Here are a couple little crafts that you can do yourself and these are nothing brilliant, just some fun ideas for making thing more personal around your house. Using metallics during the holiday season is nothing new either, but it’s always been something I enjoy bringing into my house for Christmas.
This idea is nothing new and has been around for a long time and certainly not started by me. In fact, I spray painted these nuts and acorns probably 5 years ago and didn’t even blog about it at the time, but I thought I’d share a really easy and simple idea to use natural elements and to add just a bit of glitz and gleam to them. Gold and silver are my choices, but you could use copper or pewter, any tone of metallic spray paint will work. There are all sorts and brands of metallic spray paints out there and you probably have some in your paint stash like I do. I know I have several gold spray paints somewhere around here that I’ve had forever. You could also use Rub N Buff, but spray paint is fast and quick. I love fast and quick!
I picked up pinecones years ago and embellished the tips of a few of them with craft glue and glitter in silver and gold. These make a fun statement during the holidays, mixed in with mercury glass or other elements and adding naturals from outdoors is a way to add some great textures to your table or mantel. I love the shape of pinecones and they are fun to decorate with. Grapevine balls also got spray painted with metallic gold and silver and these add a natural twist with just a little sparkle to a Christmas or Fall vignette. I’ve had all of this stuff for years and just store it away in a box every year.
Acorns are abundant in most neighborhoods and when I was in Birmingham, I picked up many in the backyard. They are such pretty natural elements too and are equally beautiful with a little metallic spray paint.
I had these spray paints on hand, but use whatever you have for that metallic gleam on naturals.
A quick and easy way to decorate for the Holidays and what is easier than going outside and picking these up? There are many trees that drop nuts and any of them are fair game to spray paint. I love mixing these together in a bowl with pretty dainty ornaments also in silver or gold. Mercury glass mixes in well too and there’s nothing better than the sparkle of glass mixed with a little shimmer on nature pieces.
Here’s an old pic from Christmas 2010 and you can see I used a mix of naturals, with some left as is and the gold and silver ones mixed in. All of this is a wonderful mix with green, white and naturals. That little gleam of metallic shows up so pretty in candlelight too.
Here’s another little project that takes little time to do. If you have any of these signs on wood, you can easily make a DIY frame for it. I picked up this beautiful scripture verse last year at the Country Living fair in Stone Mountain (which is coming up again next month). My pretty sign came from Pine Designs, in Dahlonega, GA, so check them out online. I love this piece and it’s still available. They had some of their signs mounted like this and I knew I could do my own. I just got this done at the end of my porch project and it took about 5 minutes to put together. I paid $10 at the fair for this and it’s sold for $12 online. I’d much rather pay that than try to do this myself. I know my patience level! These have a pretty hand painted look to them and I loved the distressed edges. They have no idea I’m blogging about them, by the way.
I simply painted a scrap piece of beadboard that was cut 1” bigger than my sign board, which is 12×12”. I used Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White and covered up the beadboard, let it dry and then simply used hot glue to attach the verse to my beadboard.
That’s it! A quick little project that looks great and adds a little more dimension than just the verse board alone. You can barely see a little hot glue peeking under the board.
I just love this scripture verse and the beadboard backing just gives it a really great look!
So, there’s 2 little craft projects that you can try too! I’m joining Layla’s Fall Craft party and hope you’ll check it out for LOTS more Fall inspiration!
I love it Rhoda 🙂 I always look forward to our fall walks with the kids and watching them collect acorns along the way 🙂 Happy Fall! xo Kristin
You know, Rhoda, I just went for a walk a couple of weeks ago and picked up some acorns and was going to paint them. They are so tiny though. So do you just spray some paint in a bowl and paint them by hand? Also, how did you get paint on just the tips of the pinecones. I also picked some of them up recently on a walk in the park! We must think alike 🙂
Thanks.
Karen, you can take off the little jackets on the acorns and just spray paint them and then glue them back on. I wouldn’t do them by hand. Spray them, turn them over and spray all over. On the pinecones, I did those with glue on the tips and glitter added. A little messy, but easy.
Oh, you’re so clever! Why didn’t I think of that? 🙂
Thank you!
I’ve been looking at my grapevine balls (that just sounds funny by the way) and thinking they were totally exhausted. . I’m so glad I read your post because I wasn’t going to paint them metallic..Nope….I was thinking of something else…on the wrong track cmpletely ..had to do with the University of Tennesssee…gasp…I was thinking orange. But not any more!!! You have such great ideas. .
I tried to display acorns last year and what I assume was a small branch started blooming out of them. Will painting them keep that from happening?
What a great idea! I have an over abundance of acorns that fall from my big Oak Tree in the fall. We literally fill garbage bags with them!!! Wish you could all come over, take some and we could have an acorn painting party! I’m definitely going to try this. Thanks. 🙂
Hello My Dear–I love your project…I love gilding just about everything in my path, so be careful if we meet again in person because you might get spray-painted gold/silver, too!!! 🙂
HAHAHAHA!!!
I’m about to “stalk” you and send you another email….you rock so much!!!
I hope you get a chance to stop by and see my Vintage Brooch Votive craft–I LOVE ME SOME BLING CRAFTS!!!
Love/hugs/blessings,
Lana
I enjoy your blog and read it everyday! We are in the middle of renovating a home and are doing alot of hands on work, so I know how hard you and your sweet dad have worked. Your home is lovely.
I love the acorns, they are really sweet. They would look lovely glued to some napkin rings for Christmas time too.
Seems funny your going into Fall and it’s Spring here in NZ. I am off to Australia Monday for some sunshine in Brisbane and a break from the blog.
I have posted a beautiful home today Rhoda, I really think you will enjoy it. There are so many images I have to post in two parts. It is a typical NZ Villa from the early 1900’s which has been updated but Mary’s style is classic and she has some gorgeous pieces of furniture. I think you will enjoy reading the story about the house too. Hope yo don’t mind me putting a link in here, it will only be homepage today so didn’t want yo to miss it.
Here is a link;
http://leecarolineart.blogspot.co.nz/2013/09/a-gracious-auckland-villa-in-st-marys.html
I will miss your posts while I am away.
Lee 🙂
So pretty for fall! Don’t forget to bake any little critters away in the oven @ 200 degrees for about 45 minutes if you have pinecones or acorns from outside. I didn’t know this last year……….. I spent a lot of time collecting perfect acorns from the side of the road, and made a really beautiful wreath for my garage entry door. After a week outside, little (you guessed it) maggots started hatching! I still kinda shudder when I think about it, and it was so pretty too.
Oh my gosh, Jeanna! I didn’t know that. I’ve had my acorns stored in a box for about 5 years, but never had that problem. Yikes!
I’m glad someone mentioned the bug issues. I collected a bunch of acorns from the backyard, but kept them on my porch for a few days. I also had worms emerging. But,it may depend on where you live.
Of course, painting them may may kill the worm by shutting off any oxygen. It would be an interesting test.