Monday, November 30, 2009

Christmas Craft How-To

I feel like December is about to fly by. It always does, and people say that time goes even faster when you're older, and time flies the fastest when you have little kids. Well, last week I turned older and I have a flock of little kids and December is always fast anyway!

I have a lot I want to say, but don't think I'll get it in because I have a lot of holiday related stuff to say, too. So highly anticipated posts about homeschooling and how to fit your stuff in small spaces may have to be put off until next year. Actually, writing that sentence about them makes me excited to maybe squeeze one or two of those posts in. We'll see.

Today, I wanted to run through the how-to of my Christmas craft. Here is my template. I used a paint document to superimpose the shape over the photographs I wanted to cut out. I'm sure there are better programs out there to do that, but I like paint.

Step One

Pick out and print pictures. You can either get a copy of the whole picture and cut it into the shape of the side or bottom, or make it the shape on your computer and then cut it out. Also, I made each side three layers of card stock thick so it would be sturdy. I printed out two extra template pages for each bowl I wanted to make. I chose to paint the outside black, but you could choose more pictures on the outside, kids artwork, a different solid color, pictures on the outside and a color on the inside; there are a lot of options.

Step Two

Cut and assemble sides. Since I painted the outside, this was included in this step. I used little tape rolls to tape the three layers of the sides together, as painted paper is a little uneven and glue didn't hold well.

Step Three

Laminate and cut each side. I got a pack of ten laminating sheets. Depending on who you're giving them to, this may not be necessary. I was able to laminate the sides and bottoms for twelve bowls with nine sheets, leaving the tenth for any sides I mess up in later steps.

Step Four

Punch and assemble sides. My Gran used to assemble them by doing a fairly simple stitch around the outside of each side, and sewing them together. I felt this cut into the pictures too much. So, I chose to literally tie them together. I made one model to mark where to punch holes on each side to they were even.

First I tied two sides together, then added each one until I had a string of six sides. Then I tied the two ends together so they made a sort of loop. Then, I attached the bottom. I choose the first spot to tie pretty randomly, then tie a spot on the opposite side. This was the trickiest part of the whole thing, as the bowl had to be help in position as you tie. After that, the bottom was sturdy enough to easily tie the rest together.


Step Five

There are a few finishing touches. I tied around the top to give it a more polished look. I need to go around and cut off the loose strings. I will then put a dab of clear nail polish on each knot so that it doesn't unravel.

Total Cost:

Card stock: $4
Laminating Pages: $10
New Printer Ink: $20
Mini Whole Punch: $5
Thread: Bought long ago for jewelry making.

We refill printer ink, and would have needed a new cartridge eventually anyway. With refilling ink, I can refill it about seven more times before the ink head gets too clogged, so $20 is not a true cost. I have put the old cartridge back in so that I can use it to it's fullest before working on the new cartridge. I have a ton of leftover card stock for future projects, and the mini whole punch will be used again, so none of this is the actually the true cost, but even if it were, each bowl cost $3.25 out of pocket.

I haven't finished all the bowls yet. I have to make twelve, but I've only completed five. I am somewhere along step four or five for the rest. The deadline to have them all finished was this past Sunday, but that was an arbitrary deadline set up so that if I didn't meet it, I would still have time left. Good planning, huh?

20 comments:

Lori said...

Very pretty. When are you posting the fudge recipe?

Robin said...

I have to ask: you're not having a Christmas tree because it's not biblical, but you're making Christmas gifts, which are not in the Bible either. Isn't there a contradiction there?

Emily said...

Lori, I'll be posting the fudge recipe closer to Christmas, when I start making it.

Penny, as I said in the other post, 1) it is my husband who doesn't want the Christmas tree. Any inconsistencies there are between him and God, not my readers and I. and 2) it is not because Christmas is not Biblical, but because he sees certain verses to be speaking specifically against Christmas trees. There are not verses, to his or my knowledge, speaking specifically against Christmas.

Clisby said...

I wonder if you could get something like this to work as the label of a pickle jar (full of pickles, of course). An idea for next year!

Annie Jay said...

I wish people wouldn't give you so much grief. Whatever decisions you make regarding your religious views and your family life are your own. No one ought to be judging. Keep up with the great blog and hold your head high.

Clara said...

The final product is very cute!
Makes me wish I was more creative.

Captain Cleavage said...

really because you know...the wisemen did that whole gift bringin thing...

although that wasn't on christmas itself so I guess that doesn't count right? :::eye roll:::

ok so aside from that

emily I love this! and I can't wait for the fudge recipie!

Anonymous said...

Emily, I want to commend you on subjecting yourself to your husband. This is proper. Ephesians 5 v23- v25. First of all your readers need to understand when we find out that the christmas holiday is offensive to God it takes time to lean understand and remove from our lives. Second There is no scipture on specifics for alot of things but we know they are wrong. Look at the scriptures at Isaiah 48 v17-18 these are god's words and thoughts to listen to him It applies to us today. At 2nd Timothy Chapter3 V16+17 gives you what the bible use is for. May god lead you and your husband to his complete truths. Praying for you and him. Be shore to look closley at scripture youself to understand. No more comments about Emily might be abused she will not be and she is smart and good worker of her home. Please read Proverbs 31 V10-31 This s you. With love Tammy Sorry for misspellings I do not have spellcheck.

Amber said...

Christmas is not offensive to God when it is celebrated in the proper spirit. The commercialization and removing of Jesus from the holiday IS offensive to God. I don't think a Christmas tree is offensive to God, but I can understand how someone might think that it represents the sort of idols that the bible speaks against.

Anita said...

So what would this bowl be used for. Just curios? Also,with the stevia do you use it in all your baking? I use stevia to sweeten drinks, but I've never cooked with it and being that I'm diabetic I'm really wanting to do more with it.

Emily said...

Anita, it's a candy dish, so people could use it to hold candy, or to display their cute grandkids/great-grandkids/nephews.

Yes, I use stevia in everything including baking. Where I use white wheat flour which doesn't taste wheaty, I add extra flour to make up for the lost bulk in repacing sugar with stevia.

Unknown said...

Just yesterday I was thinking of what I could do with old Christmas cards that are pretty and that I do not want to throw away. I think this would work with those, too.

Any other ideas, Emily, of what to do with old cards?

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to tell you, I really like the little bit of color. It lightens things up around here, it's not soo dreary anymore.

Emily said...

Sabrina, I found this link when I was trying to figure out how my Gran had assembed her candy bowls, and it has some good ideas. They also make good gift tags.

http://www.squidoo.com/recycleholidaycards

Anita said...

Hey Emily, I just shared about your blog in my latest blog post www.aklivelovelearn.net =D

Martha said...

Emily:

My grandmother made these many years ago - I am guessing in the 1940's during World War II. I have one of them. She used Christmas cards from a prior year to make hers and I treasure it.

Martha

Emily said...

Martha, my Gran used to make them with old Christmas cards as well. I only have one left of my Gran's, even though I got one every year as a kid, and I treasure mine, too.

Anonymous said...

They're super cute. Can't wait for the fudge recipe.

I like your blog more and more each time you post... I too am being 'frugal' (/cheap) this Christmas, in an attempt to pay off college debts.

I bought 20 Christmas-patterned bakery bags from the dollarstore, and got some free white chocolate from a friend who works at a candy factory. I'll be making white-chocolate dipped biscotti and wrapping them all pretty, for approx. 25 cents per bag total.

I also have a coupon for $5 off no min. purchase at a local book chain. I'll be printing it off and exchanging it for plenty of the clearance books as gifts.

Chick Hatchers said...

Where do you refill your ink? I have heard good and bad, but mostly bad, about refilling, so if I could find where they do it well I would be more willing to do it. In fact, I'd love to do it. Those new ones cost a small fortune!

mychildsview.blogspot.com

Emily said...

Chick Hatchers, I can't find your comment about refilling ink, but I'll answer the question. I bought a refill kit from Amazon. I have a Canon and the kit is for Canon. I refill myself and have great results. I'll have to do a post about it.

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