Xmas Tree and Ornaments

I didn't realize I'd drafted this post, and never published last Christmas season!!

I guess I've been busier at the new job than I realized!

Well, here goes the share!

I tried to do a natural looking design for the Xmas decorations this past season, and may do the same again this next year, we'll see!

I spent hours as well as lots and LOTS of hot glue sticks to make the tree skirt:

I used natural and chocolate brown linen cut in strips of about 3" wide, and as long as the fabric was I got cut at the store, then hot glued them on the base muslin I used. I was a bit messier, but you can see a great tutorial here.

These guys were pretty easy; just take out the metal tab at top, pour in some very diluted dish soap ad water and swirl it around to get a thin layer on the inside of the glass/plastic ornament, pour it out, and then you can pour in some extra fine glitter. Roll that around inside to cover the entire inside layer, and then pour out the excess, et voila!! You have completely non-messy glitter ornaments!!

These are fun... I made 3 yarn chains of varying lengths, the 3 paper fans with a rhinestone glued to the front middle, glued the backs of the fans to push pins to put in the wall, and then just draped the yarn chains on the push pins.

Close-up of the middle paper fan. I used an old book I got at Half-Price Books for all of these ornaments for the natural look and feel.

The smaller fans for the outsides. I love this yarn y'all!! It's a nice brownish color with gold threads woven in for that extra shine.

And then there's the tree topper itself. I just made 7 fans of differing sizes, glued the rhinestones in the middles, glued them together in a pleasing design, and then the special ingredient: sprayed with aerosol adhesive and sprinkled with extra fine gold glitter for extra shine!! :D

No one ever sees the back, right? This is how I kept the base fans together to create the whole piece.

Close-up so you can see the glitter a little better...

I also created more yarn chains out of dark green yarn to drape across the curtains behind the t.v. and to hang tiny little ornaments from.

A sort of full shot so you can see more of the draped chain on the curtains, the tree, and our cat!! I made the little Santa hat out of felt with a piece of elastic string to keep on his head. Btw, that cat isn't just a Xmas decoration; we keep him up there all year round... I'm not sure why exactly except that my hubby and I just thought it'd be funny. The original intention was that every season we'd put a hat or ears or whatever fit, but Xmas seems to be the only time I actually do it. Yes, we're the odd ones out, but at least we're odd together! :)

And last but not least, my paper cut-out ornaments. I got this awesome circle punch at Jo-Ann and it works fantastically. Just punch a bunch of circles and then glue them on a Styrofoam ball with hot glue, like fish scales  Don't forget to glue on a string/loop to hang them with! I just used thin jute that I tied a knot in on the tips, and glued the tip into a hole at the top of the balls.

And one hanging on the tree.

Craft ya laters!