Sometimes I like to sneak in one last Christmas craft before the big day. How about you? For some reason, when I'm stressed out and overwhelmed, sitting down and quieting my mind while busying my hands helps me to relax.
Here is a simple little project you can make with stuff from the recycling. These would make great little last minute gifts, too! I like to have several small handmade gift items ready, for "emergencies".
I made these little shadow box ornaments using a small toothpaste box from the recycling, and pages from an old book that was diverted from the landfill.
I used dyed "vintage" bottle brush trees from this tutorial, but you can put anything you want into your shadow box.
Begin by choosing a small box. I chose a toothpaste box. I first cut the box in half and taped the ends closed. Then, I cut it in half again. For each ornament, I took two of the small halves, and stacked them together as shown below, then taped to secure.
Next, I covered the outside of each little shadow box with vintage book pages.
Then, I covered the inside. The paper was secured to the box with tacky glue.
Next, I glued a pipe cleaner around the box opening, and secured it with clips while the glue dried.
Next, I took an awl and made little holes in the tops of the boxes.
I added little ribbon scraps for hangers.
Because I wanted the page text to fade into the background a bit more, I dry-brushed the boxes just a tiny bit with white craft paint.
I folded a little star from a half-length of pipe cleaner and glued it to the top, then added a hand
-dyed bottle brush tree and some "snowballs". Use whatever you have on hand -- an old Christmas tree brooch would be lovely!
There you have it! This was such a simple project, and can be made with whatever supplies happen to be on hand. No pipe cleaners? Use glitter! No "snowballs"? Skip the snowballs. No Christmas trees? Scavenge a broken ornament, or make one out of recycled cardboard!
I hope this tutorial inspires you to sit a spell and quiet your mind this Christmas. Sometimes we get so caught up in gifting and hospitality at Christmas, that we forget to receive the Greatest Gift. It can be hard to imagine Peace on Earth, when we don't have peace of mind, but we really can have that peace that passes all understanding!
Christmas isn't really about ornaments and crafts and decorating-- these are just the things we do to add ceremony to the season, and to remind ourselves of the importance of Christmas.
Speaking of the holiday season, here is a favorite holiday post, where I share a Christmas tour of our rat and mold and rot infested beach house.
I wish you all a lovely Christmas!
Here is a simple little project you can make with stuff from the recycling. These would make great little last minute gifts, too! I like to have several small handmade gift items ready, for "emergencies".
I made these little shadow box ornaments using a small toothpaste box from the recycling, and pages from an old book that was diverted from the landfill.
I used dyed "vintage" bottle brush trees from this tutorial, but you can put anything you want into your shadow box.
Begin by choosing a small box. I chose a toothpaste box. I first cut the box in half and taped the ends closed. Then, I cut it in half again. For each ornament, I took two of the small halves, and stacked them together as shown below, then taped to secure.
Next, I covered the outside of each little shadow box with vintage book pages.
Then, I covered the inside. The paper was secured to the box with tacky glue.
Next, I glued a pipe cleaner around the box opening, and secured it with clips while the glue dried.
Next, I took an awl and made little holes in the tops of the boxes.
I added little ribbon scraps for hangers.
Because I wanted the page text to fade into the background a bit more, I dry-brushed the boxes just a tiny bit with white craft paint.
I folded a little star from a half-length of pipe cleaner and glued it to the top, then added a hand
-dyed bottle brush tree and some "snowballs". Use whatever you have on hand -- an old Christmas tree brooch would be lovely!
There you have it! This was such a simple project, and can be made with whatever supplies happen to be on hand. No pipe cleaners? Use glitter! No "snowballs"? Skip the snowballs. No Christmas trees? Scavenge a broken ornament, or make one out of recycled cardboard!
I hope this tutorial inspires you to sit a spell and quiet your mind this Christmas. Sometimes we get so caught up in gifting and hospitality at Christmas, that we forget to receive the Greatest Gift. It can be hard to imagine Peace on Earth, when we don't have peace of mind, but we really can have that peace that passes all understanding!
Christmas isn't really about ornaments and crafts and decorating-- these are just the things we do to add ceremony to the season, and to remind ourselves of the importance of Christmas.
Speaking of the holiday season, here is a favorite holiday post, where I share a Christmas tour of our rat and mold and rot infested beach house.
I wish you all a lovely Christmas!