Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Waltzingmouse 12 Days of Christmas


Hi there! I am pleased to be your hostess this morning for Day 2 of the Twelve Days of Christmas, Waltzingmouse Style!

Normally at this time we would be previewing new stamp sets for release. However, this month WMS is taking a break from releasing new stamps to allow us (all!) to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, as well as to focus on some fantastic things happening behind-the-scenes! It is all very exciting, and we appreciate your enthusiasm!

In lieu of a release this month, we are instead coming together to bring you some ideas and inspiration for holiday crafting (and beyond) which we are calling the Twelve Days of Christmas, Waltzingmouse Style! Each day will showcase a different Design Team member, so be sure to check the WMS Blog daily through December 17th for the links.

Today I have an easy holiday home decor project that packs a punch!

Aren't these paper pierced luminaries beautiful? They are easy, too - keep reading for a step-by-step tutorial.

For each luminary, you will need one sheet of cardstock, a needle or paper piercer, and your favorite WMS stamps.

Step 1. If desired, trim your cardstock to size. I used one full sheet of 8-1/2 by 11 cardstock for the red luminary. Changing the width of the cardstock on the 8-1/2 inch side will change the height of your luminary. I used a different width for each of mine so they would all sit at different heights.

Choose where you want to stamp your design. Using a pencil and ruler, lightly draw a line.

Step 2. Using your pencil line as a guide, stamp your pattern. I used Versamark ink, but you can use whatever ink you'd like. I used images from Santa Was Here, Festive Foliage, and Sewing Box - Christmas for my luminaries. Anything with a bold outline will work great.

Step 3. Using a paper piercer or needle, punch holes around your image to outline the shape. I would recommend using a piece of foam or a mousepad underneath to protect your work surface. I found it easy to punch a hole at each corner and then to fill in the rest - this seemed to help to keep things evenly spaced.

Step 4. Finish piercing your design and erase your pencil lines.

Step 5. To assemble your luminary, cut an additional piece of cardstock the width of your luminary (in this case, 8-1/2 inches). I used a strip approximately 1 inch wide. Apply strong adhesive (I used Scor-Tape) to this strip of cardstock.

Step 6. Remove adhesive liner and adhere the cardstock strip to one side of your luminary.

Step 7. Repeat on the other side, curving your cardstock into a tube shape as you go. This extra cardstock strip adds some stability to the junction of your cardstock as well as to give it a nice clean edge.

See, wasn't that easy? Here are all three of the luminaries I created so you can see the different images and the height differences.

Now all that is left to do is to add a candle, dim the lights, and enjoy!

I think these would be so pretty as a centerpiece lined up along your holiday dining room table! I hope you enjoyed this project - if you give it a shot, I would love for you to share!

Tomorrow, you'll want to head over to Lisa's blog for her project! Have a great day!

Anya

32 comments:

  1. These are so pretty, Anya. What a lovely idea for the Christmas table.

    Chris

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  2. perfect job! these are beautiful.

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  3. That's amazing! Never thought I could do something like that with paper.
    For safety perhaps one should have a glass inside the tube for the candle to stay in, just in case...

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  4. Super duper! Can't wait to give them a go. Thanks!

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  5. Absolutely Stunning!!!!! these are so refined! FABULOUS! and a great tutorial Anya!!!

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  6. Those are beautiful! I love the tip about using the strip to finish. TFS!

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  7. Oh my, these are absolutely stunning and even more so in the dark when lit! Thank you for the tutorial.

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  8. Gorgeous! You are very clever with the paper piercer and WMS stamps. the tutorial is wonderful, too!

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  9. Anya - These are just stunning!! Really clean and simple, but so elegant. I can imagine them on a window ledge with scented candles inside - both looking and smelling wonderful!!

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  10. Just beautiful! What wonderful projects!

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  11. Wow! Wow! WOW!
    Fabulous project!!!
    I always love your tutorials.

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  12. These are SO lovely Anya! what stunning decorations for the Christmas table or mantelpiece! Thanks for all the deets on 'how to'!

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  13. Totally awesome Anya! I will definitely try this. Thanks for the fabby tutorial!

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  14. These are gorgeous! Thanks for the tut. I can't wait to make one!

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  15. Wow! These are fabulous, I am so going to have to give this a try!

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  16. What a fun idea. And I bet they are just beautiful at night all lit up.

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  17. what a beautiful decor item and great tutorial.

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  18. Amazing! You come up with the most creative ideas! These I will borrow for sure!

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  19. What a fabulous idea! Absolutely LOVE these!

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  20. Beautiful Anya! All three designs look fabulous! Thanks for the tutorial and inspiration :)

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  21. Oh WOW Anya, I love the images that you chose! Perfect for the luminaries, sooo beautiful all lit up!

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  22. Absolutely stunning Anya! I love all three designs - great tutorial!

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  23. So lovely! They look stunning on your mantle!

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  24. Beautiful! Not really difficult to make and the effect would be lovely on the sideboard or Christmas table. TFS!

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  25. very cool Anya! Thanks so much for sharing!
    Pam Going Postal

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  26. This is absolute fabulous!!!!! Thanks for the idea and the WS

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  27. Anya, fab project... love how they turned out.... Thanks for sharing.

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  28. Lovely luminaries - these will look lovely with the lights down.

    Stampersue
    X

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  29. I'm finally getting the chance to check out all of the 12 Days posts. These are SO pretty Anya. Thanks for a great idea! I'll have to try it out.

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