festive

Quick Christmas Candle Lantern

November 30, 2015 by Cynthia Leave a Comment

Leftover wrapping paper from last year, a simple ribbon and some live mistletoe.

I love burning candles. Especially at Christmas. I needed a quick way to make a plain looking candle fit in with the festive décor. I just grabbed what I had at hand to make a simple paper sleeve for candles around the home. I was partly inspired by the live mistletoe that I bought from some very resourceful boy scouts outside of the local Lowe’s. They picked it from a local park and were selling small bunches to support their troop. Smart thinking and well done.

I hope you find some inspiration.

Always,

Cindy

Paper, ribbon, a way to create a decorative edge and some live or artificial embellishments. Simple as that. My one tip would be to make sure the paper you use has some transparency to it in order to diffuse the light and create a warm glow.

A simple lunch sack worked for this sleeve. The seaming inadvertently became part of the design, highlighting the scalloped edges.

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: candle, christmas, craft, decorations, festive, holiday, kraft, paper, ribbon, velvet

A light along Winter’s path…

December 11, 2012 by Cynthia Leave a Comment

The Midnight Rider.

With a twinkle in our eye, we set out to make lanterns to light the way to welcome one and all this holiday season.

Using vintage mason jars as a starting point, we created these maintenance free lanterns for Christmas. Using inexpensive battery operated candles with timers, we fashioned a holder out of polymer clay to keep the candle in place and up right and tossed in mica at the bottom as snow. These cozy lanterns become a beacon on a cold winter’s night for friends and family.

Lighting the way home.

It’s really very simple. Here is what you need:

Large, half gallon Mason Jar (best prices are online)
Battery operated candles, with timer from at Lowe’s (click here)
Mica Flakes
Polymer Clay
Hobby Store Glue Dots

Polymer Clay shaped, baked as a holder to stabalize the candle and hold it upright. Then secured with glue dots to the bottom of the mason jar:

Polymer Clay fashioned into a stabalizer/holder for the candle.

Remove the factory holder from the candle (candle is too tall for jar, otherwise):

Factory candle holder easily removes.

Insert the candle into the polymer clay that you just secured to the bottom of the mason jar:

Secure polymer clay to bottom of jar with glue dots.

Add mica flakes as snow:

Add mica flakes for snow.

Light a walkway, or as we did…place in multiples on the porch rail.

These projects were made possible with the support of my sponsors. Please give them a visit.

GOOD LOOK, Inc.

Filed Under: Holiday and Seasonal, Projects, Uncategorized Tagged With: battery, candles, christmas, cottage, festive, flakes, good, good look, holidays, jars, look, lowes, luminaries, maggio, mason, mica, operated, snow, vincent, vintage, winter

These are a few of my favorite things…

December 9, 2012 by Cynthia Leave a Comment

Indeed. A happy Christmas.

Antiques. Holiday Cheer. Christmas Decorations. Old Houses. Sweater Weather. Home Made Cookies. Festive Christmas Punch. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Put them all together and I had a really sweet weekend last week with my good friend, Vince from GOOD LOOK, Inc.

I live in a really good walkabout neighborhood with some really great neighbors. Even the passing through strangers are nice.

I decided to have a little antique show at my house to bring attention to our little Christmas Cottage and it was great fun. Once all the preparations were done (which really tuckered me out), Vince and I just sat ourselves on the wicker furniture and enjoyed the great company, beautiful weather and festive mood.

Vince is closing his antique store in order to move closer to McKinney, so he had his pieces beautifully arranged and it was FUN!

Here are some pics of his vintage and antique wares. Tomorrow, I will start posting our Christmas projects for some inspiration.

As an FYI, Vince will be in his current location for another week, until the 15th. Great deals to be had…but they are going quick. See him on Facebook: GOOD LOOK, Inc.

Always,

Cindy