Weekend Crafting...and Movie News #ChristmasinJuly

Here are a couple of super simple ornament crafts. I love making homemade glass ball ornaments. There's no limit to what you can do with them.

Yule Ball Ornament 

Supplies:
Clear glass ornaments
Festive scrapbooking paper or remnant holiday wrap
Polyester craft ribbon or curling ribbon
Glittery pipe cleaners
Packets of sequins or shiny confetti
Wooden dowels or chopsticks (to curl the craft ribbon and pipe cleaners)

Instructions

• Cut strips of paper about 1/2 inch wide and 6-8 inches long.It's up to you how many pieces of paper you use, but to fill 8 ornaments, I cut 40-50 strips of paper. The nice thing is, it's really easy to cut more paper if you need it. Next, roll up or spiral curl the paper (I used my wood dowel or a pencil for spiral curling the paper). If you roll the paper, make sure to wind it tight...it will unroll into a nice curl when you put it in the ornament.
• Curl the ribbon and pipe cleaners. I used a wooden dowel again to spiral wrap the pipe cleaners. If you want the easiest and fastest curling ribbon, I'd suggest curling ribbon...since all you'll have to do is score it and voila...you have curly ribbon. I decided to use polyester craft ribbon (it was so silky, shiny and colorful...I just couldn't resist), so I had to curl it the same way you would if you were making korker ribbon. To do this you'll need to wrap the ribbon around wooden dowels and secure them with wooden clothes pins at the end. Once you have all of your ribbon wrapped, place it on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven at 275 degrees for 20 minutes. After they've cooled, slip the ribbon off the dowel...and you'll have yourself curled ribbon.
• Next, cut your curled ribbon, paper and pipe cleaners to whatever length you like. I cut mine about an inch and a half long.
• Here's the really fun part! Pull off the top of the ornament (press lightly on each side of the wire and pull up slowly) and start shoving in the pretties! As you put things inside, shake the ornament up to let the paper and ribbon settle. It will help you decide if the ornament needs more stuffing.
• If you decide to use glitter or confetti, pour it into the ornament last. I'd suggest using bigger confetti pieces, since the small star sequins I used sort of fell around the paper and collected at the bottom of the ornament. To spread it around, I shook the ornament up (with the top of the ornament back on!) until the confetti nicely distributed.
• When you're all done, snap the top back on to the ornament. If you like, add colorful ribbon for hanging the ornament.

Craft and image from The Mama Dramalogues.

Iridescent Christmas Ornament

Supplies
1-2 1/2″ clear glass ornament
1 Package mixed color iridescent plastic beads – example shows approximately (800) 5mm beads
Silver ribbon – approximately 13″
Elmer’s Glue-All

Instructions

• Take the cap off of the ball and fill to the top with the plastic beads.
• Put a small amount of the glue around the top and replace the cap. Let dry completely.
• Wrap the silver ribbon around the cap and tie a bow.
• String a piece of silver ribbon through the top loop and knot leaving enough to use as a hanger.

I think this ornament would also look gorgeous with brighter colored beads, green and red beads, and even gold and silver. The sky's the limit!

Craft and image from The Artful Crafter.

I could only find one holiday motion picture coming out in the upcoming holiday season. Perhaps there will be more as the season approaches, but this one looks to be a good one.

Almost Christmas
November 11, 2016

Starring:Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, Danny Glover, Romany Malco, Nicole Ari Parker, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Jessie T. Usher, DC Young Fly
A new comedy from writer/director David E. Talbert ("Baggage Claim") and producer Will Packer ("Ride Along," "Think Like a Man" series, "This Christmas"), "Almost Christmas" tells the festive story of a beloved patriarch who asks his family for one gift this holiday season: to get along. If they can honor that wish and spend five days under the same roof without killing one another, it will be a Christmas miracle.
Read more at http://www.comingsoon.net/movie/almost-christmas-2016#c1Zriu53KWKqVXUH.99

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
AlmostChristmasmovie.com| Facebook|Twitter| Instagram

Only one more day of Christmas in July. Where did the time go?

Always in spirit...