Let the Christmas Holiday Begin!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Adrianna and Allyssa, the Craft Sisters, sat down last week to show me how to make three very easy and very glittery Christmas ornaments. Any of these ornaments can be made in minutes, and can be made in any color palette. Use new ornaments, or recycle old ornaments. Here are some basic instructions. For more tips, watch the video of the Craft Sisters in action. I hope the Craft Sisters give you some fun ideas!

Ornament 1

You need:

• a wire and mesh ornament
• Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue, your color choice (theirs is Silver)
• Sparkle Gems, your color choice (theirs are pink)
• Fashion Sequin mix, your color choice

Try this:

1. Squeeze Big & Glitzy into ornament section. Use finger or brush to smooth it out evenly.

2. Place gems and sequins into Big & Glitzy while wet.

Ornament 2

You need:

• blank ornament, your shape and color choice (Allyssa went with bright girlie colors)
• Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue, your color choice
• short piece of maribou or tinsel or ribbon to glue around the top

Try this:

1. Draw large dots of Big & Glitzy on the ornament. Let dry.

2. Glue maribou around top of ornament.

Ornament 3

You need:

• any blank ornament
• craft glue, your color choice (Adrianna loves gold)
• white craft glue
• piece of ribbon to tie a bow (Adrianna went non-traditional with leopard print)
• flat paintbrush

Try this:

1. Cover the ornament with glue. Sprinkle glitter over glue. Let dry.

2. Tie a bow around the top of the ornament.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Fast and easy ideas to begin the Christmas season. Thanks Adrianna and Allyssa!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Hot Pink Glitter Shoes

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Sometimes a really great idea comes along. I did decorations for a women's event at church. The theme was about our walk with God. So, what else could I do, but shoes????

I went to the Salvation Army Thrift store and bought two shopping carts of shoes. I bought 50 pair. And I glittered every one with hot pink glitter. It was quite the hit and the pink glitter shoes have been recycled for other events since.

It was a great, inexpensive, easy to do decorating project. File that one away, you might need it someday.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

So Easy Glittered Candles

Monday, November 9, 2009

Many thanks to Owen's Grammie for glitter inspiration for this post. Last Christmas, she made me this pretty glitter candle in my fav color. It is a 9 inch pillar of gorgeous glitter and glam, I love it. And it got me thinking.

I was cleaning up a pile of stuff in my office. Yes, it's true, don't be shocked. I am sorry, I should have warned you that shocker was coming. I found four jar candles all wrapped up. I wish you could smell this pomegranite candle. Smells good, needs glitter.

And gems. I covered the jar in white craft glue. Then added some heart shaped Sparkle gems in pinks. Resist the urge to put the glue on heavy. That makes your gems slide.

And finally, it got covered in hot pink glitter. My advice to you is in your quest for a fabulous project, don't forget the easy ones. Yes, a kindergardener can do this project. Doesn't make it any less great.

Keep this in mind as you are shopping the sales during the holidays. It would warm your holiday table to have a grouping of glittered candles as a centerpiece. They could be in fall colors for your Thanksgiving table, traditional colors for your Christmas table, and in silver and gold for your New Year's table. Inexpensive, handmade and very appreciated gifts? Yes!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Big & Glitzy Link Bracelet

Saturday, October 31, 2009

This bracelet is trendy and fun on three counts:

• it is super glittery
• it uses frames as a component
• it is a really quick and easy project

Not to mention it is cute and can be made in any colors you choose. This bracelet continues my current obsession with Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue. To make this yourself:

You need:

• several jewelry frames that have two loops (this is a current jewelry trend so you will find many kinds of frames, take your pick!)
• a scrap of watercolor paper, bristol board or posterboard
• Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue: Onyx, Garnet (or colors of your choice)
• 6 8mm round Sparkle gems: hot pink
• jump rings
• toggle clasp
• chain nose pliers
• pencil
• scissors

Try this:

1. Select enough frame links to go around your wrist.

2. Trace around the frames on paper and cut out.

3. Cut out a paper backing for each frame you will put in your bracelet.

4. Cover the paper backing with Big & Glitzy. Make it thick.

5. Set the frame on top of the glitter while it is wet. Set the gems into the wet glitter. You can clean off the edges while it is wet or after it dries.

6. Alternate sizes of frames and colors of Big & Glitzy.

7. When all of the frames are dry, hook them together with jump rings. Attach the toggle pieces with jump rings.

8. Finished! You can paint the back of the pieces with silver metallic acrylic paint if desired. Since the pieces are hooked together with jump rings, you can dis-assemble and reassemble any time. You could have some green pieces to replace the black for a spring look. The possibilities are huge!

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Falling Leaves Bracelet

Thursday, October 29, 2009

You might not think of glitter glue as a component of adult jewelry. I think I might change your mind with this beautiful falling leaves bracelet made with Big & Glitzy glitter glue. Big & Glitzy is the most amazing, sparkliest glitter glue available. It is the big gun of glitter glue!

Just look at this leaf charm, the look is almost crystally....because Big & Glitzy is so chunky.

I made this bracelet in less than an hour, not including drying time. You can make this fast and easy bracelet too.

You need:

• 5 gold leaf charms ( I got these at my local Michaels, they are 1 1/4" tall, but there were a lot of different leaf charms I could have used, take your pick)
• Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue: Peridot, Nugget, Ruby, Coral
• gold chain link bracelet
• 5 gold jump rings
• 20-21 assorted size and shape crystal beads in fall colors (I used some project leftovers I had)
• gold craft wire
• round nose pliers
• chain nose pliers
• wire cutters

Try this:

1. Lay your charms on covered work surface. Cover the front of each charm with Big & Glitzy. Pile it on! Refer to Mother Nature's work for ideas on how to color them in. Let charms dry.

2. Using two pair of pliers, hook the charms evenly across the bracelet with jump rings. Open the jump ring by twisting it open. String a charm on it, place it through the bracelet link, and twist it closed.

3. Wire wrap beads randomly to fill in the bracelet. If you have never done wire wrapping, google: wire wrapping a loop. There are many good tutorials available. You can also find instructions for wrapping a loop in the back of any jewelry magazine.

4. Humbly accept accolades from friends and family when wearing.

Gold charms, I see these as a blank slate.

Oh yeah. Isn't that better?

My five charms glittered up.

The completed bracelet. You could add more charms or beads if you like. This would also make a very pretty necklace. The great thing about using glitter glue for jewelry is that the glitter does not shed. And with Big & Glitzy, it is just as sparkly as loose glitter.

As they say in Texas, Happy Fall Ya'll!

Glitter on,

Sparkle

Big & Glitzy!

Big & Glitzy. Don't you love a product that describes itself perfectly? This is a great glitter glue. The glitter in the glue is big. And it is glitzy. It is true! The big holographic chunks of glitter catch the light in an amazing way. You will love it!

Check out the beautiful colors of Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue. It sticks to everything. It comes in bottles of 1.7 ounces and 4 ounces.

You can find Big & Glitzy at your neighborhood Michaels or order some at Create for Less.

If you are glittering with glitter glue, you might as well really Glitter on!

Sparkle

Glitter Pumpkin Centerpiece

Saturday, October 17, 2009

This swirly pumpkin looks great in the center of my table where a little bit of light from the window catches the glitter and makes it sparkle. I think I will leave it there until after Thanksgiving. It is made from paper, glue and glitter....very easy to make and inexpensive too. You can make it in any size. Mine is about 10 inches tall.

Here is what you need for a 10" pumpkin:

• bristol board, 300# (I bought a large sheet with a 40% off coupon, so the price was right and I have enough to make at least three pumpkins)
• Glitter: orange, gold, green
• white craft glue
• #2 pencil
• small flat paintbrush
• scissors

Try this:

1. Draw a pumpkin pattern with swirls, or print out mine and use the copy machine to make it whatever size you want your pumpkin to be.

2. Transfer your pattern to the bristol board. An easy way to transfer is to draw over the pattern lines with a #2 pencil. Turn the pattern upside down on the bristol board. Hold in place and retrace all the lines on the back side of the pattern. Remember to add a stem to the top of your pumpkin. Trace and cut out two pumpkins. Trace the swirl lines on both sides of your cut out pumpkins.

3. Cut a slit at the center bottom of one pumpkin. Cut a slit at the center top of the other.

4. Using the flat paintbrush, brush glue on the swirls. Sprinkle gold glitter over wet glue. Shake off excess. Let dry before glittering swirls on the other side of the pumpkin. Glitter all four sides.

5. Brush glue to cover the rest of the pumpkin. Sprinkle orange glitter over wet glue. Shake off excess. Glitter all four sides.

6. Glitter the stems green on both sides.

7. Slide the slits together so the pumpkin will stand up. Place it wherever the light will catch the glitter and make it shine.

After Thanksgiving, you can take the pieces apart and lay them flat in a drawer or box until next year.

Wouldn't it be cute to make small glitter pumpkins and use as place card holders?

Glitter on!

Sparkle