TUTORIAL: Collaged Ornaments

Beautifully simple ornaments that even little fingers can make. I was inspired by this photo.



SUPPLIES
Heavy card stock or recycled cardboard cereal boxes
Scissors
Paint brushes
Glue
Scrap fabric
Scrap patterned paper
Scrap wrapping paper
Mod Podge
Sequins, small objects, buttons, beads, small bells
Wire
Hole Punch

First we cut out shapes from our recycled card board. We used an old yellow poster board and some cereal boxes.



Then we got out the Mod Podge, brushes and "glued" on our fabric and paper scraps. You can use whatever you have on hand. We had fabric and paper left over from our church bazaar crafts. Then we added some tissue paper bits and wrapping paper scraps. We also painted the Mod Podge over all of the scraps. Do this on both sides of the ornament.






When both sides are dry, hole punch the top of the design. Then, using regular Elmer's glue (depending on how heavy your doo-dads are going to be....) or whichever basic white glue you prefer, glue on your bits and baubles, doo-dads or what-nots. We used sequins, beads, buttons, and small bells. Do this on both sides.






Then take a piece of wire...oh about...6 inches long, and turn up the bottom so nothing will fall off, and start beading the wire. Leave enough space at the top to turn up the other end (so the beads don't fall off that way either) and to form a hook shape for hanging.






That's it. Simple, easy and can be used for really an type of holiday theme as an ornament or as a gift tag or as collage art.

Post-Christmas Sledding

What a wonderful invitation we had the day after Christmas - to head up to our friends' cabin for a day of sledding,soup, card games and conversation.





The sledding got wilder and wilder, with the kids sledding even when snow-encrusted and obviusly exhausted.




Snow angels were created...



..hmmmm..or maybe she just can't get up. So much for puffy coats.



Our friends must have felt sorry for Peelu because they built her a real- honest-to-goodness snow shelter. And since they are true winter survivalists, we got a lesson in how to do it right.



We had a fabulous time with our very generous friends. I think Lil' Mermaid's face says it all.



We are blessed.

Bird Feeder Presents

The perfect gift for Grandma & Grandpas!



Or for friends whose homes you are visiting during the holidays. We started with some piecones we had on hand and our leftover grapefruit rounds (from Christmas morning breakfast).



First we made holes in the grapefruit rounds and tied a little hanger on them with twine. And we aso tied twine around the top pf the piecones.




We had some leftover suet that we combined with birdseed for the grapefruits.
And we used peanut butter to cover the piecones, and then rolled them in birdseed too.


We also decorated one of the grapefruits with some grapes we had that were rotting. Then we put them in the freezer so they would firm up,making them easier to give as gifts (as they weren't so sticky) and to keep around until we needed them.



These came in so handy as gifts for those friends and family members who don't want or need presents and for those friends that drop by during the holidays, and you'd like to send them off with something but you already ran out of your baked good gifts! Fun and EASY to make and the birds have been going (literally) crazy over them in the yard!

Christmas 2010

A wonderfully relaxing holiday this year. Full of the things that Christmas should be.



Including our two-masted (yes, it's round) Christmas tree.

Backyard Igloo

Wow, the first big snowfall we have had in a few years now.



It happened on Winter Break. So what's a construction minded father and his three over energetic kids to do?



Why, build an igloo of course.



It took a few hours. But boy did they sleep well that night!



And since we had some cold temps for a while, it lasted longer than we thought it would. However - it did eventually warm up and the igloo became....less roomy, shall we say.

It's Hat Season

MORE hats!



Why?

I am not sure. Except that they are addicting once I start making them. And it's hat season, of course.



I call this one my "Beehive" hat. It's one of my new favorites.



It's really called the Ribs and Ridges Hat and you can get the free pattern here, with some pattern corrections that I made here. It was really fun to make. I had this ball of mustard-y colored Vanna's Choice that I was dying to make something out of....but I wasn't sure about the color with my own coloring. However, I have to say that I am very happy with it and I get lots of compliments on the design and the color. Yay!



This next hat is really easy. It's called the Charisma Hat and you can also get the free pattern here. And by the way, check out her other free patterns - the Surface Braid Hat will be one of my next hats for sure!



This was my first time using this Charisma (yes, that's the name of the yarn too) from Michael's. It is so soft and I love the bulky weight and texture.



This colorway was so pretty and cheery. I like the striping effect.



This was very fast to work up and will probably become one of my easy gift hats. And I will be using more Charisma yarn again too.

And maybe, just maybe I will make a hat for somebody other than myself soon.