Post #427514 by MadDogMike on Tue, Jan 6, 2009 3:19 PM

I know what you're thinking, it's about a month too late for this thread. I decided I need a tiki themed tree for next Christmas and it's time to start working on it now. For one thing, leftover Christmas stuff it CHEAP right now.

I tried an experiment for a fishing float ornament - I took a 2.5 inch Christmas ball and made a net around it using this method

found at http://www.olypen.com/elgato/ballnets.htm

It was a good attempt, but I wanted to make some changes: I wanted transparent colored balls instead of reflective, I need some jute twine instead of the cheesy poly stuff, and I want to make more knots/smaller net holes.

I picked up some clear glass decorate-it-yourself ornaments on clearance 6 for a buck. I also got some glass stain in bottle (get the darker colors). I poured the stain in and sloshed it around to coat the inside well, poured the excess back into the bottle, and set the ball (hole down) in a paper cup to drain. If the color as not dark enough for your liking, repeat after the first coat has dried (some of these will get another coat)

So why am I posting now instead of waiting to show you a finished product? If you want to get on the fun you need to get your butt down to Michael's NOW or you'll have to wait until next November for the clear balls!

Will post finished products soon. In the meantime you can post your crafted ornaments here (Aloha Station, Big Toe, Buzzy, Cammo, Crazy Al, Meiko, Tiki Kate, Tiki Racer - I know you have ornaments to post)

EDITED - At Cammo's suggestion, changed the title to include other holidays so you can post your Easter ornaments (Easter Island???), 4th of July, Yom Kippur, etc. :)

Blurring the fine line between art and crap.

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2009-01-06 16:06 ]