THE ALTERED FLEA

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Display Your Menorah Candles in Style

You might think Chanukah is early this year. However, it's right on time, like it is every year! According to the Jewish Calendar, Chanukah is always the 25th day of Kislev, which this year coincides with this coming Saturday, December 8th.

It seems to change every year because the Jewish Calendar takes into account both the cycles of the moon and the sun. To make up the difference between the solar year, which is 365 days, and the lunar year, which is 354 days, the Jewish Calendar adds one extra "leap month" about 7 times every 19 years. I agree--that's a lot of math to calculate. Since it's been awhile since my algebra class, let's just move on to the craft project!

It's always wonderful to polish the beautiful silver menorah and dust off the colorful ceramic Chanukiot. However, have you ever thought how drab the store-bought box of candles looks sitting next to the beautiful menorahs?

Here is a crafty way to display your menorah candles in style.

In addition to a box of Chanukah candles, you will need the following supplies:

- Libbey 4" x 4" square glass votive holder
- Scrapbook Paper or Gift Wrap
- Ribbon
- Flowers
- Buttons
- Dreidel or Menorah Charm
- Tag punch or ready-made tags
- Chanukah stamps
- Ink Pad
- Mod Podge & brush
- Strong double-sided adhesive tape

Instructions:

Make a template measuring 1-1/2" wide x 13-1/2" long, creating a slight arch. The paper band must arch to accommodate the width difference between the top and bottom circumference of the glass. Wrap the template around the glass to be sure it fits, overlapping the ends.

Trace the template onto a 12" x 12" scrapbook paper, angling the template to fit the paper and cut out along your traced markings. To save paper, you can cut two sections and piece them together, adding an extra 1/2" for overlap.

Mod Podge the paper band and let dry. Using good adhesive, adhere band to the glass, gently pulling it taut, and overlap the ends.

Embellish the candle holder using ribbon, flowers, charms, die cuts and stamped images on punched out tags.

Place the candles inside the glass holder, and you have a beautiful way to display the menorah candles throughout the eight nights.

These make wonderful hostess gifts. Wrap the entire candle holder with clear cellophane. Tie with ribbon and a matching tag, and it's ready to go!

And for those of you who like to plan ahead of time, next year we will be eating latkes for Thanksgiving, as the 25th of Kislev falls the day before Turkey Day. Oy!

For those of you celebrating Chanukah, wishing you and your family a very Happy Chanukah full of beautiful light and miracles!

Sharing this holiday project at these parties:

French Country Cottage
Ginger Snap Crafts
Practically Functional

Keeping it Simple Crafts
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Sewing Barefoot
I Should be Mopping the Floor
Or So She Says

Twigg Studios
Two Yellow Birds
From my Porch to Yours
SNAP!
Jann Olson
Yesterday on Tuesday
Katherine's Corner
House of Hepworth's
Night Owl Crafting
Mine for the Making
Beyond the Picket Fence
Bloom Designs
One Artsy Mama
Answer is Chocolate
My Repurposed Life
Life as We Know It by Paula
504 Main
The Thriftiness Miss
Craftionary
Serenity Now
I Gotta Create
Crafty Scrappy Happy
Alderberry Hill
Doodles & Stitches
Shaken Together
clean and scentsible
This Gal Cooks
The Chicken Chick
Cupcakes & Crinoline
Three Mango Seeds
It's so Very Cheri
Setting for Four
barns and noodles

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Festive Holiday Gift Pails

With the holidays quickly approaching, especially Chanukah which begins next Saturday night, you might want a quick and inexpensive idea for handmade holiday gifts.

I've got just the project for you: Festive Holiday Gift Pails. See more photos and the full tutorial over at The Ivy Cottage Blog where I'm a Crafty Contributor!

Find me at these incredible crafty parties:

A Link Party to Support SandyHook/Newtown United Way

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Say Not Sweet Anne
The Dedicated House
ninth street notions
sewing barefoot
Sugar and Dots
PrimpJunktion
Simply {Kierste}
From My Front Porch to Yours
Practically Functional
Ginger Snap Crafts
Our Delightful Home
Blackberry Vine
Craft-O-Maniac
Brassy Apple
The Gunny Sack
Keeping it Simple
Serendipity & Spice
Two Twenty-one
Dear Creatives
Alderberry Hill
i{heart}naptime
Flamingo Toes
Raising Reagan
Nifty Thrifty Things
Bloom Designs Online
My 1929 Charmer
I Should be Mopping the Floor:
I Gotta Create
A Glimpse Inside
Love & Laundry
One More Time
One Artsy Mama
It's Overflowing
Life as we Know it by Paula
Twigg Studio

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sparkle, Shimmer & Twine with Tulip Shimmer Sheets

Burlap and twine are two of my favorite "go-to" [also known as "must-have"] embellishments. I love their natural, earthy look and texture. However, as we all know, opposites attract. This became evident once again when a brown paper package recently arrived on my doorstep. I quickly opened the package to find a goldmine of Tulip's Fashion Glitter and Shimmer Transfer Sheets.

As I am participating in Tulip's Shimmer Holiday 2012 campaign, Tulip sent me a great selection of their glittery and shimmery products to try. I decided to combine my "go to" favorites with Tulip's Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets and their Glam-It-Up Iron-on Glass Crystals to create a set of glass candle holders that will literally make the holidays shine!

Here's a tutorial on this holiday DIY project. In addition to the Shimmer Transfer Sheets and Glass Crystals, gather the following materials: burlap, three tall glass cylinders [hello, dollar store] and baker's twine. You will also need circle punches, a paper cutter, an iron, double-sided tape, and a hot glue gun.

First, iron the burlap so it lays flat and wrinkle-free.

Cut out three pieces of burlap, each 4" wide x 12" long. This was a good size for my glass cylinders allowing for a one-inch overlap.

Punch several small and large circles from the red shimmer transfer sheet. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the punches worked with the shimmer sheets.

Carefully position the shimmer circles, smooth side down, on your first piece of burlap. Place a clean dishtowel [or other lightweight cloth] on top of the burlap. Using a hot iron, press your design for approximately 40 seconds.

When I lifted the towel, I wondered how a few of the circles ended up on the towel. When I looked closer, I realized I had placed a few of the circles wrong side up on the burlap, so they adhered to the towel instead. I guess that is one way you can decorate two items at once!

After a few additional punched circles and a little more ironing,

I ended up with this design, much better for the intended project.

For the second candle holder, cut long strips from the red and gold shimmer transfer sheets. Since I cannot cut a straight line, I used a paper cutter, which worked out perfectly. Then iron the strips onto the burlap in the same way as above.

For the third candle holder, cut small triangles to create a banner. Place them in a curvy line.

After ironing the triangles onto the burlap, adhere twine above the triangles to create a banner. [I found that a hot glue gun worked best for this step.]

Then, using Tulip's Glam-It-Up Heat Setting Tool, adhere red Glass Crystals to the top and bottom of each triangle. The heat-setting tool made it so easy to adhere the crystals exactly where I wanted them.

Is it just me, or do the triangles seem to resemble reindeer?

Adhere the burlap strips to the cylinders using double-sided sticky tape.

Then add a few embellishments:

Perhaps a bow tie

[also made from the shimmer sheets]

Or use twine to tie cinnamon sticks and holly around the burlap.

Add pillar candles, and you have a beautiful centerpiece ready to be displayed on a table or mantel just in time for the holidays.

There you have it! Burlap and Sparkle! Who knew?

Thank you, Tulip, for inspiring me with your beautiful shimmer and glitter products. For many more shimmery and glittery ideas, visit Tulip at: http://www.ilovetocreate.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovetocreate
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilovetocreate
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ilovetocreate

[All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Find my full disclosure here.]

You can find even more creative ideas here:

Attending these parties:

Navy Wifey Peters, Love & Laundry, Katherine's Corner, I Gotta Create, House of Hepworth's, The 36th Avenue, Yesterday on Tuesday, Katie's Nesting Spot, A Glimpse Inside, Beyond the Picket Fence, 12 Days of Christmas, Someday Crafts, Sugar & Dots, Vintage Wanna Bee, Cowgirl Up Link Party, Bloom Designs, Craftionary, French Country Cottage, 52 Mantels, Momnivore's Dilemma, simply kierste, The CSI Project, From My Front Porch to Yours, Whipperberry, Answer is Chocolate, Doodles & Stitches, Primp Junktion, My Simple Homelife, It's a Hodgepodge Life, My Repurposed Life, The Chicken Chick, Serenity Now, Shaken Together Life, Create, Craft, Love, Twigg Studio, Maybe Mathilda, Two Twenty-One, Serendipity & Spice, Keeping It Simple, The Gunny Sack, Brassy Apple, Our Delightful Home, Practically Functional, Primp Junktion, Or So She Says, Sewing Barefoot, ninth street notions, Skip to my Lou, The Dedicated House, Say Not Sweet Anne, A Bowl Full of Lemons, 733 Blog, Shanty 2 Chic, Inspired by Charm, No Minimalist Here, It's Overflowing with Creativity

Friday, November 23, 2012

Add Color to Your Chanukah Decor

Growing up in San Francisco, our winters didn't consist of "dashing through the snow" or making snow angels -- we tried, but there's not a lot one can make out of dense fog. Unless you count blowing fog rings out of the chilly night air.

We would count the Christmas trees we passed while riding here and there. The holiday trees were so colorful, especially the ones that stood on a spinning table, rotating beautiful colors around the window panes.

We celebrated the eight nights of Chanukah. Instead of colorful lights, we decorated our home in just two colors: blue & white. Blue & white hanging dreidels, blue & white tablecloths, blue & white lights around the living room bookcase...you name it, our decor was simply blue & white.

Chanukah gift wrap could only be found in shades of blue and white. Or maybe, silver, if you looked hard enough.

Chanukah decor has changed over the last few decades. Now Chanukah comes in every color imaginable. Gift wrap, menorahs, decorations, tableware, and spinning dreidels come in bright pinks, greens, yellows and more.

I decided to alter a mundane wooden serving tray in the new "Chanukah colors." I found bright fuchsia, lime green & turquoise gift wrap in my Chanukah stash. It was perfect.

I painted the tray with two coats of a dark pink/fuchsia color. I cut a piece of gift wrap to fit snugly inside the tray and adhered it with Mod Podge. When dry to the touch, I covered it with another coat of MP. This got me thinking...so I altered a tile coaster to match. Just need one more coaster

Decorataing a Hanukkah tray with gift wrap

and my tray is ready for company.

Featured here:

earth911 diy recycled hanukkah decor

Partying here:

Cowgirl Up Link Party

Beyond the Picket Fence

Between Naps on the Porch

Blackberry Vine

Skip to my Lou

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Craft-O-Maniac

Mad in Crafts

Making the World Cuter

You're Talking Too Much

Setting for Four

cupcakes and crinoline

Keeping it Simple

Alderberry Hill Make the Scene Monday

Life as we know it by Paula

I Should be Mopping The Floor

It's Overflowing with Creativity

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Quick Thanksgiving Hostess Gift

You're so lucky that you've been invited to someone else's home for Thanksgiving. It saves you the aggravation, effort and time basting the turkey! Of course, I'm only kidding. If you're entertaining on Thursday, kudos to you!

However, if you are dining out, and need a hostess gift, here is a quick and easy project you and your children can create.

All you need is a small mason jar with a hinged lid, a package of autumn-hued candy [I used peanut m&m's], and a few embellishments such as twine, fringe, ribbons, flowers, labels and a tag.

The first step is actually the most difficult: filling the jar. So be very careful. Fill the jar to the top, avoiding the temptation to eat too much of the candy, or you'll end up with a half-empty (or half-full) jar. Not such a good gift. If you did this step correctly, you should have something that looks like this: