Tag Archives: Christmas craft

Craft – Jeweled Christmas Tree

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What could be more charming than a Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree?  In this post I will show a beautiful tabletop Christmas Tree created with various pieces of jewelry, the ones I used came from my personal jewelry box and include pearl and rhinestone necklaces, brooches and earrings.  Most of these items were purchased from a variety of vintage stores and Ebay, but heirloom jewelry passed down from a mother or grandmother would also make a very sentimental Christmas decoration.

Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree – supplies

  • Tabletop Christmas tree (I used an artificial pine tree)
  • Container (I used a vintage silver bowl)
  • Jeweled necklaces, brooches and earrings (I used silver, pearl and rhinestone jewelry)
  • Pearl sprays (I used green ones)
  • White material (to tuck into the container)
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks (optional)

Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree – instructions

  1. Select a container, the size is determined by the size of the tabletop Christmas tree used.
  2. Set the tabletop Christmas tree into the container, I used a silver bowl.  Attached the tree with hot glue to stabilize and prevent it from tipping over (weighs can also be added to the container, especially if several heavy pieces of jewelry are used)
    Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree 1
  3. Add pearl sprays to the tree, I used green ones to add interest but in a color similar to the tree because I wanted the jewelry to be featured without distraction.
    Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree 2
  4. Add several necklaces to the tree, I arranged them so that they gently swagged across the tree.
    Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree 3
  5. Add brooches and earrings, start by positioning the larger pieces at the bottom and the smaller ones toward the top.  Set aside a special one piece of jewelry for the top of the tree (I used a crown brooch).Jeweled Tabletop Christmas Tree 4
  6. Set some white material inside to fill the container for a finished look.

Shown below is an alternate craft project, it is a lovely jeweled wreath using the same supplies as the tabletop tree.

Wreath - jewlery 

Craft – Christmas Gift Card Box

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If you are looking for a special way to give a Christmas gift card here is a unique idea. The Christmas Gift Card Box needs just a few supplies and easy, simple instructions to make a wonderful presentation.  Craft Note: The stickers and other items that I used for this project might not be available but don’t be discouraged, instead visit your local craft store and be inspired by the stickers and other items in the scrapbook section.

Christmas Gift Card Box – supplies

  • Small box
  • Felt, color is determined by the “scene” in the shadowbox
  • A variety of scrapbook 3-dimentional stickers and/or small plastic Christmas-themed items
  • White glue, it will work better than a glue stick on the felt and accessories

Christmas Shadowbox - supplies

Christmas Gift Card Box – instructions

  1. Take the measurements of the inside dimensions of the bottom of the box.  Use these measurements to cut the felt into five pieces, one for the bottom and the four sides of the box.

Christmas Shadowbox - bottom of box 1Christmas Shadowbox - bottom of box 22.  Glue these five pieces to the inside of the box to fully line the interior.  By lining the box it will give the shadow box a wonderful background for the stickers or other accessories.Chirstmas Shadowbox - bottom of box 3

3.  The next step is where the look of the “scene” if determined by the stickers and other items available in your local craft store.  Using 3-dimensional stickers helps to create depth to the shadowbox and avoids the flatness of regular stickers.  Also check out the other sections of the craft store for small plastic Christmas items that could inspire a “scene” for the shadowbox.

Christmas Shadowbox - final

The Christmas Shadowbox gift Box is a beautiful way to present a gift card.  After the shadow box is completed, attach the gift card to the inside of the top of the box.

Craft – More Christmas Wreaths

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As I mentioned in a previous Décor post, Christmas Wreaths, I decorate our home during the Christmas season with several different wreaths hung throughout the house, some of these are traditional in style and other are more whimsical in design.  This Craft post will feature four wreaths with complete supply lists and instructions.

Gingerbread Men wreath

This Christmas wreath was inspired by one that I had seen on the 2012 HGTV White House Christmas television special.  The wreath featured was very simple in design and made from a pine wreath with several freshly baked gingerbread men placed side by side in a circular pattern to match the round shape of the wreath and interlaced with a red ribbon to secure the gingerbread men in place.

2012 White House gingerbread wreath

For the Gingerbread Men wreath, I used an 18”artificial pine wreath, a dozen paper-mâché gingerbread men, bronze metallic paint and paint, 18 bronze jingle bells and red ribbon in two widths (one roll of ¼”inch wide  to lace through the gingerbread men and one roll 2” wide to hang wreath).

Gingerbread Men wreath - supplies

First, the paper-mâché gingerbread men were painted in a beautiful bronze metallic paint to resemble the color of real gingerbread.

Gingerbread Men wreath - paint

After the paint has dried, position the gingerbread men around the wreath and interlaced the red ¼” wide ribbon between each of them to secure to the wreath.  Next, I add the bronze jingle bells throughout to complete the wreath.  The Gingerbread Men wreath will be displayed on the cabinet in our kitchen this holiday season, this room is usually decorated for Christmas with a candy cane and gingerbread theme.  To hang the wreath I used the 2”wide ribbon tied in a loop and finished with a bow.

Gingerbread Men wreath - final 1

Nutcracker wreath

Each Christmas, since our daughter was a small girl, our family tradition has been to a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet during the holiday season.  Over the years sometimes the show is a professional production or a cast of ballerinas from the local college or amateur dance company.  We always look forward the story, music and the dancing of the Nutcracker Ballet.

For the Nutcracker wreath, I started with an 18” artificial pine wreath.  At my local craft store I found a collection of eight Nutcracker ornaments that depicted the main characters of the ballet.  I placed these evenly spaced around the wreath, and then I added small white berries and completed the wreath with a “frosty” white bow.  The Nutcracker wreath will be displayed on the door to my daughter’s bedroom during this holiday season.

Nutcracker wreath - supplies    Nutcracker wreath - final

Boyd’s Bear wreath

I have a collection of Boyd’s Bear ornaments, in the past I have displayed them scattered among a pine garland on the fireplace mantel in our California home.  (For a photo of the fireplace garland please check out the Décor post, Displaying a Boyd’s Bears Collection – Part Two)  Since we moved to the Midwest a few years ago I have not displayed the ornaments and this year I decided to use the ornaments in a different way by displaying them on a Christmas wreath.

For the Boyd’s Bear wreath, I started with an 18” artificial pine wreath.  I arranged eight of my Boyd’s Bear ornaments evenly around the wreath and secured them with wire.  Next, I added small wooden snowflakes scattered in between the ornaments.

Boyds Bears wreath - supplies    Boyds Bears wreath - final

Teddy Bear wreath

Over the years I have collected some small teddy bears, last year I displayed them on a tabletop Christmas tree which I set on the top of the roll-top desk in out master bedroom.  (For a look at a photo, please check out the Décor post, Displaying a Boyd’s Bear collection – Part Two) and this year I decided to display the collection on a Christmas wreath.

For the Teddy Bear wreath, I started with an 18” artificial pine wreath.  I evenly spaced the small teddy bears around the wreath with the Santa and Mrs. Claus teddy bears at the bottom.  At the top, I left a space for a small “Happy Holidays” sign.  Next, I added four pine sprays with berries and added four large pinecones to the wreath.  Finally, to complete the wreath I added several red berries scattered around.

Teddy bear wreath - supplies    Teddy bear wreath - final

These four Christmas wreaths are a great way to use a specific theme and ornaments and hopefully inspire you to take a trip to your local craft or retail store.  There are some additional examples of themed wreaths in a December 2012 Craft post, Christmas Wreaths, with complete supply lists and instructions.  The three wreaths are a Dickens Village Wreath and a North Pole Wreath using miniature Department 56 building ornaments and a Disney Wreath, using Hallmark ornaments of Disney characters.