Thursday, December 10, 2015

Vintage Christmas Lights Wreath DIY


I've had this box of vintage christmas lights laying around for about 4 years.  I got them at an estate sale because... it was a box of beautifully colored vintage light bulbs.. why else??  And for four years, I've had the intention of making this with them and never did it until now.  This is such an easy project and such a great way to use lightbulbs that don't work anymore!

All you need is a high-heat glue gun and sticks, a foam wreath and a strand of twinkly lights.

Once you glue the bulbs to the foam, wrap it with the twinkly lights and hang!  It looks like a super expensive Christmas decoration and in reality, it cost me MAYBE $10.  






Love you all!! xoxox

Monday, December 7, 2015

A Christmas-Y Rosemary Tree Floral Arrangement DIY


Fresh flowers are my favorite thing. Ever. I also love fresh herbs and the absolutely heavenly aromas that come along with live fresh herbs.  So I decided to combine those two to make the perfect holiday arrangement.  


The Rosemary Tree was purchased at Trader Joes.  So cute, right??  The rest of the flowers, so beautiful, you can find here.  They have the perfect selection for the holidays!

I encourage you to step out of your floral comfort zone and play with different ways of displaying your favorite flowers for the holidays.  They may not last as long, but will be such a show-stopper for your Christmas gatherings!





#handcraftedxmas





Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Wrapping with Craft Paper & Yarn (for odd sized and shaped gifts)


I struggle all the time with wanting cute wrapping for things that are weird sizes and shapes, don't have boxes, or are just so plain on their own that a little something extra in the packaging would go a long way.

This tutorial shows you how to make a gift bag of any shape and size using only craft paper, yarn, a weaving needle and scissors.  No tape, no glue.


First you need to cut the size of paper you want that will fit whatever object you're wrapping.


Second, fold it in half and along the folded edge, cut the corners off.  This will box out the bottom for you.


Third, while folded in half, place your paper on the carpet and stab through both sides, up along both edges.  Then fold the shortest sides to create the roll at the top of the bag and stab completely through the roll.


Fourth, snip the folded edge (the bottom) once on either side by the corner you cut.  We will thread the yarn through here to support the weight of whatever is in the bag.


Now start threading!  Make sure to do the bottom first.  You want the yarn to be on the outside of the bottom to support the paper.  Thread both bottom holes first and make sure you have enough yarn on either side to thread all the way up and create a handle.



Now go on up the sides.  


This is what it will look like once all the holes are threaded!



Now to add some extra flare, I added some calligraphy to the front.  You can always use sharpies, or stamps, or paint.


This bag is perfect for this huge infinity scarf I crocheted.  What's more perfect for a handmade gift than handmade wrapping??



I also made one for a wine bottle and I'm obsessed!



Check out all the other awesome holiday tips and tricks from the other #MichaelsMakers!