winter branches tutorial, version 2

If you would like to read the romantic, starry-eyed, first-dance-at-a-wedding version of this tutorial, click here.

If you want to read the smarmy version, keep reading.

I'm crafty. Always have been.

When I was a college student living alone in my teeny apartment, I used to program my VCR to tape the Martha Stewart show everyday.  I would rise at dark o'clock, go to my classes, and then proceed to one of my two jobs after school. Often, I wouldn't get home until after 9:00 pm. But I always found time for Martha.

I saved up and bought the Martha Stewart cake decorating VHS tape. (Still have it.) I bought a bunch of cake decorating supplies and spent evenings baking and frosting cakes, practicing my frosting roses. I once brought a two-tiered, artfully decorated carrot cake to a book club meeting.

Try that sometime and report back on what happens.

I created my own gift wrap, having hauled a 100 pound remnant of paper home from job as a copy editor.

I made a lot of soaps and bath products.

I made quilts.

I did cross stitch.

I made paper from daffodils and onion skins.

I painted many, many an Easter egg.

I hand-marbleized the covers of journals I stitched together.

I carved pumpkins.

I designed Christmas ornaments that I crafted out of felt and paper.

I made cards.

I played with my antisocial cat, Isabel.

I played Jewel Quest on my Macintosh that was basically a glorified word processor.

I wrote papers and worked and became the president of the Political Science Association at my college. Also, I worked and wrote papers and read books. And did all my crafts.

Basically, I was your run of the mill college student.

What can I say, I've never been bored.  I do not understand the concept of bored. How can a person be bored? There is so much stuff to make! So many books to read!

So many handmade Valentines to create!

So many branches to glitter!

So here's an easy, fun, and dramatic craft tutorial for you. You better like it.

You need some branches and sticks. If you don't have a yard with access to sticks, visit your local park. If you don't have a park, I have seen sticks for sale at Michael's. (But really, we're now paying for sticks?)

If your sticks/branches have leaves on them because you live in the South, take the leaves off.

Then assemble your tools: newspaper to cover your work surface, a small paintbrush, a plate, some glitter, and some glue.

You can buy special glittering glue, but plain old school glue works splendidly.

Use your paintbrush to paint glue on your branch. Don't make it too gloppy, or it will drip everywhere and you will cry and curse my name and gain 40 pounds because you consoled yourself with cookies.

I recommend holding the stick at the base and leaving the bottom two inches plain, with no glitter or glue.

I bought several types of glitter, including this set at Michael's.

The colors are awesome.

While the glue is still tacky, shake glitter onto the branches, making sure you coat all four sides. You can put back the excess later.

Oh, look. My personal favorite. Love you too, Martha.

The cello glitter you see on the right of this picture is divine -- is has huge, light, iridescent flakes of glitter that make your branches look icy.

Since I was doing this craft close to Valentine's Day, I use red, pink, purple, white, gold, and turquoise. If you want to be able to use this display into spring, I would recommend a palette of gold, silver, and white. 

See that awesome cello glitter?

This is Martha's tinsel glitter, which is in a different shape than granulated glitter.

I've propped the branches in a clear vase and added a couple of bags of conversation hearts to stabilize them -- inexpensive and adorable vase filler!

The branches look great alone.

But I'm never one to leave well enough alone -- I wanted to decorate my with Valentine's Day accoutrements.

This one is just a piece of cardstock with some heart motifs cut out of scrapbooking paper. We also used scrapbook paper for the stem and pot of this heart topiary.

Some fuzzy alpaca yarn glued in the shape of a heart.

Heart shapes affixed to a ribbon.

Scrapbooking stickers adorned with paper and fabric hearts.

And the finished display. Wouldn't it be adorable with your children's handmade Valentines? Or even just some construction paper hearts would be lovely -- don't be intimidated. This can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.

You could keep the glittered branches (they would look great on a mantel or hall table if you don't need them as a centerpiece) and hang St. Patrick's Day, spring, or Easter decorations as the season dictates.

Do you like?

Here are the lessons learned from Yarnista's tutorial:

-- I've always been crafty

-- I am still crafty

-- Don't use too much glue, or you'll gain 40 pounds

-- Crafts don't have to take six months, cost $19,000, or make you gain 40 pounds to have a big impact.

Get crackin' on your crafts! And be sure and send me some pics of what you make!

Comments

[Gwen]

Yay! Another one that even I can do!

[Jaia]

I absolutely adore the pink tablecloth with roses. Where on earth did you get it?! It's vintage, isn't it?

[Yarnista]

Jaia, yes it's vintage -- I found it at an estate sale! :)

[ashley]

This "new' tutorial made be crack up! You're a woman after my own heart. (I collect crafts- in excess...)