Upcycled lid Christmas tree ornaments

Christmas ornaments in January? Who wants to see that? Yeah, I know, I know. But if you're like me, you're filing these sorts of ideas away all year. And this one takes a bit of pre-planning to save all those lids. So here goes.

I actually ran across this idea years ago here, and have been saving bottle caps and jar lids for a long time, because I knew it would be a perfect activity for Elise and I to do together.

I drilled holes in all of the lids from the underside. (I used a 5/16" bit.) Many of the plastic lids have a small indentation in the center so you don't even have to eyeball it. The metal lids are a bit tougher, but really, this is all pretty easy to do. Just make sure you're drilling on a surface that you don't mind messing up (like a thick scrap of wood).

This should all be pretty self-explanatory, but I lined up a selection of lids from smallest to largest and Elise strung them on pieces of jute twine. We finished off the bottoms with chunky wood beads I bought at the craft store to resemble the tree trunk.

We also made some in bright colors and the ever-popular black and gold. That one's mine!

Yarny heart ornaments

Here's my take on the yarn-wrapped wreaths/letters that have been floating around the internet.

I'm not normally into the yarny sort of look, but it seems appropriate for February and Valentine's Day. A time of the year that begs for warmth, sweaters, and yes, yarn. If not now, then when?

These wooden hearts are mid-nineties vintage Wal-mart. A few months ago, my mom and I discovered a box of craft supplies in her basement, untouched, like a time capsule, since they moved into their house in 1994. Lots of wood cuts and baby's breath. The baby's breath went promptly into the trash, but all the wood cuts came home with me!

First, I painted the hearts a similar color to the yarn I was going to use in case any showed through.

Then (and this is really hard so pay attention) I wrapped the hearts in yarn. This yarn was leftover from a scarf my mom knitted for Elise. These hearts are only about 3.5 inches tall, so it didn't take much. 

For the first layer I kept things pretty orderly. Then I wrapped a haphazard second layer on top to make things look more disorganized.

I hung them on the chandelier above our dining room table. Another one of my favorite places to hang ornaments!

Kid-painted Christmas tree ornaments

Like many people, I started a tradition of having my daughter make a Christmas ornament each year (plus a couple of extras for her grandmas). She's only two, so this was actually our first year, but I love the idea that she will have a huge collection of ornaments she made herself by the time she's grown up. (If I can part with them, that is.)

You've probably all seen these wood craft ornaments in stores for super cheap. I picked these up for something like 40 cents each. They have lines printed on them, I guess to suggest coloring them with markers, but obviously you can do whatever you want with them. And I decided we would paint them.

I was a little concerned about the craft paint not covering the printed lines, so before getting started, I removed the hanging ribbons and sprayed them with a white spray primer.

After that was dry, it was time for Elise to paint them. I gave her some pearly white craft paint, and she pretty much covered the entire trees. She did miss a couple of spots the first time around, so I coached her to fill those in, but all the brushstrokes were hers. We did one side at a time so that the fronts would have time to dry before the backs were painted. I love the gloppy texture dabbing on the paint created.

After the pearly paint was dry, I helped her add the red dots on the ornaments. I do have to admit I had a hand in getting them to land on target, but she was holding the brush.

I think she did pretty awesome! Simple and not overdone. 

After all the paint was dry, I added her name and the year with a fine-tip sharpie marker. I'm excited to see what this collection looks like in 20 years.

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This is part of my 2011 Handmade Gift Challenge.

Ornament exchange: Shimmery frame ornament

My favorite type of Christmas ornaments don't scream Christmas. While they look right at home on the tree, they also look great on their own and can be displayed year round.

So when Ann Marie at White House, Black Shutters decided to host an ornament exchange, I decided to make an all-year type of ornament. I think my recipients should have gotten them in the mail by now, so I'm moving ahead with this post!

While brainstorming, I came across these photo frames I had stashed away. They already had hangers on the backs, so turning them into an ornament was an easy leap. I used them to make bridal shower favors earlier this year. They worked really well, so when I saw the frames go on clearance, I picked up a couple of extra packs.

I like these frames first because they were cheap ($1.25 for three! on clearance), but secondly because they are sturdy with real glass and a nice circular opening. They were kind of ugly straight from the package, but I don't let that disguise a simple silhouette.

I wanted to cover the frames with something sparkly, but not necessarily glitter. These "microbeads" (found near the glitter at the craft store) were just what I was looking for. Shimmery, not glittery.

I primed the frames...and that's when my experimenting began. I tried several different ways to stick the beads to the frames (different glues, etc.) but in the end, I didn't use glue at all!

I painted the frames with a champagne-colored spray paint and after the first thin coat, I defied all spray painting rules and doused the fronts with a thick coat. Sorry I don't have any photos of that as I was working quickly, but I used the thick coat of wet spray paint as my "glue."

I sprinkled the microbeads all over the surface and let the paint dry for several hours. (I did this in the lid of a shoebox to contain the mess.) Then I shook off the excess and carefully brushed off stray beads. After mostly removing all of the loose beads, I sprayed the frame with a a clear sealer to make sure they stayed stuck. (This technique works for messy shedding glitter too!)

After tying on some ribbons and adding a scrap of wrapping paper as a placeholder for a photo, they were ready to ship to my ornament exchange partners.

I think they look like a million bucks! Or at least way more than the $2-3/each they probably were. (Hard to quantify things like spray paint). I'm definitely going to have to make a few more. Love the gold/silver shimmer.

Upcycled baby food jar ornaments: 12 ideas to try

If you're a crafty hoarder like me, it's possible you have a few baby food jars stowed away (even if your "baby" isn't a baby anymore). They are just too cute to recycle! They beg to be used for something awesome. (If you don't have baby food jars, you might have other small glass jars from spices or condiments that would work too.)

You've probably seen those clear glass ball ornaments that you can fill with whatever. Well, consider these clear ornaments you don't have to buy. Plus, they have much wider mouths than the glass bulbs so you can fit all sorts of things inside.

I had a couple of different sizes of baby food jars plus a lone glass spice jar in my stash. To prep them, I soaked off the labels, removed any residual glue and cleaned and dried the glass really well, scrubbing off any printed-on numbers that might be on the outside.

Next, I painted the lids. Spray paint is probably the best option here for good coverage. I used a champagne/gold color, but you could use whatever you might have.

Then the hunt was on to find things to fill the jars. I scrounged the house and found lots of options. Here are some ideas!

Scraps of wrapping paper, scrapbook paper or bits of old Christmas cards

Ribbons, yarn or fabric scraps

Jingle bells or snippets of garlands

Mini ball ornaments (how meta)

Elements of nature (twigs, acorns, pine cones, etc.)

Craft supplies (beads, small wood cutouts, foam shapes)

Photos or other keepsakes (wedding invites, baby announcements like I made here)

When you're done filling, pop the lid back on and tie a ribbon or piece of string around the neck of the jar and you're done! Easy!

You can fill them with anything, but I urge you to poke around your house before buying fillers. Just make sure it's nothing too heavy; the glass jars are semi-heavy already (though no heavier than many store-bought ornaments) and you probably don't want to weigh them down too much if you're going to hang them on the tree.

It's inexplicable, but sometimes things just look cooler in jars. I loved a couple of them so much, they made it into my current mantel display. 

But the very best thing about this idea? Nothing is permanent! You can take everything apart when Christmas is over or if you're tired of it. Love that.

2010 Leftovers: Cleaning out my blog closet

In the interest of cleaning out my blog closet before the new year begins, I thought I would show you a few projects that didn't get their own posts. Some weren't really worthy of a whole post and some just fell through the cracks.

Last January, I made some no-sew cafe curtains for my brother's apartment using hem tape (before I got my sewing machine). These are terrible photos, so they didn't get posted.

In August, I made this wire and bead bird's nest ornament for my friend Rita, based on this tutorial. I planned to make more for holiday gifts, so I didn't want to spoil any surprises by posting. But then I didn't end up making more, so here it is!

Also in August, I bought some dark brown curtains for our bedroom. They were $15 a panel from JCPenney.com, a fantastic place to find cheap window treatments if you can look past all the heavy drapes and dated options.

The bedroom still needs some dressing up, but I think the curtains helped a lot to make the space cozier.