We all know what season it is. The season of “Oh NO, I am never going to have time to do everything on my list and what am I going to do about ________________________(<= fill in worry du’jour here)” This month I wanted a fast, easy, festive project that you can make in a short amount of time with very few materials and for next to no money. Keep reading and see how you can make some too!

Here is what you will need to make your own:

  • Watercolor Paper
  • Watercolors, liquid or pan
  • Brush
  • Scissors
  • Needle
  • Embroidery Floss
  • Sequins
  • Beads
  • Marker or Pen and Ink
  • Colored Pencil
I started these ornaments by painting a big sheet of heavy watercolor paper. After spraying down the paper with plain water I painted large areas of color in random areas . I find this kind of painting technique to be both fun and therapeutic , and if you do not need therapy in December  I want some of what you’re having !

 

 

I then used my paintbrush to gently help the paint float together to make the colors touch without blending too much. This is especially important if you have all three primary colors (red, yellow and blue) represented at all..unless you want a brownish grey color. You can also play it safe by only using colors that have  two primary colors (I used blue and magenta(red+blue) so I did not need to be concerned about getting a meatloaf colored butterfly)

 

     

 

The next step is to  draw (or trace) a simple shape on to the white side of the paper. By working on the back side you hide any pencil lines that might still show once you cut your shapes out.

 

 

 

You can use these templates if you wish. Just click on one and size it to print the size you like.  I have heard rumors that one can feed watercolor paper through a printer. Based on my dysfunctional relationship with my printer, I have no reason to believe this to be true .If you  want to try, print the ornament shapes on before you paint the paper.

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why, you may ask, is there an Abraham Lincoln included?  My answer? Because I can.

 

Once the shape is cut out use either a marker or pen and ink to add on details. I used some colored pencil to enhance areas of color and a white gel pen as well.

 

 

 

Use a pushpin or your needle to pierce around the edges of your shape, being sure to lay it on a stack of paper toweling or newspaper to protect your work surface.

 

 

Put the front and back pieces together .(You can use a little piece of tape or a single smudge of glue to help hold it in place while you sew the edges.

 

Thread your embroidery needle and using a blanket stitch go around the edges adding a sequin to each hole as you connect the front and back of the ornament. Be sure you hide the start and end of the thread in between the two pieces.

 

 

Use a hole punch or your needle to put a hole in the top. Put a loop of ribbon , a curly wire or a simple ornament hook in the hole to enable you to hang it . These also make beautiful gift tags to make a package extra special.

 

 

      

 

These same techniques are a great way to make gorgeous gift tags or cards as well. For this card I used the painted paper and wove a heart shape then used the sewn sequins on top of it to attach it to paper which created a card.

 

 

A Contest!

So there you go…really easy, right? So easy in fact, you will probably feel a little guilty when you find out you can win a prize for making some! You have until January 6 2012 ( aka: the day I have already been off my New Year’s Diet for 4.5 days) to post a picture of your work based on this tutorial in our forum. Then we will let our visitors (and YOUR fans) vote on the project they love most. The winner not only receives this 6×6 acrylic painting but will be a featured artist on our Home page for the month of January!

 

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Cindy Jo

Cindy Jo teaches art and enjoys passing her love of the pretty ,the weird, and the pretty weird on to another generation of artists.Check out CIndy Jo's shop

15 Comments

Russell Black · December 5, 2011 at 7:02 am

Ann and I are going to make some of these at our next get together, but I think I may have to make some on my own before then. I'm kinda impatient that way.

    cindyjob · December 5, 2011 at 8:16 am

    You are Russell! But we love you anyway.

Aubrey Oddbreed · December 8, 2011 at 2:06 pm

ohh these are coool! love teh detail on that butterfly! hmmm, gets my gears turning~

Melissa Reed Hart · December 10, 2011 at 8:29 pm

These are great! Made a shrink plastic ornament using the templates and LOVE it! Got to make some more. Heh heh.

cindyjob · December 11, 2011 at 9:44 am

Thanks Melissa!

tute-bot · December 12, 2011 at 1:37 pm

I love that you included Lincoln. 🙂

    cindyjob · December 12, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    Hee Hee…me too!

threeoldkeys · December 12, 2011 at 1:41 pm

hey … even a non-artist could paint these … wow. thank you !!!

    cindyjob · December 12, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    They turn out great. But I don't really believe anyone is a non artist 😉 Give them a try I know they will be awesome.

      sarah · December 12, 2011 at 6:41 pm

      You are probably the best art teacher ever. <3

Monica · December 12, 2011 at 4:23 pm

Ooooooooo! What a great idea! I hope I have time before Christmas to try this! Thanks for sharing!

    cindyjob · December 12, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    Monica, they make a beautiful gift tag for anytime of year. Or maybe a pretty Valentine?

AnnDAngelo · December 15, 2011 at 10:02 pm

I made five of these today, and it was so much fun! The first two took the longest; after that, I had my sea legs, and I was able to work much faster. If I were doing it over again, I think I would watercolor on TWO giant sheets of paper instead of just one. When I ran out of usable paper, I still wanted to make more!

marguerite1997 · January 6, 2012 at 12:34 pm

Like this idea, I've got a case of winter doldrums, the man is being his usual non-responsive self, the dog wants to play endless ball and then there is ME. I want to live a little, laugh a little, play with my art a little. This looks to be what I need. Thanks for sharing.

cindyjob · January 9, 2012 at 8:20 pm

A little art therapy is always a good thing Marguerite

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