Belated Christmas Crafts 2015 Part 1: Glittered Putz Houses

Sometimes I have to let go and accept that between chasing a toddler, house-hunting, making time for my husband, and dealing with the constant exhaustion of pregnancy, I just can't post as often as I'd like. Someday, there will be time for more making and more posting and more, well, everything. But, for now, this is the phase of life I'm in and instead of fighting it and becoming frustrated, I just need to accept that this will pass (all too soon, can't believe how quickly babies grow up!) and enjoy the moments I have rather than the ones in my head that don't come to pass.

So here I am, for the second year in a row, posting my Christmas projects late. Apologies, but I figured if you plan parts of your life out up to a year advance (as I do, see: babies!), you might want to add these to your crafting calendar for next year.

If you look up Putz houses, you can find plenty of free patterns online. I chose a few that I liked, printed out the templates, traced them onto empty cereal boxes I'd been saving (they're a great cardboard weight), painted them white, and then brushed them with glue before sprinkling on clear glitter from Michael's. For the "snow", I just stretched and tore up cotton balls and arranged them in drifts around the houses. I like to put a flickering LED candle inside the church (on the left), so it glows at night.

One caveat: remember to cut out the windows and doors *before* you assemble and glitter these! I only remembered to do this for the church. The others don't have any windows or doors, and I can't cut them out now without crushing them. (I'm going to redo them for next year.)

DIY Glittered Birds from the Dollar Store

Here's another quick and easy DIY project for the holidays: festive birds using inexpensive birds from the dollar store and colored glitter!

I bought a couple doves and cardinals from the local dollar store. They looked okay, but the feathers were a bit thin in places and they looked, well, cheap up-close. So I decided to fancy them up!

I brushed on Mod Podge with a small brush, doing small areas at a time. I put a piece of paper underneath the birds to catch glue drips and spills, and then carefully shook glitter over the glue-painted parts.

For the dove, I decided to do the wings first. Then I did the tail. Finally, I did the beak and feet. I used silver glitter (also from the dollar store, although more expensive German glass glitter would look even better!). I liked the way it contrasted with the white - it seems very Winter Wonderland-y to me!

I used red for the cardinal and covered everything except the black face mask and eyes. However, I only painted one area at a time so that the glue would not dry in places before I'd applied the glitter.

Voila! Here's what they look like from above. Try not to touch them too much after you sprinkle on the glitter. Give them an initial tap or two to get off the excess (and pour it back into the container so as not to waste it), but then let them dry thoroughly. After they've dried, if some areas need more glitter, carefully dab on more glue and shake on glitter again. Repeat until you get the desired effect.

At this point, you have two options. You can leave them as is and when you go to use them, you might get glitter on nearby surroundings as tiny pieces come loose. Or, you can seal the glitter. I recommend the latter! (Side note: also great for DIY glittered heels, gift tags, ribbons, fascinators, etc.)

You have quite a few choices: pastel or charcoal fixatives, acrylic spray sealants, Mod Podge (might take off glitter when you brush it on, though), or other glue-type sprays. I'm going to try an Elmer's version. I'll report back and let you know how it works once I've applied it. Whatever you use, make sure you follow the directions on the can/container!

These have wired feet, so you can turn them into ornaments for the tree after they've dried. They'd also look great tucked into Advent wreaths, Christmas wreaths, garlands, or on top of presents (for very lucky recipients!).

I still have a few of these birds leftover. I might make the dove light pink or yellow for Easter, and do the cardinal in blue (so it looks like a Blue Jay) or another bright color for the summer. Just change your glitter color to match the season!

What would you use these for? Any other ideas?