Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• 2 gloves (use a small size, they look better)
• 2 wooden balls to fit the glove size (I used 1 ¼ inch balls)
• Poly-fil or other stuffing material
• Fabric scraps
• 2 pompoms (the color of your choice)
• 4 small buttons
• Ribbon or decorative trim
• Doll hair
• Hot glue gun
• A pencil (for the face detail)
• Rice (optional)

You can do this with mittens or gloves. If you use gloves you’ll need to turn the glove inside out and stitch up the index, middle and ring finger, leaving the pinky finger and thumb to stuff.

If you plan to hang these ornaments you don’t have to use the rice, but if you want them to stand on their own fill about half of the glove/mitten bottom with rice. Fill the rest of the glove with the polyfil and make sure to push the filling into the finger and thumb. Stuff the body and fingers tightly.

Glue the wooden head to the top of the glove where the fingers are sewn. Hold it there for a few minutes until it drys. Cut a small piece of fabric to use as a hat for the Mr. and glue it to his head.

For the Mrs., glue a few tresses of doll hair to the center of her head. Glue a pompom to the sides where her ears would be, these are her earmuffs.

Glue buttons on the Mrs. and add a small Christmas tree for the Mr. to hold. If your snowman isn’t standing right you can also glue a large button to the bottom of the body, that will make it a little sturdier.

You can use a black pencil to draw the eyes and a red pencil for the mouth and cheeks. I used a little bit of acrylic paint, but you can use what you have. That’s all there is to it, now you have your own Mr. and Mrs. Snowman.  Enjoy!

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Mr and Mrs Snowman Gloves

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• A 5 or 6 inch Christmas ball (or whatever size you choose)
• An assortment of Christmas picks or florals
• A couple of berry picks
• A large bow made with wired ribbon or ribbon to make the bow yourself
• A hot glue gun
• A length of thin gold cord to hang the ball
• Alcohol
• seasonal stickers (optional)

Wipe the Christmas ball down with a little alcohol and let it dry. If you are using the stickers, place them in various places on the ball. You don’t have to use stickers, it looks just fine without them. I only mention them because I made these for a few friends and a couple of my close friends wanted stickers on theirs.

Place the picks or florals around the top of the ball right under the silver hook holder. You’ll need to put these on one at a time, glue them in place and hold them for a minute until the glue takes hold. Place the berry picks, one on each side and glue into place.

If you are making the bow yourself, make at least 6 or 7 loops. Take the bow and hot glue it to the top of the ball. Don’t cover the silver hook holder, loop your thin gold cord through the hook holder and tie.

You now have a beautiful decoration to hang anywhere. I have my ornament hanging in front of my kitchen window, over my sink. Everyone who visits and see this ornament wants one for their home. So, as you can imagine, I have made my fair share of Christmas ball decorations.

Enjoy!

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Christmas Ball Ornament

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• 2 rectangles 10” x 15” red fleece
• 1 rectangle 14” x 3 ½” white fleece
• Matching thread
• 2/3 yards of red satin ribbon
• rotary cutting mat or scissors
• ruler

First you will need to enlarge the pattern on your printer or copy machine to measure 14” long by 8 ½” wide. Place the rectangles of red fleece right sides together. Place the stocking pattern on the fleece and cut it out

Making a ½” seam, sew the sides and bottom of the stocking together. Press the seams open and turn the stocking right side out.

Fold the white fleece in half widthwise, right sides together and sew a ½” seam down the 3 ½” side. Press open.

Cut a scalloped edge onto the white fleece. Place right side of sewn white fleece inside sewn red stocking. Align the top raw edges and seam of white fleece with the back seam of the stocking. Use a ½” seam allowance to sew the cuff to the stocking.

Pull the white cuff out of the stocking. Create a loop with the red satin ribbon for hanging. Sew a strip of ribbon across the front of the stocking. Trace the name of the person who will receive the stocking with glue and sprinkle with white crystal glitter.

For a copy of the stocking pattern, please visit http://www.domesticbuzz.com/templates/stocking.pdf

Enjoy!

Post from: Blisstree

Fleece Christmas Stocking

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• 6 or 8 inch styrofoam cube
• Assorted scrapbook paper in black and white print (I used black, silver and white and it came out great)
• If you have wrapping paper around, you can use it instead of scrapbook paper
• A wide putt knife
• Circle punches ¼ inch; 5/8 inch; 1 inch (optional)
• Card stock in black and white (optional)
• A household sponge
• three glass votive holder with candles
• A pencil
• a ruler
• Scissors
• Paper paste (Elmer’s works well)

Cut six 8 inch paper squares from you scrapbook or wrapping paper. If you wish, you can create patterned paper on the solid cardstock by cutting or punching holes out of a contrasting cardstock.

Using the putty knife, spread a thin layer of past on one side of the foam cube and on the back of one of the paper squares. Make sure to spread the paste all the way to the edges. Adhere the paper to the foam smoothing with your fingers until the paper starts to stick.

Repeat this process on all six sides of the cube. You may need to let each side dry a little bit before working on the next side. If the paper is too wet, it may slide while you’re working on another side. After all of the sides dry, wipe the cube with a damp sponge to remove any excess paste.

When the cube is thoroughly dry, place the votive cups and candles on top. Remember, never leave candles burning unattended.  Enjoy!

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Candle Cube

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• One lightbulb, using a burned out bulb will work
• Acrylic paints in red, white, flesh toned, black and blue (you can use paint markers or plain markers for the blue eyes, black eye shape and beard highlights
• paint brushes
• rubbing alcohol or an ammonia window cleaner
• white or red chenille stem or pipe cleaner for the hanger
• scrap material for the hat
• A jingle bell or pom pom for the end of the hat
• scrap white material for hat trim
• hot glue or craft glue

First, clean the lightbulb thoroughly with the alcohol or window cleaner. This will take off any grease or fingerprints and help the paint to adhere to the bulb.

Pain the bulb white, let it dry and give it a second coat. When the second coat dries, paint an oval for the face area with the flesh toned paint. Let it dry thoroughly.

When that’s dry, paint the facial features by copying for the photo. Add white whiskers around the face to create a large mustache. Add a thin red line right below the mustache to form the lips. Add two red circle shape for the cheeks.

Use either black paint, paint marker or plain marker to make an outline of the eyes. Also, add some faint black lines in the mustache and beard to define the shape.

Next, take a scrap of red felt and cut in a triangle to make the hat. You can get 12 x 12 pieces of felt in the craft store for about 75 cents. Stitch up the felt and sew a jingle bell or glue a pom pom on the pointed end of the hat, then trim with a piece of white material.

Twist the chenille stem around the bottom of the metal base, on the bulb, above the face then twist the two ends together to form a hanger. Push the hat down and glue in place.

Once the glue is dry you can hang your Santa on your tree. Enjoy!

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Light Bulb Santa

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• A wooden frame (an unfinished, flat frame is best)
• Some fabric (or scraps)
• Two sided tape (Treasure tape works well)
• Tape dots
• A few buttons for decoration
• Satin ribbon for trim (¼ inch)

Start out by putting the two sided tape on your frame, sticky side down. Then remove the paper backing to expose the sticky side up. Cut your fabric or use your scraps to fit the exposed wood of the frame. Lay you strips of cloth/fabric right on top of the tape (sticky side) and smooth out any wrinkles. Do this slowly. The slower you work, the less wrinkles.

Place the tape dots randomly on top of the fabric, sticky side down, as desired. When you have the dots placed where you want them, remove the paper exposing the sticky side up. Press the buttons, I use decorative button, onto the tape dots. Press them to the dots to make sure they adhere.

Now take more of your two sided tape and place it, sticky side down, around the sides of the frame. Remove the paper exposing the sticky side up and add the satin ribbon on the tape for a decorative, finished edge.

If you don’t want to use a theme material you should at least make sure that the colors you use in the fabric for your frame correspond with you rooms décor. The next time you take a photo of anything, whether its a loved one or a loved place jazz it up a little with a fabric frame.

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Fabric Frame

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• Styrofoam Heart 6 x 1 inch
• Floral quilting fabric
• A serrated knife
• Paraffin or a candle stub
• Wide, flat paintbrush
• Ruler
• Paper towels
• Low temp glue gun and glue sticks
• White, thick craft glue

First cut three or four 5 ½ inch squares from the fabric. Spread a thin layer of white glue over the label side of the CD and smooth a fabric square over the glue. Let it dry thoroughly and trim any excess fabric

Cut two 1 ½ x 12 inch strips of fabric. Glue the fabric strips around the edge of the foam heart, overlapping as needed. Clip the corners and fold the excess fabric  around the bottom. Use glue to secure the fabric. A quick tip to use is this, trace the heart onto the wrong side of the fabric, cut it out and glue it to the heart.

To make inserting the disc easier cut 3/8 inch deep, equally spaced parallel grooves into the top of the foam heart. Cut the styrofoam straight down, no on an angle. Apple a think line of white glue along each CD slit and press the discs ½ to ¾ inches deep into the slit.

Use the small bunches of silk flowers to decorate the discs as shown. This is a unique gift to give at any time of the year especially to a music buff.

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Recycled CD Letter Holder

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need:

• Two sheets of styrofoam  measuring 12 x 12 x 1 inches
• Scrapbook paper (12 x 12 sheets)
• Decorative ribbon (1x 1 ½ inches per square)
• A serrated knife
• A candle stub or paraffin was
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors<
• Putty knife
• A carpenter’s level
• A low temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Liquid paper glue

Start out by applying an even coat of liquid glue onto the front of the first foam square. Center one sheet of the scrapbook paper on the foam and smooth the paper with your fingers. Repeat this process on all of the foam squares.

Beginning and ending at one lower corner, use the glue gun to secure ribbon around the edges of each foam square” trim any excess, but allow a little bit of overlap.

Allow the squares to dry completely. When the glue is wet the paper may appear slightly crinkled. As the glue dries, the paper will smooth out and look fine. Using a heavy paper stock will also give the appearance of a smoother finish.

Display the finished panels in pairs on small shelves. You can also use poster adhesive to secure the squares to the wall, or glue sawtooth hanger to the center back of each foam square and hang them with small nails.

Whichever way you choose to display your squares will add beauty to your home.

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Styrofoam Wall Art

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• 7 Ivory rectangular shell beads
• 2 Pink rectangular shell beads
• 7 Pink round shell beads
• Silver jump rings
• A toggle clasp
• A lobster claw clasp
• Ear wires
• Head pins
• 2 pairs of chain nose or needle nose pliers
• Round nose pliers
• Wire nippers

Use both pairs of chain nose or needle nose pliers to open the jump rings by pulling them apart. Slide the jump rings onto the desired bead or other jump rings and close with the pliers.
Attach four jump rings each to five of the pink round shell beads and four of the ivory rectangular shell beads.

Use double jump rings to connect a pink round shell bead and an ivory rectangular shell bead by sliding the double jum rings through two jump rings at each end of the shell beads. You should have a round shell bead with two jump rings and a rectangular shell bead with two jump beads. The jump bead from each shell bead should be connected to two jump beads. Continue to connect all of the nine shell beads alternating the pink and ivory.

Add two more pairs of double jump rings to each remaining double jump ring pair on the ends of the necklace. Add one more jump ring to the last pair of double jump rings on each end of the necklace and attach the single jump ring to the end of the necklace and then to the toggle clasp.
Follow the same procedure using 2 round shell beads and 2 rectangular shell beads for your bracelet. After attaching your single jump ring to the double pair of jump rings at each end of your bracelet, attach the single jump rings to the lobster claw clasp.

For the earrings, begin from the inside top of a pink rectangular shell bead, insert the head pin up thorugh the hole in the bead and then through the loop of an ear wire. Use the round nose pliers to form the head pin into a loop. Wrap the head pin around the base of the loop at the top of the shell bead and trim off any access. Repeat the process for the other earring.

There you have it. A beautiful necklace, bracelet and earring set and you made them yourself.

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Geometric Shells

Kathy Zengolewicz

Here is what you will need to get started:

• 1 Paper mache book box
• Scrapbook papers: Brick Red, Musical notes (or anything you choose)
• A clock kit
• Acrylic paints: Barn red, Yellow-tan
• A ½ inch flat paintbrush
• A glue stick
• Paper trimmer
• Scissors
• Black pen, or computer-generated text

Start by painting the pages of the books with yellow-tan. Apply two coats letting them dry between coats. Paint the remainder of the book dark brown. Apply two coats here too, and let them dry in between coats.

Drill or cut a hole in the front of the book and follow the manufacturer’s directions for the clock kit.

Take the scrapbook paper, I used the musical notes, and glue them on the front and back of the book box. Cut the clock hole through the paper. Cut a strip of the red paper to wrap around the spine of the book and overlap slightly in the front and the back of the book.

Insert the clock and glue the clock numbers to the front of the box. To make the clock look authentically old you can cut out some rectangular book labels from scrap world map paper and either print a title with a black pen or use the computer to create text.

I was very impress with the outcome of this work and I’m sure that you will be too.

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Decorative Paper Mache Clock