rosinaviolets: craft | christmas gifts!

So for Christmas, we thought it was about time we got crafty again.

Mum has a problem with always losing her keys! So Sarah thought it would be a good idea to try and find some place she can put them or buy some sort of key holder for her Christmas present. And so started the creative juices flowing! Next thing I knew, my lovely friend at work handed me a magazine that had a brilliant craft section in the back, and there was a great idea for a key holder that can go on the wall!

Off I headed to Amazon to buy the supplies...

Handmade Key Box

You will need:
1 wine box (we used one that could hold 2 bottles of wine, try eBay or Amazon to buy them online if you haven't got one hanging around)
Paint (we used leftover acrylic paint from our Art GCSE days)
Self adhesive hooks (we used 'Command' self adhesive hooks, which you can get on Amazon)
Picture hanging hooks (so you can fix the whole thing to the wall)

What to do:
1. Sand the wine box down so it's nice and smooth all over.

2. Paint the entire box in whatever colour matches your decor.

3. Give it two coats if you think it needs it, we only used one as we were going for the shabby chic look!

4. Set aside to dry thoroughly. We left ours for a day.

5. Decide how you want to customise your key box. You can make it totally personalised - and the idea in the magazine was to use a photograph for the front of the box. You simply print the photo onto A3 paper and then trim it to size so it fits the lid of the box, making sure it's clear of where the lid runs in and out of the box so it doesn't get rucked up. Glue the photo in place.

6. We decided against using a photo, so using a different coloured paint, we painted our design onto the front of the box instead.

7. If you do decide to use a photo, once you've put it on the front of the box, use Mod Podge Gloss to coat the picture so that it looks shiny once it's dry. You can get this in HobbyCraft or online.

8. Add your self adhesive hooks to the inside of the box so you can hang your keys. Screw picture rings into the back of the box so you can hang it on the wall.

I also decided I would make Sarah something for Christmas. She's looking to update her room and really wants to go down the natural route - everything in white & accessorised with natural plants so in green and brown. I thought it'd be a nice idea to make some wall art for her new room. I had a canvas lying around, so I used that to create...

Fairylight Canvas Wall Art

You will need:
Sharp scissors
1 blank canvas
Acrylic paint in your choice of colours
Battery operated fairylights (I bought mine from Amazon, 30 will be just right)
Selotape

What to do:
1. Prep your canvas if it needs it, by giving it one or two coats of white acrylic paint. Leave it until it is dry.

2. Using a light pencil line, draw your letter onto the front of the canvas. Using the paint colour of your choice, fill in your pencil drawing.

3. Leave the whole thing to dry. I left mine for 1 day.

4. Pierce as many holes as there are fairy lights in the canvas along the line of the letter using scissors. Don't make the holes too big as the lights will just drop out the other side. You want a tight fit.

5. Push a fairylight through each hole. The canvas should hold the bulb in place. Tape the wires to the back of the canvas so they don't fall out.

6. Secure the battery pack in the bottom of the frame with tape. Hang on the wall!