Christmas Ornaments Upstyled with Ribbon!

 Just add ribbon to large, shatterproof ornaments and they'll go from boring to beautiful in minutes! 

 

You'll need:

White Satin and Rhinestone Trim Set*

Satin Ribbon*

Narrow grosgrain ribbon*

4 Pack of large, shatterproof ornaments

Small pieces of Christmas greenery to embellish 

Double sided adhesive tape

Lo-temp glue gun

Scissors

Zip ties - colored

*Ribbon was provided by Gwen Studios

A wide selection of styles and colors of Gwen Studios ribbon can be found online at Walmart.com and Michaels.com so there will be ribbon to match your own personal decorating style. I chose ribbon colors that I had on hand to match red ornaments: Red, green and white satin ribbon and several, narrow grosgrain ribbons.

        I like sparkle when I'm decorating for Christmas, so I started by decorating each ornament with rhinestone trim which I added around the center using double sided adhesive tape. You can leave the trim as is, but the narrow, grosgrain ribbon is the perfect width to add over the center, making it easy to customize to match your color scheme.

 

I like bling however, so I added the narrow rhinestone trim over the center for added sparkle.

I also added a large, green satin bow to the top, made as follows:

        Cut a length* of ribbon. Lay on a flat surface then cross the ends over as shown below. Using your fingers, squish the ribbon together where it crosses then pull the center of the loop down and squish all together. Secure the "center" with a zip tie. (I used green to match the color of the ribbon.) 

*Length will be determined by how large/wide you'd like your ribbon to be.

 

        Thread a length of narrow ribbon thru the ornament cap to create a hanger. Attach the bow to the front with lo-temp glue, or simply place the end of the zip tie into the ornament cap. You can also add the bow by attaching it to the ornament cap with the zip tie, then thread a length of narrow ribbon thru the cap for a hanger.

 

        I embellished the center of this ornament with 2 rows of the wide, rhinestone trim.

The glitter ornament already had a lot of sparkle, so I added narrow grosgrain ribbon around the enter of this one and used a length of curly ribbon for a hanger.

 

Use a glue gun to add additional embellishments if desired then sit back and enjoy!

        I hope this gave you some ideas for quick'n EZ projects for your holiday decorating. Designer Crafts Connection members have also shared their holiday ribbon projects using Gwen Studios ribbon here:

Hope you all have a very happy and blessed Christmas season!

Yours truly,

Julie 💝

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Dress It Up with Ribbon!

        When life throws you a busy ball, but you still want to be creative, look for a simple surface at your local Walmart, or Dollar Tree and dress it up with ribbon! There are so many styles of holiday ribbons to choose from, it will make all your holiday decorating quick'n EZ.....  

        I was really excited to receive samples of die cut ribbon from Gwen Studios. I love all the little  intricate shapes and they can be used on pretty much anything!  Here are just a couple of ideas:

        I had some inexpensive outdoor pillows that I picked up earlier from the outdoor garden center at Walmart.  All I needed now was a little fabric glue to give them some added sparkle.  What a difference it made!

I added small, green and red bows to the top of each ornament and a length of the red Holiday Lights die cut ribbon along the side of the truck. See how much more festive the pillows look now!

        I also love to shop at the Dollar Tree and had purchased a simple wood shape for my Harvest decorating.  The back was plain, so with a quick coat of white paint, embroidered letters, a simple embellishment, and the gold reindeer holiday die cut ribbon on top of the red ribbon, I had a simple holiday flip for Christmas in no time at all!  

 

        You can find more inspiration on the Designer Crafts Connection blog.  What will you make? The  possibilities are endless! 

Yours truly,

Julie 💝

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Paper Bunny Vase

Here's a quick'n EZ project for kids to make for Easter.  

Supplies are readily available - I'm sure you'll have everything you need at home.

You'll need:

• Sheet of letter sized paper - 8 1/2" x 11"
• Black and pink crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Scissors
• Tape
• Empty plastic bottle and cap

1. Fold the paper in half lengthways then cut along the fold.

2. Fold one of the pieces in half then cut in two along the fold.

3. Make the head: Fold one of the small pieces in half and draw the pattern on one side as shown.  The pattern is a wide circle with a little dip at the top. Cut out then unfold.

4. Make the ears: Fold the second small piece in half then cut along the fold. Place one piece on top of the other with edges aligned, then fold in half.  Draw part of a circle from the top of one folded edge to the other then cut out.

5. Color the center of the ears pink. Draw a pink nose on the head above the dip.  Add 2 black eyes and some whiskers.  Draw teeth at the top of the large (body) piece at the center.

6. Put a piece of tape at the back of the body above the teeth then stick the head on top at the front.

7.  Flip the head and body piece over and tape one ear to the back of the head. Tape the second ear on top of the first.

8.  Place the empty bottle on top of the bunny, then pull the edges of the "body" around the bottle. Overlap the edges then stick together with tape.  Don't make the wrap too tight, you will want to be able to remove the bottle.

Fill the bottle with water and add a flower from your yard, or fill with small pieces of candy - jelly beans would be nice and colorful. Don't forget to put the bottle cap on if you do this.

Before wrapping, you could write "Some Bunny Loves You" on the front.   

What a fun gift this would be to leave on your neighbor's or friend's doorstep during Easter week!

If you would like a pattern, you can download one here - it's free..........  Enjoy!

Yours truly,

Julie   

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!

Last Minute Thanksgiving Decorations

Need some last minute decorations for Thanksgiving?  These are quick'n EZ....

You'll need:

• Floral accent
• Medium size glass candle holder
• Small LED candle
• Popcorn kernels
• Wire cutters

1. Divide the floral accent into 2 pieces. It isn't necessary to unwind; just count the loops and cut the wire.
2. Fill the glass with popcorn kernels - about 2" deep, then place at the center of the loops.
3. Place the candle in the glass. Push to the bottom.  I used these on a sofa table, but they are an ideal height for the dinner table.

These floral accents are available each season and make Quick'n EZ candle rings.  They are easy to replace, so after Thanksgiving replace this one with a Christmas floral.  I usually buy three; one for the small glass candle holders, one for a larger glass candle holder on the coffee table and one to place at the center of my twig wreath - I told you it was Quick'n EZ! 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Y'all come back now................

Yours truly,
Julie :)

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON CRAFTING!