Glitter Pumpkin Patch

Thursday, September 23, 2010

You know how I love projects that are easy to make, inexpensive, and glittery! This autumn pumpkin patch project fits neatly into all three categories. I made my pumpkins out of scraps of wood that I had lying around from another project gone bust.

Here is what you need:

• several chunks of wood that can stand up on their own
• Holographic Glitter Sample Pack
• White glue or Mod Podge
• a 1 1/4" long piece of 1/4" wide dowel rod for each pumpkin (I cut my dowel rod into pieces with a kitchen knife)
• green silk leaves (OK, these are not pumpkin leaves, but they were what I had, call it creative license)
• a drill with a 1/4" bit
• acrylic paint: orange and brown or green for stems
• flat paintbrush
• hot glue gun and glue

Try this:

1. Paint the wood pieces orange. You probably need a second coat. Let the first coat dry before painting the second. Also paint the stems. Let everything dry.

2. At the center top of each piece, drill a hole down into the wood. It does not have to be deep, 1/4" will do. Glue the stem into the hole. Repeat for each pumpkin.

3. Cover the front of the pumpkin with glue or Mod Podge. Sprinkle the glitter on while it is wet. I did not think I would have enough orange glitter to do 5 pumpkins, so I mixed the packet of orange with the packet of gold. It lightened the color a bit and made it seem even more sparkly. Glitter all of the pumpkins.

4. Use the glue gun to glue one or two leaves to each stem.

If you do not have scraps of wood sitting around, I think you could adapt this to many other objects. How about candles, jars, tin cans, spools, books? Look around the house and see what you have.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Glitter Leaves Shirt

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Fall is my favorite time of year. I am fascinated by the color process on the trees in my neighborhood. I picked a two green leaves off my own maple tree today for this project. It is very easy, allows for your own creativity. It is the perfect project to do with children.

You need:

• a black shirt
• some leaves
• Sparkle 21 in a couple fall colors, I used Jungle Sparkle, Strawberry Sparkle, and Copper Sparkle
• a flat paintbrush

Try this:

1. Squeeze some Sparkle 21 onto the front of a leaf. Use the brush to spread the liquid glitter to cover the leaf. It should be spread thickly. You can use more than one color on a leaf if you wish.

2. Press the leaf onto the shirt, glitter side down. Push all over the leaf with your fingers, transferring the glitter. Carefully lift the leaf.

3. Print as many leaves as you wish on the shirt. Let the shirt dry.

4. Loosely outline the leaves with Sparkle 21 straight out of the bottle tip. Let it dry at least 2 days before wearing.

Use different size and types of leaves and add in some gold glitter if you love it. Very autumnal!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Natural Centerpiece

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Spring and summer have nothing on fall. On my walk this morning, I picked up a few fall decorations.... a few shiny sticks, a giant leaf, and some....whatever these other things are. They are like acorns, but the caps are larger and fuzzy. They intrigued me so I picked up a handful.

I sprayed a gloss finish on the parts and sprinkled holographic glitter over top, quickly before it dried. Gold on the acorns, orange on the sticks, red on the big leaf. I used glitter left over from my Holographic Sample Pack that I used earlier in the week to make leaf canvases.

Then just sat them all on the table with a candle. I have not even lit the candle yet and the room smells so good.

Get outside, see what you can find.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Fall Color In the House

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The big maple tree in my backyard stays green till the bitter end. And then it turns brown, dead. No pretty color for my yard. No problem, I will have some in the house then! So can you.

You need:

• a leaf from your yard
• two 5" x 7" canvas boards
• black acrylic paint and a flat brush
• a holographic glitter sample pack
• white craft glue or decoupage medium
• a dry flat brush
• white chalk pencil

Try this:

1. Paint the canvas boards black. Let them dry completely.

2. Trace the leaf on the boards. Place it however you want it on each.

3. Brush one leaf shape with glue. Sprinkle glitter over glue while wet. You have several nice fall color choices in the glitter sample pack. Use more than one color per leaf, if you want. Shake off the excess. Let the glue dry. Repeat for the other canvas.

4. Use a dry flat brush to brush away any excess glitter that sticks to the canvas in areas where you don't want any.

You can hang the canvases or prop them up against the wall on a shelf like I did. There is no reason for fall to be depressing with glitter leaves in the house!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Jack O' Lantern Candy Dish

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I think I am having a halloween flash-forward. If you plan for things like I do, you are not quite ready to start working on halloween, but it is on your mind......you are thinking about it. This is a great project for a teacher gift, or just a candy dish at home. It is very inexpensive. The glass bowl cost 99 cents. And it took me less than 15 minutes to make.

You need:

• glass bud bowl (if you use a bigger bowl, you will need a truckload of orange candy)
• black glitter
• white craft glue
• 18" ribbon of your choice
• orange candy (I put sugared orange slices in my jack o lantern dish)

Try this:

1. Squeezing glue from the bottle, apply it in shapes of facial features: 2 eyes, nose, mouth.

2. While the glue is wet, sprinkle the glitter over it. Let it dry.

3. Fill it up with orange candies.

4. I also gave mine a ribbon bow. I can't decide if it is a cute addition or it makes Mr. Jack O look like a hippie from 1969. You decide.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Shoe Sparkle

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Oh, these shoes look so nice in the sunshine coming in through the window. I think they will sparkle in the lights of an evening out as well.

I bought these shoes at Payless for $18. They are American Eagle brand and cute and trendy as all get out. But, they needed some shine added to the zebra stripes.

I used Sparkle 21 in Crystal Sparkle and 10 mm clear AB sequins. I think smaller sequins would be even nicer, but I used what I had. I used around 300 10mm sequins for size 6 1/2 shoes. You will have to adjust the number for larger or smaller size shoes.

To make these, just squeeze out dots of Sparkle 21 and press sequins into them. Don't be stingy with the Sparkle 21. A good size dot will really make the sequins glittery. Press the sequins flat so they will not catch on anything when you wear the shoes.

Cover the shoes and let them dry overnight. You will be dazzling!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Tea and Embellishment

Friday, September 10, 2010

I bought this teacup at IKEA a couple days ago. I was looking for something to set on my desk to hold my pretties. I always have a small pile of beads and trinkets that sit on my desk. It is sort of like a waiting place, maybe an evaluation place. I look at the beads until I decide the perfect project for them.

So, this coloring book teacup called to me and I knew I could color inside the lines with Sparkle 21.

And so I did. You could do the same. You don't even need the coloring book pattern on the cup and saucer. Just doodle.

Somehow, having the auditioning beads and trinkets in the teacup makes them seem even more interesting.

Wouldn't this be a great centerpiece? Paint three teacups and place them in the center of the table. A little Sparkle 21 will create table happiness!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Do Your Pencils Sparkle?

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Glitter pencils to go with your glitter notebook? They are so easy, it is crazy not to make some.

Start with pencils, any color.

Apply Sparkle 21 in whatever colors you love. Use more than one color if you wish. Let them dry. Be the envy of everyone else.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

The Best Notebook!

Monday, August 30, 2010

This notebook makes school so cool! In a few minutes with Sparkle 21 and some add ins, you can have one just like it.

Start with any spiral notebook. By the way, why do they feel it is OK to put the price sticker on the front of the notebook where it leaves glue and paper???

Choose your color of Sparkle 21. I used gold sparkle. Squeeze it out to cover the desired section on the notebook. Sprinkle in some seed beads or bugle beads. I used gold cube shaped seed beads. Sparkle 21 will hold them to the notebook when it is dry. Fill in as much or as little as you like.

In the next section, I used gold sparkle and I placed heart shaped Sparkle gems in a row.

In the third section, I used pink sparkle with pink buttons.

Let everything dry at least two days before packing the notebook into a bookbag.

Choose Sparkle 21 and beads, gems, buttons, or sequins in any colors you love.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

The Fixer Upper

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I was in the market for some thank you notes. I found some that I liked in the dollar bin at Michaels that I liked.

Pretty, but maybe a little plain, right? My motto: if it doesn't move, glitter it. I did a little outlining in gold glitter glue.

Nobody would accuse this note card of coming out of the dollar bin!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Bead and Glitter Earrings

Amazing what a few seed beads and a little Sparkle 21 can do!

These poor naked earrings, don't you feel sorry for them? Don't worry, you can help them.

You just need a bottle of Sparkle 21 and some seed beads. I used Blue Heaven Sparkle and the gorgeous dark turquoise seed beads in the seed bead sample pack.

Squeeze out some Sparkle 21 to cover the front surface of the earring.

Sprinkle the seed beads on while the glitter is wet. Let them dry. They and you are fabulous.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

A Most Fabulous Bracelet

Making this bracelet requires no skill and you can make it in any color palette. It is shiny and sparkly, just gorgeous.

Start with a plain bangle bracelet. Mine is wood, but metal or bone or plastic will work as well.

Squeeze Sparkle 21 to cover a section of the bangle. I used Strawberry Sparkle. Place gems and sequins into the wet Sparkle 21. Mine are in a warm color palette of reds, oranges, golds. Pile them in there, it should look encrusted. Work your way around the bangle, filling it up.

Let it dry at least 2 days before you wear it.

This bangle is inexpensive to make, and fast and easy to assemble. That is good, because everyone will want one!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Retro Button Rings

Friday, August 6, 2010

Bold rings are one of the big jewelry trends of 2010. This ring is made of a printed wood button. Very retro. And so easy to make.

My creative friend NJ Button Girl taught me how to make these beautiful button rings. Isn't she smart?

Try this:

1. String three E beads on a piece of craft wire and string it through the button holes. Twist the wires together on the back and trim the wire short.

2. Hot glue the button onto a flat top ring finding.

3. Make a tape tip on a bottle of white craft glue.

4. Draw on the button where you want the glitter to be. In this case, I just followed the words already printed on the button. Sprinkle glitter over the glue. I used a sample pack of fine glitter, so I had several colors at my disposal.

Love these. You can find everything you need to make these rings at Michaels and at Jo-Ann's stores. It is a fun group project because you will see each person's creativity come out!

Glitter on!

Sparkle