# CHRISTMAS!! (buy stuff now when it's on sale!)



## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

It's time to pick up all those lovely end of summer items that are GREAT for Christmas crafts!!

Here's one I particularly like:







http://www.favecrafts.com/Ornaments/Painted-Candy-Christmas-Ornaments (they use patio paint, but if you seal the pottery with something like Kilz first, you can use regular acrylic craft paint)

They're made out of claypot saucers. I've seen them on sale lately for 20cents for the small 3" size to only 75cents for the 9inch size.  what about using the larger ones, glued together around a long wooden stake (or round one), painted up like lolipops and used around the outside of the house! or along the walkway! maybe use a white rope light from one to another along the walkway!

The other things I've been snagging are the brightly colored plastic plates. I found a bunch of lovely RED ones (and white) from 4th of July after sales. Glued together with a fancy string/rope...I'm going to hang them on the outside trees as ornaments. (might have to weight them a bit..they're pretty light)

Another thing would be the translucent plastic stemware. Looks like crystal..but inexpensive. Filled up with colored marbles maybe...and one of those battery powered "flames" inside (tea light size) and that would make a wonderful centerpiece..surrounded by greens..or in a dark corner on a bookcase!

Oh gee...those translucent plastic goblets and bowls, etc. come in the most WONDERFUL golden yellow..perfect for Fall decorating and Halloween and Thanksgiving 

woohyoooo!!! it's only 2 months to Halloween! 3 months to US Thanksgiving (2 to Canadian) and...gulp...less than 4 months to Christmas!


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

ooOOOOOO....the 3" size lolipops...maybe they could be filled with candies, rice krispie, or a cookie made to fit! Paint the bottom as shown, fit in the cookie (you could actually bake the cookie in the pottery if you test methods first) and then wrap it in the cellophane. hang on the tree or poke them into a styrofoam ball and set in a bowl as a centerpiece or as presents!

golly I love the holiday season!


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## momof2birds (Aug 14, 2010)

Wow that's pretty and bright!


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## OzarkHmsteaders (Jul 9, 2006)

Ohhh Thank You Wis.Ann for posting about Christmas!!!
I Have been going nuts wondering when some one would post,LOL
and thanks for the great link..
I got this email too, and have been working on a garland ,i will use the small
desert plates, put them together, paint, and then wrap them, in a tulle, or maybe the colored plastic wrap, and tie ends to look like pieces of candy.
just FYI... LOL

what are you working on foe Christmas??????
Inquiring minds NEED to Know!! LOL


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

I'm trying to do things for the trees and bushes this year. I have a few MILES of lights of various types that we never use...so I thought this year I'd just go nuts outside  

I'm making some large papermache balls to hang in the big Fir out front, and am going to try to do 2 HUGE ones...a section gets cut out, and a scene of some sort is put inside..then a light goes in and you hang the whole thing up.  I've done small ones for inside, but this iwll be the first time I've tried it on something huge. 

I'm also working on an "elves in a swing" thing for the arbor. Trying to decide whether to make wooden elves (painted) or go for a stuffed 'doll" sort of thing.


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Actually it's kind of late for Christmas shopping.

Best deals are the week after Christmas.

And I've already got 6 scarves knitted for the daughters and DIL's--------used the pattern from last years KAL.


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## Billie in MO (Jun 9, 2002)

Ssshh!!! I won't tell you that I only have 3 more gifts to make and my Christmas will be done. Guess I will have time to make some extra's!!!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

tallpines said:


> Actually it's kind of late for Christmas shopping.
> 
> Best deals are the week after Christmas.
> 
> And I've already got 6 scarves knitted for the daughters and DIL's--------used the pattern from last years KAL.


Dang, tallpines!

Thats a lot of Irish hiking scarves! LOL.

Ann, you gotta take pics of the elves! That sounds so fun.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Tallpines, I'm not talking about buying CHRISTMAS items...but items to turn INTO Christmas decor. Clay pots are expensive in January. It's end of season now and the stores are putting up everything from summer stock on sale..specially just before Labor Day. 

I love the brightly colored plastic plates and bowls I saw in Walmart the other day. Deep bright red..50cents for a package of 6. :banana:

Gorgeous ropes of white lights (and red ) were around on sale just after 4th of July. Since they're in a "red, white, and blue" box, the store can't sell them separately for Christmas..so they go on sale.

The summer silk and plastic flowers for summer bouquets are all on sale now, too. I'm thinking a double sided sunflower with a little nest and a bird on it might make a cool ornament Also the greens from the flowers make a GREAT topiary. 

Irish Hiking Scarves, eh? hmmm....I need to trot over to FiberArts to see if there are PICTURES!!


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## Sparrow (Sep 23, 2003)

Every year on my craft forum we have an ornament swap, it's so much fun to see what others come up with. I have always had handmade ornies on my trees, I look back at some I made 20 years ago and think ewwwwwwwwww and others from 20 years ago I think, well isn't that clever.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

Sparrow said:


> Every year on my craft forum we have an ornament swap, it's so much fun to see what others come up with. I have always had handmade ornies on my trees, I look back at some I made 20 years ago and think ewwwwwwwwww and others from 20 years ago I think, well isn't that clever.


 Isn't that always the way? "my GOD that's ugly!". However, when you show those to new people, they go "wow! clever!" 

My least favorite ornament that I ALWAYS swear will NOT go on my tree...is the gold painted walnut shells my mother made. Every year when I open that box, I think "geeez. they're ugly"...but I put them on the tree anyway...and they twist and sparkle in the low light..picking up the glow from the little lights on the tree...and every year I think "gotta make more of those".... and they are always the ones that get the most compliments from visitors. go figure.


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## Sparrow (Sep 23, 2003)

LOL, I know what you mean about the walnuts. My daughter, she's 31, to this day still talks about her childhood trauma, me making her make walnut strawberries and take them to school to sell for .50 each. 

Here's an easy decoration, buy the cheap string covered balls at the dollar store, buy some tulle, I have some with glittery stars on them, cut a square and wrap your balls in them and tie a ribbon around the top, fluff out and add some flowers to the ribbon, looks Victorian.


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## Susan (Jun 29, 2008)

Sparrow......i am so glad to see you here, i no longer have the link to the swapshop...am a member and miss everyone....thanks for posting it....will be checking in!!!!!


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## Sparrow (Sep 23, 2003)

Hey Susan!!!! Small world! Glad to see you came back to us. I changed sites since the paying one always seemed to go on the fritz, now it's a freebee and no problems. Go figure!! The only notification I made was on the old board so if you happened to see it you got to the new site, if you didn't you got left in cyber space.


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## Susan (Jun 29, 2008)

well i was lost in cyber space, LOL


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## copperhead46 (Jan 25, 2008)

I think the best Christmas we ever had was the poorest one. I gathered sweet gum balls and dipped them in some gold and silver paint. They were beautifull, the kids made paper garlands and and strung some popcorn, we cut the top out of a pine tree to put in the house. It was a beautifull tree, decorated with love and a little imagination. thanks for the thread, makes me smile to remember that year.
P.J.


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

PICTURES......I need to see pictures!

I find that I am really ready for some HOLIDAY HAPPINESS! Been a long hard year for us... let's see some Merry!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE.


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