If you’re looking for that last minute gift for the holidays, our guest blogger, Carmen Whitehead, has solved that problem for you. This shabby chic Christmas ornament is perfect as a gift for family and friends.  It’s very easy to create and by adding a name, you can personalize it for anyone!

The Holiday season is here and we’re all busy decorating, baking and buying gifts.  This can be such a stressful time, but one way to relieve that stress is to do a craft project and one that you can have as a family keepsake.  I love making these little canvas ornaments!  They are so easy and look very unique.

Materials:

  • 3” canvas
  • Holiday or Shabby Chic theme scrapbook paper
  • Christmas tags
  • Acrylic Paint
  • Lace trim
  • Vintage brooch or earring
  • Twine or Jute Cord

Tools

  • Tacky glue
  • Mod Podge or gel medium
  • brush
  • cosmetic sponge

Instructions

1. Cut 2 pieces of scrap book paper to fit each side of canvas. Glue one piece to the back side of the canvas, placing glue around the edge of canvas.  Adhere the other piece to the front with Mod Podge or gel medium.

Shabby ornament 1

 2. Using the cosmetic sponge apply your selection of acrylic paint around the outside edge of the canvas, smudging some of it onto the front and back.

Shabby ornament 2

 3. Adhere strip of lace trim around canvas applying glue to the top and bottom of canvas. Glue tag to the back of the canvas, placing it so the hole of the tag is in the center of the canvas. Add twine through tag hole for hanging.

shabby ornament 3

 4.  Glue your vintage brooch or earring to the center of the front of the canvas.  It looks best if it is shiny and a similar color as the scrapbook paper.

shabby ornament 4

 5. Let all the glue cure for 24 hours before hanging to ensure the brooch or tag does not fall off.

shabby ornament 5

 

You can make several of these in one sitting and they make great gifts.  You can write the recipients name on the gift tag in the back, or Merry Christmas.  The canvases come in smaller sizes too if you want to make them in different sizes.

Tips:

  • Remove the clasp of the brooch or earring so it will lay flat. You can find very inexpensive pieces at thrift stores or yard sales
  • Remember the more pieces you add, the heavier the ornament will be. If you’re worried the twine will break the tag, you can add a tag reinforcement circle to the hole.

About the Artist:   Carmen Whitehead is a self-taught mixed media artist with recently published art in Somerset Studio magazine.  She has a love all things vintage and incorporates that into her artwork by using vintage ephemera and laces.  You can see more of her work, tutorials and shop on her blog .

Blog:  www.carmenwhitehead.blogspot.com

Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CarmenWDesigns