Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Target-Inspired Glitter Easter Decor.


I was walking through Target the other night and spotted some adorable bunny rabbit Easter decorations – they were covered in brightly-colored papers and covered in ultra-fine glitter.  Would I buy one?  Of course not.  I’d make my own.  To do this I had to find ceramic or resin figures (mine were ceramic). (IMPORTANT:  Don’t look at the painted designs on it – look at the LINES.  The shape needs to be very clean and simple otherwise you’ll end up with a very pretty, glittered blob!)











Here’s what I started with – pretty terrifying aren’t they?  Well, the duck isn’t so bad but that bunny?  EEEKK!  So a coat or two of primer went on first.  (I did the duck in gray, not sure why but ended up doing it over in white because the paper I was using was white and the gray showed through.)
Once the primer was dry it was time to start covering with the paper.   


 
The paper I used was handmade.  (See my paper hints at the end of the post!)  Hint:   The smaller the figure, the smaller your torn pieces of paper should be.  It makes it much easier to shape around all the curves.)  Tear your paper (don’t cut – straight edges will show up and leave a less uniform result.) 


I worked in small sections by applying Mod Podge to the figure and then to the back of the torn paper pieces, pressing on and shaping by applying more Mod Podge over the top and blending in all the edges.  Now you could use a sponge brush I suppose but I feel I have better control by using my fingers.  I kept the figure on aluminum foil so it wouldn’t stick while it was drying.

Here, everything is dry and I’m ready to “glitter” him up!  


To do this, I watered down a little Mod Podge and brushed over the entire bunny lightly using a paint brush. Then I gave him a “glitter” shower and left that to dry.  I used Stampin' Up! Dazzling Diamonds ultra fine glitter but you could use any kind.  I think even the kid's "chunky" glitter would look cute!

I added the little black bow (because I’m going with the black and white theme) and you’d never know how truly sad he looked before his makeover!








I followed the same steps with the duck, added a bow on her little neck as well and she too was a new woman! . . . I think they're a cute little pair now!
And they fit just perfectly on my dining room table!

Really, the possibilities are unlimited!  You CAN use wood figures or shapes; you could add rhinestones, pearls, rick-rack on the eggs, etc.  With all of the beautiful handmade papers available, you could really go crazy with this project!  And those holiday decorations you're no longer crazy about?  Just re-cover them!

Now here are some tips for choosing the right paper for this project:

  • You can’t use tissue paper – it’s too thin. 
  • You can’t use regular scrapbook paper – it’s too thick. 
  • The best is the handmade papers or mulberry paper because when you tear them, the edges are “fibrous” and you don’t see white edges instead of the printed paper.  Most scrapbooking stores carry both the mulberry paper and handmade papers. 
  • Stay away from solid colors, stripes or plaids.  Choose paper with a tiny, all-over pattern or a tone-on-tone print (like the one I used) if you want a solid color look.


Sunday, March 27, 2011

Candlestick Turned Cloche Stand

Below you'll see what this started out as.  I found the candlestick/holder at Hobby Lobby in their 90% off section.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with it and it was $2.00!  I did like the original colors but since this is going in a nook that is dark already, I went with the white/black theme and painted the brown section my Behr Perfect Pearl (after a coat of primer).   



Next I added a bit of twine at the top and bottom to coordinate with my big "letter Z" I just finished (You'll see this in another picture).

Now for the "cloche" part.  When I WASN'T looking for an old cheese board with the glass dome, I saw them everywhere.  Now that I WAS searching for one . . . there were none to be found.  SO, on one of my trips to my local Goodwill store, If found this odd glass jar combo.  Not sure what it's supposed to be but I knew it would work for my "cloche"!  The two pieces are separate (I'm sure I'll find a use for the 'vase' part!)  I used a simple wooden disc from Hobby Lobby (50 cents) for the base of the cloche; painted it white and attached to the top of the candle holder with Gorilla Glue.

Using hot glue I added some sheet moss to the disk.  Since there was no 'indentation' to hold the glass in place, the moss serves the purpose very well!  I added one of my $1.00 ceramic bunnies for Easter inside and decided I wanted to add a little something to the cloche glass itself.  Using E6000 glue I adhered a little clip to the top and hung an old key (added a few pearls to the key) on it.

Now, combining all of my new "stuff", I made this arrangement in a recessed "nook" in my living room.  The round chalkboard is something I picked up at a craft show last Fall and have just never found the right spot -- I think it's a perfect fit here and let's me add my favorite seasonal quotes, Bible verses or whatever!




One final note:  Did you know you can spray paint dried flowers?  I had a bunch of dried roses laying around so I took a pale yellow one and sprayed it white.  I threaded it through one of my Hobby Lobby 90% off finds, the metal letter "Z" (60 cents) and placed it on top of two old books I tied together with black trim.  Total cost for this "Nook Grouping":  $8.10 -- woo-hoo! (Doesn't include the chalkboard which I think I paid $15.00 for.)

Now it's time for me to do some REAL work . . . off to clean windows.  Blah.  I like crafting much better.  Hope you all are enjoying a blessed weekend!