Fun Holiday Projects
Thanksgiving is in our pocket and we move closer to the holidays, and if you are like me, I move into high gear to create gifts for friends, parties and family.
This year, I have decided to keep it simple and will be creating candle and goodie holder to bring to parties and give to friends. Always up for a challenge, I promised myself that I would limit my supplies to jars, paint, and one brush! I chose Decoart Gloss Glass Paints in white, and my Aura™ brush. I love the way that the Aura™ imprints and began to envision jars decorated with snowflakes. For the jars, I chose the smooth sided Ball™ jars in the quart size so that I could use them as either candle holders or a vessel for Lovee’s (my hubby) famous party mix.
To prepare the jars, I washed them with mild dish soap and dried them. Next, I wiped them off on the outside with Distilled Vinegar to remove any grease or wax (you could also use rubbing alcohol). I decided to do the designs freehand and like that I did not have to draw out a pattern or be precise-just free to play!
I squeezed a little of the glass paint onto my palette and wet the Aura in my water bowl. I swirled the wet brush into the paint and then tapped it on my paper towel to absorb the excess. You do not want it to be so wet that it is drippy, but thick enough to leave a beautiful impression. You may want to test on a piece of paper first. Pointing the longer tip of the brush to the top, I lightly pressed the brush to the jar to create an impression. Next, I flipped the brush so that the point was down to connect the impression. Add sides to create a “cross”. You can begin to fill in all the way around and then use your imagination to personalize your own style of snowflake. I did an entire snowflake with one load on the brush, so you can see how quick it goes. I did a complete snowflake and then moved around the jar adding more snowflakes as I went.
Let the paint dry and then go back with a stylus to add dots. If you want to really get crazy, you can use a liner brush to add swirls, spirals, etc. To add texture when you are done, you can flyspeck the jars to fill in any open area, add glitter, etc. For the candleholders, I poured in Epson Salts (they glisten like snow!) to the bottom and then added a votive candle. Dress the rim with ribbon and/or a bow, and your gift is complete.
If you have small children or grandchildren, add them to the mix and let them create a special gift for their favorite teacher or neighbor. These small jars work great for snowglobes or snowmen and can be filled with marshmallows and hot cocoa mix. Fabric hats, bows and ribbon make the projects complete without a lot of extra effort.
I hope that your holidays include lots of simple handmade fun, family and friends. Have a wonderful Holiday!
Gisele
