Duck Tape Holiday Framed Art

Here is an easy and fun way to create your own framed holiday artwork.  These will look great on a mantel or side table and add a whimsical touch to your holiday decor.  All you need is an inexpensive frame, some old Christmas cards, and some of the new holiday printed Duck Tape®.  

Cover the frame in the duck tape. Be sure to press it down all over and remove any wrinkles or bubbles.  You want to create a smooth, clean line.  Trim away any excess, especially any adhesive if needed.  Place a pretty card inside the frame.  If it doesn't fit, use a piece of paper (or even Chrismas wrapping paper) as a matte behind the card.  You can keep the card in place using a small piece of tape or a glue dot.  That's it! Super cute and super easy!  I used the penguin printed duck tape to line a frame that I had laying around.  I placed an old card inside that also featured penguins with 3D elements. 

This is a great way to add a festive touch in unexpected places in your home- like the bedroom or bathroom.  Place one in your children's bedroom or on a side table that may not usually get decorated for Christmas.  Create a gallery wall of holiday art if you have a large collection of cards.

Another wonderful quality of this craft is that it allows you to display and treasure cards from loved ones and you can reflect back on the memories of those special people every time you see it.  I love anything sentimental, especially during the holidays. I must admit, I have saved every card ever given to me so I could make quite a collection of these!  

I have another great Duck Tape project coming soon so stay tuned!

I will be sharing this with some of my favorite blogs:

Shabby Creek Cottage

A Glimpse Inside

Tidy Mom

504Main

Tatertots & Jello

Dollar Store Gift Box Decor And Deco Mesh Garland

I added a little bit of Christmas to my kitchen using red velvet gift boxes from the dollar store. I made some bows using a festive ribbon (also from the dollar store).  I hot glued the bows to the top of the boxes. 

Then, I found a pair of candlesticks that I already had and put them on them to give them some height and interest.  I put these at one end of my counter. These would also look great on a table or mantel.

I needed something festive for the rest of the counter but I was already using all of my other decorations in other places.  To fill in the space on the rest of the counter, I took a cheap lighted garland from Dollar General (I’ve had it a couple of years) and added deco mesh and ribbon.  It was the perfect solution to add a lot of color and holiday fun to the room.

  {I apologize for the poor photos but I took these at night and had the overhead pendant lights on which created a bit of a glare.} 

 I secured the deco mesh and ribbon to the garland with sparkly pipe cleaners (glitter sticks).

I also hot glued a couple of leftover green ornaments to it and added a bow at the end. 

 I love the fun, whimsical look it adds to my kitchen. 

I also have a little figurine with snowmen to countdown the days until Christmas. 

 

 Don’t you just love decorating for Christmas?

I will be sharing at some of my favorite blogs:
Between Naps On The Porch
Making The World Cuter
Craft-O-Maniac
Coastal Charm
Home Stories A to Z
The Rustic Pig
The Dedicated House
Someday Crafts

Easy Christmas Centerpiece Idea

Here is an easy & inexpensive centerpiece idea.

 I took a brass plated charger from the thrift store and placed a dollar store evergreen wreath over it.  I added some festive ribbon to the wreath by making loops and securing the ribbon with the branches of the wreath.

Then, I took some shatterproof ornaments and removed the top where you hang it and just attach it to the branches.  I got that tip from Savvy Seasons.  I alternated green and gold ornaments around the wreath.  These were just leftover ornaments that I won't be using on our Christmas tree. 

In the center I placed a golden reindeer I bought for 50% off at Rite Aid.  I accidently dropped him as soon as I walked out of the store with him and broke his back leg but luckily, he can still stand. I am so clumsy sometimes!  I added the bling around his neck from a piece of an old homemade ornament.  It is a piece of green tinsel with snowflakes with red stones in the middle.  It fit him perfectly.

You could easily recreate a similar centerpiece in your own color scheme and holiday style.  Just place a dollar store wreath on a tray, plate, mirror, or other object and place any other Christmassy item in the center such as an angel figurine or a candle.  Then embellish with leftover ribbon, ornaments or however you like.  

 

 I think when it comes to Christmas, more is, well, more. 

Linking Up:
Tatertots & Jello
Be Different Act Normal
Young & Crafty
My Romantic Home
Flamingo Toes
I Heart Naptime
Craft-O-Maniac
Between Naps On The Porch
Making The World Cuter
Coastal Charm
Home Stories A to Z

Snowman In A Jar {XL Size}

As I was cleaning out my kitchen cabinets, I stumbled across this giant pickle jar and I just knew right away that it would be perfect for a fun Christmas project!  I decided to make a snowman in a jar.  As if he had been captured and able to live forever inside this jar.  It is sort of like a snowglobe except I didn’t want to turn it upside down since it was so big and heavy.  It is almost as tall as a 2 liter soda! 

 

I made a snowman from polymer clay and then baked him in the oven. 

 While I waited I boiled a big pot of water and painted the jar lid white.  When the snowman had cooled, I painted his button eyes and carrot nose as well as his hat and coat buttons.  I cut a piece of felt to make a scarf.  He seemed to like it quite well.

Then I glued him to the bottom of the jar using epoxy glue.  I added lots of fake snow and glitter.  Then I added boiled water and a few drops of baby oil to help the snow fall a little slower.  I have seen people use distilled water and glycerine, baby oil alone, etc.  I have also read that people have used clear dish soap to replace the glycerine.  I just used what I had on hand.  I added some more epoxy glue to the ring around the jar lid and secured it on.  Then, I added a cute little bow with a little jingle bell.  I also placed this little piece of an old Christmas card with the greeting “Happy Holidays” on the top to add a little cheer.

 

I just love him!  It is like I have captured a little magic inside this jar along with the snowman! 

He is definitely a great conversation piece and adds a touch of fun and whimsy wherever I want to display him. 

One thing I noticed though which is probably due to the fact that I didn’t seal the clay is that his bottom part (his butt) seemed to swell during the first day.  I was worried he would eventually swell to the size of the entire jar and then he would seem more like a scary specimen than something cute for Christmas!  But it seemed to reach a stopping point and he just looks like a big, happy snowman! 


Linking Up:
Home Stories A to Z
Homework
Smart Schoolhouse
Someday Crafts
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
The Rustic Pig
A Glimpse Inside
Shabby Creek Cottage
Beyond The Picket Fence
My Romantic Home
Little Becky Homecky
Be Different Act Normal
Young & Crafty
Flamingo Toes
I Heart Naptime

Blue Dollhouse Redo Part 1

One day, the strangest, luckiest thing happened.  Someone left not one, but two dollhouses at the recycling center where we take our trash and stuff.  They were unfinished inside and needed a little repair here and there but they were almost identical and perfect for my two little girls. It was like it was meant to be that I find them there.  They have been playing with them “as is” for a while and I finally decided to do a little work on them. 

Today, I will be showing you the first part of the renovation of the blue house.  The first thing I did was repaint the shingles. 

One of my girls decided to start working on them herself.  Yes, she is her mother’s daughter.

For the flooring, I went to Home Depot and grabbed a ton of vinyl and hardwood floor samples.  I hot glued a piece of vinyl in the kitchen to look like granite. 

The next thing I did was cut some more vinyl into little two inch squares for the bathroom.  I hot glued the “tiles” and then used white puff paint for grout. 

Then I added a wall which was missing using two hardwood floor samples. I clicked them together and glued to the floor. It was the perfect size. 

I cut some pink polka dot stationery and glued to the bathroom walls for wallpaper and painted  the rest white.   I used some pink sticker frames for scrapbooking to hang up some “art” in the bathroom which was really some floral patterns from a quilting catalog.

I made a curtain rod using a lollipop stick that I added wooden beads to the ends.  For curtains, I cut some pieces of an old receiving blanket and hot glued them around the edges and made a tiny rod pocket. 

In the bedroom, I added new carpet with some blue craft felt and hot glue.

I also added some new furniture.  I bought some plain unfinished furniture from Dollar Tree and painted it. My daughter picked out the color. 

For now, I added some blue scrap fabric to the bed to cover up the awful red checked fabric that it came with.  I hope to find some nice upholstery samples to replace it with.  Polly Pocket seems to like it though. 

The last renovation was in the living room. I added hardwood floors.  This was done by using the vinyl flooring samples that look like wood.  I cut them into “planks” using a box cutter.

I measured out the planks and marked with a pencil then cut.  I didn’t cut all the way through just enough to separate them.

Snapping some of the vinyl flooring in the same manner.

I would bend them at the line and the planks would snap apart like a kit kat bar!  Then I just glued to the floor.  I had to make some small ones to fill in any gaps at the edges.

So, let’s see what all I have gotten done:

• Shingles
• Kitchen Flooring
• Added Wall
• Wallpaper in Bathroom
• Tile & Grout in Bathroom
• Artwork & window treatment in bathroom
• Bedroom Carpeting
• Bedroom Furniture
• Hardwood Flooring in Living room

If this were my real house, that would have cost a fortune.  Since it was for a dollhouse, it was all free.  I think I like working on dollhouses better!


There is still a lot of work left to do. More painting and wallpaper for the walls and window treatments. Come up with something for the stairs. Then, we need a lot more furniture and decor.  That will be the fun part. 

Oh, and not to mention, I have a whole other house to do as well.  I am becoming obsessed with dolls, dollhouses, and miniature things lately.  Have you ever redone a dollhouse?


Linking Up:

It's Overflowing
Flamingo Toes
I Heart Naptime
CRAFT
Craft-O-Maniac
Between Naps On The Porch
Making the World Cuter
Tip Junkie
Today's Creative Blog
Home Stories A to Z
Homework

DIY Faux Snowballs, Book Page Christmas Trees, & A Vignette

 After a miserable week of having the flu, I am finally feeling well enough to to create some decor.  The first thing to show you is how to make these snowballs.

I made these using the styrofoam balls I used for my Spooky Eyes at Halloween.  I had two different sizes- large and small. 

First, I painted over the sharpie marker I used to make the eyes.  Then, I covered them in glue.  I used regular old school glue.  Then, I rolled them around in this stuff called frosty snow AKA buffalo snow. It is simply tiny bits of cellophane. 

I let them dry for a bit then filled this container with them and lots of the leftover snow.  These would look good in a bucket, as vase filler or attaching a string to use as ornaments. 

The next thing was that I made two book page Christmas trees.  I used foam cones and cut old dictionary pages into pieces and glued all over the cones. 

Seriously simple but I love the way they look.

I sat them on old, chippy white candlesticks along with this little birdie. 

I snipped a few branches from an evergreen tree in my backyard.  I love decorating with natural items as much as possible.

For a backdrop, I used this white frame.  This white frame somehow finds its way into almost all of my decor! 

I hung a little acrylic bird decoration that I decoupaged with bookpages on a piece of baker’s twine. 

I love the neutral colors of this vignette and will probably keep most of my holiday decor simple this year.

I may add a little miniature bunting or some words like “joy” or “believe” to this vignette but as my printer has been moved from my home to our shop right now that will have to wait. 

After not being able to do much of anything for so long, it is so nice to get a chance to be creative!

Linking Up:
CRAFT
Making The World Cuter
The Girl Creative
Craft-O-Maniac
Between Naps On The Porch
A Stroll Through Life
Today's Creative Blog
Home Stories A to Z
Kammy's Korner
Coastal Charm
The Rustic Pig
Flamingo Toes
It's Overflowing
I Heart Naptime