Hate sprouts? Love sprouts? The orb for you…

Just a bit of fun for the holidays!

Remember this little crocheted sprout?

This one had a mistake in the text, so I kept it (and corrected it for future prints! Thanks Sis) and decided that I would find a way for anyone to make similar to add to their own tree, far easier than the fiddly crochet is. It’s as simple as download, print, cut, score, pinch…

The PDF has all the elements you need, as well as step-by-steps and a clickable link to a helpful video (not mine) in case you need that. In case you wondered about the text – and that is my original idea:

The love ’em/hate ’em battle will be played out all across the UK – I can’t say I ever ate sprouts growing up in the USA but maybe you did! In any case, this makes a cute little ornament and a bit of fun for he tree. Hope you make one and if you do, share a photo. Here’s mine, ready to hang:

A holiday ornament to download, print and assemble

I was working on an ornament for some decorations for a few knitting mates and in the process came across some cute sweater graphics. I usually do some sort of ornament for the holidays so I decided to create a file for people to make. If you recall a past post has a lot of detail on how to make these ornaments (SO easy, I promise) and a helpful video as well. But I will add a couple of tips here.

First is find a circular shape that fits the curved areas nicely. I used one of the old Creative Memories circle cutters but there must be 100 things in your house that will also work. It makes scoring that arc so much easier.

Next, get some grabby glue. I swear by the Art Glitter Glue. That stuff grips almost instantly. I made a few of these where I used a tape runner and that did not hold. Double sided adhesive is ok but honestly the Art Glitter Glue is the BEST.

I also added a hanger by tucking the knotted end of a loop into the area at one end of the arc. Unless you add a daub of glue it won’t hold forever. Instead, I like to use a button hole punch (or a sharp needle) to add two holes to the solid area. Then thread your hanger thru that.

I like to add the bead for a little extra decoration but it isn’t a requirement.

If you print 2-a page, they make diddy little ones that are super cute and still quite easy to do. Give them a go. Such a great result for such little effort. Download the one ornament sheet here! Fair warning, the file is big so may get moved to Dropbox at some point. Speaking of, don’t forget this one I already added…

Have fun!

A different orb to print and add to

Last one, I think. I can see that a bowl full of these would make a pretty holiday display. I designed another version, wintery and blue, and popped it up on Dropbox for download. I may have to change this if I am getting back from people that it is not working! It looks like this:

I find that putting a largish knot in a loop of thread or floss or yarn, then squeezing the ball slightly and pushing it inside the gap, then letting the gap close around it is a very effective method for adding a hanger.

But when you download the PDF you will see there are some small moon shaped at the edge. Not enough, but you can cut them, stack them, and make a slightly more robust template for cutting those shapes. I wanted to use up some sheets of sticky backed glitter paper that has been hanging about in my craft space FOR-EV-ER so this was a good way to at least make a start!

For this one I printed 2 x on one sheet. You will be able to do this on your printer but you will have to sort out how. Mine is a simple click from the drop down menu.

This gives your a choice of sizes. Here you can see the One-per-page and the Two-per-page versions for comparison!

I can think of a lot of options for this. I am keen to also use up some of my gilding flakes, so I think maybe the purple one from yesterday would look really pretty with gold flakes added to those moons, and I think that could be added after the fact – we’ll see. But likewise you could cut and add any sort of paper for a two-tone effect, if that additional effort appeals. And of course you can just use the basic template from the first post link and use any paper you like. I have some pretty Christmas wrapping paper of a decent weight that I am also keen to try. In any case, hope you have fun with these, cause they are super simple and so eye-catching for such little effort.

Beautiful and EASY paper orbs

These are honestly so much fun and so easy to make. There is a template here from Creative In Chicago, and a really helpful video here

You can use your own papers (and that can be gel prints or scrapbook paper or anything) but in my experience a slightly heavier paper, 170gsm to 230gsm, really works well. The score lines really hold better than on thinner paper.

You can use the template for a ball all of the same paper, like these. The first one is from a couple of gloss spray pieces

and this green one is from a gel print. Both are very pretty and use the template printed two to a page on an A4 sheet. I believe you should be able to see it rotating here.

The template is bigger (full A4) so the orb is bigger. All you need to do is print, score and assemble.

I like to edge the curves in gold paint, either with a pen or my fingertip. So pretty!

I am trying something new – as this is quite a large file, I am adding it via Dropbox. Here is a printable sheet that you can use. Just click the DOWNLOAD button and you should have it. I’ve cleaned up a lot of old stuff but still not got much space available so … 🙂

I do have another idea I am keen to try – if it works I think it’ll be cute. I’ll share tomorrow if all goes according to plan.

Round Robins – merry, happy, dated or not

This was much more of a struggle than it should have been and I am heartily sick of them now.  I designed them, created them, then updated my program and it seemed to cause me no end of trouble.  I would arrange a page, all looking fine, then I would save it as a PDF, open the PDF only to find there were bits missing – a wing here, an inked circle there… Drove me crazy.  I think I finally worked out the “rules” and then it was better, but still.

I ended up making just two versions – a HAPPY CHRISTMAS version, for those who use happy and a MERRY CHRISTMAS version for those.  There are six WITH 2014 and six WITHOUT a date.  You can either use a mix of dated and not dated this year or print as many dated ones as you need then tuck the un-dated ones into your Christmas wrap box for next year!

I printed them on canvas paper

and on matt photo paper

The difference in the reds is more due to the angle and the light than the paper.  Here you can see the paper-piecing version and the printed version side by side

I figure they work for gift tags (just write your message on the back) or as simple card toppers (maybe just add a nice mat behind the circle or ink the edges more and pop-dot it) as well as an ornament style hanging circle.  Now I am off to locate an oven-cleaner.  Has to be my least favourite job ever, and I have high hopes for a steam-cleaner rather than stinky chemical one.  Wish me luck…

Christmas card and ornament printables

Every year I make a set of printables for Christmas (sometimes more than one!) and usually I make cards for DD to hand out at school and her youth club.  They are designed around a little detachable paper ornament.  This year I went with trees (again) as they are so easy.

 

There are two sets – one with the text and one without – it says We wish you a Merry Christmas up one side and down the other, with And a Happy New Year! across the bottom.  I seem to be having a Senior Moment and see I named them 2014.  DOH!  Wishing my life away, it seems.  The font is very readable when printed but less so in the sample photo above.  You’ll see that in a minute.

The ornament part can simply be cut as a single layer, punch a hole and add a hanging thread, OR you can back them with a second copy OR you can back them with plain cardstock.  To tart them up, you can squeeze out a bit of glue and drag or tap the edges into it like so:

 

then dump out a little bit of glitter and while the glue is still wet, tap the edges thru that.

I printed it on quite heavy paper, like 230 GSM, so the back-to-back pieces create quite a thick edge.

 

I suppose you could use Stickles but I find this method a little easier.

Punch a tiny hole and add the string and you are done. Sorry this isn’t as crisp a photo as it could be but you can see the font in any case.

 

If you prefer just cut one, edge it with maybe a dark or lime green chisel tip marker to define the edges, cover the printed star with a star-shaped brad, cut the little strip of printed paper and add a few punched circles for a bit more interest to make a  card.

 

That is simple enough that the kids could do it, maybe adding a star-shaped gem rather than the brad.

Have fun with them and do let me know if you make them.  I’m happy for you to make and sell them for charity – I’ve gotten that question often so I’ll just say YES here so you don”t have to ask!