CHRISTMAS FUN - DECEMBER 5, 2013

I know I promised holiday book fun and that it would not be all crafts, but there are so many cute and easy things to do for the holidays with books it is crazy! I have been seeing this everywhere, so I decided to show you how to make them. You can put these anywhere as decorations. The idea for us is to use an old book, I would even use a different spray then you see in the video to tip the pages full of color if you want to make them match your decorations better. Or you can keep it white. I thought also you may not even have to spray it at all because then people can really see you made this from a book and it is just as cute.

I have the handwritten directions but when you watch the video it helps you visualize the creation process better. So I will type out the directions and give the link for the video.

From Martha Stewart

SHIMMERING STACKED TREES

MATERIALS

4 ounces Sculpey clay
10-inch, 6mm thick knitting needle
Felt
Craft glue
Clear glass glitter
Receipt spike (optional)
2 pieces 6-by-6-inch card stock
Newspaper
Utility knife
Bone folder
Adhesive spray
Hot-glue gun and glue
2 paper Dresden stars

STEPS

STEP 1
Roll and flatten 4 ounces sculpting clay to form dome shape. Poke knitting needle horizontally through flat area of clay dome. Remove knitting needle.

STEP 2
Bake clay in oven at 275 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Reinsert needle into baked clay. Glue felt on bottom of base for surface protection.

STEP 3
Apply glue, then glitter, to the base. A receipt spike can be used to create a smaller tree instead of building a base using the above instructions.

STEP 4
To form tree, place 2 pieces of 6-by-6-inch card stock onto spike for stability.

STEP 5
Cut newspaper into 50 sheets of each size:-6 by 6 inches-5 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches-5 by 5 inches-4 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches-4 by 4 inches-3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches-3 by 3 inches-2 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches-2 by 2 inches-1 1/2 by 1/2 inch

STEP 6
Cut 25 1-inch sheets of newspaper.

STEP 7
Begin poking pieces of newspaper onto spike in descending order, folding and unfolding each piece of paper using a bone folder.

STEP 8
Spray tree with adhesive and immediately sprinkle with diamond dust. Set aside and let dry for 10 minutes.

STEP 9
Using a hot-glue gun, adhere 2 paper Dresden stars back-to-back to top of tree.

(It seems like it is complicated but it is very easy)

THE FINISHED PROJECT

I am sure you can see where you can use many variations on this project. Please follow the link below and watch the video for any help you may need. And make sure you have fun!!! Also, display these proudly all around your home. In fact, if you are having company, you can make smaller ones to use as place settings. And if you want to make a homemade present for someone, make a bigger tree with a lot of sparkle for a nice homemade gift.

Martha Stewart Demonstrates