Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree…
If you’re looking for a simple but fun Christmas craft project to try, either for yourself or to do with children, why not have a go at decorating a simple wooden display. You can find all sorts of festive designs, from snowmen to Santa and stockings to baubles. If you’re feeling really creative then you could choose to decorate the entire Nativity scene! It doesn't take much time, effort or money to add Christmassy sparkle to your décor, all you need is some Gem Tac glue, an applicator syringe, a Katana pick up tool and most importantly, the crystals! We have a wonderful selection of rhinestones for Christmas craft, in the Zodiac brand which can be added to all kinds of things to create a wonderful sparkly atmosphere. You could embellish your cards, stockings, party accessories, crackers, gift tags, wreaths, table decorations, baubles and even the wrapping paper!
We want to show you how easy it is to apply flatback rhinestones using the non-hotfix or glue on method. For this project, we bought a simple wooden tree decoration from Hobbycraft for just £3 (bargain!) It arrives flat packed so you can decorate it first, then build the structure.
Let’s get started.
- Firstly, have all your tools laid neatly out on a clean, flat surface. Fill your applicator syringe with the Gem Tac glue and screw on the tip. This allows you to apply the glue in small, neat amounts.
- Secondly, use felt tip pens or paint to colour in the wooden tree. If using paint, make sure it is completely dry before moving on to the next stage. We’ve created the effect of depth by using different shades of green.
- Next, squeeze tiny dots of glue (1mm) onto the area you want to crystallize and allow to dry for a few seconds to get tacky. Then pick up the rhinestones (shiny side up) using the pick up tool, before placing them one by one on the glue dots. Don’t worry if a little glue seeps out – it dries crystal clear.
- Continue adding glue dots and applying the crystals in this same way until you have filled the whole area. You may want to use smaller crystals for the narrow edges/corners.
- As the tree is flat packed, you need to decorate each piece individually. You can use whatever colour rhinestones you like to represent the baubles. For this project we have chosen 3 different colour schemes to show you the options available in the Zodiac crystal range:
Pastel Shades
We’ve used these pretty pastel shades in SS6 (2mm) ‘Sherbet Mix’ to add some subtle but sophisticated sparkle to the design. We sell the Sherbet Mix of flatback rhinestones in a pack of 100 for only £1.51.
Fluorescent Brights
The use of bright neon coloured crystals is the opposite of traditional, but it is sure to make your decoration stand out against the rest! ‘Spring DeLight Mix’ is a fabulously bright mix of flatback gems, and for just £3.97 for a pack of 200, you can go sparkle crazy!
Remember to allow the glue to dry completely before putting the pieces together. For extra detail you could add Zodiac Stars, or even glitter to create the effect of snow or tinsel.
