Altered Altoid Tin - Christmas Scene Tree Decoration

This is the original idea that was behind my investing in a tidy pile of 18 small, silver tins ……

I started by lining the inside of the tin, on both sides, with scraps of  snowy patterned paper, using the templates I made after making my Easter bunny tin, which made the whole process so much easier.

I then moulded a small piece of air drying, paper clay for the snow, applying PVA glue to the back to keep it in place.

While the snow was still soft I added two very small bottle brush trees, cutting one side flat, so that they could be glued against the back of the tin. I also removed their wooden stands to expose the wire, which could then be sunk into the snow with a good dollop of glue.

The tiny baked Fimo snowman was made beforehand, with added red cotton thread scarf, wire arms and features drawn using a black and red fine point Sharpie pen.

I made a small indentation in the still soft clay and with another generous dollop of PVA glue the snowman was set in position.  Paper clay takes approximately 24 hours to dry through, depending on the size of the project.

The white wooden heart came from a pack of 60 (all the same size) from The Works. I found these packs on the sale for half price, so it would have been rude not to buy them, especially as I think I may also be able to make a few brooches using them as a base.

I used a black, fine point Sharpie pen for the writing and faux stitching and again glued it into the tin.

This is the stage when I forgot to take  a few more pictures as I became so wrapped up in all the tiny embellishing bits, my apologies ……….

……. however, I added tiny white snowflake confetti to both sides, with minute silver, flat back gems in the centre, plus faux stitching round the edges of the paper inside (which, I should have done at the beginning!), a sprinkling of ultra fine, white glitter on the snow and a silver nail art heart to the side.

On the lid I put a silver coloured, metal label, two plastic snowflakes, a few more confetti ones, tiny silver, flat back gems and clusters of three dots using a very fine nail art pen.

On the back of the tin I glued a small, silver bail so that the tin can be hung on a Christmas tree branch.

I am really thrilled with how the tin turned out, it’s something a little bit different and I think I’ll make at least another ten or so. I need to keep a few tins I aside for other ideas …… but they all ought to all be used up by Christmas, it’s no use having them just sat sitting in a drawer, so hopefully there’ll be a few more ideas to use them to come in the next few months or so.

Plastic Snowflakes

I have been banging on about getting some more plastic snowflakes because after ordering 300 three years ago, I am down to my last few. Back in 2019 they cost me £6.58, this time round they were £12.09 ……. buying from China doesn’t seem such a bargain these days!

Heads Up - Flying Tiger – Carrot Boxes

I nipped into Flying Tiger in Cheltenham last week and just had to avail myself of several of these gorgeous carrot shaped treat boxes. At £1 for pack of 6, what’s a girl to do?

These will be perfect for Iris and Bertie to take into school filled with a few foil wrapped Eastery treats as a small “Thank You” to the staff in their classes at the end of term, plus I will make sure I keep a couple back for them too.

I also bought a couple of these picture frames for Iris and Bertie instead of making them an Easter card, again only £1 each.

There is glass in the frame, but I am thinking I could take it out and then fiddle fart with the pictures, adding a little glossy accents here and there, goggily eyes and a 3D flower embellishment perhaps?

They had some really nice Easter bits and pieces, shoulda, woulda, coulda taken a few pictures if I’d have thought and the prices in Flying Tiger are always reasonable and well worth a look if you have one near you.

Black and White Wooden Snowman Tags

Sometimes when I am crafting I go off on a weird and wonderful tangent when I find something long forgotten when foraging in my drawers, and this was one of those such occasions. 

I was really looking for some round, wooden discs when I happened upon these wooden, oval shaped, blackboard tags.  I could have left them for another day, and got on with what I was already working on, but the idea was now in my head, I had to see if it would work.

I bought the tags in a allsorts type of discount shop, a couple of years ago, a box of 10 for £1, so a bargain. I then matched them up to the snowman stickers I bought from One Below at Christmas.  The fit was perfect.

Using a white fine tip Posca pen I started with the writing. It took a couple of attempts to get it in a position I was happy with, but while the “ink” was still wet, it was easy to rub off and start again.

Once happy with the text I could add the snowmen, going over the pretty transparent edges with a ball ended nail tool (???) making them barely visible.

I then added the snowy ground, faux stitching and falling snow. 

I decided to decorate the back as well, because hopefully the tag could be then used as a Christmas tree ornament.

The final thing to do was add the red and white butchers twine to add just a pop of colour.

Not including the Posca pen and string they worked out at 20p each. Needless to say I am now on the look out for some more similar black tags to make a few more, as they were so quick and easy to do and a little bit different.

I am thrilled, they turned out even better than in my head.

Easter Tree Decorations

A Little something to hang on an Easter twig tree today……..

Made using all manner of fiddly farty bits and pieces …………..

I started by taking a small wooden fence embellishment and gluing a mini 5.5cm craft stick (from eBay) along the bottom of it to make a little shelf.

……. adding a little Dovecraft 3D Enamel Effects (£1 The Range)  along the edge to create some grass.

The MDF rabbit was left over from an eBay purchase for last Easter (but still available), to which I gave a coating of white Ranger Enamel Accents, then added the detail using an acrylic paint pen on the ears, a black, flat backed dome nose and googly eyes.  The whiskers were drawn using a black ultra fine Sharpie pen.

On the back of the rabbit I stuck a small wooden bead, so that it could be glued standing slightly proud of the fence to give extra dimension.

The small MDF carrot (also from eBay) was coated with white Ranger Enamel Accents as well and when dry coloured with orange and green Sharpie pens.

It was then time to put everything together, including a little wooden bee, using E6000 glue to be certain of a really secure fix.

The sign posts were made of scraps of thin wood, cut to size and with a hand written Happy Easter using a black biro to prevent any ink bleeding into the wood.  This was then glued onto a craft matchstick and when dry, attached to the back of the fence using glue  gun glue, as a quick stick was needed, due to the matchstick continually slipping off the fence when I tried E6000.

I also glued, (using E6000) a small, silver coloured jewellery bail on to the back of the fence,  through which I threaded a short length of very narrow ribbon to hang the decoration by.

And finally, to fill in a few of the gaps I used some tiny Fimo nail art flowers to add some extra spring colour. I’m really pleased with how these have turned out, despite all the different stages, waiting for each piece to dry and the fiddle fart of then putting everything together.

Tranklements

I always thought that “tranklements” was just one of my made up words used to describe some of the smaller bits and pieces I put together, but it turns out that it’s very much a “real” word ……………

“Tranklements is a Black Country word for small, precious, possessions and many homes had a tranklements drawer for storing these bits and pieces”

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-black-country-words-phrases-6514706

So, since I am originally from the Black Country, with an accent to match, the word must have somehow seeped into my psyche over the years, unnoticed, to raise its head again when I’m crafting and blogging.  How weird!

Not only that, it’s very closely related to a whole range of condiments ………..

Bon Voyage - Travelling Themed Mini Canvas and Easel

No great shakes for this idea, made for my niece Daisy who is off to Australia for the next year, after two years of impatient champing at the bit, due to Covid lockdowns both here and in Australia.

All I used was a £1 mini canvas (3.5ins x 2.75ins) and easel set from The Works and a couple of packets of stickers, including 3D ones ………

…… to be honest, all I did was rearrange the stickers to fit the canvas.

I did add a little Ranger Glossy Accents to add extra dimension and texture to various bits and pieces on the stickers i.e the suitcase handles and clasps, camera lens, globe, airplane and signs on the post.

Glossy Accents has to be one of my Top 10 crafty can’t do withouts, it can lift a project with just a few dabs here and there, and make something quite basic and simple look just that bit more special and professional.

Altered Tin – Easter Bunny Hugs

I have wanted to make some altered tins for ages……..

I had all the stuff, just not the time, same old, same old as always! I yearn to produce a shabby vintage or grungy assemblage sort of thing, but it’s a look that always seems to evade me, so for the time being I am resigned to sticking to cute!

I started with a small, hinged tin (20ml – 12 for £7.25 eBay) lining it with scraps of gingham print papers …….

I found it was easier to put curved scraps in the corners of the tin first, so if the sky and ground weren’t that precise any gaps would be easily covered up.

This first effort was a little fiddle farty, but now I have worked out how to do it, when I make the next one. I will also make a series of templates so then, hopefully, those following will be a doddle.

A little faux stitching using a black, fine liner pen never does a miss.

As I had already decided to put a metal Happy Easter tag on the front of the tin, I was a bit stuck as to what message to put inside, but as the first two tins will be for Iris and Bertie, “Bunny Hugs” written with a black, fine permanent pen on a white wooden heart (The Works – 60 for £2) seemed to be pretty perfect.

On the other side I put a laser cut, happy rabbit, bought from eBay last year (and I believe still available).  He was given the Ranger Enamel Accents treatment, followed by googly eyes, a black, flat backed dome nose and hand drawn whiskers.

To add extra dimension I stuck the rabbit on a right cobbled base, however, for all further efforts you’ll be pleased to know I have ordered some square beads to use instead.

When everything was securely glued and no longer wobbly, I could add a few nail art Fimo flowers to help give a fresh spring/Easter flavour.

On the lid I stuck an embossed, tin, Happy Easter embellishment, with two wooden bees and a few more tiny Fimo flowers and the odd cluster of three black dots scattered here and there.

I have another 18 tins which I bought with Christmas in mind, however, this has spurred me on to experiment a bit more for birthdays and “Thank Yous”  to go with the metal tags I already have, and of course there’s Halloween.  We shall see……..