Christmas Decorations: A Handmade Holiday
My sister and I are obsessed with Christmas. It’s pretty ridiculous, actually. But, neither of us had a lot of money this year, so we devised a plan to decorate our apartment for cheap! We spent less than $30 on new decorations/supplies. Everything else we had on-hand. Here are some photos:
These are two wreaths I made using vintage milk bottle caps, some flowers/leaves from Prima and some gems (oh, and a heckulva lot of hot glue).
Here’s our Christmas tree. It’s an artificial one because Em had it already and we didn’t want to spend money on a real one this year. A third of our ornaments are handmade. Some are vintage (we got to raid Grandpa’s stash) and some are new. We used bead strands instead of garland. The countdown to Santa was a Secret Santa gift I got last year. It’s adorable. Next year, I need to buy or make an Advent calendar (after all, Jesus is the reason for the season). Then, at the foot of our tree next to the presents is a wine bottle light. I got it at a craft fair last year, but it would be super easy to make one yourself – it’s an empty wine bottle (I have plenty laying around here), put a short strand of Christmas lights in the bottle and decorate the neck of the bottle with ribbon, wraffia, and other little trinkets. Next year, I’m making a bunch of them!
I also wanted to make a Christmas banner. I’ve just recently started making banners and They are ohhhh-so-fun. I mostly use items from some Kenner Road kits, but also included some of my scrappy stash and vintage treasures. Here are some close-ups:
Let’s not forget about paper chains. Who says they’re just for kids? I used cardstock and papers from Cosmo Cricket and a fabulous transparency from Hambly. I included three li’l “ornaments” that fell from the swoops of the chain. Each one is circular and has a vintage milk bottle cap, a button, a felt shape and a gem.
There were plenty of other decorations, but I don’t have pictures of it all. Hope you had a fabulous Christmas. Happy New Year!
Getting Framed
Here are a few pictures of a frame I made last week. It’s full of vintage goodies. Most of the items are from Kenner Road. Products used are from Pink Paislee, Maya Road, Tim Holtz, Jenni Bowlin and Prima.
Eco-Friendly Coffee Cozies
Lately, while I’ve been watching TV or relaxing, I’ve been doing some knitting. I have created a couple of knitting patterns for coffee cozies/sleeves. They’re perfect for to-go cups, so you don’t need to use the cardboard sleeves they give you at starbucks. Plus, they’re pretty darn cute.
I’ve added a few to my Artfire and Etsy shops. Check them out!
‘
Eco-Friendly Knitted Coffee Cozy/Sleeve
My loyal readers reader probably know(s) that I’m a bit crafty and also passionate about going green. Now I’ve combined the two with my Starbucks addiction!
I knitted this coffee cozy over the weekend. Isn’t it cute? It fits any Starbucks to-go cup perfectly and is reusable.
So, I won’t have to use the cardboard sleeves anymore!
I’m hoping to get a few more done this week and then I’ll be posting them in my Artfire and Etsy shops! I’m also working on a couple variations on this pattern…
I’ve been crafty
I’ve been a little crafty lately and have been VERY lax in updating my blog. Lots going on in my personal and professional lives but that is no excuse!
Here are some sneak peeks at some goodies I’ve made recently:
Buy Now: Vintage-Inspired Jewelry and Paper Goods
Rapid Cart from Artfire is now set up here at Amy Kant Designs. You can scroll down to check it out here on this blog post, or click on the DESIGNS button in the navigation above.
Now you don’t have to even log on to ArtFire to buy my goods!
Amy Kant Designs is now on Art Fire
Remember when I shared the blog preview image for sale at Pink Ink Studios?
I used images of items I was planning to put for sale in my Art Fire store. Well, the store is now up and running. Check out my Art Fire Shop to search for these items.
Or, click on the blinkie!
If you’d like to sign up for art fire, click here to use my referral link!
Here are some larger images of some of the items in my shop!
Faith, Hope, Love and Bingo Card Set
Visions of Sugarplums Wall Hanging or Ornament
Wanted: Artisans and Crafters
I am looking to do a new blog feature on handmade shops here on my blog. I’m still working on a name for it, but I think it will be fun. It will be a weekly or possibly bi-weekly feature, highlighting artists and their handiwork.
If you’d like to be considered for this feature, please post a comment with a link to your shop(s). Please let me know what makes your work different, unique or just plain cool.
Thanks and happy crafting!
Handmade Ornaments and Wall Decor
I’ve been busy working on some new projects to sell at the art/craft fair I’m doing with my dad next month. The date is quickly approaching (Nov. 9!) and I am trying to create projects that you won’t find at any other booth.
Here are some photos of my recent projects. All are using a peice of Maya Road Chipboard… but instead of using them the traditional way in an album, I’m using individual pages to create ornaments and wall hangings.
I used a variety of elements on these projects. I certainly can’t remember all of them anymore, but here’s a list of some of the contributing companies:
Maya Road, Basic Grey, My Mind’s Eye, Making Memories, Pink Paislee, Copic, Kenner Road Vintage Goodness, Prima, Sassafrass, Hambly, Jenni Bowlin, Queen & Co, Colorbox, Fiskars Scallop Punch (which, by the way is my new favorite toy), Crop-a-dile, Kaiser, Zip Dry, Therm-o-web, Glossy Accents, American Crafts, Scenic Route, thickers.
Dressing Up for World Cardmaking Day
October 4th is World Cardmaking Day… and I’m getting all dressed up for the occasion.
Enjoy!
