Easy Scandinavian-Inspired Fabric Christmas Ornaments

Brrrrr.....it's cold outside!  Cold weather is the perfect time to don your favorite cozy sweater and relax in front of a warm fireplace or get outside in the snow swishing down slopes.  My Christmas décor this year has a lodge theme, so I thought it might be fun to make some handmade ornaments that remind me of a quaint little Scandinavian village where you might do just that.  I hope you enjoy the post.

You will need:
Styrofoam balls
Paper clips
Fabric
Ribbon
Hemp thread
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Round object for measuring
Pen
Scissors

I'll begin by saying I had quite a time finding "fair isle" fabric and a lot of folks didn't know what I was talking about at all.  My idea had been to find fabrics that looked like sweaters and make the ornaments out of that.....but I guess I'd have to learn to knit again (I haven't done so since I was little), and I was in a time crunch.  I settled on these fabrics:

I liked this red and white fabric, because it almost looked like fair isle,

and this grey one because it was soft, and I thought the damask pattern was pretty.  It also reflected light with highs and lows of grey, which I thought would look good on the tree.

Begin by placing a round object on your fabric.  I used a saucer.  The circumference of the saucer should be large enough so that the fabric you cut out will cover your Styrofoam completely.

Trace the circle with a pen.

Cut out.

Place the fabric pattern-side down.  Set aside.

To make hooks for your ornaments, bend and

cut paper clips into three little U-shaped parts.

 

Shown here.

Gently push the "U" into the top of your Styrofoam ball.

Bead a small amount of glue onto it to ensure it will stay in place.

Place your ball hook side up directly in the center of your fabric cut-out.

Now, slowly turn, fold, glue, turn, fold, glue, creating pleats, until the ball is completely covered.

Make sure you do not cover your hook.

Thread the hemp thread through the hook, and tie.

 

Finally, adorn with a small bit of ribbon, making sure you cover the tied portion, and glue the bow's center onto the top of the completed ornament.  Viola!

You may also thread the ball like so prior to adding the fabric, but I found the bows stay on better if the tied thread is there to grip onto rather than it being inside underneath the fabric.

You may also opt to use thin ribbon for hanging, like I've done here.

The options are limitless!

To see these ornaments featured on my tree this year, you may view the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here.  I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!!

Fabric, grey and snowflake, Joann's Fabric

Scandinavian red and white fabric, Hobby Lobby

Styrofoam balls, The Dollar Tree, 3 large/$1 and multipack sized, $1

Hemp thread and ribbon, also The Dollar Tree

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

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Create a Spooky-Cool Halloween Centerpiece

Hello, friends!  Thank you for visiting my blog!   Halloween is just around the corner!  In light of this, I thought I would share a super-easy spooky-cool centerpiece idea!  I was planning a tablescape this year with a Burton theme....here is my process.

My supply list:

One large coffin with Styrofoam insert
Pumpkin figurine
Fake plastic skulls
Cardboard
Black spray paint
Wooden dowel or skewer
Tan paint
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

I began by tracing my coffin to create a template.

Shown here.

Cut out.

Trim to size until the cardboard fits just inside your coffin.  Hot glue the cardboard template onto the Styrofoam to create a platform.

Spray paint black.  Set aside to dry.

Next, I removed the hat from my little figurine, I think he resembled a Tim Burton pumpkin much more without it.  :)

Here is a glimpse of Mr. Burton's exhibit at MOMA NYC (Museum of Modern Art) which ended in April 2009.  Do you see the similiarities?  If you'd like to see more of the exhibit, you may visit the article in the Los Angeles Times here.

On the platform, I began gluing skulls one on top of the other until they were a small pile.

Right in the center, I pushed the wooden skewer through the cardboard platform and down into the Styrofoam.  These reminded me of the Burton film Corpse Bride.

 

I used a paint similar to the bones of Mr. Pumpkinhead to paint the skewer.

Allow to dry.

Set Mr. Pumpkinhead right onto the dowel/skewer. 

Arrange to your liking and hot glue into place.

All set!  Cute and spooky, isn't he?

Where to buy:

Mr. Pumpkinhead figurine, K-Mart
Plastic skulls, The 99¢ Store
Paint, Wal-mart
Wooden skewer, local grocery
Cardboard, Hobby Lobby
Coffin, a lucky find at a local thrift, items similar are sold at Michael's Crafts


To see this centerpiece featured in my 2014 Tim Burton-inspired Halloween Tablescape, please visit the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

 

DIY Mackenzie-Childs Candles

Hello, friends!  How are you enjoying the cooler weather thus far?  I know I definitely am loving it!

Fall and Winter are such whimsical seasons!  Decorating during these seasons also can be.  I am a huge fan of Mackenzie-Childs, one of the most whimsical design houses I've ever seen.  Mackenzie-Childs has done a brilliant job of meshing fun and classical.  It saddens me that the company is no longer held by its creators, Victoria and Richard Mackenzie-Childs; they truly had some fabulous ideas.

I was perusing the internet in search of candles for a tablescape I was planning, when I came across these lovely beeswax candles created by an outside manufacturer for the brand.  Although not officially Mackenzie-Childs, these were created to compliment items from the collection.  Lovely, no?

Unfortunately, it was very recent when I found them, and I didn't want to pay a fortune to have them expedited.  I figured I could make my own version.  Here's my process.

You will need:

Plain white taper candles
A permanent marker
Wax paper
Scratch paper
Two-ply tissue or toilet paper

I began by marking my Kleenex at every two-inch interval.  Be sure to use a piece of scratch paper or it will bleed through.

Create stripes by coloring.  Do so delicately, or your tissue will tear.

Wrap the tissue around the candle and cut to size.  Remove the top layer of tissue.

  Wrap candle in wax paper cut to size.

Use a hair dryer to melt the tissue onto the paper.  The heat will melt the wax in the paper onto the wax of the candle. Once melted, the tissue will adhere to the candle. Remove and discard wax paper. Voila!

You can use this method for transferring any design you wish!  So fun!  To see these featured in my Tim Burton-inspired Halloween tablescape for 2014, visit the post on my other blog Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤

Spooky-Cool Goth Tea Sachets

Hello my friends!  I hope everyone is enjoying the beauty of Fall so far.  In honor of Halloween which is just a short time away, I thought I'd begin preparing for a spooky Goth or Dark Tea.  Hosting a tea party is such a fun way to get together with girlfriends, and if you've read any of my previous posts, you know I love making little tea sachets as gifts.  These have a decidedly darker theme.  I made two sets of sachets, a set of black or purplely-grey, and a set of black and red.  I hope you enjoy the post.  

  

Black/Purplely Grey Sachets

You will need:
Doilies
Black fabric dye
Black tissue paper
Black ribbon
Packaged tea bags
Bowl
Rubber gloves to protect your hands

Begin by washing your doilies in the dye.  I used rit.  Rather than follow the instructions, I used a minimal amount of water and poured directly onto the doilies instead.

When the doilies have absorbed the color,

remove and place between paper towels.

Pat to remove excess liquid.

Place on clean paper towels and allow to dry.  The color isn't exactly black; they are more like a purplely-grey.

 

Cut black tissue paper to size for the amount of sachets you want to make.

Place packaged tea inside and close by pinching.

Place in the middle of doily, and pinch to close.

Adorn with black ribbon. 


Red and Black Goth Sachets

You will need:

Black lace or Spooky black netting material
Red tissue paper
Packaged tea bags
Red ribbon

Stretch your spooky fabric out.

Cut to size for the amount of doilies you want to make.

Cut your red tissue paper to size.

Place teabag in the center of your tissue paper cutout.

  Pinch to hold closed.

Set in the center of your black cloth.

Adorn with a red ribbon. 


These spooktacular little sachets are perfect for Halloween or a Dark Tea event.

To see these featured in my Dark Tea Party, you may visit the post on my other blog, Parsimonious Décor Darling by clicking here. 

Where to buy:  

Doilies, 3/99¢ at The 99¢ Store

Spooky cloth, The 99¢ Store

Ribbon, The Dollar Tree

Tissue paper, Spritz brand by Target, The Dollar Tree

If you enjoy this post, please visit the archives!  You may also visit my full profile to view my other blogs. Connect with me on my Facebook Page, Parsimonious Décor Darling.   You might like to visit my other blog hubs,

The Marvelous Maison, a lifestyle blog hub and 

Frugal Fab Fashionista, my fashion blog hub. 

Follow me on Pinterest!!  Please be sure to kindly follow the board guidelines, as it takes time and effort to find fabulous pins across the Internet and Pinterest!  Thank you!  

Thank you for stopping by! ❤