Raised Stencil Designs for Winter and Christmas

How to Make Sparkling Snowflake Christmas Ornaments

By Joy St. Germain

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Possibilities in Sparkling Snowflake Ornaments!

For this project I used a variety of different cardstock paper, foam and even plastic as a back ground for my Christmas decorations. Through trial and error I discovered what type of paper worked and what didn’t. I found that heavier card stock (especially the glitzy, textured paper) works better because it’s more durable and less likely to tear.

Of all the material I used for making Christmas ornaments I like Plaid Simply Stencils blank stencil sheets best. They can be cut to any shape that you want, stencil paste sticks to them, and Christmas lights shine through them for an added glow.

Stencils used in the following examples:

• Star Snowflake
• Rounded Snowflake
• Snowflake Snowman

Example 1

Supplies used: Simply Plaid Blank Frosted Stencil Sheet, Emerald Green, Red and Silver Extreme Glitter.

This is one of my favorite snowflakes because of the vibrant colors. It was painted with 3 different colors of Extreme Glitter on a frosty background. It sparkles during the day but, glows at night when backlit with Christmas lights.

Example 2

Supplies used: Black Glittered and Textured Cardstock, Gold Twinkles Glitter.

I decided to try a gold snowflake on a black background because I like the contrast. This was painted with 3 coats of Twinkles Glitter.

Example 3

Supplies used: Blue Textured Cardstock, Bright Orange Scribbles 3D paint, Shiny Black Scribbles paint, Crystal Twinkles Glitter.

I used a regular decorative painting stencil for this ornament. I applied the Stencil Paste in a thin layer because the stencil wasn't as heavy as a raised stencil. The body of the snowman sparkles with Twinkles Crystal glitter.

Example 4

Supplies used: Blank sheet of Plaid stencil plastic, Green and Gold Extreme Glitter.

This is another example of Extreme glitter on plastic. Extreme Glitter covers like paint. I used 2 coats of Extreme Glitter just for added sparkle. It glows at night when backlit by Christmas lights.

Example 5

Supplies used: Super Thick Foamies, Gold and Crystal Twinkles Glitter.

I tried Stencil Paste on a variety of different surfaces including Foamies. The Stencil Paste worked great on Foamies, it sticks and doesn't flake off. I used the extra thick because the thinner foamies were too flimsy for this project.

Example 6

Supplies used: Blue Glittered and Textured Cardstock. Gold & Silver Twinkles Glitter.

Stencil Paste adheres well to textured cardstock. To decorate I experimented with Twinkles Glitter by itself. Twinkles is a little gooey and clumpy. It took two coats of glitter to cover the snowflake and I still had some bald spots.

Example 7

Supplies used: Plaid frosted stencil sheets. Iridescent 3D Island Blue Scribbles, Sparkly Blue Glitter Glue, Orange and Black Twinkles Glitter.

This snowflake was painted with 1 layer of iridescent Island Blue Scribbles and a top layer of Sparkly Blue Glue. It sparkles during the day and glows at night when back lit with Christmas lights.

Example 8

Supplies used: Glittered & Textured Cardstock, Green & Red Basics Acrylics, Emerald Green & Red Extreme Glitter.

For a deeper more vibrant color, I painted my snow flake with Basics Acrylics before I added a layer of Extreme Glitter. It gave the snowflake an even glittering finish.

Making homemade Christmas ornaments/decorations is an activity that I love. I find it relaxing to try different paints and glitters to see what works. We don’t have to be in a recession to know the benefits of making homemade gifts. They’re a fun, inexpensive way to show off your creativity using some supplies that you might already have around your home. Plus, every one knows that homemade gifts are the best! •

© 2009 Joy St. Germain. All rights reserved.

About the Author | More by Joy St. Germain
Joy St. Germain started The Wildwood Cottage out of her love for art, stenciling and crafts. She's a hands on "Do It Yourselfer" that enjoys creating new and unique crafts. When she's not working on a craft you'll find her in one of her many gardens. Visit her Web site at www.wildwoodcottage.com.

11/2/09