Ain't that a peach!

The holidays are a time for sharing and creating memories with friends and family.  2 of my closest friends {and former college room mates} married military spouses and are currently station a world away in Japan.  During the holidays, I always think of how brave and strong they are to be so far away from their families and traditions and forging their own adventures.  This year, both were fortunate that their husbands were able to celebrate the Season at home, but there have been years past were their men have been deployed and Christmas is less complete for them.  I always try to send them little pieces of Georgia as a reminder that home is where the heart is {and the peaches grow}.  My favorite creation for them was a keepsake ornament with a cotton bloom inside {a little touch of Georgia snow}.  This year I hope my little world travelers enjoyed their tribute to home!

This project was stupid simple!  Here's all you need:

Large clear glass ornament {I went with a set that had a iridescent finish to capture more of the peach colors}

Glitter {The closest to peach I could find during the holidays was more of a copper color, but the iridescent bulb helped to create the correct color effect}

Trusty spray adhesive {sensing a pattern here?}

Green Felt

Floral/Craft wire

Hot Glue

So here's how it is done:

- Remove the hanger from the ornament and position the nozzle of the spray adhesive can directly into the bulb

- Spray a generous coat of glue into the ornament

- Pour in your glitter

- Cover the hole at the top of the bulb {WELL} and shake away!

Make sure to roll the glitter around to fully cover the inside of the ornament.  NOTE: if you didn't get enough glue in on the first try, you can quickly respray and shake again.  But you must move quickly because the adhesive dries fast and if not properly dispersed it will cause your glitter to clump.  

Next you cut out a leaf from your green felt, hot glue the floral/craft wire to the felt and wrap the end around the hook of the ornament.  Since I was shipping these to Japan, I did not glue the leaf to the outside of the ornament, but you may want to to make sure it stays positioned correctly.

That's it, it was that easy!  If you aren't a Georgia girl, or don't care to adorn your Christmas Tree with fruit, there are countless other ideas you can try - brown glitter to create a gingerbread man, white to create a snow man, or just create fun glitter ornaments in your favorite colors to put around the house.  

These were a quick and simple project that hopefully helped to remind my friends of home and keep Georgia on their minds!

Here is the finished product.  Ain't that a peach :)

DIY - Burlap Ornaments

In keeping with my latest obsession {burlap} I scoured Pinterest for ways to incorporate the fabric into my Christmas decor.  Last year, my Mom bought us monogrammed burlap stockings {combining 2 of a southern girls favorite things!} so I knew I wanted to find more ways to incorporate it this year.

I found the cutest burlap ornaments on the Pinterest page linked to http://www.lagattasultettomilano.com/ but the blog is in Italian and I couldn't find the instructions {thank you for a fabulous starting point though!}

So deciphering the image from her cite, here is what i came up with:

What you will need:
Burlap fabric
Spray Adhesive {I tried Modge Podge, but it didn't stick to the styrofoam}
Glue Gun
Styrofoam balls
Scissors
Sharpie Pen
News Paper {to protect your crafting surface and to create a template}

First start by cutting an oval {or leaf/eye} shape out of newspaper.  I made the length of my template match the width of my burlap fabric.  You will need to trim down the width until you find the right size to lay flat around your styrofoam ball. Once you come up with the correct size, trace out your template onto the burlap.  I used 6 strips of burlap per styrofoam ball.

Now comes the messy part... after you cut out your strips, individually spray the back of the strip and wrap it around the styrofoam ball. {I had burlap fuzz stuck to my fingers for days!!}

Repeat until the styrofoam is completely covered.  You can add twine, lace or other embellishments as in the inspiration for the project.

Here is the finished product:

I incorporated my burlap touch in an apothecary jar along with red and gold ornaments.  I also pulled them into my dining room table centerpiece, but unfortunately did not get a picture.  Since the holidays are now over, I simply replaced the ornaments in this arrangement with green apples and continue to enjoy the look! {P.S. the apothecary jar was a lucky find at our local Marshall's for a whopping $15!!!}

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  Here you can see my beautiful stockings, and the pride and joy of the season, my mailbox topper {I searched high and low for this!}