Gift wrap big bows - tutorial

Whilst everyone is in the wrapping mood I thought I would do a quick how-to for these easy big bows.

1. Find yourself some poly ribbon. I got mine from the $2 shop. I suggest not using a wide ribbon when you start learning to do these.

2. Make a circle and join the ribbon together with stick tape.

3. Wind the ribbon around until you have about 8 continous circles. Cut the ribbon and join the cut end with stick tape.


4. Cut two notches into each side of the ribbon in the centre as pictured below. Do not cut the notches too close to each other.

5. Cut a narrow piece of your ribbon and tie it on the notched piece with a knot.

6. This is the hardest part to explain, but I will try. Holding the thin knotted piece that you made in step #5 tightly in one hand, and separate out each of the "petals" of the bow and twist about 180 degrees. You may have to do this to each of the "petals" more than once to achieve the full bow look. It is worth perservering and learning this part as this is what makes the bow look professional and perfect each time.

7. And then voila you have your bow.

Advent candle detail

This is what greets me every night as I come through the door, 'tis the perfect antidote to very trying days in the office I can tell you. So without further ado and as promised a couple of weeks ago here are the how-to's for my skippy version of a Scandinavian Advent Calendar....yes and before you ask there are only three candles not four. One candle is supposed to be lit in each of the four weeks leading up until Christmas, but we started ours a week late and the pot was a bit small so bla bla bla....this is how we did it.

Firstly I must attribute inspiration, or absolute rip off from, my favourite blog Chez larsson.

I searched high and low, in top end shops and the $2 shop for a long white planter to put both the plants and the candle in. Eventually I came across this beauty in a second-hand shop, a bit of Rust-oleum and voila.


The plants are Aquilegia Cameo White which are low growing and give the kind of forest floor look that I was after.

As for my little fungus friends on the forest floor, these were made from fimo polymer clay, using this tutorial (or sort of) and baked for 20 mins complete with wire sticks. I have never used this clay before and I've got to tell I was impressed.

What do you do the weekend before Christmas?

An Ikea run of course.

Grab a mate, drive for three hours, Ikea breakfast, shop, shop, shop, meatballs for lunch and then drive three hours home....totally sensible behaviour if you ask me!

What does mama ask Santa for?

My favourite house in the whole wide world is in Palm Springs, California and was designed by Richard Neutra for Edgar Kaufmann Snr. When I say it is my favourite, I love love love this house and the International Style of Architecture. This love is by no means a passing fancy, it has endured for nigh on twenty years now!

Mr Kaufmann must have been a visionary client and/or he gave his architect full reign, because 10 years prior to the Neutra house he commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design Fallingwater (below), which is one of the most significant houses of last century.

So it would seem that I am asking Santa for a stake in either of these houses....I wish but no.

Dear Santa,

Mama would like some lego of her very own under the tree this year.
Could you please see your way to providing her with the Lego Architecture set of Fallingwater.

Cheers,
Mama.

Let the decorating begin!

This year I've decided to give the whole Christmas decorating thing an overhaul. You see I'm a sucker for a co-ordinated Christmas affair. In the 90s I did the whole rich red, forest green and gold look....most recently I had a tilt at a pastel pink and blue theme, but now I've truly embraced my inner Scandinavian (ha! I'm 4th generation Australian!) and gone with red and white.

This actually isn't much of a stretch for me as these are my favourite colours and I've been stockpiling.

So today the boy-child and I made these little toadstools out of polymer clay (I"ll post details in the next few days) as the beginning of our preparations for our Scandinavian Advent Candle thingo! Can't wait to finish it tomorrow and show you guys some more of my "new" Chrissy gear!

Spit and polish

I collected these pine cones from our garden a while back and am still contemplating various craft options for Christmas...but what of the receptacle?

I found it in my godfather's shed after he died and have neither restored nor used it for any purpose in the house for the last 15 years or so. I think I finally have enough confidence to say that I like it tarnished and as is, what do you think?

I probably have way to many Copperart flashbacks from the 70s to ever allow me to polish it up!!!

Look mummy...

"I've got something for you!"