Clay Christmas Tree Decoration DIY

Hello everyone,

Clay is a thing that I never had any interest in using for craft projects as I always imagined that it had to be baked and that it was just a whole lot of hard work......until I came across air drying clay - this stuff is great!  It comes ready to use in small or large packs so if you are just doing a few decorations like I was, you don't have to go buying a great big bag full.  I would recommend visiting CottageChicInteriors for great craft supplies from Stamperia.  You will be able to get your moulds and pre-cut decoration papers there including a multitude of other craft supplies.

To make your decorations, you just have to break off a piece of clay that's big enough for the project you have in mind and soften it up in your hands for a while.  When soft enough you just press it into the mould that you want to use (you can get moulds especially for making decorations), scrape off the excess and while still wet, remove it from the mould to dry on a non-porous, flat surface.  At this stage it is important to add a hole for your ribbon/string using an orange stick or something similar.  Folks, this is the correct way to do it, however, I did not do this.  Why?  One, I didn't have a mould and two, I was impatient.  Result = very rustic, rough and ready clay decorations!!

Using moulds means you obtain the correct clay thickness for the decorations you are making, whereby, when you are rolling it out yourself and using a cookie cutter or a glass to shape it (like I did), it can result in a more uneven finish or if it is rolled out too thin it can cause the clay to curl up when drying (like mine did).....lesson learned!

So, they weren't perfect, but I'd come this far so I decided to go ahead and decorate them anyway.  For the decorating I used napkins and découpage paper which I cut to size and stuck on to the dried clay decorations (mine took 48 hrs. to dry out completely).  I darkened the edges to give an aged look and coated them with varnish.  Finally, I fed some ribbon through the holes that I had made earlier for hanging and also added some bows for the final touch......and that's it, easy DIY clay Christmas tree decorations.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my Christmas tree decorations, as always, if you have any questions please email me (on the right) or use the comment box below.  I am always glad to help.

Bye for now

Glitzy Faux Pumpkin

Hi Everyone,
I have been dying to glam up a faux pumpkin for ages but haven't been able to source a large one locally so I went ahead and used a small one that I have had for a few years which I bought in a Euro Store for a couple of euro.

First I painted the foam pumpkin in cream - two coats.  I then shaded the creases of the pumpkin using some watered down gold paint. When dry I glued on some gold leaves and painted up some cardboard motifs and glued them into place on the top of the pumpkin.  I added two pieces of gold ribbon and then I dabbed the top of the pumpkin with pva glue and sprinkled on the gold glitter.

I think the result is really lovely and there are lots of possibilities for more pumpkins - stripes, spots, découpage....

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial, please leave a comment below or send me an email through the link on the right hand side if you have any questions.

Bye for now

Make Your Own Halloween Pumpkin - Tutorial Video

Halloween will be upon us soon and I just love to have lots of Autumnal decor around my home, so, no time like the present to get things ready.  These wonderful pumpkins from SoCraftastic are really great and easy to make.  I'm definitely going to give them a try.  What do you think?  Let me know by commenting below or sending a message.

Cupcake Time Heart Shaped Wall Plaquette

Cupcakes are loved by almost everyone so when I laid eyes on this great cupcake napkin I knew it would be perfect for a kitchen style plaquette which I think I have only done once before. Click here.

I had some heart shaped blanks which were ideal for the job and as I wanted to have some typography included to make it more kitcheny, I cut out a heart shape in the centre of my napkin using a stencil shape, which allowed me some space for transferring my text.

The transfer was done putting reverse text onto a glued surface and leaving it overnight before removing.  It's a foolproof way of transferring small graphics.

I outlined the heart shape in the centre with a paint pen and then coated it with some layers of sealant to protect it.  Here it is - you can let me know what you think by commenting below and if you would like to hear more from Funky-Junk you can follow me by filling in your email address at the top left of the page.

Bye for now

Bedside Lockers - Painted

I've painted them! I had to mix up four different beiges/creams to make up enough to cover both pieces as I didn't have enough in any one colour and when I am in the mood to paint I need to do it right there and then and not wait around for paint to be bought.  Again, I added my usual mix of Plaster of Paris to make up a nice chalk paint.  I've left the drawer fronts as I'm doing them in another colour like I did with the Chest of Drawers.  I think they look better already!

Let me know what you think below or go to my Facebook page here to 'like' or leave a comment.

Bedside Lockers

I'm on a roll now having completed the Chest of Drawers which I posted about earlier this month and I am ready to get stuck into these two pine bedside lockers.  The are visually dated but are good quality and in great condition so why let them go to waste when they can be totally transformed?

I recently had my house painted and decided to re-do my bedroom so everything is getting a makeover and I'll be posting on the blog and on my Facebook page as I go along - it's a slow process in between trying to get everyone else's pieces finished, a full-time day job, a house to keep and child to look after - so bear with me!!  I do eventually get there and love the challenge so do drop back to have a look!