Monday, November 28, 2011

Framed Glitter Christmas Tree (DIY Screen Print!)

Excited for my first Christmas project of the season! I had the opportunity to test Plaid's Simply Screen Kit, and wanted to try something a little different since we don't need any more clothes right now. I've never done screen printing before, so I settled on a small home decor project: a Framed Glitter Christmas Tree.


I found a Christmas Tree silhouette in my Silhouette machine software and printed it in black ink on my home printer. You could easily search Google for images and print one at home. The instructions that come with the kit are pretty straightforward, so I won't waste time reprinting them here. I was happy to see that my screen print "took" on the first try.
























I adhered the screen to a $1 white dishtowel from Wal-Mart. I opted to use the Simply Screen glitter and adhesive. The tubes are pretty small, as was my project, so I don't know that one tube of glitter would cover something on a large scale. Another downside was that I had to wait for the glitter to adhere for 24 hours before I could set them with an iron on the cotton setting.























Once my glittered screen print was dry, I embellished it with some green ric-rac and some tiny colored buttons I picked up from a local craft store. I used my hot glue gun for that part, and didn't notice any effects on the screen print:

























I had a large black frame stashed away, so I took the glass out and stretched the dishtowel around the backing, cutting away the extra fabric on the back:
























It's nothing too fancy, but I do loooove me some glitter....

Pros to using Plaid's Simply Screen Kit:
-You can use your own, custom designs
-You don't have to reverse your image and you don't have to use tranparencies
-The ink is acrylic and non-toxic
-You can buy the kit (and re-fills!) at Hobby Lobby

Cons:
-Multiple steps to a completed project
-Does better with simple designs
-Designs must be hand-washed in cold water and line dried
-I can do similar designs with more detail using a crafty cutter and heat transfer material

All-in-all, I had a positive experience using the screen kit. If a "crafty cutter" is out of your price range, and you've really been wanting to make custom bags, t-shirts, pillows, you might want to try this for yourself!

Linking to Home Stories A to ZHi Sugarplum!

*Plaid provided me with the kit for this review. All opinions are my own!

16 comments:

  1. Love the picture you created. It would look great on a mantle or in any venue for the holidays. I would have thought this would be too hard for me but you've made it look "doable." Thanks for sharing,

    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so cute, and I'm a fan of anything with glitter! :) Thanks for sharing your screen printing experience with us!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a cute tree! I love the glitter and the tiny buttons!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice job Amanda, your tree is adorable! I thought about trying the glitter, but didn't realize you couldn't wash it. I'm working on mine now, hope I have good luck like you did! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. It turned out really cute! I love the little buttons :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. That would be a great craft to have kids do in school and take home to their parents as Christmas presents! A great wall hanging! And you could do felt trees for them if glitter was too messy. But the glitter is so pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very cute, Amanda! Nice job. I just saw an ad for those craft paints yesterday and noticed the glitter. It'd be great in my daughter's room. Hmm, may have to get some. =)

    ~ Catie

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks so cute! I esp. love the glitter and the buttons. Reminds me of my grandparents. One year, my grandpa cut out TONS of wooden Christmas trees that stood up on a stand. Then, my grandma, brother and I painted them and added vintage buttons from her collection. We gave them as Christmas gifts. It was so darn fun!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Okay, and PS - that's what happens when you talk too much about yourself in a comment. I'm so sorry! This isn't all about me. Your lovely project just brought back some lovely memories.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Amanda,
    I just found your blog through...well I don't remember how I got here, but when I read your about me section your first five things that you like are my top five too! I decided I had to become a follower! :) I've added you to my Google Reader!

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a cute project! I've never tried silk screening but your review of this Plaid product makes it seems very do-able.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is so cute! I love how it sparkles with the glitter. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. So cute Amanda! I love anything that involves glitter and ric rac! thanks for linking it up!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, I do love the glitter! Simple and oh so cute! Love it, Amanda!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oooo pretty! The glitter is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your feedback! Please feel free to leave comments...just don't send me spam asking me to buy stuff off your website! I've got three kids and no money to purchase your magic weight-loss pill or bust enhancement, or whatever else you might be selling. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you! :)

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...