holiday decor

These are just too much fun to make. And I hope that you guys think so too, my previous kits are sold out! So, I made up a few more, this time making the tins into baskets with vintage chenille stem handles.

There are a different versions completed and for sale in the Boutique as well.

Because you know me, I start to make something and become enamoured with the process and  make a BUNCH of them! (by the way, I've got more banners and banner kits coming up too)

And these guys were all so sweet to do.

All are meant to hang, but a few are okay for sitting on a table top too.

In case they are hung up, the bottoms are pretty to see.   (of course!)

Since I listed so many to sell in the Boutique, I'll have to make more for myself, I miss seeing them around the house where I'd hung them for photos.  

Maybe the grand fairies can create a few with me, I think they'd enjoy it too.

Here is the one I've made up kits for.  I'll tell you directions here, and will use the kits as my guideline.If you do not have a kit, please feel free to sub your own supplies for the ones I  mention.

• Such as using a peat pot instead of a tin?  
• Or pipe cleaners instead of the vintage chenille stems for the handles?
• Or little eggs from a hobby store if you don't have a vintage cutey to add to your own basket?  
• I've hung an egg shape taken from a Victorian card at the bottom of my own creation, but you could make your own piece with a pretty hole punch instead.

These are the little wooden eggs I have in the kits. I've colored them with Coptic markers, then added white dots to them and coated the eggs with glue and dipped them into clear, crystal glitter. 

Each kit comes with two eggs.

The glue I always recommend is Crafter's Pick The Ultimate.  Use what you are comfy with, but I swear by this stuff.  Always store it upside down in a cup, it is thick and will settle to the bottom.  If your bottle lasts for more than a few weeks, be sure to stir it with a dowel, because that stuff will not shake up.  

The bottom of the tin is covered in glue, then crepe paper. You can see more pictures of this step in the  post I did last week– here.

I always cover the rough edges in the center of a crepe paper ruffle medallion.  This time, I used a decorative hole punch on flocked wallpaper to make this oval.  Another oval goes onto the back of the egg shape that will hang from it.

Two holes are punched into the first oval, and a ribbon is pulled through it.

A knot is tied in the ribbon, then the dangling piece is tied onto the bottom of that ribbon.

In this photo, I am holding up the egg shape piece that is tied to the oval that was glued over the crepe paper ruffled medallion on the bottom of the tin.

The paper piece that is  meant to dangle is pretty light weight, so I added a rhinestone cluster to make it a bit heavier. That will make it hang nicely.

The tart tins that I provide in kits have the holes pre cut.  If you are doing your own without a kit, use a Crop-O-Dile to cut them, that amazing tool makes it simple, and slices through the metal like it is a piece of cake!

The ends of the pipe cleaner, or chenille stem go into the holes, poke thru and fold up.  Secure with a dab of glue.

Then, generously add glue to the bottom of the tart tin.

I provide a bit of faded, old Easter grass. But new grass would work too.  Press it down into the glue, then add more glue to that and add your embellishments. You might need to hold them in place a moment or two so that the grass adheres firmly and your pretties stand up right.

The butterfly in  my kit is a sweet little millinery piece that has a wire on it, that wire simply twists onto the handle.  Put it near the top, slightly to the side. If it is at the very top, the piece won't hang right. If you put it too far to the side you will weight it over that way and the basket could tilt when hung.

Once you know the basics, you can make up lots of variations to the themes, like I did.

Don't you love tart tins? I never pass them up at estate sales.  I especially enjoy making holiday decorations with them, like this Easter egg to hang.

 I'll list the steps here if you'd like to make one yourself. Since I have some kits available, I'll be talking about building this with the supplies I used, but you can take the ideas and use your own supplies if you don't order a kit.  They are pretty simple to make, and you don't have to do yours exactly like mine, of course.

The tins in my kits already have holes punched into them.  If you are using your own tin, a Crop-o-dile makes adding holes so easy to do, like slicing through butter!

The top holes are for the ribbons that hang it, the bottom ones are for a bundle of ribbon.

Please put two holes into the fluted metal, as near to the flat bottom of the tin as you can get, at least on the top of the tin.  Putting the holes toward the bottom makes it hang straighter.  Too far the other direction and it will hang oddly.  Use two at the top, two at the bottom, so you can thread the ribbon through them.

After you have the holes in, glue the crepe paper to the back.  I am providing pink crepe, with dyed edging in my kits, so if you are using the kit piece, make sure the deeper color is toward the outside.

You are making a little floret on the back of the tin with pinch pleats pushed into the glue.  I prefer Crafter's Pick The Ultimate glue.  It holds quickly, and is strong.  

At this point the glue is still mushy enough to slide the crepe paper around and get it positioned, but it will not stay that way long. You can double check that your floret is where you'd like it and the shape is right.  Be careful to not tear the paper.  (My kits contain extra paper, you won't need to use it all)

Push the center down tightly.

Glue a paper medallion over the back of the crepe paper. (the kits include flocked wallpaper cut and ready to go)  I used a hole punch, but if you don't have one the right size, trace the bottom of the tin onto your paper before adding the crepe paper to get the right shape.

I was sloppy!  My glue oozed out from under the medallion.  

So, I gently spread the glued out toward the edges of the paper with my fingertip, and sprinkled crystal glitter over my mess.  It became an "I meant to do that" moment.

Next, add the ribbon to hang it from, and another at the bottom to tie a bundle of ribbons and flowers to later.  

Then, glue in the second paper medallion.

Cover about 1/3 of the bottom of the tin in a heavy coating of glue.  

Add Easter grass (my kits are nicely faded, vintage grass).

Drizzle a little more glue over the grass, and add the flowers and egg (mine is a hand painted, wooden one, with polka dots and glitter)  

If you have exposed glue and feel it looks a little messy, sprinkle more glitter over it.

At the bottom, add a bundle of pastel ribbons, and a sprig of flowers.

I have also included a teensy, vintage butterfly in the kits.  If you want to add one of these, you can either twist its wire to the ribbon at the top, or cut off the wire and glue it to the piece where ever you'd like it. Maybe inside the tin? I glued mine to the ruffled crepe.

The kits are here if you want to order one. The include everything but the glue, and the extra glitter you might want to use.  The painted egg is already "sugared" with clear, crystal glitter.

ps- I'm working on adding a few more tidbits to the Boutique too