Primitive Christmases Past

Time for another post about some of my favorite projects from Primitive Christmases Past. My last post was about Primitive Christmas Mitten Ornies. This one is just about favorite craft projects for Christmas in general.

This first one is a primitive ornie that I see all the time on Pinterest, so I must have done something right with it. I had actually made it to post on my Art Chick Studio blog in 2010. But after I finished it, it looked rather prim to me, so I posted here too. Any of you who have followed my blog for awhile, you know I don't much care for sewing. But this kind of project is small enough that it doesn't get the better of me. And it's less stress too because it's prim--so I know it doesn't have to look perfect to be prim!

Primitive Snowman Face Ornie

In 2013, I decided to make a mini Primitive Christmas tree out of a cinnamon stick and homespun. I'd seen other prim crafters do something similar with a cinnamon sticks, so I wanted to give it a try. It's probably the smallest and easiest little tree I've ever made, and I think it turned out super cute.

Primitive Christmas Tree Mini 

How about this grungy primitive reindeer ornie from 2011, made from a muslin bag? Look, he even has pip berries for antlers. How cute is that?!

Grungy Reindeer Ornie

And hey, let's not forget about my Primitive Snowball Face Ornie from 2010. I had so much fun making this. actually made quite a few of them for an ornie swap I joined that year. It was really fun though and I love the little carrot nose, and the hat made out of a baby sock!

Primitive Snowball Face Ornie

 So there's my little treasury of Primitive Christmases Past. I hope you liked the little stroll down holiday memory lane. And I hope you are on Santa's Nice List this year so that he will bring you lots of wonderful Christmas goodies. Ho-ho-ho!

 

Primitive Christmas Mittens

I've been so busy lately, since I started a full time long-term art teaching substitute position--I haven't had time for blogging, or even crafting. I am teaching all day then doing lesson planning each night, and trying to squeeze in work for master's degree classes too. The Hubs sees me so seldom that I doubt he even remembers my name!

But that being said, I have a rare night with not a lot of lesson planning to do, so I thought I'd do a couple of blog posts on some favorite Primitive Christmas crafts I've created in years past. I'll schedule one post for later so you will actually get at least two posts from me before Christmas!

For this first one, I thought it would be fun to post a sampling of the Primitive Christmas mitten ornies I've created. I love doing things with mittens because they are just cute and can be made inexpensively, and they're quick to make too. 

This first mitten ornie is from 2010 and it is one of my more popular Christmas posts, and I've seen this mitten show up on Pinterest a lot too. I love the color combo on it and that little bit of sparkle from the mica flakes.  I think the Primitive Heart gives it just the right touch. Click below to see the full post.

Primitive Heart Mitten Ornie

This next mitten ornie is from 2010. I decided not to grungy this one--just left it plain and simple. Sometimes simple is just better. And I like the added rusty tin snowflake too.

Primitive Snowflake Mitten Ornie

This one is also from 2011. I love this one because it is grungy, AND it has a primitive snowman face. What could be better?!  And the little touch of primitive homespun, and a rusty tin bell too, make it extra cute.

Primitive Snowman Mitten Ornie

 Finally, this last one is from 2014. I decided to do this one up with pip berries, a primitive candy cane, a prim star, and some mini pine cones. This one is grungy too, and I think it turned out pretty well.

Primitive Mitten with Pip Berries Ornie

So there you have 4 Primitive Christmas Mitten Ornies from Christmases Past. I hope they find you getting in the Christmas spirit. Another Christmas post to come! :)

Primitive Christmas Tree in a Jar

Since I'm always looking for new ways to use Mason Jars, I thought I'd try something for Christmas this year. So I found a miniature Christmas Tree and decided to put it in the jar. 

I added some mica flakes for snow and added some rusty tin bells and pip berries inside as well. Then I added some pip berries to the jar and finished it off with a rusty tin star. After I finished it I was thinking it would be neat if it was lit up, so I may have to try that another time. But I think it's still cute this way too.

Primitive Mitten with Pip Berries Ornie

I was feeling a hint of the Christmas spirit sneaking into my studio over the weekend, so I decided to take advantage of it and make a couple of things. This one is a grungy Primitive Mitten with Pip Berries ornie.

I used some dark spray to create a quick grungy effect to the mitten. Then I added some sprigs of Pip Berries. I had a grungy primitive candy cane sitting around in my studio, so I stuck that in the mitten too. And then I added a little star pick and some mini pinecones, and finished off the ornie with a homespun tie. 

I won't be decorating for Christmas until right after Thanksgiving, but it's fun to get in the spirit a little early, don't you think?

Candle Pan Snowman Ornie

I thought I'd share another Primitive Ornie with you that I made recently. It's another Primitive Snowman, but this time I made it out of a tin candle pan.

I took a tin candle pan that was already white, and the first thing I did was add some brown ink to the edges of the pan to distress it a bit. Then I used regular craft acrylic paint to paint on my snowman face. And then I added the "Let It Snow" sentiment to finish it off. I can punch a hole in this using my Cropodile to make it easy to hang on the tree. This was a fun and easy ornie to make and I love how it turned out. :)

Reindeer Doodle Freebie Pattern

Since I was too busy cooking and what not for Thanksgiving last week to get into the studio, I thought I'd at least do a little drawing and see if I couldn't get a Primitive Freebie made up to kick of the holiday season. So I made this Primitive Reindeer Doodle freebie for you to download.

Just click on the image above and that will take you to the download page, where you can download this Primitive Freebie in PDF format. I hope that helps to get you in the Christmas spirit...or at least in the crafting spirit. :)

Rusty Tin Star Christmas Ornie

Since I was still in Primitive Christmas mode in my studio over the weekend, I made a few ornaments. This is the second of three that I made while the creative juices were flowing. It's my Rusty Tin Star Christmas Ornie.

I took a 3" long Rusty Tin star and painted it with a pale blue acrylic paint. Then I distressed the edges a bit with some brown ink, and I also light sanded with sandpaper to remove just a bit of the surface color. Next I took my Crop-a-Dile and punched a small hole at the top and bottom of the star. Then I fashioned a curly shape from some rusty tin wire, hung a rusty bell on the end, and attached that thru the hole at the bottom of the star. Finally, I took some more wire and fashioned a rusty ornie hook and attached it to the top of the star.

And voila! A new Christmas ornie. Simple, and prim. :)

Primitive Snowman Face Ornie

Well, I managed to make a few different primitive ornies while I was in the studio over the weekend. So I'll be sharing them with you over the next week or two. This first one is made of a small wooden rectangle shape with rounded corners. I thought it would be perfect to turn into a Primitive Snowman face.

First I painted the wood shape white, and then I added the facial features. Next I grungy'd up the edges with a little bit of brown stamping ink so it would look a bit aged and distressed. Then I made the hat using the top part of a baby sock. (I always have some cheap baby socks on hand in my studio for crafting purposes.) I cut off the foot part of the sock and used a strip cut from that to tie around the top of the hat. That way it is gathered up at the top. Then I used scissors to cut strips in the top part of the hat so they would curl over. Finally, I added a Rusty Tin bell to the hat with a rusty safety pin.

Primitive Christmas Tree Mini

When I was in the studio last weekend I wanted to make something a little Christmasy, so I decided on this Primitive Christmas Tree. It's mini-sized, perfect to add to some tabletop decor or to a little shelf somewhere.

I used a Rusty Tin bucket for the base and put some Styrofoam in the bottom. The tree itself started with a long cinnamon stick that I tied some homespun ribbon to. Then I added some green Pip Berries and rusty tin bells--and added a cute prim star to the top. Then I just stuck it in the foam in the bucket and added some Spanish moss over that.

You could always omit the bucket and just use the mini tree as an ornament for your Primitive Christmas tree as well. Super easy to make.

Primitive Snowmen Sleigh Ride

So what do you do with a bunch of Primitive Snowmen ornies that you end up not putting on your Christmas tree this year? Well, you send them on a sleigh ride of course! That's what I did anyway.

I have a lot of primitive snowmen ornies, and since I didn't do a primitive Christmas tree this year, I decided I needed a fun way to display some of my favorite snowmen ornies. So I used another decorative sleigh I had in my Christmas decor and put a bunch of snowmen in it. I've got this sleigh full of snowmen sitting on my dining room hutch. I love their happy little faces!

Grungy Primitive Christmas Believe Card

I felt like creating some Altered Art the other day, so I came up with this Grungy Primitive Christmas Believe Card.

I used a Vintage Photo of Santa, added to a brown Kraft card that I made good and grungy using distress ink (by Tim Holtz). I also used a text rubber stamp on top of the card. I added a 'Believe' word sticker, an old button, and a touch of ribbon for a pop of color. Just a cute little primitive Christmas card, ready for giving.

Shabby Prim Pips and Flowers Gift Bag

I thought I would create something new to add to my Shabby Prim category, and something that would fit in with December for a Primitive Christmas, so I came up with this Shabby Prim Pips and Flowers Gift Bag.

This is created with a pre-made plain muslin bags (I never make my own muslin bags, just FYI). As always, you can find a link to my muslin bag supplier on my Primitive Crafting Supplies page. The pip berries heart wreath was added with an iron-on. The flowers, lace, and trim were all sewn on by hand.

I think this would make a sweet little gift bag, don't you? Then afterward, the recipient can use it for all sorts of things. So add a gift inside and it becomes two gifts in one!

Sister Vintage Photo Fabric Ornie

I want to post this other Vintage Photo Fabric Ornie before I forget about it. This is one I made that has a vintage photo of my sister and me when we were little. I'm the one on the right in the photo.

I think I was about 6 or 7 in that photo, so my sister would be 8 or 9. It's not totally a primitive ornie, I realize. But it still looks cute on a Primitive Christmas tree. :) When I have all my handmade Primitive Ornies on the tree, it fits right in. One of these days I think I'll make some with photos of my daughter and grandkids too.

Vintage Photo Fabric Ornies

As I was decorating my Christmas tree after Thanksgiving, I pulled out some Vintage Photo Fabric Ornies that I had made 2 Christmases ago. I made two sets of them, one for me, and one as a special gift for my mother. Since my mother passed away this year, these vintage and almost Primitive Ornies are even more special to me. So I thought I'd share them with you. I used scraps of a vintage rose-look fabric and lace, along with some trim to make these. Very simply to make. And the photos were printed on ink jet fabric, which I bought at an office supply store.

The top ornie shows a photo of (from left to right) my great grandmother, my mother, and my Nana (my mom's mother). They were on a trip to New York City. And actually I found out on Mom's last visit last year that the Statue of Liberty was in the background when this photo was taken--it's just no longer visibile in the old photo.

In the bottom photo are my great grandmother and my  mother. They were very, very close, so this was a very special ornie to make for my Mom. She said she cried when she opened these. And here I sit crying as I type this. I miss Mom so much, and it's so difficult at Christmas time. Her tree was still up in January...she had gotten sick and passed away so suddenly, she didn't have a chance to take it down. Her set of these ornies were still hanging on the tree. I gave them to my sister so she would have a set too.

But enough tears! I am going to try and focus on the many wonderful memories I have of her and my whole family. And hopefully Mom can help me from Heaven to keep my happy Christmas face on. :) I have another ornie I made for my sister as well. I'll post that another day. In the meantime, I hope these give you a little creative inspiration.

Snowballs in a Jar

Are you trying to think of some fun Primitive Gifts you can give this year that don't cost a lot? How about some Snowballs in a Jar?

All you need to do is get some Primitive Wax Melts that look like snowballs and put them in a jar. Add a bit of homespun, and you have one super easy primitive gift ready for the giving! What could be more fun that snowballs that will not melt...well, at least not until you want them to. 

If you need a little help finding some snowball wax melts, here

Primitive Candle Cupboard

Olde Homestead Peddler

Beth's Country Primitive Home Decor

Vintage Lady Christmas Tree Tags

I've got a holiday Primitive Freebie for you today. I've created a sheet of small tags that feature a Vintage Lady and a Christmas Tree...perfect for your Primitive Christmas gifts. This is what they look like:

The sheet I created is in PDF format and includes 12 tags. Just click on the image above and that will take you to the PDF that you can download and save to your computer. These tags are small, about 1-1/2" x 2" in size, perfect for small gifts. And if you want to get really creative, print the entire sheet on a full paper-sized adhesive-backed sheet (you can get these at office supply stores) and then cut them out and use them as stickers too. So really, it's like 2 freebies in one. :)

Primitive Christmas Ornies Sleigh

Believe it or not, I am not doing a Primitive Christmas tree this year. I've done that for about 5 years now and just wanted to do something different this year. I got a new tree too, since my old one was on its last legs, which definitely helped motivate my decision to shake things up a bit. But I love my Primitive Ornies so much, I just had to find some ways to still use them for Christmas. So I decided to take a small decorative sleigh I have and fill it with some primitive ornies!

Look closely and you'll find a tree ornie, a primitive angel ornie, a snowman peeking thru, a gingerbread ornie, a penguin, a swan, a happy little raggedy, and even some prim candies. I think they're quite happy in their sleigh, enjoying the view out of my kitchen window. And even though they're not on my tree, I still get to enjoy the ornies too. :)

Primitive Christmas Centerpiece

Forgive my absence...I've been busy decking the halls and attempting holiday cheer. It's the first Christmas without my mom. It would be so easy to flip the switch and wallow in my own sorrow, but Mom wouldn't want me to do that. So the holiday cheer switch is on (for now) and I'm getting this house Santa-fied like nobody's business!

First up, my Primitive Christmas Centerpiece. I always have the same basic centerpiece on my dining room table; I just change up how it looks from season to season, or holiday to holiday, as the case may be. I just finished up the Primitive Christmas look for this year.

There are some Christmas greens, poinsettias, fabric stars, white Pip Berries (which I actually found at JoAnn Fabrics the other day!), and one of my Prim Flickers flameless candles in the center. What do you think? I love how it turned out. It definitely makes the table and room look a bit more festive.

More to come!

Primitive Reindeer Love

I was checking out the EZ Craft Show Online Holiday & Gift Show yesterday and found some wonderful Primitive Christmas decor. I've only made one purchase (so far) but I love these Primitive Reindeer that I found from the Barefoot Horse Candles & Gifts booth.

Aren't they fabulous? I needed some new primitive Christmas decor for my home, so these will be perfect. And I love to buy handmade whenever I can. Be sure to check out the EZ Craft Show and look through all the booths. There are many handmade treasures to be found! Just click on the text link in the first paragraph and it will take you straight there. Go on, get shopping!

Primitive Reindeer

Time for sharing another little bit of my Primitive Christmas home decor. This time it's my Primitive Reindeer. Now these are not handmade; I got them while shopping at a prim store I used to go to in Fort Wayne before it closed. But even though I know they are mass produced little guys, I just loved the look of them and had to have them. They are fun Primitive Finds.

Now really, aren't they just too cute? They have little sticks for legs and they're kind of prim and grungy-looking. I so prefer handmades, but sometimes I see something like this and fall in love. And I keep thinking I'll use them as a pattern/guide to make my own one of these days. I'm so not good with sewing, but it'd be worth a try! Either that or maybe one day I'll come across some that are handmade by someone else and buy those instead.