Rustic Holiday Frame

Express your sentiments of the season simply with this sweet paper-leaf frame. It could be cute perched on a shelf or hung by a wire attachment. (I could also see this packed in an adorable holiday gift basket with lots of goodies!) It is a fairly quick project–I was able to make it during my baby’s afternoon nap!

To make one, you will need:

• Kraft wrapping paper or a plain brown paper bag
• Scissors
• 1 pkg Therm O Web Zots – Clear Adhesive Dots (Jumbo)
• A small framed chalkboard
• Acrylic paint (I used Americana-brand in “buttermilk”)
• A skinny paintbrush
• Ribbon or other seasonal embellishment

Use a pencil to draw leaves of various sizes onto the kraft paper. The point is for them not to look perfect! I ended up making about one hundred leaves for the entire project.

After you have drawn enough leaves, cut them out.

Cut the jumbo Zots in half.

Press a half-Zot onto the frame.

Slightly fold each paper leaf in half (lengthwise) to give it a bit of dimension. Place it onto the frame where the half-Zot adhesive is placed.  Keep adding more leaves and half-Zots until you have worked your way around the frame.

Use a pencil to lightly mark your phrase onto the chalkboard. (If necessary, it can be wiped off with a wet cloth.) Use a skinny paint brush and acrylic paint (or a paint pen, if you prefer) to trace over the penciled words.  Let it dry and retrace until the letters are as thick as you desire.

Embellish with small sprigs of cranberries or with a ribbon bow (or anything else you might feel inspired to add).

Happy crafting!