I certainly don’t want to downplay the significance of Thanksgiving but I just haven’t been inspired to create anything decorative.  My creative juices are more focused on Christmas.  While I’ve held off as long as possible, I just had to share my recent project.  I’m very sure I’m not the first to start creating Christmas related items, so here we go.

A recent trip to Dollar Tree helped jump-start this project.  The fact that they have some Christmas items still on clearance from last year didn’t hurt either.  {I’ve got a couple other projects from items I picked up in September, too.  But we’ll get to those later.}

What I found on this particular trip though was this 12″ Styrofoam snowflake, marked down to 4 for $1.  I just can’t pass up the opportunity to work with a 25¢ item.

What really got my attention was the snowflake shape.  I’m not sure why it has blue holly leaves and berries.  Doesn’t seem to really go together with the shape and color, does it?  After some deliberation I decided to turn it over and use the back since all I was really concerned about was the shape.  {I did give the front side a couple coats of white acrylic paint just to hide all the blue just in case I decide to hang this on my front door.  I don’t want to see the blue through the glass.}

Here are most of the products I used….

The Mod Podge I had on hand but runs about $6.  Plaid acrylic paints, also on hand, can be found for around $1.  Superfine glitter pack came from Dollar Tree a couple months ago, $1.  This is the same brand/type that I used for the Ombré Glitter Pumpkins I did in September.  Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any more of these.  =(

 [Dear Dollar Tree, Please get some more of these fabulous glitter packs....Pretty Please with Sugar on Top!  Thank you!!]   Update…you can find the glitter in bulk (48 packages per case) here.  I’d be more than willing to purchase if I can find maybe 5 other gals to split, (8 packs, 2 of each color), just leave a comment and let me know.

The Gary’s Glitter came from Pat Catan’s for $3.97.  I’m sure I used less than a dollar’s worth for this project.  The chipboard letters also came from Pat Catan’s a couple months ago and I’m pretty sure they were less than $2 for 36 – 2″ letters.  Since I only outlined them, I can still use them for another project. (No photo)

The rest of these items I had on hand in my stash….The bottle of Scribbles Snow Writer, found at a yard sale for 25¢, several different craft paint brushes from a pack I got at WalMart several years ago.  I can’t remember how much they were.  Last but not least, I used a foam bowl (from Dollar Tree, 10pk $1) to mix the silver glitter with the Mod Podge and a bamboo skewer to outline the letters (also from Dollar Tree 100pk $1).

Lay out the chipboard letters to spell the words/saying you want and outline.  You could use a pen or pencil instead of the skewer.

You can see the back had a little bit of the blue so I just did a couple light coats of white to cover it up.  I could have base coated with the metallic pearl white before I glittered the letters but I did it after.  I don’t think it matters either way.

Using a fairly small paint brush I filled in the outline with MP and tapped glitter over top.  You could use craft glue, whatever’s in your supplies.

Here you can see the pearl white has been added.  Next step was to add the “snow” to the top of the letters.  I did this in two stages…first was a longer, wider line that I drew with the Snow Writer and then glittered with the white glitter.  I then went back after it dried and added a little shorter line to make it look more like “piled up” snow.  Again added more glitter while the paint was still wet.

Once it was all dry, I just didn’t feel like you could see the “snow” on top of the letters with the pearl white backdrop.  This is where I poured some MP into my foam bowl and added some silver glitter.  Overall I did three coats of the silver glitter/MP combo.  With each coat I added a little more glitter to the MP to keep intensifying the depth of color.  By the third coat I was happy with the way the snow-topped letters stood out.

I felt like it still looked a little plain. {How is that possible with all that glitter?}  Using the Snow Writer I outlined the edge of the snowflake then went back and made a double border.

I also added 3 little snowflake-like lines and glittered those with the white glitter.  I like the bottom one better but, oh well.  It’s handmade, right?  Let’s just pretend they’re on an angle, k?

I could have completely outlined the letters but I didn’t, I kinda like the dots.  From a distance you don’t really see them anyway.

I can hang it on the wall or on the front door on a wreath hanger.  My total out of pocket expenses are really only 25¢ for the foam shape and $3.97 for the glitter.

If you can’t find the foam shape, you could just as easily cut one from packing foam or cardboard.  I’m sure you probably have some glitter in your craft supplies.  Use what you have, I only bought it because I wanted the color to go with my other Christmas decorations…Turquoise, Copper and White (with some Cobalt blue for deeper contrast).

Oh, you will need a little piece of ribbon, yarn, string…something to hang it with.  This piece had a little ribbon loop on top to hang it.  This could be a really, really cheap craft if you use what you have around the house.

Today’s Tip – You don’t have to have a big budget to make unique personalized decor.  Challenge yourself to make something with the things you already have on hand.

Did you notice I didn’t give you the final picture first?

Here it is hanging on my front door….

Please take a minute to scroll down and leave a comment.  I would love to know what you think.  Did this inspire you?  Will you use this as a jumping off point for your own project?  Or just say –  Hi, I was here.  Comments are the only way to let me know what you are thinking.  If you enjoyed, please share with your friends or followers.  Thanks =) 

  Andrea

Linking up to these great parties…

Sunday’s Best @ My 1929 Charmer   (I’m co-hosting this party so feel free to come join Cathy and me)

Show and Tell Saturday @ Be Different Act Normal 

The DIY Project Parade @ The DIY Showoff 

Meet Me Monday @ You Are Talking Too Much

Newbie Party @ Debbie-doos Blogging and Blabbing

Christmas Craft Tutorial Party @ Project Queen

Thrifty Thursday Blog Hop @ Saved By Love Creations