Mini Christmas Printers Trays

Eight mini Christmas printers trays for you delectation today, you just won't believe how cross eyed adding all the tiny details to them made me!

The trays were originally the boxes from the various sets of  wooden embellishments I have bought over the years, and squirrelled away to make a pile of mini Christmas printers trays when I had saved enough up. To date, I have never found anything similar for sale that I could use instead.

https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/assorted-merry-christmas-wooden-toppers-36-pack/643871-1000?_br_psugg_q=wooden+embellishments
I have to admit to stealing myself to start making them this year as they are a bit fiddly, especially when adding the finer detail like the tiny stars and gems etc. but with eight trays saved I thought it was about time I did something with them, especially as I have a lady who will bite my hands off for any I do.

I start by creating the background for each square, backing a strong piece of card with a various appropriately proportioned Christmas design papers and glitter card if I am creating a snowy scene, like for the Christmas tree or teddy and faux stitch round the edges with a black fine liner pen.

Because there is a certain depth to the trays I put two or three foam pads behind the prepared squares to bring the embellishments a bit more forward, if that makes sense? 

Then it's time to add the embellishments made from a whole variety of materials, wood, resin, plastic etc. whatever I have and whatever will fit.

It's at this stage that my table becomes filled with boxes and tubs as I look for the tiny bits and pieces to either add to the embellishments or put in the background.

Some have a little extra glitter added or a layer of Ranger Glossy Accents.

This is a time to forget my usual crafting mantra of "less is more", when it comes to these trays embellishment and fiddle fart should be in abundance.

When I am happy that each square is finished I usually go around the edges with a red Sharpie pen, (the black trays obviously didn't need this doing). Then this year I "rediscovered" some lovely Christmas fabric tape (possibly from The Works)  to go round the sides.  I could  leave the bare wood showing, but the trays are not the best quality, and the tape has hidden a thousand sins!  I must look to see if The Works has any more this year.

So, that's all the trays used up for another year, I do have a few larger ones left, that have more compartments which are slightly bigger, a chance to use some bigger embellishments perhaps ........

...... but they won't stand on a shelf  without support and might be best hung, so before I go to all the fiddle fart of making them up I need to work out what I need put on the back of them to hang them.  I have just bought a staple gun, I wonder if that would work? I reckon until I experiment it's a case of watch this space!