It's the most wonderful time of the....
It's beginning to look a lot like...
Rockin around the...
Have a Holly, Jolly....
CHRISTMAS!
To me, Christmas comes from the heart first, and around the kitchen/dining room table second.
My fondest memories of Christmas started as young girl, sitting at my parent's dinning room table having this Christmas Eve feast my mom cooked for hours and hours. We would eat and laugh, laugh and eat. And then somehow like magic, always around dessert time, Santa Claus would arrive on the community fire truck with the sirens blazing to wish me and my brothers a Merry Christmas! We would be sure to tell him that we were the most well behaved children - just to make sure he knew that we weren't naughty and would bring us presents.
Now that our family is older, our Christmas Eve table has grown to include in-laws and a new wave of children that get to see the magic of Chistmas. We still laugh and eat, eat and laugh (although now me and my sisters-in-law help my mom cook). Santa still comes on the fire truck and it makes me believe and remember that the magic of Christmas isn't about the presents, it's about loving and being with family.
During the Christmas season, my dining room table is also a place where I make my handmade Christmas cards every year. I have about 65 to make. And sometimes when I am cutting out and coloring all of the wreaths, or stamping all of the sentiments I think it's a chore. But when I think back....WOW! 65 cards. I am truly blessed with great family and friends.
Here is a picture of the cards from Christmas 2011. Instead of my craft room, I make all my Christmas cards on my dining room table. If I whine enough, my hubby helps me :)
While I haven't created my prototype for Christmas 2012 yet, I leave you with an easy and great project to decorate your dining room table. I can already imagine it being the backdrop to our next Christmas feast. I can already hear the laughter and the stories.
Finished project. I BELIEVE in Santa Claus :)
Step by Step Picture Tutorial:
1. Gather supplies to make the blocks. 2x10 works. If you can find a 4x10 then you can omit the gluing and clamping steps.
2. Use copy paper to make a template to make sure the blocks are visually proportional to each other. These also come in handy when you are marking the wood for cutting (next step).
3. Mark the wood with a straight edge and pencil. Remember: Measure twice and cut once!
Measurements of mine:
B 7.5x10
E 5x6 (all three E's same size)
L 5.5x10
I 6x8.5
V 7x9.5
Step 3 1/2: Realize that a 2" piece of wood isn't thick enough to stand on it's own, so measure 2x the blocks so that you can glue them together.
Step 3 3/4: Fnd out from hubby that Home Improvement stores sell 4x10s :)
4. Cut wood (x2) using table saw.
5. Glue wood together using strong wood glue.
6. Clamp and let sit overnight.
TIP: Don't use too much glue around the edges. The clamps will make the glue spread (like jelly in a sandwhich). Be sure to wipe the edges so that the glue doesn't harden. --It makes sanding harder!
7. Use a sander (wich a fresh sanding pad) to even out the blocks and make the edges flush.
8. Decorate!
8.1: The edges are painted (Folk Art Acrylic Paint - Snow White)
8.2: The green backgound is paper cut 1/2 inch smaller on length and width than the blocks:
B 7x9.5
E 4.5x5.5 (x3 because there are 3 of 'em)
L 5x9.5
I 5.5x8
V 6.5x9
Adhere with double sided tape.
8.3: Use Cricut and off-white cardstock to make the letters
I used Base Camp in REAL DIAL SIZE
B 9"
E's 5"
L 9"
I 7"
V --- I couldn't get the V to be "thin" enough so I hand drew the V.
Adhere using Xyron permanent adhesive.
8.4: Decorate the back with coordinating Christmas themed paper in the same sizes as the green background. Adhere with double sided tape.
8.5: Modge Podge using Satin finish. It gives a cohesive look and you won't have to worry about the letters peeling off!
Thank you for joining me this Christmas in July. I hope that our Unscripted Sketches tour of Christmas gets you into the spirit of Christmas and believing in it's magic.
Please leave a comment and tell me about your favorite Christmas memories!
