Christmas Trees that Glow

I remember some of our first Christmas seasons after I got married. There wasn’t a lot of money to decorate a tree, or mantels. In the same way, my kids are starting to experience the frugal decisions they need to make during the holidays, as they start out in their own apartments. This project inspired me to think about how I would find ways to light up my house on a budget.

I used to put luminaries out on our front walkway – those were so pretty but also really reasonable! It required a paper bag, some sand and a candle. Extending that idea to the card stock you have on hand from CutCardStock, you can also decorate just about anything in the same way!

There’s no prettier paper than the Stardream collection, so of course I’m using it in yet another post – ha! I’ve picked out Stardream Metallic Pluto and Stardream Metallic Rose Quartz. These colors are non-traditional and have a particularly “expensive vibe,” I think. AND…they go with my pink Christmas tree! Cut these in a 3″ by 11″ strip.

Next, score the strip at 4.5″ on either side. The middle section should be just the right size for a battery operated tea light.

Punch the top of each strip with either a tag topper punch or die cut. If you don’t have one, simply use a fancy scissors or snip the corners off and punch a hole in the top.

Next, take your favorite shape, like a tree, and cut out one side of the tag shape. It works best if this is a larger, basic shape but a couple smaller shapes that make a scene would work too. Remember to save those shapes for later when you want to make gift tags! No waste!

From this point, I’ve cut a couple sheets of Glama Natural Translucent Vellum at by 3″ by 4.5″ and glued them behind the cut out window on the tag side. Let this dry thoroughly.

For a little added drama, I played around with transparent texture paste by Ranger, and spread a thin coat on the Glama Translucent Vellum window through a stencil. I used Tim Holtz stencils in stars and trees. This will curl up at first while it dries, but don’t worry – it becomes flat later.

Next up is adding a bit of sparkle! I’ve cut 2 more trees, one in DCS Black Glitter and one in Mirrisparkle Silver Glitter. Add a few gems to look like ornaments, and adhere them offset to your vellum window with some foam dots for dimension. Finish the tag off with a bit of ribbon to tie up the top.

Now it’s up to you on how you want to use these small luminary tags! I could see several across a table runner, or even hanging on a tree (glue or tape down the tea light first). These would also make great candy holders or tags attached to a gift. Where would you display these first? I’d love to hear from you below!

Thanks so much for being a CutCardStock friend – enjoy your holiday season and see you next time!