Santa's Sleigh Home Decor

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope you are enjoying your holiday.  Instead of making something for Thanksgiving, I thought I would make a home decor piece for Christmas, which really is just around the corner.  For this, I am using this gorgeous Santa's Sleigh sturdy chipboard by Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts, along with the Deer set, to use as either table or home decor, a candy dish, or to give as a gift to your family and friends.  It measures 8 ¼ inches long by 5 ¼ inches tall by 3 ¾ inches wide and is made of heavy duty chipboard, so it will hold whatever you may wish to put in it, like candy or maybe a beautiful floral arrangement.

First, I recommend a dry fit of the pieces to make sure they will go together properly.  

Then you may want to number or letter them to keep them straight.  I used letters for the inside pieces.  

Fig. 1

Paint the sleigh parts with ColourArte Vivid Solar Gold Ultra Metallic using a sponge applicator.  Use a dabbing motion with the sponge for a smooth application without allowing the paint to get into the openings and holes.  Paint the edges of both sleigh pieces and one side of each of the frame (open) pieces.  These will be glued down later, so the unpainted side will not be seen.

My inspiration for the next step is this piece of paper I found in my stash.  I think I was able to come close.  What do you think?

Add the white specks of paint by picking up a very small amount of white acrylic paint with a wad of plastic wrap.  Dab most of the paint off before dabbing the chipboard sleigh frame and sides.  

While the paint is drying, you can trace around the chipboard template and cut out your side pieces, as shown.

For the bottom of the sleigh, trim papers to fit the C, D, and E pieces (Fig. 1) on both sides, leaving the tabs free for assembly.  I have chosen the green papers for the inside and the red papers for the outside.  Remember, when I did the dry fit of these pieces, I labeled the inside (green paper) as C, D, and E.  Always check yourself first before gluing your papers down.  

Checking my assembly again.

Remove the sides in the same order as the dry fit assembly, and lay your papers out to match.  Now you are ready to glue them down.  

Glue your side pieces to the sleigh now.  Before assembling the parts, cut out the holes in the sleigh pieces.  

Turn the pieces over and repeat the previous steps to cover the opposite sides, as shown.  

However, DO NOT cut out the holes for assembly.  Leave the paper intact to cover the entire outside, as shown.

Glue the frame piece to the outside, matching up the chipboard, as shown.  Let one side dry first before turning it over and gluing the opposite side to ensure the frame piece does not slip out of position.  When the glue dries, you can turn it over and glue the opposite side.

Glue inside pieces to one of the sides of  the sleigh.   

Then adhere the second side to the inside pieces.  

Cut Snowflake Border apart into pieces that will fit on the sides of the sleigh.

Paint snowflakes with white acrylic paint, and while still wet, dust with a holographic glitter.

Adhere to sides of sleigh, as shown.

Paint both sides of Deer with brown acrylic paint, and paint the hooves black.  Add snow writer paint along tips of antlers, as shown.

Now you are ready to embellish your sleigh with florals, or if you prefer, use it as a candy dish.  I chose to add floral embellishments.  Here are a few pictures from different angles.

Place deer next to the sleigh, as shown in the finished photo at the top of the post.

Supplies used:

GSL Santa's Sleigh
GSL Deer
GSL Snowflake Border
My Mind's Eye Lost & Found Christmas paper pad
ColourArte Vivid Solar Gold Ultra Metallic acrylic paint
White and brown acrylic paint
Foam blending tool or makeup sponge
Snow writer paint
Hologram glitter
Floral embellishments


I hope you have been inspired to make one of these beautiful Christmas sleighs for your holiday decorating, or to give as gifts.  

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to check out all the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the team.  

Barbara

Christmas Shadow Box by Betsy

Happy Wednesday and Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S. You know what this week also means don't you? Yes indeed, it is time to break out the holiday decorations! I won't admit how much dismay this brings to my husband and kids because of the work involved. Yet last year when I was the one who insisted on scaling back, they were the first to revolt.

It has been such a delight to work with Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts. For my last project as Guest Designer, I thought I would share with you a mostly monochrome Christmas shadow box.

To make this project, first assemble and glue together the House Shadow Box, Use cream-colored spray paint to cover the entire box.

Cut scrapbook paper to fit the back of each of the individual boxes. As you can see from the picture, I actually cut the pictures before I spray painted the box. After ensuring the papers fit perfectly, adhere with glue.

Cut several narrow strips of scrapbook paper slightly wider than the width of the shadow box edges. Rough up the edges of these paper strips with a scissors, then add brown ink. Glue onto the shadow box edges.

Assemble, glue and paint the Round Table and Chairs set. Paint a Stars Corner with dark red acrylic and accent with a cream-colored acrylic.Cover a small round tart tin with brown acrylic paint. Once the tin is dry, insert some sheet music into the tin and add glitter. I apologize for the lack of "how-to" pictures here. The SD card on my camera went bad and I lost dozens of photos.

Now is time for the fun part of making little scenes within the shadow box. Gather lots of new and vintage doo-dads and play around with different designs until you find one that works well.

Once you get everything in place, go ahead and glue it down.

Good Stuff

• House Shadow Box 
• Stars & Flourishes Border and Corners Set
• Round Table & 2 Chairs 1:24
• Graphic 45 St. Nicholas 12 x 12 Pad
• Sheet music
• Tart tin
• Assorted Christmas doo dads (from personal stash, Alpha Stamps and Factory Direct Craft)
• Cream colored spray paint
• Tuscan Red acrylic paint
• Brown acrylic paint
• Cream acrylic paint
• Beacon Fabri-tac
• Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Red Stickles
• Silver Stickles

Christmas Oddities Box by Gloria

Hello, it is Gloria with you and I have a Christmas home decor item to share today.

I used the House Oddities Box to create a table-top (or mantle-top) decor piece that is also a storage box! The box measures 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" and comes with a chipboard door and seven (7) chipboard house shapes. (I am using the houses for another project.)

The box is the perfect size to store a candle, some gift tags, or even one of those creepy Elf on a Shelf dolls! I decorated with a gold, black, and red scheme, with lots of sparkle and bells!

Let's get started!

Wipe down all the box pieces to remove the soot from the cutting process. Glue decorative paper to the inside surfaces of all the pieces, including the inside of the lid.

Assemble the box. I reinforced all seams with washi tape. This also helps to hold the box together while the glue sets.

Attach the lid to the box. I used washi tape to create a flexible hinge for my lid.

Mark where you wish your door handle to go and drill holes through the lid and the decorative door piece. I used an anywhere hole punch to create my door knob holes.

Cover the outside surfaces of the box with decorative paper. I adhere my paper with a matte gel medium, using a foam brush.

Use various inks (or paints) to color your chipboard accent pieces. To color the door, I sponged on various red pigment inks, allowing them to dry between coats.

I used white ink to color a bird cage from the Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set. While the ink was wet I heat embossed the birdcage with shabby embossing enamel. I repeated the process, using white ink and white embossing powder on snowflakes from the Snowflake Shape Set and the Winter Shape Set.

I selected "two turtle doves" from the Birds Shape Set and colored them with gold pigment ink.

Glue the door to the box lid. Add a decorative knob.

Create a "wreath" for the door. Start with the ornamental birdcage. Glue a chipboard or other decorative sentiment to the right side of the birdcage. Layer snowflakes and a large flower. I added a jingle bell to the center of one of the snowflakes. Add the birds in the next layer, using foam tape or scrap chipboard to lift them off the base. Glue metal bells and a loopy bow to the top of the birdcage.

Glue the decoration to the door, making sure to avoid the area around the knob. Add more decorative elements, as desired. I added more velvet leaves, a pine cone, and a few Christmas do dads.

Wrap gold ribbon around the top and sides of the box, securing on the bottom. Create a large bow from the gold ribbon and glue the bow to the top of the box.

Add Christmas sprays and do dads, as desired. I poked through my stash of Christmas odds and ends to create my box topper. I wanted to stay in the gold and red theme. Everything is attached with hot glue.

If you want to use the box for storage, make sure you do not accidentally glue the door shut! Use black ink to cover any raw chipboard edges. I wrapped the sides of my "door frame" with the gold washi tape. (I wish I had inked it with the black ink instead.)

Thanks for looking!

~ Gloria Stengel: Scraps of Life

Supplies Used:

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:
House Oddities Box
Ornamental Birdcages Shape Set
Snowflake Shape Set
Winter Shape Set
Birds Shape Set

Partner products:
Graphic 45 papers: St. Nicholas 12x12 pad
Graphic 45 chipboard: St. Nicholas Decorative Chipboard
Graphic 45 washi tape set

Other: shabby embossing enamel, white embossing powder, pigment ink (white merlot, cranberry, gold), black dye ink, gold ribbon, twine (red, sparkle, gold), craft bells, various Christmas floral elements, metal door knob, matte gel medium, wet glue, hot glue

St. Nicholas Christmas Card and Ornament Gift Set

Hello, Friends!  It's Kathy here with a great way to use the new Double Sided Ornament from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts.  I love to make cards that are a gift all by themselves. 

 

Here is the box.  I used a blank kraft card box that I had in my stash and decorated it with Saint Nicholas papers, Petaloo flowers and gorgeous GSL snowflakes. 

 

 This pretty card is inside the box.....

 ....along with a little keepsake ornament.  Instead of making a double sided ornament, I used one half on my card front as a shaker element.  It's twice the fun!

Here's a closer look at some of the details.

 

Distress Grit paste makes wonderful "snow" especially when you sprinkle it with glitter!

 

 

 

Here's a Snapguide Tutorial so that you can make one, too.

Check out How to Make St. Nicholas Card & Matching Ornament for GSL by Kathy Clement on Snapguide.

I think this would make a great holiday hostess gift, a wonderful teacher appreciation gift, or Secret Santa gift.  You could also display the set on your holiday mantel or side table.  I hope you'll give it a try!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
Kathy

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts:

Ornament, Double Sided
Scribble Frame Birds 
Snowflake Shape Set
Winter Shape Set