Family Fun With Handmade Holiday Decor
Hello G45ers,
The holidays are here! Finally we've arrived at this joyful time of year when creativity, togetherness and celebration is everyone's top priority! There are so many incredible opportunities to let your imagination run wild by creating handmade cards, gifts, home decor and more with Graphic 45! Today we're going to share some fun and festive ideas for creating breathtaking handmade home decor with our 12 Days of Christmas collection. You'll see a magnificent altered mailbox by Alberto Juarez that's just perfect for children's letters to Santa! Then Nichola Battilana will share an adorable holiday town and simple tutorial that she created! We're totally getting into the holiday spirit on today's very special Graphic 45 blog!
We begin by announcing this week's blog prize winner! Chosen at random from this week's Facebook comments, the winner is...
-Glen Henley: "This is great! I hope I win I would be honored!"
Congratulations, Glen! Please email us with your shipping information at info@g45papers.com to claim your prize! This is the amazing prize that Glen won this week. We have a wonderful new blog contest every week here on the Graphic 45 blog. There's always a chance to win something spectacular. Stay tuned for your next chance to win!
And now it's time for some fabulous and festive holiday inspiration! We begin with this stunning altered mailbox by Alberto. You can find inexpensive little treasures like this at many thrift stores or consignment shops. They are so much fun to decorate in your favorite Graphic 45 papers and Staples! You can see how perfectly Alberto altered this wonderful mailbox with our 12 Days of Christmas collection! By layering lots of beautiful fussy cut elements, you can see how Alberto created lots of lovely dimension to this mailbox. The 12 Days of Christmas Chipboard Die-Cuts, Stickers and cardstock embellishments only add to the festive beauty and vintage charm of this sweet creation. Just imagine what you could do with 12 Days of Christmas this holiday season!
12 days of christmas 6x6 patter & solid paper pad
12 days of christmas chipboard die cuts 1 and 2
Gina design die cut
May Art Ribbon
Glimmer mist Pearl
This next creation is just perfect for holiday crafting with the whole family! Here is Nichola's gorgeous holiday town featuring 12 Days of Christmas! This is such a fun and simple project that looks absolutely amazing! This is the perfect way to enjoy some family time while also getting creative! Follow along with Nichola's fabulous tutorial and let your imagination run wild! Take it away, Nichola!
"When creating this family friendly beginner project, I kept little fingers in mind. My son loves to create with match boxes. Their size is comfortable for little hands and one little building can be created quickly, a whole village in an afternoon. It’s also a great group project, each person contributing a little building of their own. I create regularly with children and know how innovative and imaginative they can be. This tutorial is more of a guideline really. Be sure to give little helpers assistance but let them do what they do best - create! If you’re a bit of a fuss pot (like me!) offer up items from one collection and everything will match fine and dandy." -Nichola
Supplies
12 Days of Christmas: Golden Rings
12 Days of Christmas Alphabet Stickers
12 Days of Christmas 6x6 Patterns & Solids Pad
**Also useful for this project:
12 Days of Christmas Set
12 Days of Christmas Chipboard Die-cuts 1,
12 Days of Christmas Chipboard Die-cuts 2
Standard size matchboxes (without matches!)
Tacky Glue
Scor Tape
Black ink marker/pen
Ink pad
Tutorial:
1. Gather all of your materials! Here I’m using paper, tags, stickers and banners from the Twelve Days of Christmas collection.
2. Choose the back ground colour of your building and cut a strip of paper the same height as your matchbox (mine was 2.1”) then wrap the paper around the outside sleeve of the matchbox and affix it into place. It’s a good idea to make the paper wider for younger children, to give them some wiggle room, then trim away the excess.
3. Select a piece from the bunting sheet for the door, ink the edges if you like, then push a small brad through to create a door knob. I sketched three small windows and cut them out, as well as three small rectangles for window sills. **If you are working with very small children you might consider preparing windows ahead of time so that they can focus on assembly.
4. Glue the door and windows into place. I like to ink all of the edges. I think it makes the pieces ‘pop’ and adds to the sketchy charm of the pieces.
5. Add finishing touches like Dresden trims and stickers.
For variation stack boxes together, creating fatter buildings with bundles of two or more boxes. One lonely building isn’t very impressive so make a whole holiday village perfect for imaginative holiday play or hiding little sweets and charms inside.
We had so much fun getting to share these fabulous, family-friendly holiday creations with all of you! We want to thank you so much for joining us today! We hope you got inspired to create your own marvelous handmade holiday home decor with your family this holiday season! We've got more fun and amazing ideas to share with you! Starting on Sunday we're beginning a very special holiday event on our blog that will include tons of amazing tutorials for handmade holiday gifts! You're going to love it! We hope you'll stop by our blog very soon. Big thanks to Alberto and Nichola for their incredible work today. We wish you all a very happy day!
Your Pals in Paper,
Team Graphic 45
How fun a tiny matchbook village ! So cute.
Posted by: Michelle Nettleton | November 29, 2013 at 05:48 AM
love the holiday village, thanks for the idea, may try to get my little nice involved when she comes over. Thank you.
Posted by: Deborah Cook | November 29, 2013 at 05:52 AM
So cool!!!
Posted by: Dorothy McCarthy | November 29, 2013 at 06:20 AM
You have the best ideas for fun Xmas projects such as those for today. Love the matchbox houses and the altered mailbox I gorgeous.
Posted by: Aunt Dee | November 29, 2013 at 06:33 AM
Congratulations to the winner! Love Nicholas village, and thanks for her tutorial!
Posted by: Diane Ritchie | November 29, 2013 at 06:57 AM
Village is such a clever idea. Thank you
G45.
Posted by: Alma Jean King | November 29, 2013 at 06:59 AM
Hello!
Wonderful projects again! I love the village idea especially and am inspired to make one of my own! Wishing you a happy day!
Hugs,
Barbara Diane
Posted by: Barbara Diane | November 29, 2013 at 07:16 AM
Fun festive ideas! Thanks for the tutorial!
Posted by: Karen Foy | November 29, 2013 at 07:35 AM
Wow - I love today's projects - so unusual!
Posted by: Lynn Hardy | November 29, 2013 at 07:47 AM
Only a few sheets left of Christmas Emporium, I need this.
Posted by: Judy Webb | November 29, 2013 at 07:49 AM
Match book village what a cute idea!
Posted by: Buffy Esser-Burnside | November 29, 2013 at 08:01 AM
Clever Village!
Posted by: Jackie QH | November 29, 2013 at 08:45 AM
Love the matchbox houses.
Posted by: Nancy | November 29, 2013 at 08:55 AM
I am so psyched about the village!
Posted by: Kitty Strydom | November 29, 2013 at 09:25 AM
What a cute village. They could be made to hang on a small xXmas tree. Love them.
Posted by: linda ann murphy | November 29, 2013 at 09:45 AM
fantastic! so creative and talented!
Posted by: Yvonne Boucher | November 29, 2013 at 10:11 AM
As usual Alberto amazes me with his gorgeous creations! Love the Christmas village also!! TFS!
Posted by: barbara macaskill | November 29, 2013 at 11:43 AM
I absolutely love all the items your design team makes. I have fallen in love with graphic 45.
Posted by: lori carr | November 29, 2013 at 12:06 PM
Great pieces by both contributors today, the match houses are such a great idea. I think I'll pass that idea on to my granddaugher. Of course, she'll raid my Graphic 45 stash, lol
Posted by: Elizabeth Etheridge | November 29, 2013 at 01:59 PM
Soooooooooo cute cute cute! LOVING that village!! Pinning!!!
Posted by: Julie Tucker-Wolek | November 29, 2013 at 04:14 PM
Great holiday decoration creations shared today!
Posted by: Judy D. | November 29, 2013 at 07:50 PM
How cute. Perfect size when you have small space.
Posted by: Dana Desmond | November 29, 2013 at 09:29 PM
Absolutely delightful little Christmas village!!!
Posted by: Karen Itzenhuiser | November 29, 2013 at 09:38 PM
I love the idea of the matchbook houses!
Posted by: Judith van Stam | November 29, 2013 at 09:48 PM
I adore the altered mail box and the matchbox village is really lovely xx
Posted by: Patricia Howarth | November 30, 2013 at 12:54 AM
A darling village!
Posted by: Carol Blais | November 30, 2013 at 02:54 AM
Love the projects. They are both so cute. Thanks for the chance to win
Posted by: Carol Greenwald | November 30, 2013 at 03:57 AM
Fab stuff again! How could it not be when it starts with G45 things. TFS Jess
Posted by: Jessica | November 30, 2013 at 04:01 AM
oh my!!! All are great!
Posted by: Laura G.Turcotte | November 30, 2013 at 04:07 AM
The village is a great idea. Lovely paper to work with how could it be anything but beautiful. Love all the Graphic 45 lines of paper. Just received my order of Couture papers. I am in LOVE with it.
Posted by: Dee F | November 30, 2013 at 07:49 AM
I love these little houses- what a sweet village of them! the altered mailbox is also great! Keep the ideas flowing!
Posted by: Sonia | November 30, 2013 at 10:20 AM
WOW!!! WHAT GREAT IDEAS!!! LOVE ALL!!!! :)
Posted by: VICKIE N | December 03, 2013 at 12:49 PM
What an awesome Idea. I can make these little houses for my boyfriends train set. Now he can have a town.
Posted by: Gabriel Kingsley | December 04, 2013 at 10:39 AM