DIY Glitter Canvas and 'Merry Mail' sign

I took advantage of my extra time off this weekend and did a few crafts. It's such a great way to get into the holiday spirit and it was made even better by the cold front that came in this week! Now it really is cocoa and cider season!

The crafts I did were incredibly quick and simple, not only that, they're completely customizable which is even better.

First I'll explain the glitter canvases.

I bought a two pack of 16x20 canvases at Hobby Lobby back a few months ago so when I saw this idea I jumped on it. All you need is a canvas, glitter, elmer's glue, paint brush, a stencil (I googled, "Reindeer Sillhouette" and "Pumpkin Sillhouette" and printed these out the size I wanted them) clear acrylic spray paint and scissors or an exacto knife.

After that it really is as easy as it looks. Cut out the stencil. If you couldn't get your printer to print it big enough (the issue I ran into) then you can just print and cut it out, then tape it to a chair (or something) and place a light in front of it to project the image onto the wall. Move the chair until the image is the right size, place your canvas against the wall and voila, you're in business!

After you've traced the image on the canvas, squeeze out your glue and use a paint brush to spread it out evenly. Then pour on your glitter and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before dumping the excess into the trash.

 

Once you've got it how you want it, let it sit out to dry (30 minutes at least). Then to be extra careful, spray some clear acrylic spray paint on top of the canvas to help keep the glitter on there. 

I did one coat over the entire canvas, then a second coat over just the glitter (waiting 30-45 minutes in between coats).

Finally, you get to admire your work and figure out where you're going to put it! I decided to hang mine up in my entryway but a lot of people prefer to place theirs on the mantle above a fireplace.

 

My next craft, I saw and subsequently stole from a friends Facebook page! a Merry Mail sign is a perfect way to display your Christmas cards for everyone to see. In the past I had taped mine up in the shape of a tree on the wall, but this is such an easy way to present them in a cute, organized manner. This craft is even simpler than the last one. Here's what you'll need:

1 piece of wood (I cut mine from a pallet, then sanded it until it was smooth)

red paint

white paint

paint brushes

hot glue gun

ribbon

mini-clothes pins

Seasonal Foilage

Lighter

Once your wood is the right size and texture, paint a coat or two of your red paint. Once it's dry add your saying. I went with Merry Mail but the one I made my mom says Seasons Greetings. Once your white paint is dry, cut your ribbon however long you want (I made my moms much longer than mine because she receives a lot more Christmas cards!) just make sure they're all the same length. Take the lighter to the edges so they don't frey, then hot glue them to the back. Next glue on your foilage and once it's cool you can add your clothespins and find a place to hang it up!

I chose to use a picture hanging kit to hang my sign, but you can use large command strips as well.

All in all I was able to do both crafts in one evening and I'm super happy with how they turned out!
Now I just need the self-control to wait until after Thanksgiving to put them up! We'll see if I make it. . .