Monday, November 22, 2021

DIY Chalkboard Painted Ornaments

Wooden flat of a poinsettia, coated with black chalkboard
 paint and then chalkboard pencils used to add details.
       These rustic ornaments remind me of grade school days. Yes, I'm old enough to remember when chalkboards, which were green then, were still being used inside of classrooms! However, I'm not so old that the kids were using individual slates to copy sentences from a chalkboard. We copied our assignments using pencils and paper, wise guy...

Supply List:
  • black chalkboard spray paint
  • chalkboard markers or pencils in white and Christmas colors
  • acrylic adhesive spray paint
  • free patterns for wooden cutouts here
  • wooden flats from hobby store (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. You may either purchase wooden flats from a hobby store or cut them yourself in a shop using these free patterns here.
  2. Treat the wooden ornaments with black chalkboard paint. I think that spray paint gives the smoothest coat but you may have some of this paint already in a can and wish to use it instead.
  3. After the paint has dried completely, draw on the designs using a white outline from a chalk pencil.
  4. Then add a few color accents using red, pink, yellow or green chalk pencils or pens if you prefer.
  5. Spray the finished versions with acrylic sealer to keep the chalk drawings from smearing or fading. 
Left, a Christmas bell painted to look like a chalkboard.
Right, a rocking horse painted with chalkboard pencils too.
 
Left, old Santa with hat and Right, a traditional candy cane
both painted with chalkboard paint and then decorated using chalk pencils.

See Andrea Chebeleu paint chalkboard wood slice ornaments.

More Chalkboard Related Crafts:

Saturday, November 20, 2021

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

Illustrated carol, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", CC.
       "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a traditional English Christmas carol, listed as numbers 230 and 9681 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The famous version of the carol is from the English West Country.
       Many traditional versions of the song have been recorded, some of which replace the last line with "Good tidings for Christmas and a happy new year". In 1971, Roy Palmer recorded George Dunn of Quarry Bank, Staffordshire singing a version close to the famous one, which had a familiar version of the chorus, but used the song "Christmas is Coming" as the verses; this recording can be heard on the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website. Amy Ford of Low Ham, Somerset sang a version called "The Singers Make Bold" to Bob and Jacqueline Patten in 1973 which again used a similar chorus to the famous version and can be heard via the British Library Sound Archive. There are several supposedly traditional recordings which follow the famous version exactly, but these are almost certainly derived from Arthur Warrell's arrangement.

Craft a kissing bauble for the tree...

Back and front of a finished kissing bauble on a white Christmas tree.

Supply List:

  • scrap Christmas novelty fabric
  • faux mistletoe
  • ribbon
  • pins or glue optional
  • Styrofoam ball or a recycled Christmas bauble
  • needle and thread to match
Step-by-Step Instructions:
  1. Place a bauble or Styrofoam ball in the center of your Christmas scrap fabric. Gather up all of the side at the top of the bauble to make sure that you a have plenty of fabric to cover the ball entirely. Wrap the threaded needle around the gathered fabric and then backstitch through all of it to hold the fabric firmly in place.
  2. Tie a ribbon around the top of the gathers, gluing it in place once you have the ribbon looking the way you prefer.
  3. Pin or glue the faux mistletoe in place and insert a wire hanger.
Why we kiss under the mistletoe.

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Craft Vintage Looking Candy Canes

Craft Crossed Candy Canes from Chenille Stems
The unusual diamond pattern shown above is achieved by twisting together pipe
 cleaners that are already dyed with candy cane stripes at the factory.
Supply List:
  • two red and two white chenille stems
  • one metallic green chenille stem
Directions:
  1. Twist together one red and one white chenille stem until the length of the stems look like candy canes. Repeat this step with a second red and white pair of chenille stem.
  2. Bend each candy striped stem into a shepherd's hook.
  3. Cross the to hooked canes and then twist the green metallic chenille stem around the two candy stems to form a bow.
More Candy Cane Goodies:

"Joy To The World!"

"Joy to the World!" illustrated vintage sheet music. CC.
       "Joy to the World" is a popular Christmas song. English minister Isaac Watts added the words to the song. As of the late 20th century, the song was the most published Christmas hymn in North America. The lyrics are based on Psalm 98, 96:11-12 and Genesis 3:17-18. The song was first published in Watts' collection The Psalms of David in 1719.
       The version of this hymn heard since 1848 is from an edition by Lowell Mason for The National Psalmist. It was his fourth revision of the tune he named ANTIOCH.
       A version from the Trinity Choir was very popular in 1911. Since then, the song has been recorded by a number of artists, including Johnny Cash, Mariah Carey, Pat Boone, Ella Fitzgerald, The Supremes and Nat King Cole.

Friday, November 5, 2021

Thomas Nast's "Christmas Drawings"

        "These Christmas drawings by Nast appeal to the sympathy of no particular religious denomination or political party, but to the universal delight in the happiest of holidays, consecrated by the loftiest associations and endeared by the tenderest domestic traditions. Christmas is the holiday of all; but it is especially the Children's day. The grotesque and airy fancies of childhood which cling about Santa Claus, as the good genius of Christmas, are reproduced here in delightfully imaginative reality by the artist, so that visitors here may feast of true Christmas cheer." 

Santa is caught bringing Christmas joy.

The table is set for a Christmas feast!

A little girl collects her Christmas toys to move to the nursery.

Nast drew a little boy crying outside a toy store window at sign.

More Illustrations from Thomas Nast: 

Thursday, October 28, 2021

The Doll's Letter to Santa Claus

 The Doll's Letter to Santa Claus by Ellen Manly

She hates to let you choose it
Because you are a man,
But maybe it will suit her
If you do the best you can.

We'd like a set of dishes-
Our old one's nearly gone;
Full half the plates are broken,
And all the cups but one.
The spoons have long been missing,
And all of us agree
That forks are not convenient
When one is sipping tea.

Please bring a little carriage,
Lucille Matilda begs;
She suffers from dyspepsia
Because of broken legs.
As walking's not much pleasure
She rarely ventures out,
And feels she'd soon be better
If she could drive about.

Almira wants a necklace,
And Rosalie, a dress;
An easy-chair for Hattie,
And this is all we guess-
Not all that we could think of,
But all we should expect,
And if you'll not forget us
We are
Yours with great respect,
Louisa Arabella.
Almira Henriette.
Lucille Matilda Frances.
Ann Rosalie Lisette.
Jane Hattie Angelina.
X Stands for Baby Blue.
Marie Roberta Sue.

P.S. Private:
The children played Cowboys and Indians
On last Thanksgiving night,
And Tommy Tucker scalped me,
And made me just a fright.
So if you could remember
A curly wig for me,
I'd be your ever grateful,
Devoted,
Susy Lee.