purchase will go to waste!

My friend Vivienne at The V Spot created a super cool piece of artwork, with a wine cork mat. Go check out her detailed tutorial, and you are sure to see why her site is one of my very favorite places to be inspired.

This trivet and coaster set from horizontally sliced wine corks would make a great Christmas gift set for the wine lover in your life. Or anyone really. I am not a wine person, and I would love to get this for Christmas. Eco friendly, handmade and functional… yes please.

Grab the kiddos and create some whimsical wine cork mushroom ornaments at Red Ted Art’s Blog. These would be adorable on the Christmas tree, or as decor for a woodland creature themed party, don’t you think? Anytime is a good time for cute mushrooms, I always say.

Bespangled Jewelry put a unique twist on the DIY stamp, using wine corks for this mustache stamp tutorial. I’ve seen potatoes, erasers and foam for DIY stamps, but this is a first for wine corks. What a clever repurpose!

At Simple City Style, I spied this wine cork placeholder. I love the look, and while there is no tutorial, I think even the least crafty among us can crack this code. Looks like you just cut what you want to be the bottom to create a flat surface. Then make a slit across the top for the place card.

Check out these and several more cork upcycle projects and start hoarding those corks!

Z Gallerie Inspired Dollar Store Winter Wreath

by Johnnie Collier

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This wreath was inspired by the Z. Gallerie silver magnolia leaf wreath that I fell in love with, but not $70 in love with. More like “make my own version for $10” love, is what it was. I had the spray paint, primer, wreath form and ribbon on hand. I just needed leaves. Hmmm. I scoured my city for some magnolia trees, to no avail. I did find some leaves in my neighborhood with the same basic shape. I gathered up a pile, dipped them in beeswax and spray painted them silver. They look stunning, but I wanted a big wreath, and was not about to dip and spray that many leaves. You will see that technique in an upcoming post. For today’s tutorial, see how I primered and sprayed dollar store leaves to create my own Z. Gallerie inspired silver magnolia leaf wreath!

Supplies:

16 inch Styrofoam wreath form

10 bundles (5 leaves each) of big oblong leaves from Dollar Tree

White Primer

Silver Spray Paint

Wire Ribbon

TUTORIAL:

I left my leaves on the stem and splayed them out to spray them. Protect your work surface for over spray first!

Primer, let dry overnight, then spray with silver.

When that dries, cut leaves from bunch, leaving 1.5-2 inch stem to insert into wreath form.

I made 3 concentric rows of leaves around my wreath form. I stuck the leaf in perpendicular to the form, then bent it at 90°.

NO GLUE REQUIRED!

Add a bow and hang.

Here is the Z Gallerie inspiration:

I love my $10 version. What do you think? What is on your door this year?

Make a Double Wrap Bracelet

by Johnnie Collier

Need a quick, easy, stunning Christmas gift to make? This double wrap bracelet tutorial from Adrianne at Happy Hour Projects fits the bill. It brings sparkly shine that is perfect for the holidays. I am thinking New Year’s Eve accessory! Head over for the full photo step by step and make a few for gifts this year.

Archives for 2012

Make Advent Calendar Blocks

To make your very own advent block calendar, you will need:

TUTORIAL:

Calling all Paper Crafters and Givers

Make a Winter Tree

Altering Dollar Store Snowflakes

Create Floating Stars

Creating Faux Snow

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

DIY Paper Star Garland

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Gift Wrap Hardware Store Style

Make a Felt Poinsettia Wreath

Make a Christmas Tissue Bouquet

50+ Things to Make From Wine Corks

Z Gallerie Inspired Dollar Store Winter Wreath

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Make a Double Wrap Bracelet

Meet Johnnie

Categories

Recent Printables

50+ Roundups

Archives for 2012

To make your very own advent block calendar, you will need:

TUTORIAL:

Altering Dollar Store Snowflakes

Create Floating Stars

Creating Faux Snow

Find me at Pluckingdaisies.com | Pinterest | Facebook | and Twitter for more creative ideas and tutorials.

SUPPLIES:

TUTORIAL:

Supplies:

TUTORIAL:

Meet Johnnie

Categories

SBLC Topics