Finally! Life around here has settled down enough that I can share some things with y'all that I crafted around Christmas. I still wasn't at 100%, with all of the "bugs" going around if you recall, so doing the all-out Christmas decorating thing wasn't an appealing option for me, but I did want to do some little SOMETHING to pretty up the house for the holiday.
I had a tree made from distressed book pages that Lori sent me last summer during our annual Christmas In July party that became my jumping off point. So, with a trip to $Tree for some foam cones & other goodies, a quick dig through stash that turned up some paper mache cones, a visit to the DI and the Rescue Mission for candle holders, I ended up with a lovely winter forest.
{remember to right click & open in a new tab to view the pix better}
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For the grouping in the middle - with the exception of the paper tree from Lori, those are all store bought. The white bottle brush came from JoAnn's (79¢ in the Christmas clearance section); the pink mercury glass was a tree topper from Michaels ($1.99); and the small glass tree from the DI (15¢) & trimmed with double-sided tape and 1/4 inch pompom trim, like it's bigger brother (I left it clear but may attempt a faux mercury glass technique on it - haven't decided).
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That darling little snowflake you see hanging from the weather vane was crocheted by my dear friend, Myrna, and traveled to Utah from Oklahoma with no issues (I just LOVE that snowflake!). Thanks, Miss Myrna!
You missed one, Nora. What? You missed a tree. Actually, no, I didn't. You're thinking about that "pearl" tree. Well, I took photos of the steps to make it and thought I'd share them with you. You'll need:
One bag, color of your choice, of Decorative Container Fill. I got the cream color from $Tree. They also carry a really pretty red and a soft, sage-y green. You can get other colors from JoAnn's for a bit more, but for a buck, you really can't go wrong. If you work it right, you'll have enough pearls for future projects.
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I grabbed a cheap foil baking tray, a tv table, my Scotch quick drying tacky glue, another $Tree foam core (I'm telling ya for $10, I had PLENTY of these lil babies lying around!), a paper towel, & a bowl to hold my pearls (the bag is too static-y to keep them in while you're working).
Work in sections. I would put a bit of glue onto the foam, spread it kinda thick with my fingers, then place the pearls into the glue. Work down toward the bottom & make sure you don't go past the edge of the foam, especially if you're not going to give your tree a trunk. Allow time to dry between sections - I gave an hour to overnight. Don't worry if the glue shows through just a bit, because it will dry clear.
When it was finished, I took a wooden candle cup that I had in my stash, painted it with a vintage cream acrylic to match the pearls. Added it to the collection, and VOILA! A winter wonderland that can stay out till the first thaw.
I did find an angel, holding a cream bottle brush tree, that I'll add to this menagerie next winter. AND, I still have some paper mache cones, so there may even be more trees! *LOL* Hope you enjoyed looking at my new collection and maybe got a little inspiration for your next year's decorating ideas.
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ETA: I'm linking this to ~~
4 comments:
BEautiful!!!
These are all so cute! I’m having a GIVEAWAY…would love to have you come by and enter to win a gift card and some goodies!
Blessings,
Linda
Wow! What a nice collection! It reminds me of my mom- she is a huge collector of trees. Come link up over here if you like! http://tinyurl.com/4m5k27k
Those are really cute and crafty! :)
Sarah
(Visting you from Bubbly Nature's Project Party Weekend)
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