Thursday, November 14, 2019

Gimp Braid Trim Snowflake Ornament


Gimp Braid Trim Snowflake Ornament
Do you have a thing for handcrafted ornaments? I know I do! I love making christmas ornaments! That's why I participate in the Ornament Exchange Link Party each year that's hosted by Erlene @MyPinterventures!  This year I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and making a snowflake that was inspired from one I saw on Etsy, for my ornament exchange partner, Jeanie @ Create and Babble  

Jeanie and I have similar likes for traditional decor when it comes to ornaments. I think everyone loves snowflakes of just about any type and I hope Jeanie likes this one, too!  I love how the trim and beads adds a touch of vintage charm!  

And the gimp braid trim makes it look far more complicated then it really is. But I can assure you that it's quite easy to make! Here's how!

Materials:
Gimp braid trim - 2+yds
10-12mm beads - 22
Decorative buttons or bling - 2
Hot glue, fabric glue
Parchment paper
Ruler, scissors
Hanger

Steps:

First, cut 6 or 7  ten inch strips of gimp braid. A typical snowflake has 6 arms or points, but when I glued the "arms" to the center, I thought there was too much space showing so I added an extra arm! Lol! They do say each snowflake is unique, don't they?


Next, seal ends to prevent raveling by adding a small dab of glue to the ends and pressing the ends down on parchment paper to seal. Make sure the glue is dry before proceeding.
Then fold the strip in half.
And then fold each side up like a "W"
The measurement using a ruler for the longer sides should be around 3" or a little less. 
Next, fold the sides down - at the 1 1/2 inch mark, making sure the bottom edges are even  .  .  .
and begin  adding a dab of glue in-between the trim sides near the bottom to close together.

making sure you get in be-tween all bottom trim openings. 

Once the bottom side trims are glue together, press down the top loops to open.
Then add a small dab of glue to the inside top middle loop and insert a bead, squeezing the braid together at the bottom of the bead. Do not add glue to the braid below the bead.
Repeat previous steps for adding beads to the right and left loops to form the "arm."
Continue gluing beads into the middle of all the loops in each arm.
Once all the beads are glued in, arrange the arms together for the snowflake to judge how much trim is needed to roll for the center.
To make the center, take a bead and the end of the trim, adding a dab of glue and begin rolling the braid around the bead, adding just a bit of glue as you roll.
Once you've reached the size of the center you need, cut off the excess trim, adding glue to the end to seal.
Begin gluing on the arms by adding glue to the arms' base and pressing firmly to the center. 
Don't you just love how this has taken shape!
Glue on a center bling or button to the front and back or leave as is!

Run  wire twine or ribbon through the middle of the center loop and tie in knot for hanging and it's done!

In addition, as a lovely ornament, this makes for a beautiful gift wrap topper or decorative winter theme accent, too!
Join us by linking up at our 2019 Ornament Exchange Link Party and be sure to check out all of the wonderful Christmas ornament tutorials, too!



9 comments:

  1. I just love snowflakes and this one is so beautiful!! Pinned.

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  2. Who knew gimp braid trim could look so pretty not on furniture! Your creativity never ceases to amaze me Gail. This snowflake ornament is so pretty! Pinned 😊

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  3. Wow this is beautiful! I have some gold braid trim in my stash that would look great with this technique!

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  4. It's beautiful and sparkly! Those beads are going to look so pretty with the Christmas tree lights. The snowflake has tons of vintage charm too.

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  5. These are beautiful! I love the beads you chose, and how you shaped the snowflake!

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  6. This is such a cool way to make ornaments. Definitely want to give this one a try. Pinned.

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  7. I can't believe how easy this is to make. Love the beads too. Pinning to my ornament board.It's very pretty and looks like a substantial keepsake .

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  8. Wow! Looks like quite a bit of work, but the finished snowflake is beautiful! And can be used to decorate in so many ways.

    Alexandra
    EyeLoveKnots.com
    OnRockwoodLane.com

    ReplyDelete
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