Fabulous Pinecone Ornaments

As the holidays are approaching very quickly, a lot of you are probably starting to decorate your homes if you haven't completed doing it already... Before you get too frazzled by the in-laws making a surprise visit, and before you walk out of Walmart on Black Friday with a bloody nose and possibly broken forearm, why don't you take some time out to have FUN during this time of year...

(I realize making crafts isn't everyone's idea of a fun and relaxing time, but if you're reading this blog, then you must have some craftiness in you, right?)  :)

Today, I decided to throw together an ornament or two for our Christmas tree using my never-ending supply of pinecones that I picked off the ground.  Maybe you don't have any pine trees around you, but I bet you have a craft store around where they sell them (sometimes for more than a justifiable amount), or at least you might know where you could find a tree in your community.  As for me, I'm literally surrounded by them!  My address even has the word "Pine" in it.  Regardless, these little decorations are perfect for this time of year, so let's get to work!

Paint brush and acrylic paint, spray adhesive, clear acrylic sealer, hot glue gun, glue sticks, ribbon, glitter, pinecone, old newspaper.. If you use a Michael's ad like me, make sure you cut out the weekly 40% off coupon.  haha!

You can use as many or all of the supplies I have pictured above depending on what you want to do with your ornament.  For this blog, I'll show you the glittery one I made.  Heck, if you don't even want to dress it up, just glue a ribbon on top to hang and be done with it!  It's all up to you!!  :)

If you find your pinecones outside, you need to bake them to get rid of any and all bugs that could be living inside.  It will also open them up if they are closed and give them a nice appearance.  Just place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and pop 'em in for about an hour with your oven set at 120 degrees F.

Once your pinecones are cool, you can start your project.  For my adhesive, I personally used an adhesive spray, but you can use regular glue and brush it on, too.  I would recommend the latter method if you plan on making these with children.  The adhesive spray should be used in a well ventilated area, as well.  It will get VERY tacky, so definitely make sure you have enough area covered in your working space so you don't ruin a nice table!  :)

Spray or paint an even coating of the adhesive of your choice onto your pinecone.  If you choose to use different colors of glitter like I ended up doing for mine, spray only the area that you will be glittering first.  

Be sure to have a different piece of paper around to use AFTER you spray the adhesive.  Be sure it does not have glue on it first before using it underneath your pinecone when you sprinkle the glitter.  You want it to be clean, so once the pinecone is coated you can pour the remaining glitter back into the container.  Obviously, if the paper has any adhesive sprayed on it, you can't get that glitter back, so that's why it should be kept out of the way ahead of time.  A little glitter goes quite a long way!

Repeat the spraying and glittering process until the entire pinecone is coated just the way you like it!

When you're finished, let it dry completely before spraying a sealant on top to keep the glitter from, well, glittering your entire house!  If you don't do this step, be prepared for the glitter to come off on your hands over time.

Finally, once everything is dry, heat up your trusty glue gun and prepare to make the finishing touches... and what would the grand finale be without a bow on top?  I used 2 different colors of ribbon, white iridescent for the bow and bright blue for the loop to hang.

When cutting ribbon, be sure to cut on an angle to keep from fraying.  Cut a strip and make a loop... then glue it to the flat surface of the pinecone.  Then, make a bow and glue that over the top.  Voila!  All finished!

Of course, I encourage you to have fun with this project, making it to suit your own taste!  There's just so much you can do with these pinecones.  If you have as many as I do, play around and see what you can come up with.  Maybe you want to use white paint on the tips to give the appearance of snow, or maybe you want to make a wreath to hang on your door... Get creative.  Don't get discouraged if you don't make them all perfectly.  No one ever said you had to show off everything you make, right?  I have two pinecones sitting in the trash with red paint all over them in the messiest way possible...  I couldn't even come back from my mistakes.  But who will ever see?  ;)

 Perhaps I'll have to post some more ideas I have another time, but in the meantime get crafting, and have fun with this!  While you're at it, I bet you have a friend, a child's teacher, or a craftastic sister who might appreciate their very own ornament that was made especially for them, especially by YOU!

Have a very blessed, wonderful, and happy Thanksgiving!!

(As a side note, I'm especially thankful for my two wonderful older sisters and our very special glittery sealant-coated bond!)

-MB

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Glue Gun the Great!

While we are on the topic of adhesives, I would like to make a suggestion that might open up more possibilities for your crafts and projects.  If you own no other supplies from a craft store, start by purchasing a hot glue gun.  This inexpensive, all-purpose tool will not only come in handy when one of your kids’ plastic toys cracks in half some afternoon, but it will open the door to endless crafting possibilities. 

TIP:  Buy a medium-heat or high-heat glue gun and the corresponding high-heat glue sticks.  Don’t go for the low-heat variety.  In my experience, it doesn’t work as well. 

Glue gun from JoAnn Fabrics

More posts to come on some of the quick and easy crafting possibilities using a hot glue gun! 

~S.  :)

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Double-sided tape is your friend!

One of my favorite craft supply staples is double-sided Scotch tape!  This stuff comes in handy for a variety of projects and requires zero drying time, unlike its ugly cousin, Elmer's glue!  The paper doesn't ripple, your fingers don't end up covered in nasty, peeling glue balls, and your project can be completed in just a few minutes.  Anything that can save me time and/or frustration is a clear choice!  I don't know how I ever lived without it!

I can't tell you how many times I have used this sticky life-saver to whip up a quick greeting card and got it in the box before the mailman came! (AND it arrived in time for that special someone's birthday, thank you very much!)  Just fold a piece of cardstock in half, rip a couple short pieces of tape, stick it here, stick it there, attach a pretty piece of patterned scrapbook paper.  Repeat.  Add some fun alphabet accent stickers if you've got them!  Write a quick personalized note inside, slide it into an envelope, stamp it, and hurry, run to the mailbox!  Done!


Another great use - dress up a recycled or plain gift bag.  Let me explain.  I have about 1,000 gift bags in my closet.  I just can't throw them away!  As a believer of  "more is more," sometimes I'm not quite satisfied with the bag's design.  That is when I bust out my tape, embellishments, and get to work!  You can also turn a recycled shopping bag or a plain white bag into something pretty.  Cut out some fancy paper and use it to cover the logo or whatever is printed on the bag, if necessary.  Use your imagination!  You can use fabric flowers or cut out paper flowers, petals, leaves, or just a few long strips and stick them using the tape. You've saved a few bucks on a gift bag that will probably get thrown away anyway (unless I'm the recipient ;) ) and you've personalized it!  I bet you even get a compliment or two!

Before, this was a boring old, reused bag...

After, it became a festive, personalized, birthday bag!

Of course, last, but not least...scrapbook pages!  You can quickly scrap a page during baby's nap or commercial breaks.  This stuff is great!  It will hold down photos, layers of paper, fabric, bows, ribbon, glitter....you name it!

There are a million more uses, which you'll soon discover, and once you start, I know you'll find yourself reaching for that handy little dispenser just as often as I do!

~D.

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Fun With Leaf Prints!

One of my favorite things about fall happens to be the changes in nature that so clearly take place before our own eyes.  The air turns cooler, the leaves change color, and when we have a particularly sunny day, it seems much more spectacular than the bright sunshiny days we are so spoiled with in the summertime.  But aside from the joys of pumpkin flavored everything and our acceptance to eat one too many Reese's Cups on Halloween, my favorite thing of all is how I suddenly notice the beautiful shapes of each individual leaf that embellishes our trees.  I know, I know... You're thinking, "Really?  You like THAT more than Reese's and a pumpkin latte?!?!"  Seriously, though.  When the leaves are decorating our trees during the spring and summer while they are all a shade of green, it's hard to see much of a difference between them all.  But after the leaves fall to the ground, I suddenly realize just how diverse they are in shape and color.  I love it!

I was out walking with my daughter the other day, when I looked down at the ground and thought to myself, "I can use these in my crafts!"  For the next ten minutes, I was frantically searching for the perfect leaf with no rips or tears and was already flat enough to be used as is.  (Good thing Nadia's only 8 months old because if she was any older, she would've been embarrassed to be seen with her crazy leaf hunting mama!)

Now that I've shared my love for nature, I'd like to share my love for using everyday things for fun.  :)  Ever make a leaf print?  PAST the age of 10??  Let's do it!

Really, all you need is an ink pad, a flat leaf, and something to dab the ink on the paper with... I just used a paper towel for that!  Easy.  If you don't have any ink pads lying around, you can always pick one up at your local craft store for fairly cheap.  I love to tell people to always head straight to the dollar bins first!!  I think I've gotten every one of my ink pad's there.  :)  All you have to do is simply saturate the paper towel (or whatever you choose to use) in the ink, then pat overtop of the leaf until you get the desired effect you're looking for.  If you want the texture of the paper towel on the paper, keep it simple and dab in solid up and down motions.  If you want it to look "streaky" then rub as if you're using a brush from the inside of the leaf to the outside of the paper.  You decide!

This can get messy, so if you work with your hands in public and don't want them to look... ahem... dirty, consider wearing rubber gloves.  I can wash and wash and wash, and sometimes still have ink left on my fingers for a day (depending on the color you use!).

I made my own "fall" scrapbook paper using this technique.

Then, I simply embellished the page with ribbon, colored staples (another one of my favorite things), the photos I wanted to use, a title, and a description.  Easy stuff!

If you plan on sending out Thanksgiving cards this year, AND you want to make your own, this could come in handy.  Consider using a photo you took during the fall (maybe a pumpkin you carved or a picture of your kids in their Halloween costumes) and place it on the card with some leaf prints in the background. Personalize the cards by writing a little message on the inside about why you're thankful for whoever gets it.  It just might bring a smile or tear to that person's face!  :)

What ideas do you have?

-MB

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