12SquaredCreations Patreon November #2 - Twinchie Ornaments

This series is my gift to all of you. Inspiration and some instruction for gifts you can make and include in a standard envelope to a friend, penpal or family member. Something that doesn't have to wait for the holidays and doesn't have to be about holiday gifting at all. I love sending surprises in the mail that didn't cost me an arm and a leg or tons of time and effort and that still say, "You are special and you matter to me."

For the Patreon group: I have also included some bits and pieces for you that are not pictured in this post. This is about turning the cute little things we all swap into fun uniquely lovely ornaments that mail flat (or reasonably flat) without all the glitz and glamour of the ones I sent to you! LOL

Many of these ideas can be combined. I'll try to remember each time to list the other projects that can combine with each one, and if you happen to see something I missed or didn't think of, please message me at 12SquaredCreations and let me know - tag me if you make it so I can see! I love seeing all the amazing ways everyone else thinks of things, or makes the things I offer up as ideas.

I think what I love most about these is how stinkin' cute, small and customizable they are. I mean, it's a 2" x 2" commitment you're making here. Can't get TOO wordy here, can't cram so much on that it's an inch thick (I mean, I guess you COULD but WHY?) and you can make 36 (yep, you read that right THIRTY SIX) out of a single 12x12 piece of scrapbook paper... so the skies are AGAIN your only limit! Paint up and collage up a whole sheet of fun holiday paper (or packaging, I know I keep saying it and OMG there are so many pieces of pretty light weight paper that we're going to ALL have ALL OVER THE HOUSE because of holiday ordering... they work! Use them!) then cut it down into 2" x 2" squares and punch a hole, put in a hanger and then see where your creativity takes you for decoration. 

Fancy Twinchie Ornaments

first... WTF is this, Ruth? A Twinchie is the big brother of the Inchie... in art swap groups often artists will decorate 1" square or 2" square pieces of paper and swap them. Twinchies are 2 inches square. Inchies... you guessed it! 1 inch square. I chose 2 because it's hard to punch a hole in a 1 inch square and not lose something. LOL

ok... you will need: 

• paper - umm... more specificity creates limits you really don't have here. Are you painting? Watercoloring? Collaging? Sewing? Will you add this layer TO a backing when it's done or is it going to go "as is" after creation? 
• the ability to measure 2" x 2" squares AND cut them
• a hole punch or awl or sharp stick or pencil/pen and soft surface to use under it to poke a hole?
• I used grommets, you do not have to do this. LMAO I'm a little extra.
• String, yarn, embroidery floss, thread, wire, baker's twine, bent paperclips, last year's ornament hook things that come 100 to a box for like $2... anything to use as a hanger. I like string/floss because it's lighter and mails better.
• any and all art supplies you plan on using - no, really. you're in charge here.

And so from there it goes like this... 

I'm calling these shaker window twinchies.

Begin by using double sided tape or glue on the inside of the frame window.

IF you are hole punching do it now. I tried center AND corner and frankly I 

like them better hanging from the corner better. :D You do your favorite!

remove adhesive backing or just lay in your acetate ON BOTH FRAMES

if using glue wait until it has dried for next step.

NOTE: YOU CAN USE ANY CLEAR PLASTIC FOR YOUR ACETATE... got 

bags your stickers or ephemera came in? it works GREAT!

I used foam tape - if you have foam circles or squares they will work... you'll

need to create a frame around the acetate on one side of the twinchie to keep sparkles inside.

if you have no foam you can use thin cardboard cut into strips and glue these down.

fill gently inside of the foam frame you've made.

remove adhesive backing if necessary or add glue to your thin cardboard.

then sandwich your pieces together, keeping punched holes aligned.

I wrapped fancy string around between the pieces of the frame then 

knotted it at the corner as a dangle down from the bottom of the ornament.

I tied a knot in a piece of embroidery floss and put a brad down through the loop in

the floss and the holes in the ornament frame and opened the brad on the back to hold it in place.

Then when I closed the brad I folded the legs IN so that there's no points.

I did this by folding them in half with my nails then in half again.

I am calling these dangle window twinchies!

I'm using stickers that were already round. You can use any similarly shaped pieces, beads,

or anything else you can think of to dangle down on your floss in the middle of the frame.

Begin by creating the dangles. Thread those beads, or sandwich your string

between stickers or pieces of cutapart paper or whatever you're putting in the middle.

I topped the sticker with a sticker and let the glue dry.

Now that you have the pieces it's as simple as punching holes, gluing the front

and backs together and tying your hanging thread for the dangle AND your fancy yarn

around your brad. (I did this by putting the fancy thread between sandwich layers

and let the glue trap it.) I finished the brads here the same as above with shaker twinchies.

Remember, I LOVE to see what you do with my ideas - so please please please tag me at 12SquaredCreations on Instagram, or if you're a Patron, please share in our group or tag #12SquaredCreationsZine on Instagram so we can all see! :D And have fun. Mailing small things to your friends is the quickest most fun way of saying, "Hey... you matter to me!"