Christmas

ChristmasHolidays & EventsLivingParty

Glitter Wreath Place Cards

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and the busiest time of the year! Sometimes when decorating for the holidays, it’s easy to forget the small details. This simple and affordable craft adds a sparkly touch to your holiday dinner party, and the best part is that you can finish them in less than an hour. These glitter wreaths will keep the kids busy and the chunky glitter is easy to clean up. So let’s get started!

SUPPLIES:

  • Thin chipboard
  • Chunky glitter
  • Ribbon
  • Mini bells
  • Mod Podge Glue
  • Hot glue gun
  • Paint brush
  • Paper plate
  • Pencil
  • Cup

Start this craft by tracing an outline around the mouth of the your cup.

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Use your scissors to cut AROUND the traced line in a wave-like form. It’s alright if your cuts are a little uneven because these imperfections give your wreath a more authentic shape. To cut out the center, you may need to use a box cutter to make a small hole. Then begin to cut in the same wave-like form on the inside of the wreath so that your finished cuts appear like the shapes below.PictureGlitterWreath2

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 Now it’s time to break out the Mod Podge! I used the gloss Mod Podge, but it really doesn’t matter because the adhesive will be covered with glitter. Use a paint brush to cover the chipboard with a full amount of adhesive. Because we’re using chunky glitter, you want to make sure that you’re using a generous amount of adhesive to ensure that the glitter sticks. For easy clean-up, use a simple paper plate to avoid stains on your furniture.

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 We opted to use the Recollections brand chunky glitter in gold, though there are many kinds of chunky glitter in all sorts of colors and shapes. You could opt to use red hearts or vibrant blue, depending on the decor of your home or the theme of your party.

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 Begin pouring glitter over the chipboard, until it fully covers all of the adhesive. Allow each wreath to dry for at least 15 minutes.

GlitterWreath5PictureAs you make each wreath, fold your plate in half and pour remaining glitter off of the plate and back into your glitter bottle. If you don’t have a paper plate, you can do the same thing with a piece of scrapbook paper.

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Now let’s make the lovely bow and bell! Begin by cutting a 12″ piece of ribbon and loop the ribbon through the top hole on the bell.

GlitterWreath7PictureFrom there, fold your ribbon behind the bell. Our special bow-making technique? Don’t overthink it. Just tie your ribbon the same way you’d tie your shoes! Use your scissors to cut a “V” shape at the edge of your ribbon. Be sure your scissors are sharp, otherwise your edges will become frayed

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 Finally, use a dab of hot glue to adhere the ribbon & bell to the top of each wreath.

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Now the last step is very easy…place these festive glitter wreaths on each place setting for your dinner party! Your party guests will love these beautiful additions, and when you’re finished using them for your party, you can decorate with them or you can add them as finishing touches for your Christmas gifts.

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 Thanks for taking some time to check out this post and please let us know what you think! Happy Holidays, Sparkers!
December 7, 2015 0 comment
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ChristmasHolidays & EventsLivingParty

Reindeer Printed Napkins

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Walking through my local craft store, I stumbled upon a rubber stamp of a striking deer that I thought would work very well for a DIY project.  I knew that I wanted to use it for the holidays, but I wasn’t sure what to stamp.  Then I came across some white napkins and thought the two of them together would make a great holiday craft.  The mix of the bold black stamp and the bright white of the napkin gives this craft the perfect blend of vintage and modern.  These napkins are simple to make so pull out your favorite rubber stamps and let’s get started!
For this DIY you’ll need:
  • A large rubber stamp 4×4 (I found this deer stamp at Michael’s craft store)
  • Fabric paint or ink pad
  • Paint brush (optional)
  • White or cream color napkins
  • Tape (optional)
  • A piece of cardboard or scrap paper
  • Iron

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Before stamping, you’re sure to have purchased a napkin that came folded, with a lot of creases.  Iron those creases as best you can which will ensure the ink isn’t spotty in those creased ares.  For this craft, I used fabric paint instead of an ink pad. I wanted to freely paint the paint on the stamp to make sure it touched every part of the stamp.  Sometimes the ink pad add too much ink in certain areas which can add unwanted spots on the design.  It was more time consuming, but it was worth it.

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I decided to stamp all over the napkin but in a staggered pattern. Ha! No pun intended :). If you want to be sure you have as straight of a line as possible, use tape as a guideline.  Lay the stamp at the top corner of the napkin.  Tear off a piece of tape the width of the napkin and lay it just below the stamp.  That will be the guide for your first row.  You can also tear a tape lengthwise for more accuracy if you want.

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Place a piece of paper or cardboard underneath, as the paint will bleed through the napkin a little bit.  Paint the stamp or use the ink pad and stamp right at the top corner.  Each stamped deer is about a finger-width apart.  Continue to do this until you get to the end of the napkin.  Remove the tape, lay the stamp, ink side up, on the napkin and place the tape down again for the second row.

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Repeat this process until you get the bottom/end of the napkin.  When you are complete, let the paint dry for about an hour.  Once it is completely dry, you can set the paint by ironing over top of the napkin on a low setting.  Be sure to hand wash these napkins to ensure they last a long time.

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Now it’s time to determine if these are just for decoration or to actually use!  Happy DIY!

xoxo,
Alicia

November 7, 2015 0 comment
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ChristmasHolidays & EventsHome Decor

Make a Woodblock Candle Centerpiece

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Happy New Year crafters! Yes, the holidays have come and gone, and I’m sure you’ve finally boxed and stored all of your Christmas crafts, but don’t worry- every new year brings an abundance of fresh, new DIY inspiration, starting with this candle holder centerpiece made from a piece of scrap wood. Well, not so scrap. I found this cutting board at my local thrift store for $2.00. I then bought a few supplies from a company like Tradefix Direct and created this beautiful centerpiece. With a few candles added, I was able to turn it all into a modern, yet rustic table centerpiece used in my holiday decor. This is a simple idea that can even be used outdoors to create relaxing garden ambiance. If you were to create an outdoor version, you would need more wood and candles but the method would still be the same. You might need a track saw compared to an ordinary saw as a track saw is good for long cuts and you’re more likely to use bigger pieces of wood outdoors to fill larger spaces. This romantic, tapered candleholder was not only perfect for Christmas, but it will also make a beautiful, table centerpiece for Valentine’s Day dinner. Check out how I made it!

For this DIY, you’ll need a few tools:

  • Wood block (size and thickness can vary)
  • Tapered candles
  • Power drill with 13/16th drill bit (or a drill bit the same size as the diameter of the base of your candle)
  • Pencil
  • Small fan (optional)
  • Dry rag
  • A cup of water (keep nearby)
  • Ruler

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First things first- stand your candles up on the block and arrange them in the way you’d like to see them when the project is complete. At first, I arranged the candles in a perfect line, then had each row slightly windowed, but the end goal was that when I looked at the centerpiece straight on, or from the front or side, I could see all the candles. So I ended up doing a random placement.

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Next, mark a small dot in the center where each candle was placed. This is where you will begin drilling.

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For these candles I “eyeballed” the width of the base of the candle to match the width of the drill bit. If you’re not sure which drill to buy, check out some reviews on Tool Helpful. I found that a 13/16th drill bit was just the size I needed to drill my holes. Make sure your drill bit is sharply pointed at its end and works with a power drill tough enough to drill through a thick block of wood. You might want to use one of these cordless drills featured on Coolest Gadgets’ tool reviews. It should also be okay if the drill bit is a slightly narrower than the width of the base of the candle (but only slightly).

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With the tip of the bit placed directly on the small dot on the wood, begin drilling your hole. This part can get a little messy, but it is important that you keep a cup of cool water nearby to periodically dip the drill bit in. If not, it will overheat and burn the wood (or start a fire!). So during this project, I drilled for about 10-20 seconds and would dip it in the water. This also wets the wood as well, counteracting the friction between the drill and the wood. As you drill, make sure also to periodically wipe the sawdust off as you go. It’s okay if it becomes a bit of a wet mess!

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How far down do you drill? About 1/2 inch to 3/4 of an inch. You want to drill down far enough so the candle can stand firm and secure on its own. As you drill, stick your candle inside the hole to test the depth. Keep drilling if you feel you need more depth. And keep that water nearby! Apply firm pressure straight down while drilling. Tilting the drill to the right or left, or making circular motions with the drill will make the hole much bigger than it should be. I placed the wood block on the floor and drilled by standing up and applying pressure straight down. Worked like a charm!

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Once you’ve drilled all your holes, the block will probably be wet and messy. Correction, it SHOULD be wet and messy. That means you didn’t start a fire 🙂 . Wipe off all the sawdust and quickly dry your now candle holder with fan or let air dry. You’ll start to see the wood lighten up as it dries.

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Place the tapered candles in the holes- they should fit nice and snug. Typically, tapered candles start off slightly narrow at the base, then widen a bit, then narrow the rest of the way up. Because the base is wider, it should sit in your hole without moving. If your candles are falling, you may need to drill the hole a little bit deeper. This is why I like to check the depth as I go.

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That’s it! I like the simple, rustic look of this candle centerpiece. If you’d want, jazz it up with chalkboard paint. In chalk, write a message- or before starting, paint your block, stain it, personalize it! The ideas are endless- enjoy!

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January 7, 2015 1 comment
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ChristmasHolidays & EventsParty

Fa La Luxe: Favor Trays for your Holiday Party

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Still trying to figure out what to give your guests for that last minute holiday party?  Well, even if you host it before or after Christmas, here’s a quick way to display those adorable candy favors.  We’re going to show you a simple way to turn your cardboard letters into glamorous favor trays that you can use as a table centerpiece or display on your buffet.  For this DIY you’ll need a few cardboard letters, a box cutter, glitter, mod podge, a small paintbrush, tissue paper and some candy favors.  You’ll also need to secure your favors with wire or twine, and any other table decorations to liven up the look.  Check it out!

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Using the box cutter, cut the top layer of the cardboard letters very carefully.  A craft knife will work to, but it might take a little longer to complete.  Double teaming, Geneane and I finished these letters in a flash.  We actually started racing to see who could finish their letters first, which probably wasn’t the best idea since we were working with sharp tools, but I tell you, it is that simple.  Stick the pointed end at the corner of the letter and saw up and down until the top is completely cut off.

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Next, clear out the cardboard fillers inside the letters (the “guts” as we like to call it).  These are the bare bones of your cardboard trays.

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We used a gold craft glitter for this project, as it’s very luxe and shows pretty thick on the letters, which we liked.  A fine glitter would do just as well.  Mix 2 parts glitter to 1 part mod podge.  Swirl it around with your paintbrush and begin applying the first layer to the outer edges of the letter.

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Once the first layer is somewhat dry, you may still see a few holes or gaps in the glitter where the cardboard shows through.  Apply a second coat of mod podge on the outer edges again, but this time, gently pour the glitter directly on top.  Some of the excess will fall off, like it did on your elementary school projects, but follow it up by patting the sides with the paintbrush.

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Pick your choice of holiday candy.  Simply wrap it in tissue paper and secure it with twine.

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Place the candy favors inside the letter close to each other so it will appear full and dense.

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That’s it!  Play around with the tissue paper color choices that fit your party’s theme.  You can also fill the trays directly with candy or any other type of favor that you want.  We love the dazzling gold glitter on the sides- when your guests sit at the table, they can see it pretty easily and their favors are just within arm’s reach.  We also love DIYs that serve more than one purpose.  This one’s pretty easy, and pretty pretty, too!  Happy holidays!
December 15, 2014 0 comment
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