Tag Archives: Ornaments

Vintage Christmas Ornaments

Posted on by
Reply

Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Beautifully beveled edges highlight this glass ornament with sparkle. Use your favorite holiday photo or vintage clip art to make this holiday ornament a memorable one!

Materials

  • Studio Pro Diamond Bevels, one package each: 2”x4”, 1-1/2”x 2-1/2” (available at Hobby Lobby)
  • Old holiday cards, scrapbook paper, or vintage clip art
  • Jump rings, 7 mm, one package
  • Assorted ribbon

Tools

  • Studio Pro Tools: Soldering Iron; Lead-Free Solder; Black Backed Copper Foil, 7/32”; Safety Flux; Flux Brush (or cotton swab); Fid Twin Pack (or craft stick or pencil)
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Long tweezers
  • Plaid Mod Podge
  • Ammonium chloride block (optional)

Basic Supplies

scissors, paintbrush, ruler, lint-free soft cloth, wet sponge, heat-resistant work surface

Directions

Note

Work in well-ventilated area. Open window or use fan if necessary. Keep area free from children and pets. Please read and follow all directions carefully. Protect feet and legs by wearing pants and closed-toe shoes. Eye protection is essential. Use a heat-resistant work surface. Remember, the less you move an unfinished project, the less likely you are to have damage.

Ornaments

1. Thoroughly clean bevels and dry with lint-free cloth.

2. Measure and mark shape of bevel on holiday card, vintage clip art or scrapbook paper. Cut shape from paper using scissors.

3. Use Mod Podge to adhere images face-down to back of each bevel. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for best application; allow each layer to dry thoroughly.

4. When dry, peel 1” of backing from foil tape. Center edge of bevel on sticky side of foil. Wrap all outer edges of bevel with foil, overlapping end by 1/4”.

5. Use fid or craft stick to burnish (rub) surface of foil to edge of glass. Press firmly. (Note: Too much pressure may cause foil to tear.)

6. Once foiled, lay all bevels on heat-resistant surface and plug in soldering iron.

7. Apply small amount of flux with brush or cotton swab along foiled edges of bevel.

8. Unroll 6” length of solder; heat solder with tip of soldering iron. Apply thin layer of solder (tinning) over all foiled edges of bevel. Using needle-nose pliers to flip bevel over; flux and solder other side of bevel.

9. Repeat Steps 7 -8 until all bevels have been tinned. Allow to cool.

10. To add jump ring to top and bottom of bevel, use needle-nose pliers to hold ring to bevel. Apply small amount of flux to ring and bevel’s edge, then place small amount of solder on tip of iron; touch iron to connecting joint. Allow to cool. For added join strength, flux and solder back of jump ring.

11. Use additional jump rings to connect bevels and embellish with ribbons or beads of choice.

Soldering Tips

  • If solder doesn’t flow smoothly, apply more flux.
  • If seams bulge over glass, there’s too much solder; you may need to melt and pull off excess.
  • If solder spits or bubbles, there’s too much flux; wipe some off.
  • Flat seams need more solder.
  • Don’t stay in same spot too long or solder will bleed through or glass will crack.
  • Wipe iron tip frequently on wet sponge while you are soldering.
  • Re-tin tips as needed using ammonium chloride block.

by Lauren DiSanza (A Studio Pro Bevel Project) for Diamond Tech (www.diamondtechcrafts.com)

Stamped Wooden Christmas Tree Ornaments

Posted on by
Reply

With a few supplies including wood pieces from Midwest Products (www.midwestproducts.com), such as these 1/2”x1/4” strips and some alphabet stamps, you can easily create these sweet little holiday crafts that are perfect for displaying your favorite sentiment.

I purchased a Balsa Economy Bag from my local Michael’s Crafts and a handsaw to cut and arrange pieces as shown.

Use a firm cutting surface (such as a wood plaque) and gentle pressure to cut small, thin strips of wood for the tree. Use tacky glue to adhere the pieces in place and allow them to dry for an hour or so. Paint the trees in the color of your choice, I chose DecoArt Americana Acrylics in Olive Green for the “branches,” Burnt Umber for the “trunk,” and Snow White for the wood circle.

When the paint is dry, use tiny alphabet stamps and a favorite holiday sentiment of choice to stamp solvent ink on the branches.

Slightly age your branches and wood circle with chalk ink in a coordinating green color tone.

Decorate your Christmas ornaments by gluing tiny rhinestones to the trunk, in between spaces that you have left for the branches.

I also used vintage encyclopedia pages and a sequined embellishment to decorate my circle. Use a toothpick and tacky glue to adhere stones to the edges of the paper.

Don’t forget to paint the back of your trees for a professional finish to your Christmas ornaments.

Wrap silver tinsel around the top and bottom of your trees and trim on the back using scissors so it doesn’t hide the sentiment.

 Add a twine hanger with tacky glue and your inspirational tree ornaments are complete!

Melony Bradley (www.mel-designs.typepad.com)

 

Tabletop Christmas Tree

Posted on by
6

The holiday season is in full swing and today I’m sharing a pint-sized Christmas tree full of handcrafted ornaments that will help brighten up any décor or make a wonderful gift for someone special. Using a box of holiday-themed chipboard embellishments as the base for the ornaments makes this project come together in a snap. Here is a view of the front.

I found the 2’-tall tree at a craft store (used a coupon!) and added the red-and-white checked ribbon to the burlap base. Then came the fun part – adding bits of trim, stickers, glitter, buttons, and other embellishments to create the ornaments. A Crop-A-Dile came in handy for punching holes in the chipboard, and assorted twine, thread, and wire was used to create the hangers. Here is a look at the back…

…and a view from the side.

I should warn you that making these little ornaments is so much fun that it’s hard to know when to stop. Here is a closer look at a few of my favorites:

A bit of red glitter glue on the scarf and a few buttons adhered with adhesive dots dressed up this chipboard snowman.

On this ornament, green-and-white baker’s twine was used for the hanger and stickers decorate the front. Brush baby powder or cornstarch over any exposed area of the sticker to neutralize the adhesive (such as the back ends of the December 25 sticker here).

A little bit of glitter can have a big impact. I used it on this ornament, along with a scrap of ribbon, as well as on the sweet gingerbread house below.

Some pieces hardly needed any embellishment – this tree was already glittered and I only added the adhesive gem to the top.

Others were a bit more involved. The tag base for this one was die cut and threaded with ribbon and wire. The front was decorated with a dimensional sticker.

To create the topper, I die cut cardstock and green patterned paper and adhered them together. I added a large white brad behind the “Joy” sticker.

The ends of the brad wrap around the top of the tree to hold it in place.

Now… are you ready for the best part of today’s post? Me & My BIG Ideas has donated a terrific prize package – which includes the chipboard embellishments used to create these ornaments – for one lucky winner. To be entered in the drawing all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and we will announce the winner on December 12, 2012.

Supplies

  • Tabletop tree – Michaels Arts & Crafts
  • Assorted holiday-themed chipboard embellishments, stickers, and patterned papers – Me & My BIG Ideas
  • Small Craft Zots adhesive– Therm O Web
  • Stickles Glitter Glue in assorted colors – Ranger
  • Crop-A-Dile hole punch – We Are Memory Keepers
  • Other: assorted ribbon, trim, wire, buttons, and brads

Until next time… happy crafting!

Alice Golden from Golden Moments (www.alicegolden.typepad.com)

3D Christmas Ornament

Posted on by
Reply

Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Create a stunning 3D Christmas ornament for your tree or as a beautiful gift for family and friends.

Materials

  • Heartfelt Creations Frosty Blanket Paper Collection
  • Assorted crystal beads: round, bicone, teardrop, snowflake
  • Fine-gauge silver beading wire
  • Silver ribbon

Tools

  • Heartfelt Creations Petite Poinsettia PreCut Stamp Set
  • Spellbinders Grand Calibur-Die Cutting System and Dies: Spellbinders for Heartfelt Creations Decorative Metal Fixtures, Shapeabilities Layered Poinsettia
  • McGill Paper Blossoms Molding Mat and Tool Kit
  • Opaque white ink pad
  • Crystal glitter glue
  • Fast-drying paper glue

Basic Supplies

paper trimmer, scoring board, scissors, ruler, pencil, wire cutters

Directions

STEP 1

Die cut five each of two largest Decorative Metal Fixtures shapes from pale gray patterned paper. Score each shape down exact center and fold in half. For each shape, adhere back half of first piece to back half of next piece and so on until all five shapes are glued together, but leave last two halves open. Let dry.

STEP 2

Stamp following poinsettia images onto burgundy patterned paper using white ink: one #1, one #2, two #3. Die cut with coordinating die templates. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to shape flowers with molding mat and tool.

STEP 3

Cut an 18” length of beading wire. String teardrop bead onto center of wire. Insert both wire ends up through round bead. Adhere smaller die-cut element closed around wire, adding snowflake bead to center of shape before closing. Thread bicone bead onto wire ends, then adhere larger die-cut element closed around wire, adding assorted beads to center of shape before closing.

STEP 4

For ornament hanger, cut 5” ribbon length; knot ends. Wrap beading wire ends around knotted end of hanging loop; trim excess wire.

STEP 5

Tie 4”-wide, double-loop bow around knotted end of hanging loop; spot glue to secure. Layer and adhere poinsettia shapes to bow center. Accent flower center and petal edges with crystal glitter glue; let dry.

Tip

Use a fast-drying liquid adhesive when gluing the die-cut shapes together to form the ornament; use small clamps to hold paper pieces together until dry.

by Angelica Turner for Heartfelt Creations (www.heartfeltcreations.us)