This year I was bound and determined to give a little more effort into my Christmas decorations.
I have a tendency to work, make stuff, stay in my bubble cave, and forget that I actually love the lights, twinkling, sparkling, gaudy, and nostalgic world of Christmas decorations. Last year, I kept forgetting to get a tree, and finally, when it was a week before the big day -- I made a Christmas tree shape out of my Christmas lights. It was pretty, and it was pretty lacking.
So. Day after Thanksgiving, I decided that this year would be different.
I picked up some pinecones that had fallen outside, grabbed my little bag of glitter & rhinesones, the tube of super epoxy and modge podge, and opened up a bottle of my brother's homemade mead.
Can I say -- SOO much fun!!! Why did I think this world of decorating was locked away in preschool?! Putting glitter on pinecones is a blast, and it looks Soo pretty.
So pretty in fact, that I had to add some rediculousness to balance it out. It is Christmas, after all. I decided that the largest, most Berenstain-bearish pinecone, should also have jingle bells. :) hee hee, it still makes me chuckle.
These pinecones were the prettiest I'd ever seen, and I still wanted to make something else. I remembered how much fun it was to unpack all of the "ugly" decorations, wondering why we kept these horrible plastic faux-stained glass angels every year. But there's something nice about hanging an ugly plastic angel in front of a string of lights, and all of a sudden it looks nice & peaceful. Somehow, it's possible to forgive how cheaply it's made.
So I really wanted to make my own piece of "gaudy" tradition, that would be embarrasingly awesome to have out every year.
Enter the rhinestones.
I wound a very small wreath, about the size of an oversized bracelet, with jingle balls, shiny beads and wire. Then, I super epoxy'd rhinestones back to back, filling in the gaps.
Finished product? Ridiculously perfect. It's too-smallness reminds me of the moment that Spinal Tap had Stonehenge slowly descend to the stage, where it was nearly trampled by dancing dwarves. This emaciated wreath of oversized sparkles and jingles, really makes me smile.
Maybe this weekend I'll glitter up a tree :)Labels: Christmas, creative, decorate, design, family, glitter, inspiration, jewelry, jingle bells, life, pinecones, recycle, repurpose, rhinestones, sparkles, vintage
