Today, I am thrilled to be sharing this project in collaboration with Melissa of The Sweet Escape and a group of top notch creative bloggers. I have watched Merry Mag grow over the last few seasons and jumped with joy when I was invited to contribute. Follow along on social media by searching the hashtag #merrymag and view the magazine in it's entirety by clicking right here.
One of my all time favorite Christmas memories is pulling up and seeing the big colorful lights neatly strung on the outside of my childhood home. Recreating the memory of those lights in this Christmas garland brought me so much joy! Here is how you can make your own.
Materials: craft clay, roller, small dowel (1/8th inch), cookie cutters, yarn, craft paint, water, jar.
Process:
- Knead the craft clay, roll out about 1/8th inch thick, and then use the cookie cutter to get any shape you want. I used this light bulb and this tree.
- Using a small dowel gently poke a hole in the top of your shape.
- Let dry for 48 hours, turning over every so often to avoid curling.
- Put your craft paint into a jar and add a couple tablespoons of water to dilute. Stir well and check the consistency. You want it to be watery, but still opaque.
- Tip the jar and dip the lights/tree into the paint. I like to change angles and how much I dip into the paint for a more organic effect.
- Let the paint dry completely (I left mine overnight).
- Using a piece of yarn or string poke a loop through the front of the hole and pull through. Then grab that loop and pull over the top of the bulb/tree like a hood. This will hold the ornament in place throughout the garland. Repeat this process, spacing each ornament out evenly.
Time: This is a multi-step process, but in total it took about three hours spread over a few days.
