Holiday Crafts

As blogged about earlier, my funds for decorating this year were nonexistent. So creativity struck again! I had some extra fir tips from the trimmings of our Christmas trees and made a wreath. I also had some old Christmas ornaments that I wired to the wreath (cheap plastic balls from Walmart circa 2008). Total cost of wreath: About $3 for wreath wire, wire, and old ornaments.

Another project I did this year actually turned into a gift. After working with so much wood this summer to create the coasters, I got a lot of great crafting ideas. The first one I wanted to try out involved birch bark. 

Z has been wanting a vintage poster of Tuckerman's Ravine for ages now, but they are not all that easy to find or come by (unless you live near Mt. Washington). I finally found a print online, but needed a frame to match it, which is where the birch bark came in. 

I bought a cheap frame from my local craft store ($15). 

About a week before I found birch bark scraps in the woods behind my house, cleaned off all of the dirt from them and dried them. I then cut the bark into about 1 to 1.5 inch strips.

Using my hot glue gun, I applied the strips to the frame, overlapping them to give the frame a little more  of a textured look. I also applied 1/2 inch strips to the side of the frame.

The finished product came out better than I hoped, and more importantly Z loved his gift!