Snapshot Ornaments!

Pinterest did it again! I came across this great idea (from Shannon Berrey's Design Blog) to make some really beautiful rustic looking Christmas ornaments. While Shannon painted gorgeous images on her pieces, I decided to use some snapshots taken from our trip to Colorado. Wow, do I love the way these came out!

To make these, you will need:

~ some thin slices of firewood (must be dried) - pre-drill the holes prior to adhering the photos

~ a glass or circle stencil that fits inside of the wood slice

~ some photos

~ mod podge

~ triple thick

~ two paintbrushes, one for mod podge and one for triple thick

~ twine or ribbon

~ scissors 

~ a needle and small nail

My handy man, aka hubby, cut and pre-drilled my wood slices. Brush off any excess wood shavings so that the piece is pretty clean. If it's not clean, your pics will have a tough time sticking. But... do not get the wood wet & do not try to wash it. If you do, you'll have to wait for it to dry out. Thin, wet wood will result in splitting. 

Using a glass as a stencil, trace around the portion of the picture you want to use as an ornament. Cut it out.

Mod podge the back side of the photo and wood. Press them together.

 Now from the back, lightly push a needle through to the front just enough to poke a small hole.

After you see the tiny dot, use a nail to poke a hole from the front of the picture towards the back. This will leave a nice finish where the picture won't look torn or sloppy.

Next, thread the ornament.

Now apply that triple thick, which is a gloss that gives a coating so thick, you will not be able to feel the edges of your photos. I love this stuff! (A ton of jewelry makers use this to set their beads.) You definitely do not want to overwork this stuff. Once it's applied, you should let it sit for about 4 hours before applying the second coat. But I doubt you'll need it... Hence, 'triple' thick.

You can even use a bigger piece of wood as a free standing picture display.

They came out beautiful! Wouldn't they make great gifts too?

Happy Trails till next time!