Painted Snowy Mason Jars....

Over the weekend while the boys were away & I had the house to myself I worked on 7 different holiday projects...yes 7..and all but 1 are actually completed hahaha!  Sometimes its easier to do a lot at once when you already have a good mess going right?  And I watched "Sleepless In Seattle" and "When Harry Met Sally" while crafting....two of my most favorite movies so it was all good.  I think my dogs might've gone to bed with glittery fur that night too...hmmmmm ;)

So first on my project list to share with you today are my Painted Christmas Mason Jars.  I've seen these painted mason jars ALL over the web and I've been biding my time to make my own version. I had everything in my craft supplies for this project except for the paint so the total for this cost me a nice $4...can't beat that!

Supplies:

Jars (cleaned & dry)

Paint (any acrylic or chalk paint works)

Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Sand paper or block, emory board

White Glitter (I used Diamond Dust)

Clear Glitter (I used Tim Holtz Distress Glitter)

Modge Podge or other thick glue

Chipboard Letters

Snowflake punches, thick white cardstock, or pre-made snowflakes

Paper Dimensionals

Twine

Mine aren't even mason jars...they are spaghetti jars I've saved and washed out...I cannot throw out a perfectly good jar like these ya know.  I used Martha Stewart's paint in Cloud (satin finish) and just painted it all over the clean jars making sure to paint from top to bottom each time..no swishing it in every direction. (Chalk Paint would work great too) 

Let first coat dry and then add second coat..then let them dry overnight.

After they are thoroughly dried, then you can sand them to your heart's desire.  I used an emory board to get in the letters a bit more and then the sanding block for the larger areas.

I wanted the tops of my jars to have a fun, glittery & snowy look.  So I used a heavy modge podge glue and dabbed it along the top and dipped each jar into some of the Diamond Dust (which is a thicker white/clear glitter).  After dipping I patted it on to make sure it was coated well.

Then I used my snowflake punches and punched a variety of sizes out of some thick, white cardstock.

Then each snowflake got a coating of glue and both kinds of glitter as well.

The chipboard letters I painted white and then added glitter to them as well...this time I only used the Tim Holtz Distress Glitter in Clear Rock Candy.

I hot glued the snowflakes in layers and then glued them directly on my jars.  But I wanted my letters to POP out a bit more from the jars & really stand out.  So I used these dimensional stickies (if you are a papercrafter they look familiar)...only I hot glued them on the letters and then the jar so they'd stay stuck really well.  Otherwise they would probably fall off easily on the painted jar since they are meant more for paper.

I added some twine just to the first jar and tied in a bow...I liked the contrast.

You could also punch snowflakes out of kraft paper and have a variety of colored snowflakes.

Lots of fun options....

And this is what you end up with...I just love how they turned out and the pretty soft gray-aqua color.  They will look beautiful in my finished basement rec-room (its all choc brown, black, white & aqua).

I put flameless battery operated candles in each so they will glow softly when the lights are dimmed.

I would NOT recommend using real candles due to saftey okay...no burning stuff down folks!!

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An Apple a Day.....

Happy Monday to you all!!  

Hope you are enjoying the fall season quietness before the holidays set in. I told myself this year I'm not overdoing it & not stressing this season. If it doesn't get done, then it wasn't meant to get done. Just saying that to myself was a bit of a relief...holidays should be enjoyed and not so stressful you wish them away right?

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Thought I'd share my Apple Orchard pictures with you all today.  The hubs and I went a couple weekends ago to one out in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains & it was a gorgeous day.  We spent a few hours there picking apples, enjoying some warm apple cider donuts and walking around enjoying the day.  I'm STILL eating an apple every day from the 1/2 bushel we picked...and gave some to Alexa at college and my mom too!  They are so yummy!

The hubs in the land of apples...I mean look at those loaded trees...beautiful!!

Look at this wonderful antique apple press they had...I'm not sure where I'd put it but I'd love to have one. Vintage machines that like are gorgeous works of art.

We picked a variety of apples including Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Nittany & Rome.

If I lived near or on an apple orchard like this you would find me out underneath the trees with my camera, a good book and probably enjoying an apple. It was beautiful!

I loved the red apples against the brilliant blue sky...gorgeous colors!

Gorgeousness right?

I would've loved to have brought an apple crate home but I'll settle with a picture ;)

This pic was taken with my iPhone but I love it so I had to share it!

The trees were just hitting their Fall peak of color when we were there.  Now half the trees have lost their leaves and are looking bare. (Winter is a'coming..sniff sniff)

The fresh, warm apple cider donuts were mmmmm....need I say more!

This photo was snapped with my iPhone too but this is only a small part of the orchard and these are all baby trees. As you can see it went on and on and on!

Something about this scene made me think of the Wizard of Oz...I could so live out of the hustle & bustle and enjoy some more of the quiet life these days.

Hope you enjoyed....and hey, go enjoy an apple...they're good for what ails you!

Paper Scrap Pumpkins..DIY!

This is a fun little project to do in your spare time to dress up your home this Fall.  You can use things found around (and outside) the house.  Everything I used were scraps from my craftroom...a great way to recycle and reuse!  And just by changing the colors/patterns of your papers you can change the theme of your pumpkins.  So if you want creepy scary, bright & sassy or rustic and vintage...that's all up to you!  Have fun with it!

I went with more rustic colors and papers that fit in well with my home decor so I could move them from room to room if I wished.  

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SUPPLY LIST:

Empty Toilet paper or Papertowel rolls (OR) rolled construction/craft paper 

Strips of scrapbook paper or other papers 

(use a paper with a good weight)

Glue for paper (I use Scotch 3M Quick Adhesive)

Embellishments or accessories of your choice

Tree bark, thick sticks, or some other item for the stem

If you are squeamish about using toilet paper rolls for any reason just use a paper-towel roll or create a tube roll with thick construction paper.  I don't have any issues with using toilet paper rolls from my bathroom...my son's however, ummmm NO....lol!

Cut a "trial" strip of paper to see how long you want each for your pumpkins.  If you want a more squat pumpkin then make the strips longer, for a taller/thinner pumpkin cut them shorter.

I made two different sizes of pumpkins...for the smaller one I cut about 1/3 off the toilet paper roll.

I used the whole roll for the larger pumpkin.  I wrapped both rolls with coordinating paper so that it looks nicely through the strips of paper.

All my papers were from an older My Minds Eye line...I used a mix of Halloween papers and just regular everyday patterns that fit my scheme.  Because I used two patterns per pumpkin I spaced the strips out as I worked and then filled in varying the pattern so it was even around the pumpkin.  When you use a thicker paper it holds the "curve" of the pumpkin better than a lighter weighted paper will.

I cut a circle of paper for the bottom of each pumpkin and glued it once I was done adding all my strips.  This gives the pumpkin a nice base to stand on evenly when you are finished.

Then you add your decorations as you see fit.  I got sticks and thick bark pieces from my woods for my stems...I liked the more rustic look.  And I used burlap and tulle for the "leaves".  The toilet paper roll give you a nice area to add you elements to...I stuffed the bottom of the roll with tissue paper and then added the stem and burlap/tulle to the top so it didn't sink.

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I love the way they turned out & they cost me a total sum of $0.00...can't beat that!!

Also a fun project to make with your kids....pre-cut the strips of paper and let them have fun with it!

Happy Scrappy Fall!!

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Rustic Country Shaker Ornaments!

Every year I choose a few ornaments to create for my trees because I love to and its a bit of a tradition. I've been making ornaments for my trees since I was first married and the budget was tight.  Now I do it because I enjoy it and it makes my trees unique and special for my family.  I keep a folder of Holiday Ideas full of magazine tear-outs that I've had for YEARS (long before Pinterest people lol) and dig through it! And I believe it was Country Living (I think) that made some similar ornaments but without the trees many moons ago...but I pulled it out this year because I saw the letter beads at Hobby Lobby that looked similar to those they had used.  They are inexpensive to create and you can customize them for your decor and taste!  These ornaments I finished later than I wanted in the season but that's ok...they're done and that's what counts right LOL!  

These are for my kitchen tree (above) which is more rustic and countrified and they look pretty scattered all over it because they reflect a bit of light.
I think they'd be also fab as gift toppers or table favors on each holiday plate! Change the sentiment to a name or nickname...just remember to not make them too long that they fit awkwardly in the ornament!

(sorry my tutorial pics during the project had some "issues", I think there was a smudge on my lens and I didn't want to reshoot, forgive me, please? lol)

Supplies I used for these:

-Some clear glass ornaments..whatever size you choose

-Rustic Letter beads like these

-Faux Snow

-mini bottle trees either bought or homemade 

(click here for a tut to make your own)

-small pinecones

-some faux greenery

-burlap

-ribbon of choice

-scissors

-craft tweezers or regular tweezers

-hot glue gun

1) Pop off the metal hanger on each ornament.  Hold a bottle brush tree at the very top with tweezers and add hot glue to bottom of tree...quickly place brush in ornament where you want it (the tree will squish thru the opening). Let that dry for a few minutes.  (if your bottle brush tree has a tiny wooden bottom it may fit thru hole, if not clip it off and add glue to the bottom of the trunk instead)

2) While waiting glue your letter beads together to create a holiday sentiment...keep it short & sweet and hot glue the beads together where the holes are so you can't see them when you are finished.  Set aside.

3) Spoon or funnel in some faux snow...I used 2 spoonfuls in my ornaments but you can always add more or less.

4) Then put in beaded sentiment, pinecones and greenery and place the top/hanger back on the ornament.

5) I cut strips of burlap and hot glued it around the metal hanger to cover it.  I tied a simple knot with another strip of burlap through the loop of the hanger and glued on a simple gingham bow.

Here is one done without the bottle brush tree inside...I made a few variations of each for my tree.

PROJECT COST: 

Bag of Letter Beads - $2

Bag of Faux Snow - $1.50

Glass Ornaments - FREE (given to me)

Faux Greenery - Free (my stash)

Small Bag of Mini pinecones - $2

Burlap - Free (my stash)

Gingham Ribbon - Free (my stash)

TOTAL for 6 Ornaments:  $5.50

And that's it...quick and easy to make!  Switch them up and add different words or different objects inside of each ornament...that's what makes them special!!

Merry Christmas!
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DIY Vintage Photo Ornaments!

I'm gonna tell y'all something ok?  Its BIG...BIG...BIG!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING IN 5.5 WEEKS!

 Not too much longer eek!

And the first Christmas tree in the Dean house is already up..but I'm adding to it this year so I can't share yet.  And we hunt for our 12-13 foot real tree for the family room the first week of December. Then I will get the other 6-8 trees up as well.  And I'm always looking to add ornaments to my trees each year. And nothing better than homemade ornaments with meaning!  

So these photo ornaments fit the bill!  I saw similar ones on Pinterest over a year ago but never had time to make any (story of MY life).  I did mine a bit differently, went vintage and embellished them my way.  And I made a tongue-in-cheek fun one for my mom heehee!  They are great for gifts, place-setting favors during the holiday season or just for your own trees.

Use a photo editing program (free ones like Pic Monkey will work too) to make a 4x6 size blank page.  Then pick out the headshots/photos you want to use - you could also have these photos made online or at Target or another photo printing place if you don't have access to a laptop or computer.  I made duplicate photo files in Photoshop and then turned each of my photos into black & white versions.  Size them so you have 5-6 pics evenly spaced across...then duplicate and make 3 more rows of pictures like I have above.  Then you need to cut them into long strips.  I used pics of my family and did two each of the teens.  I want to do an animal version as well since I have 8 animals...they're worthy of their own :)

I wanted mine to be more vintage feeling so I inked them with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (antique linen) and my Inkssentials Blending tool.  You could print them in sepia tones if you wanted too...I did it this way because I wanted more ink on some of the strips then others for a more random, aged feel.

You will also need to cut more strips of paper from decorative scrapbooking/crafting paper the same length as your photo strips (however I varied the width of my strips for a different look).

Cut as many as you like...I cut more than I originally thought I would.  I cut strips of scrapbook paper  and then stamped sentiments on some in black ink...one says "Merry Christmas", one says "Peace" and the other says "Baby Its Cold Outside".  They all got inked as well for that vintage look.
I cut 9 strips from various papers along with my 4 photo strips...total of 13 strips to use on the ornaments.

Then I started laying them in a star pattern, pattern side UP, to space them as I liked.  Make sure the matching strip (twin) for each is across from itself like I did above.

As I added a few strips of paper where I wanted them, I pierced them with my paper piecer .

That way I could easily add the other strips on and have them evenly spaced and pierced for the brad I'm using to keep them together when I finish.

If you need a larger hole or don't have a paper piercer you can use a paper punch too.  I used a Crop-a-dile to make my pierced hole just a wee bit bigger.  Then I used a fun nail-look brad to insert and keep all those strips together.  This is the BOTTOM of the ornament.

Then you need to bring each strip and its twin up to create a ball shape and tape or staple them as you go.  I used low-stick tape for this because I found that I needed to adjust some strips as I went along.  The tape came off cleanly and allowed me to do that easily.  Once I was done I pierced the top again and put another brad in the top but you could staple or add some stronger tape if you chose.  

THIS IS THE TOP OF THE ORNAMENT!

Then you get to decorate and embellish the top of your ornaments.

I used ribbon (in black satin and gingham), a die cut from black cardstock and some burlap and paper-print flowers to layer.  I use Scor-Tape to tape my embellishments together and add to the top of each ornament...super strong stuff and no cutting, you just rip it!

This ornament above is a bit different from the other one I made with pics of my family.  This one is for my mother...she's a wee bit crazy for Kip Moore the country singer.  Kinda like how I am for Luke Bryan & Tim McGraw..obviously it runs in the family heehee.  So I used pictures I had snapped when we saw Kip in September and created photo strips of him and a sentiment that says "I {heart} Kip Moore" LOL!  A little tongue in cheek humor for the holiday is ALWAYS appropriate I think!  I used some music note scrapbook paper on this one too seeing that its a bit more musical.  The "Baby Its Cold Outside" I stamped onto paper to make strips too...I like the mix of different prints and words along with your photos on these.

So there you go...some unique, personalized ornaments for your tree.  Inexpensive to make, not much time involved and looks lovely on your Christmas tree this season.

You of course could make these in ANY COLOR or STYLE...that's up to you!

And if you don't want to use photos you don't have to.

If you give it a try, let me know....I'd love to see your version!

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Thirty Handmade Days - Party Bunch
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Get Your DIY On (holiday ornaments)
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