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Archive Dec 12, 2012
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It’s that time of year, when hand made is revered. The best time to let your inner Martha out and make ginger bread houses from scratch, or knit a set of matching sweaters for everyone in the family. But in case you don’t have the time, or the skills, or the ambition, here’s an easy start to your own handmade holiday. When we saw these little animals on our way to picking up some string lights at CVS we thought they would look good as ornaments—if they were gold. It’s a perfect holiday blend of kitsch and glamor, and so easy to make. Put on your guiltiest pleasure movie (why isn’t You’ve Got Mail on Netflix instant watch??) and by the end you’ll have a mess of handmade ornaments.
MATERIALS:
-plastic/rubber animals
-wire ornament hangers (you could probably substitute paper clips)
-wire cutters (or heavy weight craft scissors)
-needle nose/jewelery pliers
-paint (we used FolkArt Metallic acrylic paint in Antique Gold, Pure Gold, Champagne, and Silver Sterling)
-paint brush
-straight pins/small nails
-hammer (optional)
STEPS:
1.Snip your ornament hangers in half (with ours, this left us with two hook shaped pieces of wire) and strip a few millimeters of the plastic coating off the straight end of the wire (this is the part you’ll jam in your animal).
2.Using a straight pin and needle nosed pliers (or a hammer if you prefer), make a pilot hole in the back of your animal where you want the wire hanger to go. Wiggle it around to make sure you can fit the wire.
3. Using the pliers and holding close to the end of the wire you’re inserting, force the wire into the animal. Get it in as far as you can.
4. Paint. You will probably need a few coats. If we were smart, we would have bought primer, but after 2-3 coats your animals will be sufficiently gilded. The metallic finish will definitely work in your favor.
5.Hang up. Enjoy.
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