DIY ornament Roundup: top 5

Are the kiddos are at home and in need of entertainment? - making ornaments is a fun way to spend time together. Get involved as a family, turn on some holiday tunes and have some creative time. If your tree is getting too full of ornaments, I'm sure Grandma & Grandpa and Aunties & Uncles would love some for their tree's too!

I first came across this ornament design by Noodle-Head.com "Half Eaten Ornaments". I love this take on making Gingerbread Man ornaments with a laughable approach. These will definitely be on my list for next years projects. One of the simple details here is using a red button with white yarn/string to make them look like peppermint candies. Genius! Original pattern by Elsie Marley here.

To be an ornament or present topper. I do have to admit, what I love about this one is that I can go dig in my son's Bug's & Creatures bin and get some plastic Dollar Tree dinosaurs or lizards. I think he'd be really amused with having dinosaurs, lizards and bugs on the tree. I think I'll opt for metallic spray paints (Rustoleum is excellent for plastics) and go for the single colour instead of the gold leafing because that's what I have on hand and it might be a lot cheaper not to mention LESS work, which I am a big fan of! This tutorial originated from papernstitch.com and is found in her free PDF Happy Holiday's Guide to DIY. I originally found this project shared from Brittni of papernstitch.com on CreatureComfortsBlog.com.

This one looks super easy and hassle free. Use any kind of paper scraps, mix it up, mess it up and have fun. Just takes a couple of beads, some string and paper. DIY by HowAboutOrange.Blogspot.com - DIY Striped Paper Ornament.

I love the concept here of using mini chalk boards and writing little positive notes or reminders of giving or cheer. The entire tutorial incorporates a lot more, but the basic concept here using balsa wood, chalkboard paint and some twine (add a shape star or other type of shape?) and you're good to go. You could have each kid write something on them too, then note the year and child's name and age on the back. DIY by A Lemon Squeezy Home (alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com) - "What Shall I Give Christmas Ornament Tutorial".

This totally brings back memories! I think that the whole Salt Dough Ornament idea has been around for ages. I believe my mom might still have ornaments that we made when we were kiddlets. This is the perfect ornament project for almost any age. I think I'll make some for a project on Christmas Eve for the kiddo's. We'll have two 2 1/2 yr olds who love dough. Not saying they'll make anything much with it, but it will still be fun. Start collecting shape cutters for next year! Salt Dough Recipe and ornaments pictured are by Prudent Baby (PrudentBaby.com) - Salt Dough Ornament DIY.

A note of warning for storing these: They are generally tough and hold their shapes but I would strongly suggest storing these in particular in a moisture-proof container such as a Tupperware container and pad each with a paper towel (or alternative soft cushy separator). One year our storage area got some moisture and some parts of these ornaments turned to mush and almost ruined other homemade ornaments in the same box. I would consider modge podging those the base layer after baking for a bit more durability and sealant.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

mollybean.comMolly Bermea has been working as a freelance graphic and web design artist for the past eight years as MollyBean.com. She is also a traditional artist using many mediums, her favorite being oils and large scale paintings for which she does commercial and private contract pieces. Synchronizing color is something she has been quite addicted to all her life. Developing patterns has been a side affect to her artistic roots which she finds fun to incorporate with homemade cards, scrapbooking or her design pieces. She loves to eat healthy and leads an active lifestyle, training for triathlons and marathons. She has been married for five years and enjoys crazy hikes and adventures with her family, husband and their adorable two-year-old son who is of course going to be a genius when he grows up.

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Winter snows of George Gardner Symons

For those in the United States and Europe out digging, or still fall into the Titan white and cobalt Blues winter precipitation, I'll relay, a gentle reminder from American artist George Gardner Symons, known for its beautiful winter scenes that Yes can snow also nice, and Yes, it finally melts and Yes, spring in fact come back some day.

For more information, including links to image resources, see my previous post on George Gardner Symons.

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Confident color

This is one of those books for which the binding is key.

Nita Leland sure color: artist's Guide to harmony and contrast of unity venerable art statement Publisher North light books is published.

Like his previous book, the new creative artist (which I reviewed here) and Bert Dodson's keys to drawing with imagination (my review here), North light which it published hardback/spiral binding, in your hybrid type overt clue that this a book to be used is rather then just read.

Table allowing hardcover for rough and continued operation allows the spiral binding for installation of the book flat on your drawing and the combination propping the book open upright on the track of an easel.

The intention of the Publisher is clearly being the writer to get the most from this book, worked with during which time must be used; and its best service if showed spattered ragged edges and color.

Not that you could settle in the comfy chair and read much interest by and look to find; Leland drills through a short introduction to color theory, history and terminology and covers the basics of understanding working pallets and pigments all augmented with your selection of works from a variety of contemporary artists and a few of their own. The real value, however, is the exercises, tests, procedures and processes that form the core of the book.

If you lucky occurred a teacher as Leland in your formative years, so can, who is however gentle and polite, continue to poke and prod and push you try something new, move you out of your comfort zone, experiment, play and explore.

This is not random try whatever experiment, however. in the safe color Leland guided exploration offers, designed, to systematically you with areas of relations represented by your color decisions familiar.

There is a preview "look inside" on the Amazon listing, although as often is the case, the pages represented the best reference to the actual content of the book type. The index is actually better for it.

The book is aimed at beginners and advanced artist and although Watercolour is mentioned his medium and some pigment General pallets with colors that work well on most media where color decorated are in watercolour.

In a sense, that this an extension of and companion to his 1998 has book exploring color is something of a standard books on working with color. The book was but without the benefit of the lay-flat binding, also worked with.

Both volumes focus alternately on the split primarily process of the blend and the study of the variations on the red/blue/yellow triads, which serve as a basis for several of the many possible color wheels.

Cautions you work with and understand the difference between pallets consisting subdued, intense and getönten earth colors and the "workhorse" colors that form the basis for most artist pallets.

In pursuit of their exercises and explorations, possibly using colours and combinations, you would ' t use in other circumstances, which may be counterproductive, productive; but just as contour drawing rarely is used as a finished work style, artists know with dedication, work be letting the practice to inform and strengthen your finished style.

This is not the kind of book that says, "Two parts CAD yellow to hand Ultramarine of this foliage paint mix"; in the safe color Leland, and really feel beats if you experiment harmony and contrast with these excursions in colour that blends possible work with variations of the primary triad for how colors to act and react with one another to get, you know instinctively what to mix if you want to paint something.

The book is binding is the key. Confidence comes from doing.

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Winter Garland DIY: Gingerbread Bunting from recycling bags

This is a perfect way to dress up your home for the holiday and overwhelm may even okay until January. You can include the children! Rather than real, edible gingerbread men make up them and let you decorate with puff paint (aka "frosting"). You can also add embellishments such as buttons, Ribbon, and Rick rack, give you a little extra cuteness. Stick to just any extra's.

-Gingerbread man template (two sizes are in the PDF template and instructions download)
-Large brown paper grocery bags
-String, twine, ribbon or raffia swag
-Etwas for tracing. White chalk would like to use. If something permanent trace not result page use.
-Nähmaschine (although hand stitch could be anyone, it would be a lot of work!)
Filling (100% polyester Edition - any cheap)
I use-Puff paint - mainly white, but that is your prerogative
-Optional embellishments: Rick rack, Ribbon, lace, buttons... etc..

Paper bags: Cut in the middle of one page (on the fold). Then cut to/from the bottom of the bag and discard.

 

Templates: If you are using a permanent marker/pen, trace on the printed side of the paper, so that it not appear if you them together. I personally like, white chalk and trace directly to the result page use. I also track and cut out a little thicker than the template.

Track as many as you can fit, reverse the pattern to better customize. You need two cut-outs for each final gingerbread man.

Use two snippets - plain side out - layer one, then some filling, the second pane (place cotton). You want to keep the cotton from the edges a bit. Pin-about the snippet sandwich together, to keep the cotton in and the place while sewing. Now the edges with white thread attaching to (or whatever you want whatever color) approximately 1 / 4 "seam." Sewing will show so playing with a zig-zag stitch or straight or even some decorative stitching. Keep in mind that you will make many of these are it change if you want to. Before the sewing, see section "HANG" (Next).

There are a few methods to hang the Bunting (option "a" or "b" are easiest and my choice):

a) make all men have cut your string full length you want it to be and then glue it hot on the back of men.b) cut lengths between individual men, knot each end and then at the "fingertips" WHILE the men together sew sewing should be.c) cut to string in its entirety, was on the inside (sewing on the chest and "Fingertips" BEFORE.)

 

That's it! You can easily customize these patterns and the idea of substance for the gingerbread men or even do other shapes, such as Christmas tree's or snowmen. You could even mix it up and include many different forms on a string of the Emberizidae.

 

f you want to keep this project around or want the templates here is PDF template and instructions (gingerbread men Bunting) for printing.

mollybean.comMolly Bermea works as a freelance graphic and Web design artists for the past eight years as MollyBean.com. It is also a traditional artists who does painting for you, commercial and private contract with many media, your pet, oils and large scale pieces. Synchronize color, is something that was quite addicted to her life. Development pattern was one page influence to their artistic roots finds fun with homemade cards, scrapbooking or their design pieces to take. She loves to eat healthy and lead an active lifestyle, training for triathlon and Marathon. She has married for five years and enjoys crazy walks and adult adventure with her family to be husband and your adorable two-year-old son, who of course is when he is a genius.

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Adoration of the shepherds, Charles Le Brun

Charles Le Brun was an important figure in 17th century French painting. Shows here in his adoration of the shepherds (also here), he his skills with composition, colour and light with you to gently lead our eyes through various aspects of a complex scene.

The immediate focus of course, is your illuminated numbers by the dark outline the foreground accentuated characters on the mother and the child. Then our eye sweeps upwards through the corners of the angelic banner with the rising smoke, in the heavens have opened in our scene. If we again have to pay, in the foreground we a wealth of other numbers, earthly and ethereal, which to focus on.

Le Brun's rich blues and deep orange-red balance and complement each other very nice, strengthening the path of our eye and give the painting a vivid, vibrant characters in total.

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