Cardboard Trees: Holiday DIY

Hello, sassy friends! Today's my last day of medical leave following my spinal surgery, so I've been trying to rally the energy to get some of my holiday projects wrapped up while still getting ready for my return to work. Here's a pic of our featured project:

These black & white trees are in the family room; one is painted and embellished with paper circle ornaments, and one is covered with wrapping paper. (See my "Let it Snow" free Pintetest printable art in the frame?) 

And for my living room, here's two red glittered ones:

I'll be adding some more trees of varying sizes, colors and patterns made from poster board over the next week or so. But here's what you'll need to make these easy & practically free cardboard trees:

Materials & Supplies:

- Multiple cardboard boxes

- Exacto knife 

- Marker

- Paint

- Glitter 

- Wrapping paper

- Glue gun

Directions:

1.  Free hand draw your tree shape on your cardboard. I drew serrated trees, as well as simple triangles. You can get as simple or fancy as you please, and make the trees as big or little as your cardboard allows. 

2. Using your Exacto knife, cut out your tree. Be careful where you cut this- razor blades will kill your unprotected table or floor! 

3. You'll need two identical pieces, so use the tree piece you just cut as your template for the second piece. 

4. Your first piece needs a slit cut in the center from the top of the tree to the center. The second piece should be slit from the bottom center to just below the middle. See pieces in picture below.      

5. Paint or cover your pieces as you choose. The serrated trees are much easier to paint than wrap, but you decide how much effort you want to put into this. (We had a highly unusual day today - 50 degrees in November rarely happens in Detroit-  so I took the pieces for my living room trees outside to spray paint. The black tree was painted with craft paint on the kitchen table during our last snow - like 2 days ago. That's how bipolar our weather is.) 

6. Optional: If you add glitter, I suggest adding a clear coat to keep your glitter shedding to a minimum. Allow to dry. 

7. Fit your two pieces together, and find the perfect nook to show off your festive tree(s)! And then a bit of show & tell so we all get a chance to "oooh" and "ahhhhh" over your trees!

Save your cardboard! I've got another project for you for tomorrow that looks a little something like this:

Until tomorrow, party people!

Stay sassy, 

- Anna

The Grinch + Other Printable Art (DIY Holiday)

Happy Black Friday, friends! Hope you scored some hot deals if shopping's your thing. I skipped the stores this year and grabbed my bargains online yesterday. 

Today was my day for hyper-drive Christmas prep. Now I'm SOOO crazy tired tonight!!!! It was a decorating spree all the day long, that seriously just ended about 5 minutes ago. But my last project of the night just might be my favorite of the season....take a peek and let me know if you agree!

Isn't this pure fun?!? Both the Grinch movie poster art and the Grinch subway art quote are free art downloads from Pinterest. To access these and hundreds of other amazing holiday art, visit my Christmas Printables board at http://www.pinterest.com/anaallen/christmas-printables. 

For this display, I used an old oversized frame that's been collecting dust in the garage, and I wrapped it with yarn and twine. It's a really simple project, but it is time consuming. It took a few hours, but it was totally worth the time. It turned out perfectly! If you want to replicate this look, you'll need: 

Materials: 

- Two 8 x 10 Grinch printables

- 1 Large frame ( I'm guessing it's at least  12 x 16) 

- Red yarn & green twine 

- Glue gun

- Scissors

- Chevron gift wrap 

- Scotch tape

Directions: 

1. Remove glass and backing from frame. Set glass aside. 

2. Wrap front facing portion of backing in chevron wrapping paper. Attach your Grinch art to the front of the chevron covered backing, using scotch tape. 

3. Wrap (and wrap and wrap and wrap...) straight portions of frame in red yarn, using hot glue to secure yarn ends to the back of the framing. 

4. Wrap corners of frame in x-shape using green twine, and hot glue to secure twine to back of framing. 

5. If the back of your frame is now too thick to reattach the glass securely (mine was!), use small dots of hot glue in non-visible areas to reattach the art and the glass to the frame. Now hang it up and applaud your patience in wrapping that frame, and in your clever decorating skills!

And here's a quick peek at my annual real tree, which coordinates so well with my new Grinch art:

And here's a close up of the topper, which I changed this year.... I also switched from red lights to green LED lights this year. (My red lights cast a pink glow that was throwing off my whole vibe....I'm really pleased with the green, though!) And you can see the snowflake window display previously featured,  pushed back to frame the tree. 

I also took a few ornament close-ups so you can see some of the prints I used as ornaments on the tree this year:

The " Merry" gift tags make amazing ornaments. 

These chalkboard gift tags are my new fave this year. They look perfect on my tree! (You're also getting an inadvertent sneak peek of some other home-made ornaments that will be featured in future episodes of Sass-N-Crafts.)

I've got so much more to show you, but no more energy left to make it happen. (That's why there's always tomorrow....) Hope this entry inspires you to create your own custom Christmas displays!

Stay sassy,

- Anna

 

Christmas Banners: DIY Holiday

Here's hoping everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving - that you ate yourself silly and spent quality time with the people you love! We went to my sister's gorgeous new house in Camden, Michigan and ate ourselves silly and spent quality time with the people we love. 😉

Given the holiday (and the fact that it's after 1:30a and I got very little sleep last night and I've got a busy weekend ahead) tonight's post will be brief, but totally worth your while. Here's one quick pic of just one of my festive holiday banners, that reads "Merry Christmas," compliments of free Pintetest art downloads. (I am so very thankful for Pinterest!) 

Lately, I've been going a little wild with the many hundreds of free Christmas printables available on Pinterest. It's a veritable gold mine of holiday cheer! If you want to feel like a kid in a candy store, but substitute art for candy, take a look at my Pinterest board dedicated to Christmas prints. 

http://www.pinterest.com/anaallen/christmas-printables/.  

****Disclaimer:None of the art I've used is mine - all credit is due the originating artist, which is why I'm sending you to my Pintetest board to visit the artists' sites directly. I downloaded all my selected art and converted all my art files as PDFs, and didn't necessarily retain their site locations. If you're my pal and you run into trouble with a piece of art you've seen me use, email me and I can send you a clean Adobe PDF file. 

At any rate, on my Pinterest board you'll find links to all of the art featured in today's post, plus tons more. Totally worth the trip! Here's another banner from Pinterest:

(It's a bit fuzzy due to poor lighting, but it says, "Be Merry!")

I'll be showing you more of the best of Pinterest holiday art over the next few days. It makes such great gifts, and great decor. But for tonight, here's yet another banner I assembled and put up tonight: 

This one is super cute...it's gray with snowflakes and says "Let it Snow." (It's just too dark to get sharp pics tonight.)

For today's banner projects, you'll need the following supplies:

- Free Pinterest banner art, printed on good card stock. ( I had all my black & white copies made by an online company who shall not be named due to some severe customer service and print quality issues, and did all my color copying at Office Max. Color copies are about 50 cents each self serve, and they let you use your own paper; you can also buy 110# paper, which is nice and sturdy, for only 8 cents per page.) 

- Scissors

- Ribbon, twine or yarn

- Single hole punch

One last pic of my family room banner before you start your own project... this one is black & white chalkboard, and also says, "Let it Snow." It's really well done, though I really can't whole-heartedly support the sentiment. I'm already fed up with Michigan snow. 😖

Back to the task at hand, already! Here's your.......

Completely Self-explanatory Directions: 

1. Cut your banner pieces

2. Use your single hole punch to cut holes in your banner pieces. (I did single holes in smaller pieces, like the Merry Christmas and smaller gray "Let it Snow" banner, but used two holes in the two larger fireplace banner pieces, "Be Merry" and the black & white chalkboard "Let it Snow.)

3. Assemble and secure your banner pieces along your ribbon, yarn, or twine. (I tied some, glued some, and used ornament hooks with some. You pick the method that works best for you.) 

4. Drape your banner across your fireplace mantle, along a bookcase or mirror, or as wall art. You can even use it as garland on your tree! 

So stroll through my Pinterest holiday art, and pick your own banner project. I'm so excited to see what you create, and how you use it in your own decorating scheme, or as a special gift for some lucky pal. But tell me about it tomorrow...this sassy chica has got to get to bed pronto. Tomorrow is the day we pick our real tree for the living room, and get that bad boy fully decorated. 🎄Cannot wait!!!!

Until then, stay sassy, my friend!

- Anna

DIY Ornaments

Hello, my sassy pals! Ready to put to use that cardboard circle left over from your Snowball wreath? Once you see the ornaments we'll make tonight, you'll want to cut out lots more cardboard circles! 

This is another super cheap project that seriously costs just pennies, and is easy enough to do with the kiddies. Here's what you need:

- Cardboard circle (any scrap cardboard will do! I made bigger circles, about 6" in diameter, but these are cute in any size!)

- tissue paper in your choice of colors, solid or print

- Scissors

- Glue stick or Elmer's glue (⚠️I suggest using this actual brand. I used an off-brand from the Dollar Tree on a previous project {my yarn wrapped "SNOW" letters, which now look pissed upon🙀}. Totally ruined, and just not worth saving 50 cents!) 

- Small bits of coordinating ribbon

- Glue gun for securing ribbon to back of ornament

Directions: 

Step 1. PREPARE YOUR TISSUE PAPER. There are soooo many ways you can do these ornaments. Here's a few suggestions:

A. Twisted. The first pic shows twisted tissue paper, which creates a great 3-D texture.  For this version, cut long strips of tissue paper, about 2.5" wide, and roll each strip in a single direction. Tight rolls look great, but looser rolls result in an interesting look, too. You could use multiple colors, or a single patterned paper like I used. For a rustic look, use brown paper bags or craft paper. Experiment & see what you like best! 

B. Rolled: Cut your tissue paper in random lengths, each about 2" wide. Use  a pencil or something similar to roll your paper. Use a dab of glue to hold your paper tubes shut. 

Here's a bad pic of the rolled style. I'll update this when I have better light! 

C. Fluffy: Go piñata style! Cut your tissue paper in small rectangular shapes; about 1.5" wide & 2" long. You can do this in multiple colors, like a piñata, or you could even use book pages for a more scholarly interpretation. Fringe the edges with scissors along the width if you like. Fold your pieces down the middle lengthwise, and gently twist the center of each piece. This will give you the fluffiness you're going for, and serve as a "base" to glue the pieces to the cardboard. (I did not have time to make a sample yet, but I will!! And I'll add a picture very soon!!!) 

D. Torn: If you want an abstract look, torn tissue paper is the choice for you! For this style, you'll need a skinny paintbrush and a bit of water. Parents, you may want to supervise this part, as little ones tend to be a bit too liberal with the water. A little bit goes a long way. Using your slightly wet paintbrush, freehand your tear-lines on your tissue paper. Wavy and irregular is better than straight and uniform! Let the water sit on the tissue paper for a minute or so, then gently tear your paper into strips. Use the same method to tear your pieces to best fit your cardboard square. You can create a rough design, like birch trees, or you can take a more Jackson Pollock approach and randomly layer colors. (Again, no pics, but I expect to get free child labor on this over the Thanksgiving break, so look for an update with pics soon!)

STEP 2: GLUE YOUR TISSUE PAPER. Liberally coat the "working section" of your cardboard circle with glue. Dab the back of each piece of tissue paper with a bit of glue, as well, and firmly attach to the cardboard circle. Keep your pieces snugly together to fully cover the cardboard! Let dry fully before flipping ornament over to cover the back side with tissue paper (optional, of course!) and before moving on to Step 3. 

STEP 3: PREPARE YOUR ORNAMENT FOR HANGING. Attach loop of ribbon to back of ornament with hot glue. Now deck those halls with your fabulous ornaments!!! This is a cheap and easy way to bring Christmas to every corner! Here's one picture of my ornaments, bringing Holiday cheer to my china cabinet:

I plan to make more so I have an ornament for each of my upper Kitchen cabinets. I'll be sure to add that pic, too, if we can ever keep the kitchen clean long enough! ☺️

Now that was easy, and even fun, wasn't it? Didn't I tell you?!?? This crafting stuff brings joy to the world! 👼 Let me know about the joy in your corner of the world, okay? I love to hear about and see how your projects turn out! 

Before we call it a night, be sure to save that leftover cardboard for another great project, coming your way soon!

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! So thankful for all of you!

Stay sassy, 

-Anna

Snowball Wreath: DIY Holiday

Greetings, sassy friends! Tonight, I'm sharing a project that I've had halfway done for a few weeks, but finally got what I needed to finish - and it's about time!

You'll think it's worth the wait, though, 'cuz look how cute....  

Here's what you'll need to make your own Snowball Wreath: 

- Large skien of white yarn

- cardboard cut in wreath shape (any ole' cardboard box will do...)

- plastic grocery bags

- masking tape

- iridescent ribbon

- irridescent snowflakes of varying sizes

- hot glue gun 

- scissors

 

Directions: 

Step 1: Create wreath Form

A.  Using exacto knife, cut a piece of cardboard in a circle of your size. (You could use a large mixing bowl to trace) Cut a smaller circle from the center of your circle to create a wreath form; a slightly smaller bowl might do if you don't have a handy-dandy circle cutting tool like the one I used - Martha Stewart makes it. (Save the smaller circle cut out for tomorrow's project!) 

B. Next, grab your plastic bags and masking tape to add some depth to your wreath form. Take a slightly scrunched up plastic grocery bag and secure it to your wreath form with masking tape, working your way around the wreath form. Wrap it up like a mummy. When you're done, it will look like this:                                                   

Now set your wreath form aside for quite some time, because you've got a snowstorm's worth of snowballs to make!

Step 2: Make Yarn Pom-Poms  "Snowballs"

A.  Take your yarn and wrap it around your fingers, (I alternated between 3 fingers and 4 fingers in order to have variable sizes...) covering the width of all fingers and doubling back for at least a second layer of yarn. The more yarn you use, the fluffier your poms. But don't wrap too tight! You've got to slip this off your fingers for the next step!

B. Snip the end of your working yarn to roughly align with the end of your fingers, and snip another smaller piece to tie off your Pom in the next steps. 

C. Carefully slide the bundle of yarn off your fingers and onto a solid surface. (Don't let it unravel!) 

D. Wrap your small length of yarn (for tying your bundle) around the entire center of the short side of your yarn bundle. (You'll know it's the short side if the loops from your endless winding are NOT tied off, but are unimpeded on either side of your tie-off.) Tie it really tightly in a knot in both directions. 

E. Take your scissors and snip open your loops. Fluff it up, and give a slight trim if needed. (Don't worry too much, though, because you won't notice asymmetrical poms once glued to the wreath form.)

F. Repeat incessantly. Once you think you have enough, make about 40 more. Seriously. It takes ALOT of these bad boys to fill a wreath. 

Step 3: Assemble the Wreath

A. Grab that hot glue gun and go to town gluing on your yarn poms. Arrange the poms to obscure the wreath form. 

B. Once all your poms are on, add your sparkly snowflakes and ribbon. I curled lengths of irridescent ribbon and added to the bottom only, using larger snowflakes in place of a bow -mostly because I ran out of poms & I ran out of white yarn, and I was pretty darn determined to finally finish this project. (It's a housewarming gift for my sister, who I'll see on Thanksgiving, so time was definitely up!!!)

C. Attach a bit of ribbon or twine with hot glue to the back of the wreath to make hanging easier.  And, voila! You're now the proud owner of a snowball wreath! 

Now don't forget to save that smaller cardboard circle from the center of your wreath form....we'll be using that tomorrow for another fun & easy craft that will cost you mere pennies, but look amazing. Stay tuned! And stay sassy!

- Anna

Rustic Stars: DIY Holiday

Hi, there, you sassy sasparilla! Are you up for another great Christmas craft? Thought you might be! Today we'll be making these really cute and simple stars. 

I can't really explain it, but I love all things stars. Barn stars, rustic stars, glitter stars....I'm just a sucker for stars. My 9-year old daughter, Makenna, and I made these stars in mere minutes. So cute, so easy! Here's what you'll need to make your own rustic star ornaments:

- 5 wide Popsicle sticks for each star 

(We got our sticks at the Dollar Tree, already colored red/ green.)

- Hot glue gun

- Twine or ribbon 

- Paint, stain and/or glitter (optional- if you get unfinished Popsicle sticks, you may want to glam them up a bit, but totally your choice....)

1. Lay your five sticks out to create a star shape. (It's easiest to make the letter "A" first and build from there...) 

2.  Use your hot glue gun to secure each stick within the star shape. 

3. Wrap your twine or ribbon around the angle that you'd like to hang the star from, using a dab of hot glue to secure the twine to the star. (I used green twine on the red stars...my daughter used brown twine to completely wrap her stars. She gave up before she finished that, so I don't have a pic - but it's cute!)

4. Paint or embellish your star any way you want it. 

 5. Hang it up and pat yourself on the back...you are pure Christmas magic!🌟

So how did you do your stars? Wood stain? Metallic? Glittery? Tell me all about it - you always inspire me with your fabulous ideas! Until tomorrow....

Stay sassy, 

- Anna 

Christmas Rosettes - DIY Holiday

It's been one of those weeks, my sassy friends. I've managed to finish a few projects, but I've got a lot more in-progress. I'll try to make up for lost time soon! 

In the meantime, here's a project that I know you're going to love.  I'll give you a quick peek at the finished product:

These are so colorful and fun! They make terrific mantle decorations, and even work really great as large ornaments. I also made some in more muted tones for my sister-in-law (early Christmas present, as promised!). Your final product is limited only by your imagination - and your paper selection. (Speaking of paper, Michael's is having a sale on 12x12 scrap book paper right this very minute: 7 pieces for $1. Go stock up...that's crazy cheap!)

Here's what you'll need to make the paper rosettes:

- 2 pieces of 12x12 scrapbook paper (matching or coordinated - your choice. I'll show you samples of both). 

👀  USE DOUBLE SIDED PAPER if you'll be hanging the rosette so both front and back will be visible. 

- Scissors

- Hot glue gun

- Embellishments for center of rosette

- Sturdy card stock 

- Hole punch (single)

- Ribbon, twine, or yarn for hanging

- Boning knife, ruler, or homemade straight edged tool for creating uniform accordion folds (I used a thin strip from a manilla folder; really rather optional- you can manage without) 

Directions:

1.  Cut each of your 12x12 pages in half. You'll have four total pieces that look like this:

2.  Accordion fold each of the four pieces, like so: 

3. Once you've folded all four pieces, hot glue each piece to the other four pieces, as shown below: 

4.  When you've got all four pieces glued together end to end, it will look like this:

5.  Push the center of the circle down with both hands to gently flatten the circle against your working surface. It will look like a rosette while your holding it down. 

(Please ignore surrounding cluttered mess...I'm a super sloppy crafter.)

6. Hot glue your card stock or other sturdy embellishment to secure the rosette. Folks often use a circle punched piece of coordinating card stock. (I happened to use some doily snowflakes that are perfectly adorable, but too flimsy to make the rosette stay flat. To compensate, I used a piece of political junk mail printed on card stock to secure my rosette from the back, which won't show the way I'm hanging it. See pic below for my little cheat:)  

I also used little wooden snowflakes on some of the rosettes, which were actually hearty enough to keep the rosette in line. This one also shows a rosette made from two different but coordinated papers (antiqued music score & and antiqued script) 

7.  Use single hole punch to allow for hanging. Add ribbon, twine or yarn; now hang up your lovely creations, sit back and admire your awesomeness. 😏

Here's a few pics of my creations, for your inspiration:

How fun and colorful are these?!?!

And here's my more subtle, but equally as adorbs: 

Well, sassy ones- I've shown you mine, now you show me yours! (Don't be nasty, please. Santa's watching you!) What kind of rosettes will you whip up this Christmas?

Stay sassy,

-Anna

Feather Wreath (DIY Holiday)

Hello, my sassy friends! Today was a crampy day - and that's not a typo. Since I couldn't even stand erect today (thanks, dysfunctional uterus!) I was more slothful than a sloth, and accomplished absolutely nothing. Luck for both of us that I've got a backlog of projects stacked up, just waiting for a chance to revel in the spotlight. How about we do this fluff-tastic orange feather wreath? This seriously took less than 5 minutes. 

If you saw my previous posts, I purchased an orange feather boa for $3 just before Halloween. Parts of this boa have contributed to these burlap stockings....

And also to these ornaments:

The remainder of that boa is now a cheerful wreath! Here's what you need to make your own version:

- Foam wreath form (I got mine for $1 at Dollar tree. Can't beat that!)

- Feather boa (your choice of colors. Dollar tree usually has these, too, in the kids toy aisle.) 

- Hot glue gun & glue stick

- Scissors

- Bow made of ribbon of your choice

- Small bit of floral wire to secure your bow (I used an ornament hook, as I had one handy at the time....whatever works!)

Directions: 

1.  Beginning from what will be the back of your wreath, start wrapping your wreath form with the feather boa, using hot glue to keep the boa securely attached. Use a bit extra at the very first bit of boa!

2. Once the wreath form is fully wrapped, trim excess boa, 

3.  If you notice any bare spots, glue in clippings from the leftover boa to cover wreath form completly. 

4. Attach your bow(s) with your wire. 

Voila! You have a fuzzy & fabulous feather wreath, and it probably cost you all of $2 or less. How sassy is that?!?! 

Mine is hanging happily in the window of my family room, giving my grey silk curtains a pop of colorful holiday cheer! 

 I can imagine a whole wall display of angelic white feather wreaths with metallic bows, or a cheerful mix of red and green! Or how about pretty pastels for a little girl's sugarplum fairy wonderland? I can't wait to see what ya'll come up with!!!

Stay sassy,

- Anna

Snowflake window display

Another crafty day today! I had a hard time choosing which project to highlight tonight, but I decided to go with the project with the highest impact: my picture window snowflake "curtain."  

If you're ready to create your own version, here's what you'll need:

1.  An assortment of snowflakes of various sizes, materials and textures. I bought all of these at the Dollar Tree, in the Christmas decorating section of the store. The largest snowflakes are felt placemats; I also used a few different kinds of the boxed multipack snowflakes of different sizes, as well as foam snowflakes. I would say I spent a maximum of $8 on snowflakes, and I still have some left over for later projects. Here's a quick pic of my snowflake pile....

2.  Fishing line, and scissors to cut your lengths to size. 

3. An ornament hook or similar piece of wire to subtly pierce your foam snowflakes in order to string them with fishing wire. 

4. Something to hang it all from. I hung mine directly from the curtain rod. (I tied each section loosely enough to allow me to slide the sections back and forth...I'll eventually put my real tree right in the center of that picture window, so I need to be able to shift the snowflakes to frame it. 

Directions: 

1. Decide how you want to arrange your first "string" of snowflakes." A somewhat random arrangement looks most appealing. I used the largest flake as the grounding element on each "string" mostly because I expect this will provide a bit more stability, as many of the subsequent snowflakes in the "string" are supported by this larger snowflake. 

2. I suggest you begin by tying your first snowflake directly to it's final support; in my case, the curtain rod, but you could use a branch, command hooks, etc. I completed my first "string" at the dining room table and had a mangled up, tangled up knot of fishing string by the time I took the 10 steps to my living room. Save yourself the hassle! : )

3. Use your fishing line to arrange your first snowflake at the height you prefer, leaving extra line for the next snowflake in the chain. Tie your fishing line to the support. Be sure to tie the line off the way you do with handsewing....loop the end around the tying loop 3-4 times before you pull the knot closed. Otherwise your knots are likely to slip loose. 

4. Continue linking your snowflakes with fishing line according to your design. If using foam snowflakes, gently poke a tiny hole where you'd like to run the fishing line. To get the most visually interesting results, use varying lengths between snowflakes, and don't hang all your snowflakes in a single, descending line. Go for a swirling effect. 

5. Start again for each subsequent "string," ensuring that you alternate heights of each string to keep it impact full. If you really want to get fancy, you could add string lights to the mix and create a really magical display. Or you can quit while your ahead, like I did. Either way, enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by; hope tonight's installment got your creative juices flowing. Just Imagine, you could do something similar with colorful bulb ornaments, with winter florals like poinsettias or mistletoe, or even with a woodland theme. (Imagine strings of cardinals with acorn & pinecones!!) Whats your inspirational interpretation? I'd love to hear your fanciful ideas, and see pics of your final results. 

Until tomorrow, stay sassy, friends!

- Anna

DIY Holiday: Burlap-Covered Monogram Letter

Good evening, sassy ones! Here's my first attempt at creating a large fancy monogram letter for the fireplace mantle for practically nothing. I keep seeing these adorable letters used in wreaths and other holiday decorating, and I decided I want one, too!! Although you can buy premade cardboard or wooden letters at Hobby Lobby or Michael 's, I wanted to try my hand at something a little more....well, free! So I popped by my local Dollar General and got a few cardboard boxes - they always seem to have them on hand, so they're my "go-to" pals! 

I made my letters free-form for this project, and for a few more I've got in the works. I'm sure the letters will improve as I get a bit more accustomed to working with cardboard and box cutters. : ) 

If you're super, duper lucky and you have a digital cutting machine that can handle cardboard, I want to come over and play soon!!!! This project would take mere minutes with one of those bad boys. But for the rest of us unfortunates, here's the drill.....

Materials:

1. Large piece of cardboard. 

2. Marker to draw your letter. (You can use a stencil, or trace a large printed letter of the font of your choice if free-hand letters make you nervous)

3. Razor cutting tool for cutting cardboard. (Make sure you use a cutting mat or work on surfaces you don't mind inadvertently slicing up!!!)

4. Burlap or fabric of your choice. 

5. Hot glue or spray adhesive. 

6. Twine or raffia to attach for hanging. 

Directions:

1. Lay your cardboard out on a work surface that can handle razor blade work. Draw (or trace) your letter with marker. 

2. Use your razor cutting tool to cut your letter. Curves and sudden directional changes are a bit challenging on cardboard, but it's okay if it's not perfect or if some edges get a but raggedy - you're covering it all up with fabric anyhow. 

3. Once cut completely, lay your letter face down on your fabric. Begin initial trim of your fabric, leaving about 1/2 inch of fabric all around the letter in order to wrap all corners and edges. If you have cut outs in your letter, (as in the center of my "A") you will want to trim the fabric accordingly, leaving at least a 1/4 inch of fabric to wrap around the edges. 

4.  Once you've got the fabric "rough" cut for your shape, begin adhering fabric to cardboard. I used hot glue, and it worked great with burlap, as long as you watch your fingers. (Hot glue bleeds right through the open weave of the fabric.) Around curved or irregular edges, you'll need to add extra small cuts to your fabric to allow a neat wrap job. No worries - no one will see the back any how!

5. Lastly, I hot glued a bit of jute twine to the back of the letter for hanging. Now find the perfect spot for it & enjoy!

Here's my creation, joining it's matching DIY stocking partners.... Sorry it's so dark! I'll have to add an update tomorrow during our limited Midwestern daylight hours. 

Thanks for visiting tonight - I'm excited to hear about & see your DIY interpretations! 

Stay sassy,

- Anna

Holiday DIY: "Frosted" branches & echinacea

Hello, my sassy ones! Still puttering around with oodles of projects, getting ready for the holidays.  Tonight I'll show you a cheap & easy project that will bring some holiday glitz to your vases and arrangements, using things you may already have on hand. 

Materials: 

- Interesting dried twigs & branches (I used Dutch Elm twigs and branches because they are really twisty and have very small berry-like nodules that add great texture)

- Dried floral stems ( I used purple coneflower stalks from my garden, which I cut and allowed to dry for about 2 weeks. Once these plants have gone to seed and begin to dry, the stalks are nice and firm.) 

- Silver spray paint

- Silver glitter

- Clear coat spray paint (optional)

Directions

1. Gather your branches & floral stalks and spray paint silver. ( I had my bunches zip tied, which made spray painting in a box in my garage to avoid the wind & rain yesterday.) 

2. While paint is still wet, sprinkle liberally with glitter. 

3. Allow to dry according to paint instructions. If you wish to contain your glitter shedding, follow with 2 coats of clear coat once silver spray is completely dry. 

4.  Arrange away!  Here's a few more examples of how I used mine this year....

I love finding ways to use materials from my own back yard! How about you? How are you using natural materials creatively this holiday season? 

Stay sassy,

- Anna

Wrapping paper snow flakes

Hi, sassy friends! It's past my bedtime, but here's a quickie for your reading pleasure!

Hubby had the day off today, (banker's holiday...and Happy Veterans Day! Thanks to all who served!) and he was kind enough to bring my family room Christmas decor up so I could get a head start. Don't hate - I know it's early, but I'm moving much slower since my surgery and all the terrific side effects of degenerative arthritis. 

At any rate, after putting up both trees and adding other miscellaneous decor (pictures coming soon!), I decided I'd do a quick & easy project to add the final touch. 

What you'll need:

- Wrapping paper with pattern of your choice ( I used black with white snowflakes)

- Low temp glue gun & glue sticks

- Scissors

 I had some remnants left of this paper that weren't really "wrap ready" but I just couldn't bear to throw away. I also had some art that I didn't want to completely cover, just add some holiday pizazz. Win-win!

This project hardly requires instructions, but here goes:

Step 1: Cut your wrapping paper pattern to suit your preference & use. I cut each snowflake separately and was really free-form with my snowflake cutting because I wanted a whimsical look. 

Step 2: Use a dab of hot glue on the back of each shape and quickly attach it to, well, whatever you like! Just watch your fingers - I burned mine more than once, but that's because my name means "graceful" and I'm anything but. Despite the inevitable injuries, I still prefer hot glue because it comes off glass really easily (unlike tape), so anything glass or ceramic is a good choice for this project. I'd be a bit careful with walls, as it may stain - but I'm not positive. I'm sure I'll try it and let you know before the holiday season is through!! 

Here's some more wrapping paper snowflakes, added to my door...

I'm thinking I'll add some to my lampshades, as well. Other ideas for how you'll use this idea? Can't wait to see your holiday decorating genius!

Stay sassy,

-Anna 

UPDATE 11/12/14:

Someone asked if this worked on my lampshade, or if the heat from the bulb softened the glue and broke the adhesion. Answer: it still works great, provided you using the high efficiency twirly bulbs rather than the standard incandescent bulbs. Here's a few pics:

For both lamps, I left the bulb on for about 2 hours to make sure it was safe. So now you know....feel free to travel forth knowing the trail has been blazed! 

One other addition, just so you can imagine beyond snowflakes...here's some "ho, ho, ho" paper hot glued to some canvas art I've got hanging in the living room....

DIY Holidays: Yarn Wrapped Letters

Apologies about the lack of postings this week...been a bit under the weather. But, as all of us theatre kids know, the show must go on! 

I don't know about you, but we got a TON of junk mail from politicians over the last week or so. My husband and I vote opposite sides of the aisle, so we really get deluged. I hate the ads, but they usually use a decent stock of paper and I figured I'd save a bit out of my recycle bin for this little project. 

So grab some card stock junk mail, as well as these supplies:

 

- Yarn of your choice

- Glitter

- School Glue

- Scissors

- A pen or pencil

- optional stencils or letter templates

( ignore the thread;for a different project)

This is a really simple project...

Step 1: Determine what word or phrase you'd like to use. I chose "SNOW," primarily because I was working with white yarn and it seemed a logical choice. ( Note to God & Mother Nature: Please remember that I'm a Michigan girl who hates cold weather and snow - and who's seen more than her fair share already - so this is by no means an invitation to send the awful white stuff my way.). Either draw your letters on your card stock, as I did, or use stencils or templates to trace your lettering onto the card stock. 

Step 2: Use scissors to cut your letters. (If you'll be using these letters as ornaments, punch a hole and add your hanging string now.) 

Step 3: Begin wrapping your letter.  I did not try to precut the yarn; just let it unspool from the yarn as needed. Add a bit of glue to the end of the yarn and to the section of the card stock that you begin wrapping. Wrap, wrap wrap; round and round you go!  Depending on the letter, you may need to  work in separate sections. Just be sure to secure any cut yarn with a dab of glue.  You may also need to wrap two layers to adequately cover the attack ad and campaign slogans. Make the most of those campaign dollars!!!!

Step 4: Add some glue to the front of each letter and sprinkle liberally with a coordinating glitter. Allow to dry. 

You can arrange your letters in a tableaux, like so:

You could also add these to a canvas or card stock and create your own holiday art, or you can hang as ornaments. You could also create a garland or banner for your mantle. I can't wait to hear about your creative applications and see your projects!

Stay sassy, 

- Anna