Scrapbook Paper Ornament Picture from Polka Dots and Paisley

I'm Al from Polka Dots and Paisley and I’m so thrilled to be here with you at Inspiration Café today. I’ve been a regular reader and I love the eclectic mix of ideas that are shared by the many people on this site.

I’m in the midst of a crazy year that has involved getting married, having my 11 and 13 year old stepkids move in full time, and switching from a traditional junior high to a grades 7 – 12 outreach school. While free time is hard to come by, I make sure to have time for crafting. It’s my way to unwind and de-stress. But that's enough about me; let’s get on to the project. 

Please excuse the shadows. It's dark when I go to school and dark when I
get home so it's difficult to get nice photos with natural light.

To start, I cut a piece of card stock (I love the burlap look) to fit in an 8x10 frame. Next I cut 3 circles out of Christmas paper, making one slightly smaller than the others. To make the circles look like hanging ornaments I poked a hole in each of them with a pen and threaded them with bakers twine. After that I inked the edges with brown ink and then stuck the ornaments in place. The middle one is stuck on using raised dots, which adds a bit of dimension to the picture even after it’s framed, while the other two are attached using glue. Once everything on the front was attached, I turned the paper over and taped down the ends of the twine to the back.

Don't you love the snowman bowl?
I keep my school keys and chap stick in it to avoid filling it with candy.

Seriously, that’s it. As I write this, I’m a little embarrassed by how uncomplicated it is. Oh well. Quick, cheap and easy – my kind of craft! I’m not one for clutter or busy stuff so I love the simplicity of this piece but you could easily fancy it up with glitter, ribbons, buttons, or whatever you have on hand. If you’d like to see more of my projects, feel free to stop on over to Polka Dots and Paisley and say hi. I'd love to have you!

Christmas Inspiration ~ Affordable Christmas Decorating

Ornaments

These paper tree ornaments can be found at Alderberry Hill.    Sarah shows you how easy it is to make these out of double-sided scrapbook paper and a few well placed embellishments.
(I've got plenty of both hanging around here already!)

These are perfect for adding some color and sparkle to the Christmas tree this year.

Speaking of having supplies you need...who doesn't have some spare toilet paper rolls?

Natalie @ NorthShore Days created these sparkly flowers out of them!  And if it seems a little funny to decorate your Christmas tree with...mm hmm...flowers ~ Christmas is in the summertime in New Zealand.  Ever thought about having a BBQ for Christmas dinner???

 Aren't these Silhouette Christmas Tree Ornaments darling?   This project was so simple and turned out so beautiful.  I probably would have been sitting with my scissors cutting out silhouettes for hours!!!  It's a good thing Andrea shows us how to make these the easy way.  Go visit Andrea @ Willow Wisp Cottage to see how it's done.

Decor

Danni @ Silo Hill Farm has created this beautiful Framed Christmas Art.  This would look great in a Christmas vignette on a mantle, a shelf, or a counter top.  It's so nice to add little touches of Christmas all over the house! 

Danni's not the only one making Christmas Art!

Mary of Sweet Little Bluebird crafted up some elegant Christmas frames last season.  (And she doesn't think she's crafty!)  It's amazing how Pinterest can inspire us.

And while we're talking about frames for Christmas decorations, you should definitely check out this mini frame wreath from KariAnne of Thistlewood.  KariAnne always has such compelling stories she shares with her projects...it's such a treat to visit Thistlewood Farm and get inspired by her! 

I saw a ton of frames similar to these at the Dollar Tree recently too.  I wish I would have known then what pretty wreaths they would make!!!  I would have bought a whole bunch.  What a wonderful gift this would be for grandparents too.  Stunning.

What about offering your guests a treat when they visit? Like this hot chocolate station found at Pondered Primed Perfected last Christmas.   Using a tray made from a cabinet door, a few Christmas accessories, and all the makings for hot chocolate we had a warm way to welcome guests for the season.

Tray tutorial

I love this Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Bar from Jenn at Clean and Scentsible.  It has such a rustic, inviting charm about it, don't you think?  Jenn provides a link so you can print your own tags if you're interested in making something similar.
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Have fun decorating and enjoy the festive season!

Thanks for visiting the Cafe.  We would love to hear how you make your Christmas season special.  Leave us a comment or send us a link to your Christmas projects.

Sherry ~ Contributor at Inspiration Cafe
Author at Pondered Primed Perfected