Time for a repost of a super simple Christmas craft! Ready? Here goes...
These cute little babies (that I
affectionately call “prickle balls”) are actually seed pods from the Sweet
Gum tree. If you don’t have one in your yard, find a friend who does,
and they will beg thank you a million times over for coming to collect some!
Trust me on that one ;-).
I was going to do a step-by-step photo tutorial, but this craft is so simple, I don’t even think you need it!
Here's the play-by-play:
(1) Flood a Styrofoam or coated paper plate with a thin layer of Elmer’s glue
(2) Fill another plate with a thin layer of glitter
(3) Roll your prickle balls in the glue plate
(4) Then roll them in the glitter plate (pretend you’re making fried chicken…into the egg, then into the flour!)
(5) Be warned: you will get sticky and glitter-y (but really, isn’t that what Christmas crafts are all about?)
(6) Let your sparkly prickle balls dry on a piece of wax paper
(7) Use them to add sparkle to your holiday decor: fill a bowl or mason jar with sparkly prickle balls and greenery, use them around the base of a pillar candle, scatter them along your windowsills or mantle, place one on top of each napkin at your dinner place settings, the possibilities are endless!
This is a wonderful, cheap, easy craft to do with your
kiddos this holiday season, or to just enjoy as a grown-up crafty/therapy
hour by yourself! After you're done, why not go browse the shops of my 2013 Holiday Gift Guide? Support handmade this holiday season!
These are so cute! We call them "gumballs," and yes: they're super annoying and definitely plentiful. I love simple, economical crafts with big impact, and these definitely fit the bill. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI love what you did with those!!! I used to collect those at my Grandoarents' house growing up...Just a fee months ago, I finally learned what they actually came from!
ReplyDeletegreat to have another use for these. I love the tree, dont mind the balls too much.
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