DIY Chenille Stem and Tulle Crown Party Favors

 

Happy New Year everyone! This crazy year is coming to an end and hopefully there's light at the end of what has been a terrible year for all of us! While you may not be throwing a big bash or attending any parties, you can still ring in 2021 with your family in a fun way!  

There are plenty of fun, creative, and festive ways to make your home bash just as memorable as every other year. First off, let me show you how to make adorable "crowns" to wear or party favors! I'm over on Bowdabra.com/blog showing you how to make these easy to make cuties using your Bowdabra! 

A low-key celebration can easily be taken to the next level with some decorations! You’re setting the mood not only for the night but for the rest of the year, so make it count!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy

new beginnings!

Happy New Year!

  

How to Make a Wrapping Paper and Bow Tree

Wondering what to do with that extra wrapping paper you have? Why not make a wrapping paper and bow tree for the holidays! Wrapping paper is so versatile to blend in with any type of decorating scheme.  And the fun part is topping your tree with an adorable bow made using your Bowdabra to complete the look! This post first appeared on Bowdabra.com where I'm on the design team.

Supplies Needed:

Assorted wrapping paper - LaRibbonandCrafts

Paper Cutter (optional)

Wrapping paper tube (30")

Ruler, scissors, scotch tape, glue

LaRibbon ribbon - 2" @1.5 yds

Bowdabra

Bowdabra bow wire

Bowdabra wand

How to Make the Paper Cones: 

First, cut the wrapping paper into 8" squares. I found the easiest way to do this is to cut 8 inch strips from the wrapping paper and then cut the strips every 8 inches into squares. Next, take an 8 inch square sheet and lay it down on your work surface in a diamond shape with the corners at the top and bottom. Then bring the side corners together loosely, forming a cone shape overlapping, while adjusting to form a narrow closed triangle at the top and open at the bottom. 

The paper edge should be located in the side back. Secure with pieces of tape near the bottom and top sides.

This is how it should look - back .  .  .

and front.

Then make about 7-8 cones for the first layer, depending on the width of the wrapping paper tube. Attach a finished cone against the bottom of the wrapping paper tube for placement and fit and tape in place. 

Tape on cones around the tube to finish the first row.

 Make additional eight inch square cones with different complementary wrapping paper for each row and tape in place, staggering between the previous row.

 Continue taping on cones, row by row, until nearing the top.

Then, for the top row, instead of  taping the cones to the tube, glue the tip of each cone  together first at the top and along the top side for a separate group of cones. 

Then add it to top of tube, pushing down to secure.

To make the bow:

Start by folding a 18" length of bow wire in half and place in the Bowdabra, tucking ends under. Take a 1.5 yd length of ribbon creasing the ribbon for a four inch tail, twist and insert ribbon down into the Bowdabra.

Next, make a 2.5" loop and twist down into the Bowdabra.

Continue to fold and twist ribbon making matching loops on opposite sides,  down into the Bowdabra .  .  . 

for a total of five loops on each side.  Then, scrunch down the loops using the Bowdabra wand.  While the bow is still in the Bowdabra, thread the two loose ends of the bow wire through the loop, pulling tightly and tie in a knot at the back, gently pulling bow out and cutting off excess bow wire. 

Dovetail the ribbon ends by folding the ribbon together and cutting at an angle from the fold down to the corner tip.  Fluff the loops and glue bow on to the top of the wrapping paper cones.

Place cones and bow on top of tube to complete the tree.

How cute is this!

Thanks for stopping by

and take a little time to enjoy,

Happy Holiday Crafting!

Fluffy Chenille Edged Poinsettia Stem

 

I know you've seen them in all the craft stores like I have - chenille stem edged poinsettias or Christmas flowers. They're a hot and trendy item to use in  holiday decor this year! A beautiful fluffy chenille edged poinsettia stem that  will add elegance and style to any gift wrap, tree, wreath, or garland. 

And if you check online you'll probably find that most of these types of stems are either out of stock or sold out right now! But I'm here to tell you that you can easily make your own in just about any color or fabric and in just a little bit of time! 

So here's how to make one -

Materials used:

Disclosure I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! The affiliate money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

• Paper poinsettia leaf templates
• 4" wide damask ribbon
• Fluffy or thick chenille stems
• Fabric-Tac fabric glue
• Faux berries
• Stem wire, floral tape (optional)
• Ruler, scissors, pins, bottle cap

To make a paper poinsettia leaf template, just fold a piece of paper in half and cut out a half of a leaf shape in any length or width you like. In my case - two - one, that's 6"x1"  and the other, 4.5"x3/4" (folded) leaves. Then open the cut out paper and you have your templates! Then attach the templates to the ribbon with pins and cut out. You will need to cut out five large leaves and five small leaves.

Next, add fabric glue along the entire edge of the leaf.
Using the paper template as a guide, pre-shape the chenille stem by pinching the tip in the middle and curving the stem wire along the edges .  .  .

and press the chenille stem down on the glue edged fabric.

For the smaller leaf, you will have excess chenille stem that needs to be cut off.

Once all of the ribbon leaves are edged with chenille stems, cut out a circle from the ribbon using a cap with a 1 3/4" diameter. This size is wide enough to accommodate all of the ends of the five leaves.

As an alternative to using a circle, you can glue on stem wire to the center of each leaf and tape the stem wires together using floral tape to make a poinsettia stem pick instead.

Before gluing on the leaves to the circle, use the glue bottle to gently bend each leaf for dimension.

Then begin gluing on the end of the leaves around the circle .  .  .

until all five are glued on.

Then, start gluing on the smaller leaves between the larger ones .  .  .

to form a beautiful layering of leaves.

Then glue on a sprig of berries to the center to complete the look!

How pretty is this!

And this chenille edged poinsettia blends in so well with most holiday designs, themes, and colors including purple, gold ornaments and bows! 

The purple striped damask leaves adorned with an edge of gorgeous white fluffy chenille and accented with a berry center is truly a lovely piece I created for the holidays and for this month's Creative Craft Blog Hop! 

Welcome to our monthly Creative Craft Blog Hop created by Chloe @ Celebrate & Decorate and Andrea @ Design Morsels!  I've teamed up with a talented group of creative bloggers to bring you lots of wonderful ideas and inspirations!  

If you're coming over from Rachelle @My Hubbard Home, I hope you enjoyed Rachelle's lovely Christmas wood art that she shared. Up next is Andrea @Design Morsels sharing her fabulous DIY Chandelier Decoration! 

Be sure to have fun and get inspired by all of the wonderful creations this month by clicking on the links below!

Celebrate and Decorate -  Holiday Decor with a Sign

My Thrift Store Addiction -  Personalized Scrabble Tile Christmas Place Cards

The Painted Apron - Creations Snowy Winter Wreath

Chas Crazy Creations - Beautiful and Easy Wine Glass Candle Holder

White Arrows Home - Easy Christmas Stair Bunting

Decorate and More with Tip - DIY Rose Wreath

  Zucchini Sisters - How to Make a Cozy Neutral Pom Pom Pillow Cover

Debbee Buzz - Adorable Crochet Zebra Makes A Sweet Homemade 

Gift

Birdz of a Feather -  Wooden Sled Decor

My Hubbard Home - Silent Night Wood Art

Purple Hues and Me - Fluffy Chenille Edged Poinsettia Stem

Design Morsels - Simple Chandelier DIY Decoration

Bluesky at Home - How to Make Christmas Tiles with Stencils

Home is Where the Boat Is - Easy and Festive Gift Card Ornaments

B4 and Afters - Upcycle a Cupboard Door into this Surprising Thing

Our Crafty Mom - DIY Wine Gift Bag

Transfer Images Using Label Paper

It's that time again for our monthly Pin Challenge, hosted by Erlene @My Pinterventures! The purpose of the Pinterest Challenge is to motivate us to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month's challenge is all about Winter Projects!

Christmas will soon be over and the new year is just around the corner. We've all been stuck indoors for quite some time now because of the pandemic, and we will once again be looking for different things to do after the holidays to keep us occupied during the winter months. 

And of course crafting is the perfect way to keep us all busy! I discovered a cool and easy way to transfer images! There are so many different ways to transfer images as you probably know just by looking on Pinterest! But I saw this pin and could not believe how easy it is and with no wetting and rubbing, too! So of course I had to try it using a winter image for this month's Pinterest Challenge! 

Materials Used: Disclosure I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! The affiliate money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

• Laser Printed Image
• Kenco Mailing Labels
• Liquitex Gel Medium
• Wood Plaque
• Scraper Tool
• Snow-Tex
• Skewer stick 

Instructions:

Remove the labels from the paper and use them however you can. I tried my best to line them up together for note paper, but I kept getting the paper stuck together with folds and wrinkles! It was impossible to unstick, too! I didn't try applying to other types of paper though. That might work - next time!

Once the labels are removed, you will notice that one side is glossy - that's the side you want to print your image on. And if you have a laser printer, please use it. I tried the transfer using an inkjet printer first, since I needed to buy more color cartridges for my laser printer,  but the image transfer smeared something awful using this method. So I would not recommend using an inkjet printer.

So I found a winter tree scene online. And believe it or not, I changed the dark color on the trees to purple using Microsoft Photo App - 3D Paint. You certainly can't tell looking at this picture.

Don't forget to mirror the image, like I did - or it will be backwards.  I knew I didn't have any writing so it didn't dawn on me that the trees would be reversed, too  - duh!

You will also need to make sure the surface is clean and free of dust and debris before applying a coat of gel medium. Then make sure the gel medium is applied evenly over the wood surface - not too thick or too thin.

Next, turn the paper over so that the image printed side is faced down and gently lay it on top of the gel coated wood.

Begin smoothing out the image by hand, starting in the center then working outwards to force the bubbles and creases out from under the paper. Use a rubber scraper or old credit card to help remove any additional wrinkles or bubbles. 

Once you've smoothed out all the wrinkles and air pockets, let dry for a few hours or overnight. You can speed up the drying process using a heat gun or blow dryer.  But be really careful using this method of drying! 

Once completely dry, start with one corner and carefully peel up the paper to reveal the image transfer! And the transfer is done! It really is as simple as that. There is no need for water or damping of paper. 

You can protect the image by applying a clear top coat sealant!

Since my image is of snow covered trees, I wanted to add a bit of Snow-Tex to give the image a dimensional look.

To do this, use a skewer stick to spread the Snow-Tex on the trees for a 3D effect.

How cool does this look! 

What a fun 3D look!

This is by far the easiest way to transfer images to wood! Imagine all the decorative possibilities using this technique! 

For more Pinterest inspired projects from this month's Pinterest Challenge hosts, check out the links below ↓My Pinterventures • Mom Home Guide

Our Good Life • Farm Girl Reformed • Slices of Life

  Stone Cottage Adventure • Sew Crafty Crochet  

Purple Hues and Me  • Love My Little Cottage 

 Little Vintage Cottage • Life Beyond the Kitchen  

Now, let's see what the co-hosts have created ⇓⇓

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