Creating Christmas - Driftwood Tree

I'm back with one last project for Creating Christmas with The Girl Creative.  Tomorrow is the link party, are you ready?

Today is Day 6, check out Day 1, Day 2,  Day 3, Day 4 and Day 5 if you need to catch up.

I think Creating Christmas should have started a month ago, I still have so many things that are pinned that I want to make!

Today I pulled out my bag of drift wood from Linwood beach on Lake Erie this past summer.  Over the years I've had lots of ideas of things to do with drift wood, but never had any when I had the idea... and of course never remembered what I wanted to do when I had access to unlimited drift wood, isn't that the way it always is?  But, one day in July, I grabbed a few buckets and had the kids fill them up with tons of it for me and it's been in my basement ever since with this in mind:

But that just wasn't going to happen for me today.  I still want to make this, but it's just going to have to wait.  I've also pinned this pretty piece:

Source: leslieashe.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

So as I sat with my drift wood, a new idea brewed, and I'm soooooooooo thrilled with the results:

It was really pretty simple.  I covered a canvas board with wrapping paper, a pretty silver and white paper but it needed a punch of red.  Sharpie to the rescue:

  

from this

to this

The girls helped me lay out the drift wood and I glued it in place, making sure to put the glue on the lowest point, ie, where it would touch the canvas.  Once it dried I had to come up with a way to hang it.  It's kind of creative, but really only has to last until my mom and dad come to visit, they are the experts at hanging artwork!  Besides which, my mom is mesmerized by duct tape, so she'll get a kick out of this:

  

Soda tab, lots of hot glue and a few layers of duct tape... necessity is the mother of invention...

A close up of the final piece:

It is hung a little high, but the hook was already on the wall... and I think my colorful forest might still grow...

If you like what you see,

I’d love for you to follow me!

Peace be with you,

 

I'll be linking up to some of these parties, stop by and check out the talent!

M: Made by you Mondays, Made with Love Monday, Making the World Cuter, MMM @ CRAFT, Just something I whipped up, Organizing Mission Monday, Creative Me Monday, A Round Tuit, Motivate me Monday, Jam Hands, Must Try Monday T: Sew Cute Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, TCB, Topsy Turvy Tuesdays, Take-a-Look Tuesdays, Too Cute Tuesdays, Giggles Glitz & Glam W: We Did it Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting, Sugar & Spice, Tea Rose Home, We’re Organized Wednesday, What I Wore Wednesday, What’s Up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Share the Wealth, Real Momma Real Style, Your Whims Wednseday, Whatever Goes T: Make It Wear It, Frogs & Snails, It’s Stinkin’ Cute, Making it with Allie, Things I’ve Done, Everybody’s Creative Endeavor F: Fun Friday Finds, Fingerprints on the Fridge, It’s a Hodgepodge, Chic on a Shoestring, Fantastic Friday, TGIF, I’m an Organizing Junkie, Spunky Junky, The Shabby Nest, While He Was Napping, Upcycled Awesome S/S: Get Schooled Saturday, KISS, Funky Fresh, Weekend Wrap Up, Nifty Thrifty, Creative Bloggers, Six Sisters

Creating Christmas - A Year in the Works Mantle

Another day of Creating Christmas with The Girl Creative!  I'm having so much fun with this, and I really hope you are too!  Have you been checking out all the other lovely co-hosts?  I hope you do, these ladies have some wonderful ideas to share.  Check them out:

Que Linda Crafts, The Cottage Market, Love Lindsey, Domestic Mischief, Chicken Scratch, Love Sweet Love, Randee’s Organized Chaos, Musings of a Glamour Puss, Anastacia Knits, Southern Scraps, Modern Yet Old Fashioned, Broken Treasures, Alyssabeth’s, Domestic Deadline, Life on Walnut Street, 52 Mantels, The Glamorous Life

Today is Day 4, check out Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 if you need to catch up.

I decorated my "mantle" today.  We don't have a fire place but a large entertainment cabinet which has served as a mantle for us (plus a place to put things out of little hand's reach...).  I do try to change up this area with the seasons, much like one would do with a real mantle.  When I pinned this mantle 

Source: lisaleonardonline.com via Emily on Pinterest

by Lisa Leonard a few days ago, I knew it was perfect for me, after all, I'd been working on something similar for a year now.  I love the colors and while my trees might not be made from strips of fabric, I already had some made:

   

When I originally made these, I did avoid making them specific to one holiday with the intention of being able to mix and match them to use for Christmas and other holidays.  The feather one didn't hold up so well in storage, and of course I had to add a few more.  So here's my version:

I wrapped a few more trees in yarn and while I love the original version with white candle holders, I just went with some that I had on hand.  Here's a few close ups:

The red one in the back on the left (above), is made from a strand of the beaded garland, I wrapped the cone in red wrapping paper first.  I've been picking up candle sticks from the thrift store when I can get them for about a quarter.

IronFish's PhD book is a permanent riser on our mantle.  Had to point out a few things I like below:

The red petal tree is on top of an upside down pedestal bowl I picked up at the thrift store, just loved the carving.  The tree in the center, I found a few years ago at this really cute shop in our down town, Perennial Home, I just loved it and the garland is the same as the tree I covered in it.  The tree base of the tree on the far right is also from there.  Another item I just love.  Originally, it had a lamp shade on top but the lampshade was actually a candle.  When I changed the color in our living room, it didn't look right anymore and had seen better days.  So I unscrewed the top and have rotated other candles and now a tree on it.  I still love it.

Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to hang on the wall in the middle!  Any ideas?  Guess I'll be back on Pinterest soon!

  If you like what you see,

I’d love for you to follow me!

Peace be with you,

 

I'll be linking up to some of these parties, stop by and check out the talent!

M: Made by you Mondays, Made with Love Monday, Making the World Cuter, MMM @ CRAFT, Just something I whipped up, Organizing Mission Monday, Creative Me Monday, A Round Tuit, Motivate me Monday, Jam Hands, Must Try Monday T: Sew Cute Tuesday, Handmade Tuesdays, Tip Me Tuesday, TCB, Topsy Turvy Tuesdays, Take-a-Look Tuesdays, Too Cute Tuesdays, Giggles Glitz & Glam W: We Did it Wednesday, Night Owl Crafting, Sugar & Spice, Tea Rose Home, We’re Organized Wednesday, What I Wore Wednesday, What’s Up Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Share the Wealth, Real Momma Real Style, Your Whims Wednseday, Whatever Goes T: Make It Wear It, Frogs & Snails, It’s Stinkin’ Cute, Making it with Allie, Things I’ve Done, Everybody’s Creative Endeavor F: Fun Friday Finds, Fingerprints on the Fridge, It’s a Hodgepodge, Chic on a Shoestring, Fantastic Friday, TGIF, I’m an Organizing Junkie, Spunky Junky, The Shabby Nest, While He Was Napping, Upcycled Awesome S/S: Get Schooled Saturday, KISS, Funky Fresh, Weekend Wrap Up, Nifty Thrifty, Creative Bloggers, Six Sisters

Memorial Trees

Thankfully the weather man was wrong today, it was beautiful!  But alas, my back is bothering me, so I laid low today.  O-man has been patiently watching the workers get the pool by my house ready and it occurred to me that this weekend is Memorial Day... which means that pool will be open this weekend!

With Memorial Day approaching, I decided to spruce up my "mantel" with a more summer-y theme.  We don't have a fire place, but we do have a TV cabinet in our living room with a nice big surface on the top so this acts as my mantel.  I've taken to changing it out periodically and since blogging, by season and holiday!

Many of my various holiday decorations are stored right inside my couch in the living room itself, so I pulled out a few of the trees I made for Valentine's Day, red and white.  Now we just needed blue.  In March when I made St. Patty's Day decor, I picked up some of the blue clothes line from the dollar store.  Glad I remembered today that I'd thought ahead! 

Now my "mantel" is sporting the right colors for the first half of the summer... I'll have to think of some new trees for after the 4th of July!

Peace be with you,