Christmas in July: Weekend Crafting

This weekend I'm sharing with you a couple of easy craft projects from the book, I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less And Mean More by Anna Getty.



(Note: I apologize for the images of the finished crafts.  I had to take the pics with my cell phone because I couldn't find the images from the book online.  Hopefully, you will be able to get the general idea)

Cardboard Christmas Tree Ornaments

from the book:  Why send that cardboard box to the recycling bin when it can be transformed into a beautiful ornament for the tree or holiday window?  This a wonderful project to do with kids on a cold winter day (just help the younger kids with the needle and thread).  The customized results are sturdy enough to survive storage for many years and many trees to come.


Materials:

• Pencil
• Christmas-themed cookie cutters
• Scraps of cardboard 
• Scissors 
• Water-based paints 
• Paintbrushes
• Nontoxic glue
• Vintage beads, buttons, glitter, and other found objects
• Yarn, ribbon, or cotton thread
• Needle

To make:

1. Using the pencil, trace the cookie cutter shapes onto the cardboard pieces.
2. Cut out the shapes and paint designs on them.  Allow the paint to dry.
3. Glue the beads, buttons, glitter, and found objects to the ornaments.
4. For each ornament, cut a 6-to-7-inch/15-to-17-cm piece of yarn, thin piece of ribbon, or thread.
5. Poke a hole in the top of the ornament with the needle and string the thread through the hole to hang it.

Bottle Cap Refrigerator Magnets

From the book:  These cute magnets make perfect stocking stuffers or advent-calendar markers.  You can make an entire set of magnets using family photos, or choose themes like animals, botanical prints, or movies.  This also is a great opportunity to put your stamp collection to good use.

Materials:

• Scissors
• Used wrapping paper
• Bottle caps from glass bottles (without dents)
• White glue
• Small photographs, stamps, or little drawings
• Nontoxic glitter
• Magnet strips (you'll need one magnet strip for each bottle cap, available at craft and office supply stores)

To make:

1. Cut small circles out of the wrapping paper to fit inside each bottle cap.  Glue them to the insides of the bottle caps.
2. Cut a photograph, stamp, or other picture into a small rectangle and glue it to the paper inside a bottle cap.
3. Run a thin line of glue around the photograph.  While the glue is still wet, sprinkle the glitter over the glue and shake off the excess.  Repeat for each bottle cap magnet.
4. Glue a magnet strip to the back of each bottle cap and let them dry overnight.

I'm Dreaming of a Green Chiristmas by Anna Getty, published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco

For more information on the book, click the book image in the BookBox above.

Always in spirit....