Handcrafted Holidays

MISSION, KS--(Marketwire - Dec 1, 2011) - (Family Features) Give your holiday a personal touch by making one-of-a-kind gifts and décor items.

These projects, designed by The Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano-Murillo, use bright fabrics and fun dimensional paints and add-ons from Tulip to make vibrant gifts and holiday decorations.

• Faux Beaded Poinsettia Wreath -- Wreaths and poinsettias go together like milk and cookies during the holiday season. But what can you do to really make those flowers pop? Add some dimension with easy faux beads.
• Cartoon Canvas Ornament Frame -- Get the kids in on some crafty action this season. They can express their creativity with these jumbo picture frames that can be used as ornaments, gift tags or holiday décor.
• Starlight Scrap Holiday Garland -- Multi-strand garlands for your tree or mantle can get quite expensive. Whip up your own version with personality and shine.
• New Year's Dream Journal -- This ornate, bejeweled journal is full of blank pages to inspire setting dreams into action. Inscribe the first page with your greeting and let the recipient take it from there.

For best results, please read all instructions before beginning a project. Refer to photos for color and design placement. For more great holiday projects, visit www.ilovetocreate.com.

Faux Beaded Poinsettia Wreath
Materials Needed:
	Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint
		Semiprecious 28794
		Metal 28788
	16-inch faux pine wreath
	5 large flocked poinsettias, clip on
	5 long white feather accents

1. Hold one flower and add Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint to each petal. To do this, hold the bottle upside down and gently squeeze until a small drop releases. Keep the drops evenly spaced. You may want to practice on a spare piece of cloth before working on the flower. As far as color, you can choose if you want all gold or all red Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint or a combination of both.

2. When applying the dots, start by applying beads to the center area of the flower, then set it aside to dry, and repeat on the next flower. Once all the centers are dry, you can hold on to them in order to apply Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint to the outside areas of each flower.

3. Now apply Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint to the feathers. Let dry.

4. Assemble the flowers and feathers around the wreath to your liking.

Starlight Scrap Holiday Garland
Materials Needed:
	Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint
		Metal 28788
		Semiprecious 28791
		Semiprecious 28792
		Semiprecious 28794
	Assorted rolls of ribbon
	Assorted skinny strips of fabric in different textures, colors and shapes
	Assorted rolls of sequins
	Assorted yarns and fibers

1. This garland set will consist of eight to 12 strips of contrasting fabric. Measure and cut each of the different types to 36 inches.

2. Set the pieces out flat on a table and apply a contrasting color of Tulip Beads in a Bottle on each one. Let dry. If your fabric or ribbon is very sheer, work on top of a plastic covering so you can peel up the ribbon after it dries.

3. Once all the strands are dry, loosely drape them around your tree. You can also gather them into a single garland and hang on your mantel.

Cartoon Canvas Ornament Frame
Materials Needed:
	Tulip Fabric Markers
	Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint
		Semiprecious 28792
		Semiprecious 28790
	Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
	1/4 yard of blank canvas
	Scissors
	Pinking shears
	Ribbon
	Thin cardboard

1. Fold the canvas in half and cut your desired shape through both layers. This will be the front and the back of the frame.

2. Cut the cardboard to fit about 1/4 inch smaller.

3. Take one of the layers, and cut out an inside area. This will be the front of the frame.

4. Take the cardboard piece, add a row of Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to the back, smooth it out with your finger and affix it to the second piece of canvas.

5. Apply Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to the inside edges of the first piece of canvas and affix to the front of the cardboard, but leave the top two inches unglued so a picture can easily be slid inside. Let dry.

6. Color with Tulip Fabric Markers.

7. Use Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint to add dimensional highlights all over the front of the frame. Let dry.

8. To make your frame hangable, flip it over, back side up, and add a drop of Aleene's Original Tacky Glue on each side at the top and press the strand of ribbon into the glue. Let dry.

New Year's Dream Journal
Materials Needed:
	Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint
		Semiprecious 28790
		Semiprecious 28791
		Semiprecious 28792
	Tulip Beads in a Bottle Iron-On Ink Transfer
		Butterfly 28805
		Floral 28812
	Tulip Beads in a Bottle Studs and Crystals
		Metal Studs 28813
		Pearl Crystals 28814
		Gemstone Crystals 28816
	Aleene's Fabric Fusion Permanent Dry Cleanable Fabric Adhesive
	Hardback journal
	Scissors
	Iron
	Assorted fabric scraps in bright holiday jewel tones: red, green gold, yellow, blue and purple

1. Cut assorted colors of fabric pieces into varying sizes of squares and rectangles.

2. On a few of the pieces, add Tulip Beads in a Bottle Iron-On Ink Transfers, applying according to package directions. This is to create a variety of looks and textures on each of the pieces of fabric.

3. Set all of the fabric pieces on the top of the journal and arrange them in a mosaic fashion. Make sure to balance the colors and designs so they appear even and interesting.

4. One by one, take a piece of fabric, flip it over and add a drop of Aleene's Fabric Fusion on the back. Spread it evenly around the fabric with your finger and then press the fabric piece in place on the journal. Smooth out any wrinkles using fingers. Let dry.

5. Once all the pieces are glued down and dried, add Tulip Beads in a Bottle Studs and Crystals to each of the fabric pieces that do not have the Tulip Beads in a Bottle Iron-On Ink Transfers. To apply the crystals and studs, add a small drop of Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint and set the stud or crystal on top. Let dry.

6. Once the entire cover is dry, apply Tulip Beads in a Bottle Paint on the spine edge to give the entire book a finished look.

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