This project is to create one dimensional gingerbread style cut outs to be used in gift tags, oranaments shelf display and more.  Grab the template at the end of the post to trace your images. To see how to create a 3D style, see this post on making 3D Christmas houses with foamcore.

Supplies to Create Cardboard Gingerbread Houses

-Cardboard

-Scissors

-White 3D paint writers or puffy paint

-Pencil for tracing

Draw the House Images

Either freehand or trace the gingerbread house shapes from our template. These can be inspired by real houses and cottages or make up your own! Cut the images out with scissors. Leave this part of the project to an adult.

Trace or Draw on House Designs

Use a pencil to draw designs onto the cardboard. These can be curly-cues, straight lines, hearts, and architectural items such as windows, doors, chimneys and trim.

Paint on Designs with 3D Writer

Use the 3D paint writer or puffy paint to go go over the lines. Turn the cardboard as needed to avoid dragging across paint lines. Sometimes it’s just easier to follow the lines that freehand it, but improvise if you feel like it!

Let the Paint Dry

Once the lines are drawn, let them dry.  You may want to go over it again for the thicker coat. You can also also add snow. At this time add other embellishments if desired. Glue on glitter, sequins or even little faux candy. Or  punch a holes and leave them plain and add ribbons at the top to hang them as ornaments or gift tags. They can also be lined up in a row for a cute little gingerbread village.

These are so darn cute and easy to make just like these cute cardboard hanf

To make a gingerbread garland, see this post with free gingerbread printables.

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Supplies for Clay Ornaments with Diamond Dotting Embellishments

-Air dry clay

-Holiday-themed Cookie cutters (used for clay only)

-Acrylic craft paints

-Plastic faceted dots used in diamond painting and dotting

-A diamond dotting sticky tool (stylus)

-Dimensional paint  or Puffy Paint

-Soft paint brush

-Ribbon to hang the ornament

Create the Air Dry Clay Ornaments

Roll put the air dry clay to about 1 /2 inch thick and use the cookie cutters to cut out various holiday-themed shapes. Male sure to use the end of a paint brush or even a toothpick to create a hole in the top to hang the ornament later.L et the air dry clay dry completely for at least 24 -48 hours.

Paint the Air Dry Clay Ornaments

Use the acrylic craft paint to paint details on the air dry clay. This may take 1 -2 coats of acrylic paint. Let dry completely and flip the ornament over and the back side as well. This is also a good time to add a personalized inscription!

Use Dimensional Paint to Create a Design

Use the dimensional paint (puffy paint) to create designs and lines on the painted air dry clay ornament such as lines on a Christmas sweater or even a monogram.

Add the Diamond Painting and Dotting Embellishments

Use the stylus to add coordinating plastic faceted dots and press gently into the dimensional paint. Tip: A light touch is needed to place the plastic dots and may need some practice!

After placing the dots, let them dry  in place for a full 24 hours, add the ribbon and hang! These are so much fun to create and can be embellished as much or as little as desired to create custom and one of a kind ornaments!

Touch Up Painted Areas

If there are any areas where the dimensional paint has smeared, just touch up with a thin paint brush and extra paint.

Change Up the Prism Dot Colors

This is such a fun way to use different colors or left over colors from kits and create some simple or more intricate designs. There are so many different kinds of cookie cutters and so many designs that can be done to create one of a kind, custom Christmas ornaments! Seal the ornament at this time with a sealer.

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Supplies for Creating a Patchwork Pumpkin

-Scrap fabric

-Decoupage medium or white craft glue

-Brush

-Faux pumpkin

-Scissors

-Craft paint (optional)

Pick the Correct Decoupage Medium

This project is intended for indoors. To make a patchwork pumpkin for outside, use Mod Podge Outdoor according to the directions on the bottle. If using white craft glue instead, it needs to stay indoors unless it’s sealing with an outdoor sealer.

Figure out Fabric Pattern

It helps to first lay out all of the fabric scraps and decide on somewhat of a pattern. I found putting larger pieces of fabric in the middle area of the pumpkin and then smaller pieces toward the top and the bottom follow the curve of the pumpkin more naturally and fit better

Decoupage in the Middle First

Start by adding a layer of decoupage medium to the outside area of the pumpkin for the first piece. Push the fabric onto the decoupage medium and then use more medium to brush over the top.

Layer another piece of fabric next to that. Once there is some base fabric glued down, then you can start overlaying fabric to create the patchwork look.

Continue Layering Fabric Scraps

Continue layering fabric scraps smaller ones on top of bigger ones and  placing smaller ones toward the top stem. Always brush a coat of decoupage medium over the top of the fabric just placed. Once all of the fabric is completely glued down with decoupage medium, let the pumpkin dry for 24-48 hours. The decoupage medium should look a little plasticky and create a coating. This will also help protect the outside of the pumpkin.

Paint the Stem

We decided to use craft paint to paint the stem but it’s entirely optional. Then you can also decide if you want to go back and add more layers of fabric, to the pumpkin once the medium has dried if there are any areas that have been missed,

This would be so fun in different pumpkin sizes or even in different colorways. Or mimic the patchwork ghost project and add a cute ghost or even monogram to the front.

What I liked about this is that every single side is different, so depending on how you turn the pumpkin, it’s going to look different! If you loved this project, make sure you try the ghost patchwork quilt art project in this post (post opens in a new window).

The post Patchwork Pumpkin No Carve Faux Pumpkin Idea appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

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To make this project, I used a small wood decorative block I had picked up on clearance from the craft store. It measures 4 x 4 inches and is the perfect size to create something with a little Halloween flair ( you can also use the back of a small box or tray). For my art , I used a vintage Halloween postcard image and a vintage bat image to make my shelf sitters. They are so cute on my mantel and an easy DIY project. It’s a simple yet effective decoration to delight your home and guests with.

Supplies to make your Vintage Halloween Decor Shelf Sitter

To make this fun vintage Halloween -inspired project you’ll need: A small wood decor box or small canvases. Matte finish Decoupage medium (like Mod Podge), soft brush, images printed on cardstock, a brown stamp pad, scissors.

Purchase supplies for this Halloween decor project here on Amazon.

Pick Cute Vintage Images

There are lots of vintage images to use including vintage postcards. Some of them have fun vampire illustrations, ghosts, pumpkins and these can even be made for Christmas time.

Add a Layer of Craft Paint

Start by prepping your surface whether you are just using a regular wood block for your holiday decor or a wood panel.

One of my blocks had some gold foil lettering so I decided to paint the surface with a bit of black craft acrylic paint so they wouldn’t bleed through. The other had more of a plain surface, so I didn’t need to paint on that one. If you’re repurposing a decor item that has a shiny or glossy surface on it, it may need a little sanding first to roughen it up so the paint or decoupage medium sticks better.

How to Print the Vintage Images on Cardstock

While the paint is drying, it’s a good time to print and cut our any graphics that are being used. Save any image you want to use to your computer as a jpg, and then use that file to print your art. I prefer to print mine on white or cream cardstock on our inkjet printer. The drawback with using an inkjet printer is that the ink is water soluble and can bleed when applying a wet medium such as decoupage medium. A great solution for this is to have it printed on a copier with toner like at a library or in an office setting. Another option is sending as a digital file from your computer it to you local print shop or UPS store. Prints like that on cardstock are normally less than 50 cents a print, you can ask them sometimes of they will repeat the image on the same paper, so you can get multiple prints to use. Once you print your images on cardstock you can also use them for garlands, wreaths and more.

Use Decoupage Glue to Attach the Paper

Once my image was cut out and the paint was dried, I applied decoupage medium to the top of the canvas, and then to the back of the paper of the image I am using.

Press the paper onto the surface, and play with the positioning while the decoupage glue is still wet by sliding it around. Once it is positioned where you like it, press the two together and smoothing out any air bubbles, let it dry completely. A little trick is if you have corners that won’t lay flat, the can always be glues with hot glue after the decoupage medium is dry.

Trim the Edges

Once dry, trim any paper overhanging the edge of the DIY Halloween decorations, I wanted to add an aged look to my edges, so I used a brown stamp pad to rub along the edges of the vintage image. I love how the dark brown makes it look older and adds some character.

Brown stamps are a great way to add aging onto paper, like in this velvet- wrapped vintage display book project.

Let dry and on top of the paper and ink apply another layer of decoupage medium to seal the surface. Craft varnish can also be applied to the surface as well. This will not only deepen the colors, but give some protection to the surface from moisture.

Add Embellishments

Once your shelf sitter is made, you can add embellishments or texture to make it even fancier for a cute mood. You’re ready to display it! It’s such a cute way to bring a little decor to a small shelf or windowsill in your home! For more fun Halloween decor, check out this Halloween mantel with glowing skull luminaries.

Find the Vintage Halloween Clip Art Graphics:

Vintage Bat Image

Vintage Halloween Pumpkin Postcard Image

The post Homemade Halloween Decor-Shelf Sitters appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

Supplies to Create Air Dry Clay Faux Taxidermy

-Air dry clay

-Cardboard ovals

-Paper insect prints

-Decoupage medium

-Scissors

-Gold and brown paint

-Brushes

-Gold leaf adhesive and gold leaf (optional)

-Triple thick glaze

-Hangers

Cut Cardboard Ovals and add Clay

Cut cardboard ovals approximately 3 inches by 5 inches. Roll a ping pong ball size of clay and roll the edges so it tapers, press flat. Add a small amount of water to the cardboard and press the clay to the cardboard. Leave the center rounded and shape the edges flat around the outside of the cardboard. It might look a little like an oval ravioli. And it’s ok if it’s not perfect! Let the clay dry over night.

Cut the Edges of the Paper Insect Ovals

Print the sheet of insects out (printable at the end of the post) and cut them out. Use a pair of scissors to snip about 1/4 of an inch in all of the way around. This will help the paper bend around the raised curve of the mound.

Decoupage the Insect Cut Out

Once the edges are snipped, add decoupage medium to the clay and then onto the back of the insect print. Press them together and smooth out any wrinkles as best as possible. Add another layer of decoupage medium over the top.

Create the Faux Frame

Use the dimensional 3D paint to draw a frame. We created mini arches around the edges and the added small dots of embellishment around the edge. The we outlined the inside and outside of the design and let it dry completely.

Paint the Edges with Gold Paint

once the 3D paint is dry, paint over it with gold paint. This will cover any areas missed by the gold leaf. The gold leafing is also an option step. If you don’t want to do it you can skip to adding the aging with brown paint. The gold leaf is just to add an extra bit of shine and glitter.

Steps for Gold Leafing

To gold leaf the edges, paint a light coat of gold leaf adhesive onto the edges and let cure until it’s tacky.

Add the gold leaf to the edge and use a soft brush to remove the excess.

Add Brown Paint to Age the Faux Frame

Paint the edge with brown paint and remove with a damp paper towel. This will leave the brown paint in the  crevices and lift the paint on the raised part to make it look old. Let dry.

Add the Glaze

Use the triple thick to add several coats the surface of the insect image.  let dry between each layer to build up to a shiny glaze and glass-like effect.

Add Hanger to the Back

Once the glaze is dry, flip the picture over the glue a hanger onto the back to display. They aren’t heavy so we used hot glue and a saw tooth hanger.

These faux insect taxidermy pictures are so pretty and interesting! Who doesn’t love a frame and art all in one!

They give a very cabinet of curiosity feel! These can be made in larger sizes as well.

If making a larger size make sure to allow more drying time between each step.

Grab the printable here to make your own, or use them for other projects!

The post Air Dry Clay Faux Insect Taxidermy appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

Supplies to Create Your Faux Pumpkin Pals:

-Faux Pumpkins with the stem removed (we found ours just pulled off and left a nice hole)

-2″ long by 1/4 round dowel rod

-4″ styrofoam ball

-Acrylic paint in a variety of colors inlcuding black, white, yellow, orange, pink

-3 dimensional paint in yellow, black and orange

-Toilet paper

-Thin brushes

-White glue or decoupage medium

-Felt/paper pieces and other accessories

-Scissors

Prepare the Head

To prepare the head, place it on a dowel rod and glue it in place, apply a coating of white glue or decoupage medium over the top of the foam ball, layer toilet paper on top and then brush another layer on top of that. Let dry. This will be your base for the head.

Apply a Base Coat of Paint

Apply the base coat layer of paint on the foam ball. Black for the cat and orange for the pumpkin.  At the same time  the stems can be removed on the pumpkins, and a base coat can be applied to the pumpkins.

They may need several coats of paint for full coverage. Set aside and let dry.

Outline the Features with Dimensional Paint

Outline the features using the dimensional paint. We used the dimensional paint from the Love Color line by DeooArt. This will give it a raised and 3D effect when painted  over later. by painting in half circle eyes, a triangle nose and a mouth. You can copy ours or try painting your own. Let the outlines dry. They may look a little terrifying at this point. Lol.

Paint in the Features

Paint the features by the inside of the eyes, mouth etc. several coats of paint may be needed for complete coverage.

It’s also a good rime to clean up around any features with the base color of paint.

Add Facial Details

At this point, you can paint in the finer details such as outlining the eyes,  and adding additional detail such as teeth,

Or whiskers of the cat or eyebrows.

Make the Physical Details

While the faces dried, we cut out felt bow ties and mittens, We also created a paper, ruffled collar for the cat (that went on the dowel before gluing the head on). You can have all kind of fun with the creative details.  See this post on how we made the paper collar from a rosette.

Attach the Head

Use what craft glue to attache the head to the pumpkin body. Removing our stem left a nice hole in the top so we just added glue and the dowel there.

Glue on the Embellishments

Once the heads are dry and then felt embellishments are created, the fun part comes! Start gluing them on. We also added a cute little stick with a felt hat on top of the pumpkin head. You can get really creative with these and make them so adorable!

We also gave the cat a set of felt ears.

Have fun being really creative and explore other Halloween characters such as witches, ghosts and even Frankenstein.

They two No Carve Faux Pumpkin Vintage Cat and Happy Pumpkin Pals are certainly the best of friends!

The post No Carve Faux Pumpkin Vintage Cat and Happy Pumpkin Pals appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

Supplies to Make Your Own B Lack Lace Witchy Decoupage Bottles

To make these fabric lace decoupage spooky bottles you’ll need:

-ecoupage medium like Mod Podge

-Tacky white craft glue or glitter glue

-Glass bottles store bought or recycled bottles

-Black lace

-Black fine glitter

-Brushed

-Scissors

-Interesting dried flowers and stalks

Measure the Lace on the Bottles

It’s easier to place the lace around the bottle before gluing than trying to figure out if it fits after applying the decoupage medium. This can also be done in sections of lace and patched over if one piece doesn’t fit around the entire surface.

Apply Decoupage Medium to the Bottle

Paint the bottle with decoupage medium, covering the entire surface. Lay the lace over the top of the bottle and then paint with another layer of Mod Podge to press the lace flat.

Add the Black Glitter to the Bottle

Once the decoupage medium is brushed over the top. Sprinkle the fine. black glitter over the top while it’s still wet. Shake off any excess and return to the bottle. Let the bottle dry for at least 24 hours before handing. A spray sealer can be added at this time if desired to keep some of the glitter from shedding. If you don’t want glitter, you can skip it, but if you do want a little sparkle after the mod podge dries, paint white craft glue onto the bottles and sprinkle the glitter.

If you love decoupage, see how to make this Make a Man in the Moon Decorative Trayhis Man in the Moon Upcycled Tray

Add the Dried Flowers and Display

While the decoupaged bottles dried, I spray painted and glittered my dried flower heads. I just sniped some coneflowers  from my backyard, but store bought dried flowers would also be pretty in these witchy bottles.

I gave them a coat of gold spray paint and then used the craft glue and gold glitter to make them a bit fancier. If you don’t have those, you could use sticks or even pom poms.

I ended up displaying them on a craft wood slice clustered together with a few pumpkins for a fun and spooky Halloween look.

I like the sparkle the glitter gives them and lightens all of the dark lace. Mod Podge and decoupage are such a fun way to add embellishments to items, like these dried flower decoupage pumpkins.

If you think you are going to use real flowers with water in them, use a sealer on the outside like an outdoor varnish to make them just a bit more durable. Also, don’t immerse them in water when cleaning.

I think bigger bottles would be fun too to make DIY decoupage black lace Halloween bottles. It would be pretty to also do this on recycled jars, or with white lace for the holidays. I like that it’s so versatile!

The post DIY Decoupage Black Lace Witchy Halloween Bottles appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

If you like spun cotton crafts see how to make this spun cotton orange ornament.

Supplies for Creating Crafted Spun Cotton Candles

-1″ diameter dowel rods at 4″, 6″ and 8″ length

-Small dowel pieces ” 1 inch in length

-White craft glue

-Decoupage medium or a white craft glue mixture of 6 parts glue to 1 part water

-Spun Cotton batting

-Craft paint in white, yellow, orange, tan, brown and red

-Soft, flat brush

Assemble the Candle Base

To create the faux candles, assemble the base. Glue the small dowel rod to the top of each of the larger dowel rods. This will give the base candle form.

Once the form is dry, use a brush to paint it with white craft paint. This will give it a good base in case the cotton doesn’t cover it all.

Sculpt the Flame

Once the paint is dry, paint a layer of glue mixture or decoupage medium on the surface. Sometimes it helps to work in sections.

Sculpt the Candle

Take a thin, square section of cotton batting and wrap it around the glue covered area. Use the brush dipped in the adhesive to brush over and slightly saturate the cotton while pressing and molding with the brush. Work all of the way around the candle until the entire surface is molded and covered.

Add enough batting until the candle fits inside of a candle holder. This will keep it upright. One the surface is smooth, let the candle dry upright for 24 hours in the candle holder. After 24 hours move the candle from the holder and let the base dry. It’s important to remove it so the wet part doesn’t mold in the candle holder. Let that dry completely in the open air 24-48 hours.

once the candle is completely dry it’s time to paint!

Paint the Outside of the Faux Candle

Paint the outside of the entire spun cotton candle with a white craft paint. Then brush with a tan paint. Brown paint can be added at this time for a more primitive look.

Paint the Flame

Paint the flame by adding a base coat of yellow over the entire flame surface.

And then add red or range at the base.

Blend the two colors together in where they meet. Add some white highlights along the candle. Let dry.

Once the Candle is dry it should fit snugly into your candle holders and  be ready to use in your decor! These are so cute when grouped together on a mantel!

The post Crafted Spun Cotton Faux Candles appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

If you like a spooky witch project see how to paint this witch silhouette.

Supplies to Paint a Witch Hat on a Portrait Print

-A copy of a print of antique artwork on cardstock

-Acrylic craft paints in black and white

-Round and flat craft brushes

-Decoupage medium

-Pencil

Print Copies of the Antique Pictures

We took our images from an open access, royalty free art site. There are many of them including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Art Institute of Chicago (which we used). Save and print the images on your printer on card stock, or send to your local UPS store or library and have them printed on card stock.

Paint with a Layer of Decoupage Medium

Use a flat brush to paint a layer of decoupage medium over the top of the image. If using a print that came off of an inkjet printer make sure to only go over it once with single strokes because otherwise the printer ink will bleed. Once the first layer of decoupage medium is painted and dry, add a second coat of medium and use a brush to leave brush marks. This will give the artwork texture to make it look more like a painting when it’s dry, especially if a frame isn’t being sued with glass in it.

Draw the Witches Hat on the Printer Picture

Once the decoupage medium is dry, use a pencil and our templates to lightly transfer or draw the witches hat on the printed pictures. This allows to be able to erase and fix lines if needed. Chalk can also be used.

Paint the Witch Hat

Once the hat is drawn, paint the hat in with black craft paint. Use a slightly damp cotton swab to immediately clean off any paint if needed. Let dry.

Add White Painted Highlights

Use a brush to add white painted highlights on the brim of the hat and along the top. Touch up any areas with the black paint as needed and let dry.

Grab the template below for the witch hats. Depending on the position of the person in the image, the hat can change in design.

Seal the Craft Paint

Once the hat is dry, apply a layer of decoupage medium over the top of the hat. Use a brush to create brush strokes to add texture so it looks like a real painting.

Frame the Artwork

Once everything is dry, add the art into a frame and display!

Witch Hat Template

The post Paint a Witch Hat on an Antique Portrait Print appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

Supplies Needed for a Vintage Halloween Owl Faux Stained Glass Vase

-A pattern (we used a disposable hand towel)

-Stained glass paint and 3D acrylic paint or a acrylic lead paint writer

-a surface such as a vase or an clear acrylic board

-Tape (to hold the pattern in place)

Tape the Pattern to The Inside (or backside) of the Vase

Whatever surface you decide to paint your stain glass paint onto, the pattern gets taped to the underside of what you’re painting on. This way you can use your pattern as a template to draw right over and create your stained glass work of art easily.

Trace Over Your Pattern

We used the Decoart faux stained glass paint that we used comes with a bottle of faux acrylic leading paint to mimic the lead lines of real stained glass. These also create a boundary when flooding your stain glass paint and help to keep it where you want it to go. We used a 3D Decoart writer in the Love Color line because it was just a little darker than the faux stained leading which had a slightly gray cast to it. We used the 3D writer to outline the entire pattern. If using a curved object like a vase, make sure to secure it to keep it from rolling. We also found it helped to work on one side to let it dry so it doesn’t run, and then turn it slightly to work on the other side. To clean up any areas or rough paint lines, use a slightly wet cotton swab  that look a little messy our out of the lines.  Let the faux lead dry before moving onto the next step of the faux stained glass.

Use the Faux Stained Glass Paint

Use the faux stained glass paint to fill in the areas between the leading. We found it helps to squeeze the paint out onto surface and then agitate it slightly. It seems to find it’s own level. It’s better to apply it in thin coats and apply more when dry than add single thick coats. Color the entire design in and let it dry over night.

Remove the Template

Remove the template underneath. It’s important to remove the template. Sometimes and area will look complete filled in and then when the template is removed, it’s easy to see areas that need to be touched up! Touch up right over the areas already painted, letting it dry between coats until the desired depth of color is achieved. Let dry for at least 24 hours.

Follow the Directions on Curing

Depending on the brand of faux stained glass paint used, the directions for curing and durability will be different. Make sure to follow the directions to make sure it holds up as well as possible!

Decorate!

We used ours with a battery operated candle to create a fun and vintage -inspired luminary. It’s so cute at night and with a battery operated candle with a remote it’s easy to switch it on and off! Twinkle lights or a glow stick would also work! This project would also be cute to make at the holidays with a snowy winter scene and would make a fun gift! It would also be pretty with a fun Halloween floral arrangement.

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