Christmas Plaques

I'm trying to get into Christmas but kind of hard right now.  I was laid off from my job of 10 years.  I've never been unemployed so I'm trying to get use to that but it's hard to get out of that funk.  Especially around Christmas when everywhere around you is bright twinkle lights, ornaments, good cheers and happy gift shopping.  But I'm determined to get over this funk and get my mind set in a different way.  After all it's going to be a new year soon and time for changing some things. So that's that.

On another note, I decided to make some of my Christmas presents and I finished some of them.  These are made out of the following:

• 12 x 12 scrap wooden boards with the edges painted in black
• 12 x 12 scrapbook paper
• Branches cut in log pieces (I got the branches from my tree in my front yard)
• Several embellishments from the Dollar Store
• Glue gun
• Decoupage finish

I'm happy with how they turned out.  They kind of remind me of Christmas cards.  Hopefully, my family will like them since these are all going out to family members.

I've got alot more that I'm working on so gotta get at it.  I want to use up all the branches I cut up so I think the next few that I do will fill up the board more.  So much work but well worth it and it feels good to finish them up.  Very therapeutic for me right now.

On another, another note...this is my tree on my front yard that my artwork is made from.

It's December and usually by that time, all of the leaves would be gone by now and off the tree but for some strange reason the leaves are still stuck on it.  Stubborn little suckers this year.

Gotta get back to work on my Christmas plaques (not quite sure what to call them).  I have a few more so if those turn out ok, I'll post.

Christmas in September

Since I have some extra leisure time, I decided to make some of my Christmas decor and gifts for my family now.  Always good to do this early because the holidays just creep up on you and all of the sudden, I find myself scrambling to get things done. 

This year, I would like to give some of my Xmas gifts early since some are Xmas decorations for my family.  That way, they can use them and put them up (if they like them that is). 

I mentioned earlier that I trimmed my tree and I'm still using the twigs on several craft projects.  For this, I decided to use the twigs which I cut in mini size log-like shape.  I sawed them off in different sizes.

Then I placed them on a wooden flat base which is just scrapped wood that I had lying around in my garage.  I decoupage scrapbook paper on top of the wood base.  Then glue gunned the log-like wood on the wood base...



...and shaped the logs in a shape of a Christmas tree.

Dr. Seuss Xmas Tree

 

Very easy! I'm making several of these to "gift" to my family and the cost was next to nothing! Super cool!

More Twig Decorations

I'm still decorating my house with inexpensive ways to fill out corners of my living room and dining room with items that I can find in and around my house.  I have a big callery pear tree in front of my house that I recently trimmed and I'm using the twigs for several craft projects.  For one of my projects, I used the twigs as they are and just put them in a vase or container and placed them here and there around my house.  I'm really pleased with the results!

 

 

 



 

 Can't wait to finish off the rest of my craft projects!

Birdcage Decor

I'm trying to decorate my house but I don't want to spend alot of money doing this so I want to try to use what I already have and I want to revamped items I have around the house to make them snazzy looking. 

I've had this off-white birdcage that I bought at a local antique store that I love.  It's not antique but just made to look shabby-chic looking. I've had it for the longest time and it just was sitting in my dining room looking ok but not great looking.  I couldn't figure out what to put in it so it just sat there. 

I saw in Pinterest a pic of twigs with tiny white pom poms that reminded me of dandelions.  I lopped off some twigs from my front yard tree and glued on the pom poms on the tip of the twigs. 

 

I placed a birds nest and 2 blue love birds that I got at a store in Green Mountain, North Carolina.  I was planning to use them to put in my Christmas tree one day but never got around to doing that.  Then I placed the twigs all around inside the cage.

I'm so happy how it turned out!!  I think the birdcage is so much prettier with the twigs in them along with the lovebirds in the nest.  It has a French country feel to it which I really, really like.  Very pleased with the results and it cost next to nothing enhancing the birdcage which is even better!