My swap parcel from Vain Glory Sinner

My Christmas swap parcel has arrived from the gorgeous Sandy at Vain Glory Sinner. As with the swap I organised earlier in the year, there was a price limit, and at least one item was to be thrifted, one handmade, and as a festive difference one was to be a Christmas decoration. It arrived while the kids were at school, so this time I was able to tear into all the tissue paper wrapped packages myself!

Sandy sent me a December 1954 copy of Woman's Own, a really charming owl trivet, a gingerbread look tree ornament shaped like a teapot, two bangles, a fabric bag and some sweets. Yay! Thanks so much Sandy. I continue to be tardy with my half and haven't sent it yet, although I have got everything ready I need to find packaging! If you haven't visited Sandy's blog, it's a delicious mix of thrifted finds, gothic gorgeousness and dramatic make-up ideas.

The cream bangle has a rose pattern carved into it

The teapot decided to be out of focus in every picture, I'm blaming the glittery finish

Thanks to everyone who participated in the swap this time and has posted about it already. There were even more people this time than the Summer one - 80 swappers across 4 continents! I'll put up a linky post soon so everyone can share what they received.

Lakota x

Scrabble tile wishes, or further adventures with a glue-gun [Christmas Decorations Part 2]

Further to my glue-gunned angelic creations, I had a look through my crafting bits and pieces to see what else I could press into service as tree decorations, and remembered the scrabble tiles left over from my ring making phase.

I've seen similar decorations done on actual scrabble racks, but as I don't have any, and even if I did, couldn't be bothered with using a hack-saw to cut them to size, this - as usual - is my easy version. You could do the names of all your family members, or just choose some Christmas-y words like I did. If I was attempting to sell them as a set in a fancy gift shop, I'd suggest they were 'Christmas Wishes', and that you "concentrate on your festive hopes as you hang them on the tree" or some such nonsense. You can if you want, I haven't made 'Mulberry handbag' or 'Pony' yet though. [I'm out of Ys]

There's a 90% chance of one of these 

I simply hot glued the tiles together at the edges, and added a screw eye left over from the printer's tray earring holder project as a loop to thread the baker's twine through. If you don't have any screw eyes, you could just glue a loop of ribbon to the back. They're a bit flimsy without anything else holding them together, so I cut some scraps of felt to size and glued them to the reverse.

      ^Last week's hot glue burn         

                                                             

Boy1 hung 'PEACE' on the tree and said seriously, "I'm not really wishing for that". I explained that it referred to 'absence of war' rather than the more commonly requested peace and quiet. He decided that was fair enough. What are you hoping for this Christmas?

Lakota x

Linking up to Weekend Wonders

Holy Macaroni Batman! It's almost Christmas! [Decorations Part 1]

When the good folks at 'The Pasta People' got in touch with me and asked if I'd like to get hot glue burns and gold paint all over the kitchen floor whilst crafting, then eat a hearty dinner afterwards, I could hardly wait to get to get started! Oh no, hang on, that's how tedious sponsored posts open. I was confused there for a minute. *ahem*

I did however promise a craft post involving macaroni, which I feel is justified as the festive countdown has officially started, and nothing says 'Christmas' like carbs and swearing. Given my six years of servitude as 'craft lady' at a playgroup, and possession of two small boys, you might think I'd have had enough of offerings made from uncooked Italian food. But you'd be wrong! It's so versatile! All of us with kids have at some time worn something like this, right?

And who wouldn't want to keep their pencils in one of these?

That's right Grandma, start practising your happy face

But pasta angels are another thing entirely. I obviously had a sheltered childhood, as the first time I came across this idea was a couple of years ago in Croatia, where I met a guy selling them to tourists. Being a sucker for a Christmas decoration, I bought one, and then thought - I could make those! Since making mine I've discovered them touted on the internet as a craft for kids - but frankly I'm not letting my offspring near the glue gun. Cub scouts are obviously hardier in the States, what with all that hiking in bear infested woods that they do. But I genuinely think they look quite cute on the tree, belying their pre-school materials. [Pasta angels that is, not cub scouts]

You can do 'classy' versions, painted white with a suitably angelic face drawn on afterwards, but I think we can all agree that pasta and gold go together like Donatella Versace and, er, gold. See?

Look, you can hardly tell the difference

Ok, so to make my version you need:

- wooden beads, 3/4 inch diameter

- pasta tubes for the bodies - I used Millerighe   

- Farfalle pasta aka 'bowties' for the wings

- macaroni, for the arms

- Christmas shaped novelty pasta (optional)

- cous-cous

- gold elastic thread, or similar

- hot glue gun (or other strong glue)

- gold paint and brush

1. Thread a loop of elastic through your bead and secure with a knot

2. Put glue around the base of the bead and attach to the millerighe pasta tube

3. Choose some slightly curved macaroni for the arms, and attach a farfalle to the back. I think it looks best if you set the arms at an angle, so the hole at the top is hidden by the wings. My photos in progress have the arms at the wrong angle.

4. Choose a novelty shape for the angel to be holding - I like trees and presents. The candlestick looked a little indecent. If you can't find Christmas pasta then you can always make a little 'hymn book' or similar out of card.

5. Cover the back and sides of the head in glue, and roll in cous-cous to make hair. Again, I've seen these online using tiny individual rolls of pasta, which gives a hairstyle somewhere between Marilyn Monroe and Hilda Ogden. Also this is extremely time consuming and if you're anything like me will result in you burning yourself with hot glue. [I have a blistered thumb]

6. Let the glue dry. Then paint. I only had gold and silver paint designed for railings and garage doors and the like - it would probably be easier and less drippy to use spray paint, which I will try if I make any more.

Ta-dah!

A decoration to treasure! 

Never let it be said there's no room on my tree for a bit of kitsch. How about yours? 

Lakota x

Linking up to Handmade Thursday

Weekend Wonders