Time to enjoy the Christmas Lights!

Here are some videos of wonderful light shows this year for Christmas.  I don't recommend trying this yourself, unless you have plenty of money and lots of time to work on it.

Christmas Lights: The Ultimate Way to Decorate Your Home

Image via Wikipedia

 

 
Image via WikipediaChristmas lights; we have all seen them and most of us have used them before. When it comes to Christmas lights, we often associate those lights only with Christmas trees.  While Christmas lights are most commonly used to decorate Christmas trees, did you know that they can also be used for much more?  If you are planning on decorating this year, you should consider using your Christmas lights for decorating your entire home.

Although many people only put lights on their Christmas tree, there are other uses for them as well.  One of those uses is for decorating the outside of your home.  You can easily find Christmas lights that are designed for outside use, particular around a home. These type of lights are often referred to as outdoor Christmas lights.  One such type of light is the icicle Christmas lights that allow the lights to hang off the side of a house.  While it is possible to find multicolored outdoor Christmas lights, you will find that they are most commonly sold in the traditional white color.

In addition to decorating the outside of the outside of your home with Christmas lights, you can also decorate the trees outside of your home.  A number of homeowners, each year, decorate the trees outside their home, often exactly like their indoor Christmas tress.  Many times, these trees are relatively small in size; therefore, small outdoor Christmas lights are needed on an outdoor tree.  Decorating the small trees in your yard is a great way to bring a touch of Christmas to your neighborhood.

Some people like to hang Christmas lights along the top of their walls. This is a great way to bring extra Christmas spirit into the home. In fact, you can even use Christmas lights to decorate one of your home’s bedroom windows.  This idea is often loved by teenagers and other children; many enjoy the twinkling lights and colors. Decorating your home’s bedroom windows is a great way to bring the Christmas spirit into a room that you may have otherwise not decorated.

You may also want to decorate your office or your workspace. Unfortunately, not everyone celebrates Christmas.  This may pose a problem, when it comes to decorating your office workspace.  However, you can still, in many cases, use Christmas lights to decorate your office.  In most cases, you will find that it is the decorations that scream Christmas that cause the problems, not the lights themselves. Therefore, if you supervisors approve, you could easily hang Christmas lights around your office walls or along the sides of your work desk.

Isn’t it amazing all of the different ways that you can use Christmas lights to decorate your home or even your office? It really is amazing how just the addition of those colorful, twinkling lights can add so much spirit to your holiday cheer.

 

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{Tutorial } How to make a glittered felt christmas tree

Here is another tutorial for making a lovely Christmas Tree.  This tutorial is quite simple and should be easy enough for small children to participate in making these trees.  Why not make a bunch of them in various Christmas colors and arrange them on the dinner table as your center piece this year.  Give every child one to have for their own after dinner is over.

This tutorial is from Lorajean's Magazine and I hope you will visit her site and browse her other tutorials.
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I am so excited to share with you the EASY instructions on how to make this felt glittered tree. I really am super happy with the way they turned out.

Here is what you need:

• Felt  (I used white)
• Scissors
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Craft glue
• Clear glitter
• Styrofoam cone  (or any cone shaped thing)

Note: I didn't use a Styrofoam cone I used a cone shaped wire tree from Dollar Tree last year, but I think they aren't there any more. You can find foam cones at Dollar Tree or any craft store.

 cut 4 large strips (2 in wide)

cut 4 medium strips (1 1/2 in wide)

cut 2 small strips (1 in wide)

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Step Two

Cut deep scallops into each strip

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Step three

Glue along scalloped edge of each strip and glitter generously.

 ______________________________________
Step four
Hot glue each strip onto the cone starting with the large strips at the bottom and ending with the smallest at the top.

 _______________________________________________
Step five
Cut a half flower shape (for tip of tree)

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Videos to show you how to make a wreath from newspaper

Here are two videos from YouTube that show you how to make a really beautiful Christmas wreath out of plain ordinary newspaper.  This is something even your children will enjoy making.  The cost is nothing more than some newspapers--and those can be found at recycling stations if you don't have your own paper, or ask your friends to save them for your.

So here they are.  Enjoy making these.  Send me a picture if you make yourself one.  I think I may have to try this myself this year!



And:



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Another Carol Duval Show video! Making Polymer Clay Tree Ornaments

Image by CraftyGoat via FlickrHere is a wonderful video from the Carol Duval Show (how I miss that show) that has Donna Kato making a beautiful Christmas tree hanging ornament. I bet if you watch this video, you will soon run to get some polymer clay and begin making your own ornaments. I know I will make these, but first I will watch the video about 100 times because I just love Carol and Donna Kato, but I really loved this show.

Enjoy the video!

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Shabby Christmas Tree Tutorial -- Easy and inexpensive!

Search Amazon.com for christmas decorationsHere's a wonderful and quick way to decorate your home for Christmas.  You could probably whip up a few of these in no time and set them up on a hallway table to make a festive entrance to your home.  I found this tutorial on Creations by Kara and wanted to share it here with you.  Please visit the original site and let them know how your trees turn out.  There are many other wonderful tutorials just waiting for you there.

If you do make these, please send pictures so I can see you handywork.  I would love to hear any comments you may have, too.

Christmas Decoration-Fabric Christmas Tree Tutorial

1-Start with one of these styrofoam trees. They’re everywhere right now; you can even find them at the Dollar Store.

2-Decide what fabric you would like to use. I used canvas, but you can use anything you like. Burlap is all the rage right now, and I’m sure it would work perfectly. Tear strips of your fabric about 1″ wide.

3-To cut your strips, stack a set of three or four strips on top of each other. That way you can cut four at a time instead of having to cut each strip one at a time.

4-Cut the strips about 4 inches long.

5-Take each strip of fabric and glue it together at the top. It only takes a tiny bit of glue. I used hot glue because it is the fastest. Now you will have a little loop of fabric:







6-Attach the first loop to the bottom of the tree form. You want a little bit of fabric to hang below the styrofoam.

7-Keep adding on loops of fabric, overlapping them slightly. It doesn’t matter if the tops are even, you just want to make sure the bottoms of the loops are even with each other.

8-Keep adding loops till you get all the way around the tree. See how the tops are totally uneven? Doesn’t matter.

9-Now you are ready to start the next layer. Attach the first fabric loop so that it lays in between two of the loops on the bottom layer. You want them to be staggered (like bricks), and not just glued on in straight vertical rows. Now keep adding loops just like you did for the first layer.

10-Repeat this process till you get to the top of your tree. (If you run out of loops like I did, just tear more fabric and make more.) Make sure the top layer of fabric pokes up above the styrofoam. You don’t want any of that ugly stuff to show. Just take that extra fabric, fold it down, and glue it to the top of the styrofoam. You can trim off some of the fabric if it is too bulky.

11- Now your tree should look something like this:

12-All you have left to do is fluff up the loops to even out your tree. Then add embellishments. I tore tiny strips of red and green fabric and tied them into bows. I used a piece of gold ribbon for the bow at the top. You could use buttons, ribbon, berries, bells, stars, whatever you like!!

Here is the version of the tree with green fabric:


Thanks to Kara for such a wonderful tutorial on making these Christmas trees. 


Search Amazon.com for christmas decorations

Give a hoot for the holidays--an owl ornament tutorial

This is just too cute to pass on.  I found this originally on TipJunkie.com, but the original post is on 
juicy-bits.typepad.com.  The blogger, Jessica Levitt, has a wonderful blog with many wonderful craft items.  This one, with the owl ornaments, fits well here on my Christmas blog.

If you make any of these from Jessica's instructions, please send me a picture so I can post it here.  Send one to Jessica, too!  I love working with felt to make tree ornaments.  It is so easy and forgiving.  It comes in a wealth of colors and thicknesses.  You can sew, embroider, glue everything together.  All in all, a great craft supply.

Here is the owl ornament tutorial:
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But I did do a little felt hand sewing.  I made the little gnome from the last post and a few other things for my tree.  I’m doing a woodland theme this year.  Hopefully it will be all set up soon for you to see.

Anyway, these are the little owl ornaments I made.  And it’s a simple tutorial, just for you!

Download Owl ornament and all you do is cut it out from felt and sew however you’d like.

I love ‘em.

 

And if you make it bigger it would make a cute softie.  I was sewing one on the bus with my daughter’s field trip and a couple of the little girls were begging me for one of their own.  So they could make a cute gift or stocking stuffer.  (Of course, I’d stay away from buttons with real little ones for safety’s sake.)

Enjoy!

JT

*****NOTE: I forgot to mention on the pattern about ric rac.  That's what I used to make the "feathers" on the belly....

Friday's Christmas Crafting -- Two ways to make Christmas Cards

Here's a video to show you a really simple card that you and your children can make to send this year:

How To Make a Christmas Tree Pop-Up Card on Howcast

 Here is another take on the same idea, only this time it requires a little more skill:

How to Make a Christmas Tree Pop up Card (Robert Sabuda Method)

Here are the steps:

1. Click here to get the image and then print out the full size image on a heavy paper, like card stock or construction paper.
2. 

Print out the image on the right in a similar manner with heavy paper.
 
3. Lay the card that has the outline of the tree on a flat surface. Take a ruler and line the edge of it up against the center fold line of the card

4.  Use the rounded end of a paper clip (or a ball point pen that has run out of ink) and press it along the dotted line carefully scoring the card all the way from top to bottom. Score all the other dotted lines on the card as well.
 
5.  Cut the card out carefully following the solid, black lines around the edges.
 
6.  Begin to fold the card in half, keeping the outline of the tree on the outside so you can always see it.
 
7.  Fold the card completely in half with the outline of the tree still visible.
 
8. Carefully cut along the solid black line of the first segment at the top of the tree.
 
9. Fold the first segment at the top to the tree back against the card, along the dotted line, and crease with your thumb or finger.
 
10. Put the first segment back in its original position.
 
11. Open the card like a tent, and push the first segment through to the other side.

12. If you turn the card over, this is what it looks like.
 
13.  Turn the card over again and carefully cut along the solid black line of the second segment at the top of the tree
 
14. Fold the second segment at the top to the tree back against the card, along the dotted line, and crease with your thumb or finger.
 
15. Put the second segment back in its original position.
 
16. Open the card like a tent, and push the second segment through to the other side.

17. If you turn the card over, this is what it looks like.
 
18. Turn the card back over again and repeat the same process of cutting along the solid black lines, folding the segments and pushing them through to the other side.
When you have done all five segments the card will look like this.
 
19.  Set the Christmas tree card aside and lay the second print out, the backing card, on a flat surface. Take a ruler and line the edge of it up against the center fold line of the backing card and score down the center with your paper clip.
 
20. Cut the backing card out carefully following the solid, black lines around the edges.
 
21. Fold the backing card in half with the dotted line on the INSIDE. Set this card aside.
 
22. Turn over the Christmas Tree card so the dotted outline is visible. Put a thin line of glue along the right side of the card from top to bottom.
 
23. Put a thin line of glue along the left side of the card from top to bottom.
 
24.  Carefully position the backing card, with the dotted line facing down, on top of the Christmas tree card. Take your time, making sure the edges of both cards match up.

25.  Press the cards together, flattening them completely.
 
26. Turn the card over, carefully close and open it.
Your pop-up Christmas Tree card is ready to be decorated!

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