For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
You repurpose 'em and make them into ornaments!! Are they not the almost perfect canvas? If it weren't for the whole in the center they would be! And hey, if you just wanted to paint them a snowy white and sprinkle them with crystal glitter and string a ribbon through, they'd kinda look like snowballs.....in a flat sort of way. Ha! I'm getting ahead of myself here.
I wanted to share this idea with you for using up some of those fiberboard discs you may have that you won't ever use. These are sooooo easy. Let your imagination go and have fun!!
Use any size fiberboard (the hard pressed paper) discs. I used the mambo 4 inchers because I was an idiot when I ordered them thinking I would be making jumbo size bears. NOT! I have 100 of those darned things!! Paint them front, back and edges in the color of your choice. (Tip: Do one side and the edge and let dry before painting the other side.) Two coats of paint give a nice even cover. Next, spread a good quality transparent glue with a wide paintbrush on one side and sprinkle with glitter. Let dry and then glitter the other side. I used crystal clear glitter for this ornament. Lots of sparkle, no color! When the glue/glitter is good and dry, lay a bead of hot glue around the edge in small sections (so you don't burn yourself!) and adhere the trim of your choice. I used antique tinsel for this example. Attach a ribbon at the top of your ornament for hanging and then begin decorating your glittery canvas. In this example I used old German dresdan pieces and paper rosettes made from vintage music sheets. Don't forget to do a little something on the back as well. You don't want the hole on the other side of your canvas to show!!
See how simple this is? It's best to do a whole batch of, say a dozen, so by the time you're ready to move on to each step, each piece is already dry and ready.
You could also use a decorative paper to cover the disc and then glitter it. Or, you could paint and rubberstamp and then glitter. The neatest thing? This is a really inexpensive project if you already have most of the goodies in your art room. And remember, you can use any size fiberboard disc as your canvas!!
Another use for teddy bear supplies......who knew?
Hugs and hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Brilliant! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Gail G
Great idea Aleta!!! :clap: :dance:
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Give this woman a standing ovation . . . what a great idea!!!
:clap: :clap: :clap:
I love this idea Aleta, and just when I was trying to come up with an idea for my kids playgroup xmas craft, the kids love putting stickers on things, so I might just nab this idea and kiddify it - I've got hundreds of discs that they can decorate!
Thanks you so much for sharing
Cheers
Mel
You are just so creative! Great idea!!!
You are sooo smart. I would never have thought of that. Like you, I bought a bunch of every size disc when I started. I have a bunch of those huge discs and some of the tiniest. You are such a clever girl!
You girlies are too sweet. What is it they say?.....Necessity is the mother of invention...or something like that. I have an art and antique show coming up in December and I need to have lots of affordable ornaments and giftie things on hand. I also had to come up with something that my Thanksgiving guests can easily make. That's the deal....free food, free room....must follow a pattern and use glitter! Ha!
Warmest hugs, :hug:
Aleta
P.S. If anyone out there uses this idea, please post a picture of what you come up with. I'd love to see what you create. I'm especially interested in what your class comes up with Mel! Kids art is so off the cuff cool!
What a super idea Aleta. My twelve year old daughter is always after craft projects to do - this will be perfect. Thank you so much for sharing the idea and showing some examples. :hug: :hug:
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: Great idea Aleta :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
I love this idea and can't wait to try it out! Thanks for sharing!
Ginie
thanks for sharing!!! I also have hundreds of large disks my 3 inch bears will never use...though when i saw the heading of this thread i had a thought to somehow use them as platforms for little scenes..so theres 2 ideas!!! I will definately be making some!!
Kerrilyn
Aleta you are so clever! How do you attach the ribbon? Will it come of if you glue it right on the glitter? Pam
Brilliant idea, Aleta - they look SO pretty and festive!
huggies
Maria
Aleta,
What a clever girl you are!!!! They are really fabulous and "thank you" for giving me an idea that will work wth Corson. Every year we make his mummy a Christmas ornament from him. I don't have large discs, but I do have lots of heavy cardboard. It will be fun to let him decorate a disc for his mummy. It will be closer to Christmas, but I'll post it once he's done.
Yesterday, he carved two pumkins faces by himself. We drew the faces for him and he cut them out entirely = would not let anyone help him!
hugs,
Brenda
Hi Pam,
I just hot glue the ribbon to one side and smoosh it in really well so it gets a good grip. I'll try to get a close up picture later this afternoon. I'm working on some new ornaments with a paper overlay rather than a painted surface right now so the ribbon will hide beneath the paper rather than laying on top. Make sense?
Be back later, hopefully with a couple of pictures!
Hugs and hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Hi ya Brenda!!
Oh, yes, you simple MUST post a picture of what Corson comes up with!!
Speaking of the wee ones....I had an idea that would be fun with those little pictures kids have taken at school. Paint or paper the surface of the disc and then rather than adhering the picture with glue, use one of those pop up squares or circles to elevate the picture away from the disc. With a glittered background I think it would look very artsy fartsy. Perfect for Gram's or Nana's and Papa's!
Okay. Now I really have to go back to work!
Hugs and hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Aleta,
That's another good idea! When my kids were in Junior kindergarden they made me paper angels out of paper doilies with their school photos as the head and foil wings. Last year, I helped Corson make one for his mummy and she loved it. You just cut the paper doily in half, roll into a cone and staple the school photo on the point and add foil wings. They sit well on the end of a tree branch. I still have the ones my kids made me and they are two of my favourite ornatments. It's fun every year to see them, as our kids are now 32 and 35!
hugs,
Brenda
How Cool!!!!
Amy
Hi Aleta,
Thank you for sharing your really neat idea, for decorations.
They are fabulous and would be so much fun to make. It is neat when people, can make
their own, they always look so much better than the ones you buy.
Warmest bear hugs
Carolyn
:hug: :hug:
Thanks for sharing this.
Lynette
Okie dokie Aleta!! I have lots of big ones too, what was I thinking? Pam
You are so clever Sweetie!
Hugs Louise
Smarty pants!!! You make this girl look not so clever. I sold my discs at a discount a long time ago. I could have been making cutesy ornaments instead. Hmpf!!! :crackup: Who am I kidding.
Beautiful! Does your brain ever sleep?
Aleta thats so clever, what a pretty design you've come up with. Now if I had time I would have a go...anyone got any 48 hour days they don't need?
Hugs, Jane.