Bring On The Gold Trees.....

Ok I have a super easy, inexpensive and FUN DIY project for you today.  Its so easy that it will amaze you...prepare to be amazed...hahahaha! Just joshin' with you a bit, but it is very easy to do and it's a fun project that kids can help with too (minus the epoxy part).

These gold napkin rings literally takes less than 30 mins and costs between $12-18 to make 6 or more, depending on what you may already have on hand.

Supplies:

Wood Ornaments

Acrylic Paint

Glitter Paint (optional)

Gold Floral wire (12 gauge)

5 Minute Epoxy

I bought these wooden ornaments at Michaels...they are usually a $1 each but I got them for $0.59 each..BARGAIN!  I got 12 of them but only made 6 napkin rings...I always have extras if I need them right?  They had lots of pretty options for ornaments but I loved these swirly trees and knew they'd be beautiful on the table.

I had gold paint and gold-glitter paint already but you can usually buy them for under $3 at most craft stores.  And in any color you want to match your decor or holiday table.  I didn't end up using the glitter paint but it would be a fun option to add on top of your painted ornaments if you wanted more sparkle...sparkle is always a good thing!

I like to paint things like this on wax paper as the wood ornaments won't stick when they dry. I just squirt a blob of paint onto the side of the paper and paint away.  I painted both sides with 2 coats so they'd look nice from any angle..they dry quickly.

Now I didn't take a photo at this point....I was caught up in watching "When Harry Met Sally" and totally forgot...forgive me!  This gold floral wire can be found at most craft stores and online...it also comes in lots of other bold colors too depending on what you want.  But it's 12 gauge & easily snipped with wire snips.  I wrapped the wire around the paint bottle (clever yes haha) 3 times and then snipped.  This gives you a nice mold for the wire rings.  It retails for around $5-10 depending on how big the spools are...use a coupon if shopping at Michaels, AC Moore or Hobby Lobby.  My motto is "NEVER PAY FULL PRICE" :)

Then you need some 5 minute Epoxy which most home improvement stores have and some craft stores do as well.  You don't need anything stronger than this since the ornaments are super light.  This part I think an adult should do if you are making these with your kids...just for safety's sake ok? Add a bit of epoxy to the backside of your ornament in a couple of places, then press on your wire ring and hold for a few seconds until the glue takes hold.  Put to the side and let them dry.

TA-DA!

And you end up with these beauties for your holiday table.  Pretty easy right?  You could make so many different versions, in pretty colors to mix and match as well.....lots of fun options for not a lot of money.  I think a set of these wrapped prettily in a box would make a great hostess or holiday gift as well.

I set up an impromptu holiday table in my kitchen for photo reasons only...usually we eat holiday meals in the dining room.  But I loved the way they turned out & am already thinking of making another set so I can mix-n-match them myself.

Nothing better than an easy & inexpensive DIY craft in my opinion!

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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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