Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Repurposed Ornaments Made From Costume Jewelry Parts

I used an old broach, a set of costume earrings and a few glass
beads to embellish my paper baubles. I cut out widow shapes
from the cardboard ornaments so that the jewelry elements
could be seen from both sides. The paper patterns are
identical on the reverse sides of these flat paper baubles.
            Don't toss out that old costume jewelry; repurpose it into unusual Christmas ornaments. I've included here a selection of flat, stylized, baubles featuring cut-away design elements and contemporary brass jewelry parts sewn into the paper designs.
      I intentionally selected  Christmas papers that would compliment the simple lines of my jewelry and glued on additional gold papers that emphasized the color of the inexpensive brass parts. When integrating elements from one design into another, it is best to repeat common shapes and colors so that the overall design looks cohesive.

Supply List:
  • decorative papers
  • cardboard (recycled)
  • costume jewelry
  • pliers
  • wire cutters
  • beads
  • scissors
  • white glue
  • tacky glue
  • gold thread or fine gold colored wire plus a needle
  • bauble pattern from this post
  • gold colored miniature cup cake liners
  • wire for hangers
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Draw and cut out patterns similar to those designs found in vintage wrapping papers and trace around these on top of recycled cardboard. I use an old cereal box for my ornaments.
  2. Next, select decorative papers that will enhance the designs of the costume jewelry parts that you intend to sew into your design.
  3. Don't forget to cut out the windows from your cardboard baubles. This will allow the jewelry parts to be seen from two sides instead of one.
  4. Cut and paste the paper designs for both sides of your bauble designs, sandwiching the cardboard between the decorative papers for added support and strength.
  5. Use pliers and or wire cutters to dismantle your jewelry parts.
  6. Thread a needle with gold wire or thread and sew the pieces of metal and/or beads along the tops of the window shapes cut from your paper and cardboard.
  7. You may also wish to squeeze a bit of glue into the tiny holes left by your needle to strengthen the cardboard after you have sewn in the jewelry parts.
  8. At the top of your baubles, punch a hole and thread in a  loop of wire for the hanger. 
  9. Glue on small, accordion shaped pieces of cup cake liner at the top of each ornament to imitate a bauble cap.
Close up photos of Christmas ornaments made with costume jewelry parts, cardboard and decorative papers. Left, the flower petal shapes are repeated in the paper. Center, the paper edges were cut with pinking shears in order to imitate the zig-zag lines in the paper's print. Right, the circular shapes found in the printed paper are also repeated with the edition of both wooden and metal jewelry parts.
Christmas Crafts Made With Recycled Jewelry:
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Craft Five Christmas Candy Cones Using Wooden Accents

      These little Christmas candy cones are made with recycled cardboard, decorative papers and a collection of holiday wooden cut-outs. My assortment of five ornaments includes: a candy cane, bell, fir tree, Santa and a star. 
      I turned these traditional shapes into classic candy cone ornaments that are sure to please any lover of jelly beans, lemon drops, peppermints, gummies and gumdrops for Christmas!
A candy cane, candy cone trimmed with striped green and red  paper.
      On occasion, I am given odds and ends by people wanting to clean out old craft supplies from their kitchen drawers, closets or the occasional shoe box from beneath their guest bed. 
      Among supplies such as these I often find wooden cut-outs that under usual circumstances are considered "juvenile" craft supply. These simple, plain shapes without decoration that some small child traced around or looked at with boredom, no doubt, are then tossed aside into the heap of unused parts belonging to that Christmas hodgepodge that collects in "the drawer" of discards in every average American home.
      So what happens to this odd sundry of supply once it reaches the Grimm household you may ask with just a hint of boredom in your voice followed by a yawn and a stretch? What do you think, smarty pants; it gets glued into the next thing of course!

Supply List:
  • cardboard (recycled)
  • scissors
  • white school glue and tacky glue
  • Christmas trims, odds and ends
  • ribbon
  • decorative papers
  • wooden Christmas cut-outs
  • A variety of acrylic paints; all colors but mostly: red, green, ivory, white, skin tone, whatever matches the colors found in your decorative papers.
  • The paper pattern included below, printed out and cut for tracing around
  • stapler
  • masking tape
  • clear acrylic varnish to finish the wooden shapes
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Download and print out a candy cone pattern from the internet. 
  2. Trace and cut this shape from discarded cardboard. I used a tossed cereal box for these ornaments.
  3. Shape the cardboard into a cone. Add a bit of glue to the edge you roll inside of the cone. I stapled the top of my cone and then used a bit of masking tape to hold the cones together as these dried.
  4. Now wrap the outside of these cones in decorative papers. I used the same template as before adding an additional 1/4 inch to the outside of the pattern so that I could fold and tuck the edges of my paper neatly. I also lined the inside of the cones with that same paper. Use white school glue sparingly for this step.
  5. Poke a small hole on opposite sides in order to string a ribbon through the ornaments. Knot each end to create a hanger for each candy cone.
  6. I pasted the backside of each of my flat wooden shapes with the same decorative papers I used in covering the cone shapes.
  7. Cut around the edges of the wooden shapes tucking and gluing the paper down securely as you go.
  8. Now paint the front side of each shape with colorful acrylic paints. You may use my photographs as a guide if you wish to make candy cones that look exactly like mine. Or, if your feeling more adventurous, paint your own designs.
  9. I also glued on to the shapes a few additional elements like ribbon and silk flowers with a bit of tacky glue.
  10. Now glue your finished wooden shapes onto the cones and let these dry face down over night. I used more tacky glue for this process.
  11. On the following day brush a layer of clear varnish onto the wooden surfaces and hang the candy cones up until these have dried.
A bell candy cone trimmed with a bright red poinsettia.
A Christmas tree candy cone topped with a star.
A contemplative Santa candy cone; he wears a tired expression.
A festive polka-dotted star candy cone.
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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

DIY Paper Bead Ornaments And Garland

Above, Paper bead garland and snowflake.
       These aquatic themed, beaded garlands and snowflakes would make elegant additions to any ocean themed Christmas tree. Drape and hang them alongside mermaids, fish and shell ornaments to complete a unique customized tree.

Supply List:
  • magazine pages and/or old book covers (the brighter the better)
  • white glue
  • tacky glue 
  • clear nail polish
  • a selection of glass bead and aquatic themed beads
  • thin, light weight beading wire
  • a long, thin wooden skewer
Step-by-Step Directions:
  1. In order to make these paper beads you will first need to cut long narrow strips of paper tapered from one end. I've included a video by the Frugal Crafter below that demonstrates how this is done. 
  2. The strips of paper should be tapered with regularity and the strips must all be the same length if you wish your beads to all be of the same relative size and shape. This being said, however, it is not necessary for this to be the case if you should so choose to string paper beads of different shapes and sizes. It is a matter of preference in the end.
  3. You will need to brush the backside or "inside" layer of each paper strip with white glue.
  4. Begin rolling each bead by twisting the widest end of your tapered strip around the thin, wooden skewer. 
  5. Neatly wrap the glue side of the paper on top of itself as you roll the skewer between the tips of your fingers.
  6. Gently remove the skewer so that your paper bead holds it's shape. It will take of bit of practice on your part to perfect the process. But once you have tried twisting and shaping a few beads, you will quickly improve your technique. 
  7. Let these beads dry completely over night before brushing them with clear acrylic nail polish. 
  8. Then let them dry over night a second time before stringing them onto garlands with decorative shells, glass beads and tiny sea horse charms.
  9. In order to wire the beads into a snowflake shape, simply begin with wiring together two lengths of wire of equal shape into a cross pattern. 
  10. String paper beads onto these cross pieces along with blue glass beads.
  11. Then twist a fine wire about one end of the cross shape and add beads until you have shaped a circular pattern to bend around the beaded cross. Remember to wire together every section where the two shapes touch as you go.
  12. After you have made these two intersecting shapes, a circle and a cross, bend the circle forward and twist wire about the snowflake shape to keep it from being bent back into place. 
  13. I then wired a tiny shell to the center of my "snowflake" design.
  14. Twist a wire around one end of the beaded snowflake in order to hang the ornament.
A paper beaded snowflake made from two simple shapes, a cross and a circle. I wired a small shell to the center of the "snowflake."
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Wrap Cotton Batting Q-tip Stars

      I crafted a set Q-tip shaped stars to hang on my cotton batting Christmas tree this year. I have photographed them on a fir in my backyard so that you may see how these would look on a live Christmas tree. These stars would also be lovely on a flocked tree as well.
Finished Q-tip star ornaments for the Christmas tree.
Supply List:
  • cotton balls
  • Q-tips
  • white glue
  • masking tape
  • wire for hanging the ornament
  • tiny Christmas baubles with attached stems
Step-by-Step Directions:
  1. First you will need to wrap the Q-tips into star shapes. I have included a series of photos below that show a sequence for the process. Every time two tips cross, you will need to add a bit of glue and wrap the two with tape and/or cotton in order to hold each Q-tip in place. Don't worry about how messy this looks; you will be wrapping the entire star with cotton batting later.
  2. Each star shape is made from five Q-tips. Two sets are wrapped into "V" shapes and then the fifth Q-tip crosses the two "Vs" to complete the star shape.
  3. Leave a hole in the center of the star or make one with the tip of your scissors so that the small wired bauble may be twisted into place at the center of the star.
  4. Unwind the cotton balls, several at a time, so that these look like long narrow strips.
  5. Now add white glue to each Q-tip stem and cross piece that you will be wrapping with the strips of cotton batting. Do not wrap the tips of the Q-tips, these come covered with cotton already.
  6. While you wrap the star shapes; weave the cotton around the small bauble so that it remains shown at the front side of your star.
  7. Always end each final layer of cotton wrap with an additional coat of white glue.
  8. Wrap a thin wire with cotton batting and twist this into place around one side of your star in order to hang the ornament. 
  9. Let your star dry over night.
A set of photos showing how to arrange the Q-tips before twisting and gluing bits of cotton and masking tape around the tips of the crisscrossed stems.
More Q-tip Crafts:
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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Craft Old Saint Nick from Recycled Paper Tubes

"This St. Nicholas figure was made by my husband
when he was about seven or eight years old."
      This St. Nicholas figure was made by my husband when he was about seven or eight years old. We've been hanging it on both of our family trees for over 50 years. 
      I recycle old paper tubes for my young students to use when making this Christmas craft; Santa can cost mere pennies to craft. 
      Teachers may have only construction paper on hand and this material may easily be adapted for the project. However, I use colored masking tape, duct tape and sometimes sticky vinyl for this little St. Nick. 
      Just cut and stick simple shapes onto the cardboard tube to create your own designs. Each child will need a small portion of cardboard to cut St. Nick's arms out. 
      You can challenge your students to cut and stick different figures besides St. Nick. They could design reindeer, angels, elves, etc...
      I recommend the project for second and third graders.
  
Supply List:
  • Red, White and Black Duct Tape or Masking Tape
  • hollow paper rolls cut to the length desired (use also toilet paper tubes)
  • scissors
  • gold cord for hanger
  • light weight cardboard (for arms)
Craft More St. Nicholas Figures:
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Monday, August 11, 2014

Sculpt a Cotton Batting Deer

      To hand sculpt a cotton batting animal, such as this handsome little buck below, may seem a bit too ambitious at first. However, if you can dig a few plastic figures out of your child's toy box, to look at as you work, you may surprise yourself with the finished result! 
      Hold the small plastic animal in the palm of your hand and explore it's surface with your fingers; study it's shape carefully. By doing this, you are giving important tactile information to your brain. If you have never sculpted anything before, you must ask your eyes, hands, and mind to think about how shapes feel and look in three dimensional space over and over again. 
     Sculpting with any medium, whether it be clay, paper pulp, fabric or cotton is a tactile process. You can make many simple things but you must train yourself to be a keen observer with your hands as well as with your eyes!
     I've also included video links below to help guide you through the beginning processes of sculpting with both clay and paper. In sculpting, beginning concepts are the same no matter what medium you chose to manipulate.
Close up photo of my deer's face.

Supply List 
  • cotton balls
  • white school glue
  • chenille stems
  • newsprint 
  • tacky white glue
  • small soft paint brush (for painting)
  • acrylic paints: browns, black, white
  • bit of white fur or soft milk weed floss
  • wire for hanging
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Shape a small piece of newsprint into the torso and extended head of the deer. Masking it with tape as you compress the paper into an approximate shape. 
  2. Bend chenille stems into antler and leg shapes. Use tacky glue and masking tape to attach these parts to your crushed newsprint torso and head. 
  3. Let the glue dry.
  4. At this point you need to shape a small wire loop and attach it with glue or tape to the backside of your deer. The majority of this wire will be covered from view by tape, glue and cotton. However, you need to leave a small piece of this wire exposed so that deer may be properly hung from the tree.
  5. Now wrap masking tape around the entire body.
  6. Unravel several cotton balls at a time and cover the surface of your deer with white glue and cotton batting layers several times. Always end a step in this process with a final coat of white glue. I spread this with my finger tips as I go. 
  7. Work in a warm, dry area so that parts of your deer will dry before others areas are completed. Anticipate that you will need several days to complete the whole process. Wrapping cotton batting figures is not a speedy craft.
  8. I rolled small bits of cotton between my finger tips to shape this deer's eyes, nose and ears. I shaped his mussel with a toothpick dipped in white glue.
  9. I have included detailed photos of the finished deer prior to painting him with neutral-toned brown acrylic paints. Study these photos closely. 
  10. After painting my deer, I then glued milkweed floss to his under belly, his tail and inside his ears. You may use any furry stuff that you have on hand to finish off these little details.
  11. Wrap and shape a cotton batting wire hook for hanging the deer with.
Masking the deer. Both his antlers and legs are shaped from chenille stems.
Wrapping the deer with cotton batting, multiple views.
The painted, finished cotton batting deer. His fuzzy tail, belly and inside ears are made from milk weed floss.
The Basics of Sculpting: Start With Basic Shapes:
  • Learn Sculpting - Lesson 1 - Clay Modeling This video will help you to get ideas and concepts about basic shapes, how these fit together etc...
  • How to sculpt with paper: This video shows how to build a paper shape like the process I used above. Except, I exclude the wire armature when crafting light weight figures for the Christmas tree. It is unnecessary to include intricate internal armatures for very small figures. Also this video depicts a finishing step that is not often used with cotton batting figures, the additional step of applying paper mache pulp.
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Bend a Wire Tree For a Miniature Ornament Collection

"The tiny wooden ornaments came with a larger set of turned wooden Christmas ornaments that I bought in bulk from a neighbor during our community garage sale."

Thicker wire was used to shape the outside
edge of this little Christmas tree. Cotton is
used to conceal every part of the wire and
masking tape.

      This wire shaped Christmas tree jingles when you open and shut the door in which it hangs. This is because I wired three jingle bells to it; these are painted to look like Santa. I purchased these funny little character bells as you see them. The tiny wooden ornaments came with a larger set of turned wooden Christmas ornaments that I bought in bulk from a neighbor during our community garage sale. I have too many boxes and drawers with little odds and ends like these throughout my house! So I decided to put them to use within the context of an ornament. This ornament is a bit too big for my trees and a little too small to call a wreath. However, it displays nicely hanging from the door knob of one of my Early American cupboards.
      As you can see from the photo below, I crafted this ornament from a long piece of wire that I bent into the shape of a Christmas tree. Wrap masking tape around the two wires where they overlap at the bottom half of the trunk. This will prevent sharp edges from cutting into the fingers of any person who handles this decorative little tree. 
      Cover the wire shape in cotton batting and white glue by unraveling cotton balls and separating the fine wadding into long strips. Apply the glue to three or four inches of the wire at a time and wrap the cotton around the wire and glue. Twist the cotton down onto the surface, rolling the wire between your fingers as you proceed to cover the wire completely in cotton. 
      Then cover a thinner wire with more cotton before twisting it into all kinds of loopy shapes connecting and wrapping smaller areas within the tree for miniature ornaments to hang.
     Twisted the miniature ornaments onto the Christmas tree with cotton covered wire wherever these may fit securely.

More Ways to Display Miniature Ornament Collections:
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