Christmas Party Gift Idea with Heartfelt Creations...

Welcome Back!
It's Wednesday...so you know what that means!
I'm back today with another Heartfelt Creations project that hopefully you will enjoy!

This is the last week that I will be creating with the "Sparkling Poinsettia" collection...but don't worry, I'm sure as Christmas approaches you'll be seeing more from this collection here on the blog!

Before we head over into the creative part of the post, I have a quick question for you...do you like holiday office parties, church parties, etc. that require you to bring a $5-$10 gift to be swapped in a game? I'll be brutally honest here...I detest these types of things!  I detest getting the cheap box of chocolates or the dollar store junk that will make it straight into the good will pile in my home. After all what can you really find for $5-$10 that appeals to everyone in the circle as the gifts get passed from person to person.  Or even better yet, how about those parties where you need to bring a recycled gift...LOL.
 Today, I hope to be able to help you out with both of these kinds of holiday problems!

About four months ago, my mom and I took a trip to our local thrift store when I found a Christmas lantern that I thought held some altering potential!  I knew it would be perfect to alter when the Heartfelt Creations Christmas collection was released.  This lantern has sat in my living room on my work table just waiting to be re purposed...and today I've finally completed it!

Here's the lantern as it was...thrift store price tag and all!  LOL


The one thing that really attracted me to this lamp was the bulb.
It has a centre that is shaped like a wick, and when lit it actually flickers exactly the way
a candle burns!


Moving along, as I don't want to keep you in suspense any longer...

 ...here's the transformation...


 ...by simply adding some beautifully shaped poinsettias and some sparkle, you can see that this $5 lantern now looks like it's worth so much more!  What a great way to re purpose something and then feel good about re gifting it at one of those parties!  Or maybe by the time you're done it will be the perfect holiday addition to your mantle!  *wink wink*

Here's a close up of the top flower cluster...


As you can see in this close up photo, the lantern itself had been brushed with a gold color.  I decided to bring that out in several ways.  I've chosen to use a brighter tone of gold glitter on the cream colored poinsettias and I've also created darker golden poinsettias.  I think they complement one another very well.  I've added different color microbeads to each of the two colors of flowers. The Sparkling Poinsettia flowers are so easy to shape...so don't let a fear of tackling them stop you from creating with this fabulous collection.  Heartfelt Creations has created a wonderful instructional video tutorial which you can see here.  
I've also brought out the gold hues by using a cream colored wire ribbon that has gold edging.

...and a closer look at the bottom floral cluster...


I've also created a coordinating tag for this project.  This way you can write your holiday message on the back and hang the tag from the top of the lantern.  It's all finished and perfect to hand off at one of the holiday upcycling parties!

Here's a closer look at the tag...


So, I hope I've inspired you to keep your eyes open the next time you visit a thrift store!
You can find some amazing items just looking to be re purposed and provide them with new life!

Be sure to stop by the Heartfelt Creations blog for more fresh and inspiring projects this week!
Also, have you seen the preview of the upcoming release "Farmers Market"?
I simply love this new collection, and I have some treats in store for you with the gorgeous gathering of papers, stamps and dies!

Until next time...

Project Supplies & Instructions
 HCDP1-256  Sparkling Poinsettia Paper Collection
HCPC-3679  Large Sparkling Poinsettia Cling Stamp Set
HCPC-3680  Sparkling Poinsettia Cling Stamp Set
HCPC-3684  Sparkling Poinsettia Notes Cling Stamp Set
HCD1-765  Large Sparkling Poinsettia Die
HCD1-766  Sparkling Poinsettia Die
HCD1-745  Luggage and Tags Die
HCST1-401  Deluxe Flower Shaping Kit
TSMP805  Memento Dye Ink Pad - Toffee Crunch
159723  Art Institute Glue - Dries Clear
352854  Art Institute Metal Glue Tip
309196  Essential Glue Pad
SMP001  Stamp Mat Pad

Other Products Used:  second hand Christmas lantern, gold card stock, cream card stock, Martha Stewart Smoky Quartz Glitter, clear embossing powder, sponge daubers, Lindy's Stamp Gang Golden Sleigh Bells, Recollection Micro Beads - Champagne & Antique Copper, cream and gold wired ribbon, hot glue gun, heat tool, Glitter Ritz, water mist bottle, Modge Podge, sponge paint brush, gold detail embossing powder, gold cord, Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen & Vintage Photo, VersaColor Pine Cone Ink

For full instructions on how to shape and create the poinsettias on this project, please see instructional video here.


Purchase a second hand Christmas lantern or holiday item of your choice that you are wish to upcycle.  Using cream card stock and your Essential Glue Pad, stamp several images of the Poinsettia Cling Stamp Set, sprinkling the fine glitter on the images as you go and before glue dries.  Stamp several images of the Large Poinesttia Cling Stamp Set and repeat the steps you have just completed with the smaller Poinsettia Cling Stamp Set.  Set aside to dry.  Using gold colored card stock and a light brown ink, stamp several images of the small Poinsettia Cling Stamp Set and sprinkle with clear embossing powder.  Set embossing powder using a heat tool.  Die cut using the coordinating die and shape into double blossoms using the deluxe flower shaping tools and a light mist of water.  Once gold flowers have been shaped and assembled, apply a small amount of glue to each petal edge using a fine metal glue tip and sprinkle with Glitter Ritz.  Allow to dry completely and then spray lightly with Lindy's Stamp Gang spray.  Moving back to the glittered flowers, die cut using the coordinating die, add a touch of light brown ink to the centres of the petals using a finger sponge dauber, and then proceed to shape without water.  Shape the flower images just using the deluxe flower shaping kit and no water as you do not want to loose all of the glitter you have applied.  Once shaped, create double blossoms.  (Note:  some of your glitter will fall off of the flowers during the color application, shaping and assembling process,  however due to the nature of the project being an upcycled art piece, the look of the blooms being a little dated, antiqued and faded is the perfect finishing touch.)Using a sponge paint brush, lightly apply a thin layer of Modge Podge to each of the glittered flowers and set aside to dry.  Once all flowers are dry, add the micro beads to the centres of each blossom.  Create your loopy bow and adhere to piece you are altering with a hot glue gun.  Begin arranging flowers in the clusters as you desire, and once happy with placement adhere to piece with hot glue gun.
To create tag, stamp image onto a cream colored card stock and emboss with gold detail embossing powder.  Die cut using the large tag in the Luggage and Tags Die set.  Distress tag using distress inks.  Locate sentiment piece in the paper collection and distress with distress inks and spray with Lindy's Stamp Gang spray.  Ink all edges of the tag as well as the sentiment piece with a light brown ink.  Adhere flower and sentiment to bottom of tag as shown.  Loop gold cording through tag.  You are now ready to present a beautiful upcycled piece of altered art to someone special...or maybe keep and display on your own mantle!

7 comments

SussiPoppins said...

HI, You have really out done yourself this time. You have also put the Poinsettias in their glory! Wonderful project. Hugs

Unknown said...

This altered lantern is GORGEOUS.

Kathy/NorthCarolina said...

Wow, Tracey! I hope I get invitted to THAT Christmas party! What an amazing transformation! Your flowers are spectacular, and the color scheme is perfect....you could leave it out all winter long. Good eye...and great job! .

Marisa Job said...

What a gorgeous creation! Very creative!!

Robin said...

You and Candy really scored at the thrift store! I need to start looking at my local thrift store, lol. Beautiful colors, gorgeous poinsettias and...I want one! BTW it's no longer $5 with all the time you put into the lamp. Hugs

Karan Gerber said...

wonderful score at the thrift store i need to remember to pop in there once a while, love what you have done to this piece Tracey, beautiful poinsettias.

Nupur Priya said...

So beautiful... love how you have transformed the lamp with the poinsettias... Amazing... anyone would love to get this as a gift.. :)

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