Dec 6, 2015

Tis' the season! Some techniques, thoughts, ramblings and a printie for you!

Hello fine folks of the world about!

We are getting closer to the winter solstice here and lots of stores have started the classic Christmas stock up.

While we don't all celebrate Yule, Christmas or the Solstice the same, I think some classic ideas and decorations apply regardless of your celebrations.

I have made a few things recently and thought I should post some ideas for inspiraton and a few techniques for you to try.

I know where ever folks reside in the world one of the classic gifts would be some form of gift basket.

My daughters Seasonal basket for her white witch house quickly done with cheap supplies!!
This basket was done very simply with some of the same techniques we've gone over in the last few years ....of course scraps, extras and cheap bits.

I like to use nail polish bottles for shape as it is easier to remove the glue and string off of the glass when dry.

Wrap a bit of tissue around the glass.

Slather with glue and wrap the string around the surface.

Extra trim for the top can be triple wrapped string.

Let this dry and you can remove the basket shape. trim the paper, paint, add a bit of wood or paper to the bottom, or drape some cloth as a decoration and base.

The pine boughs can be done very simply as well if you don't have Lycopodium, using pipe cleaners.

Just mix a glob of glue, dark green paint or green and back on a piece of plastic. Your going to run the pipe cleaner through that until saturated and the fluff sticks together to look more like needles.

The result can be pretty promising using cheap supplies:

Jars can be done with beads and jump rings for lids

Simple bags and boxes with a snippet of labels or some printies you can find anywhere: <links

Here is one of my most recent creations for Etsy. You can see some of the leaves done on the piece are random but I done have a lot with punches. I just re-cut some of my old punches to recreate new leaves.

So in that picture I have misletoe, ivy, holy all cut from simple stamps.

Rethink your old punches a bit when recreating leaves. You can see with a bit of crimping I made the ivy, the holy leaves and some small oval leaves by re-cutting the stamp.

Polymer clay, wood, wire, paper,paint, beads..

Alrighty.. enough rambling.. 

Here is a printie for you to play with. I have put on a few cards, labels, wrapping paper..

Obviously do not sell these, they are just captured images from the net. "Right click" Print the page in full or open in "new tab" print. Check the little square for 1"x1"

Enjoy!



27 comments:

  1. You always come up with great ideas and ways to use stuff that I may have crammed in that box cause I just knew that 3 inches of pipe cleaner I saved would come in handy!!!! Now If I could just think of a way to finish up that 1/48 2 story fireplace egg carton /sigh gluing go faster. Ok off to go rip up more tiny tin stones..... Than maybe maybe make a basket. Happy December everyone....

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  2. Awesome ideas. Thank you for sharing!

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  3. Just what I needed!!! The wrapping paper is wonderful and all your tips and links are So Helpful! I am trying to make a few little things so I won't feel so mini-deprived while I try to make RL Christmas stuff! LOL! Thank you for sharing!!!

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  4. Super super cute!
    hugs,
    Caroline

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  5. I've already admired your new sets on Etsy... thanks for all these brilliant ideas, tips, tricks and the printie!

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  6. Unas ideas fantásticas y unos bonitos resultados.

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  7. Thank You Jane!!! I loved your ideas on HOW TO make mini gift baskets, especially your solution regarding the tissue inserts- Simply BRILLIANT! Also want to comment on the paper punched leaves. Your ideas regarding the reshaping of the punched shapes was just what I needed to see. I shall be using some of your Great ideas for future mini projects so MANY MANY THANKS! :D

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  8. Super fun project, so many great ideas and printies too. Thanks for sharing so generously. Happy Holidays
    A Big Mini Hug, Mary

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  9. Jane, you know that I'm always a big fan of your wonderful creative miniature work, but your new Christmas scene is awesome!
    I loved to see these tips/your new ideas and the links, thank you for sharing, madam (as you always say to me in your own comments on my blog, so now it's my turn) :D!!
    Warm hug, Ilona

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  10. I love all your Christmas items, thank you very much for sharing us, I´ll try on holidays! Hugs

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  11. that is such a wonderful tip about paper punches, I always think I need just the perfect punch, when in fact, I just need to be more creative about using what I already have... thank you!

    Jonquil

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  12. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing these great tips!

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  13. Hello Jane,
    Your baskets are just amazing! how absolutely beautiful and thank you for showing us how to make one. Fantastic Christmas decorations...let the holidays begin!
    Big hug
    Giac

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  14. Everything is amazing. Thanks for the tips. I love the Christmas decorations.

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  15. Great tips. Nice mini decorations!

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  16. Great tips. Nice mini decorations!

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  17. Muy bonitos los detalles de navidad y los consejos para realizarlos, gracias :-)

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  18. Wow Jane! This is more than one tutorial. Thank you for sharing.
    Hugs, Drora

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  19. Hi Jane always wonderful to see a new post from you. Your tutorial and tips are fantastic thank you. I love your new items.
    Hugs Maria

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  20. Ah, really clever. I love the pipe cleaner tip since I can never get hold of Lycopodium. Thank you for the tips and sharing your printies with us =0)X

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  21. Those are pipe cleaners??!!! I'm blown away! Thanks so much for the tips, hopefully I can try some of them out this year :)

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  22. I have been wanting to do a Christmas tree, but thought pipe-cleaners didn't look good enough. But yours with paint look wonderful, I might give that a try, someday =) You have such great ideas! Hannah

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  23. Great creations. Congrats! a hug, Marisa

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  24. Jane, this is a great blogpost. I would like to use a couple of your pics to create a page in next year's Minitreasures wiki advent calendar. Of course I would link back to your post and you would direct me in what to put on the page. Here is a link to this year's calendar. http://minitreasures.pbworks.com/w/page/90725027/advent_calendar_2015

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  25. Unos detalles muy bonitos. Gracias por las explicaciones. Un beso

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  26. TY....love the pipe cleaner tip!

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  27. TY....love the pipe cleaner tip!

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