2-1123 November How-To Holiday 2023: Kitschy Wire Star Ornaments - A Photo Tutorial

HIHI!

Have you ever seen a Filipino Parol? They tend to be star lanterns with streamers and tassles and all the color and joy of the holiday season. One of my penpals mentioned some of her childhood traditions growing up in the Philippines and I went and had a look-see and suddenly I couldn't get them out of my head. I'm CERTAIN I can't make them flat enough to mail in an envelope... and I'm equally as certain that I NEED one on my tree and want to send them to some of my friends, including her lovely wonderful generous soul! 

And so... in true Ruth fashion... they went from boldly colorful and vibrant to "are you kidding me?" kitchy ridiculous and, I think, FABULOUS!

Ok, SOME of what I say below is gonna peeve the Martha Stewart or Anthea Turner in you right off... and I can't help with that. Breathe and pull up your big kid pants and lets get down to doing this thing called crafting silly stuff! LOL

Firstly, if you made wire wrap rings YOU HAVE THE WIRE, who cares what color it is? 

Next, do you have yarn? Tinsel? String? Old beat to hell garland from your tree? Weird fluffy pipe cleaners or leftover crafting bits from other projects? GET THOSE before you go buying anything. Really. The idea is to make them simple AND over the top at once! I did not buy ANYTHING to make these, I used stuff I still had on hand from last year's crafting - and most of it was gifts or came from Dollar Tree! You got this. And if you DO need a little bit of stuff, really... hit up the dollar store with a budget of $5 or so and don't lose your mind... you'll have WAY too much to use and be storing it like I've had to do with LAST year's stuff. LMAO

Ok... lets get this actual party started.

You will need:

• Aprox. 25" of wire, you can join together pipecleaners if you don't have any craft wire or even use the garland that has a cardboard/paper or wire core if it holds the bends you put in it. 
• THIN Fluffy garland or tinsel or furry yarn or yarn that you can fray. You'll want two or three different types of stuff if possible just for difference and texture. 
• A piece of ribbon or yarn to use as a hanger when you're done decorating.
• Little kid toys or resin pieces or cute holiday bits or novelty toys about 1" in size.
• Mini Christmas ornaments or little bits that have fallen OFF of ornaments. 
• Craft glue, white glue or a hot glue gun. I don't use hot glue for crafts, I'm a weirdo. MILLIONS do use hot glue and swear by it. :D

Ready? Steady... GO!

Fold your wire into a star, if you're unable to get it "just right" trace one on a piece of cardboard and then use it to help you. (TIP: measure your wire about the length of your index finger from first knuckle to second, it's generally an inch-ish, fold it UP, same length and fold it DOWN, do this 4 more times each direction and arrange the result into a star) You want to go around twice, occasionally weaving your wire around to cross the layers and then finish off by wrapping the last little bit around the wire frame of your star. (NOTE: I used a ruler)

Ok, hard part is DONE. Now cut a 25" length of yarn or fluffy garland or tinsel or whatever you're using and glue it down near one point (I used a mini binder clip to hold it down so I didn't have to keep one hand holding it manually), then wrap it around and around your wire star back to where you started and glue it down again. Choose a DIFFERENT piece of garland, tinsel or yarn and do that again. 

Pick the "top" of your star and tie your ribbon there. I just looped my yarn around it and then tied a knot. 

Add pompoms or little streamers to all 5 points, just go around your ribbon (you added it so that you can glue it in place with your streamer or pompom if necessary) hanger.

Choose some of your little add-on pieces, ornaments, kid toys, resin pieces, old jewelry parts, buttons, light bulbs... you know... the "junk" I suggested you gather and start gluing them in place. 

Once decorated your star should measure about 2.5" and won't be flat, which is why I said I was sure I couldn't just pop them in a letter and mail them. And... I just love them SO much!

I know it sounds bananas... and if the photos don't encourage you to try it then perhaps this isn't your art style. That's ok. :D You can also be very careful and go at this the way Anthea Turner or Martha Stewart would with pretty wire, intentionally purchased bead strings and garland and pretty resin pieces... this project cleans up VERY nicely. :D

Packaging can be as simple as attaching a tag to the hanging ribbon, or as fancy as packing in a little box and turning it into a present. I mean, if you happen to have kitschy little bits that are specific to a special person, why NOT make them something meaningful AND ridiculous at the same time? 

And a super simple BONUS video...

Beaded Wire Garland

As always, if you go your own way with this and make something because this inspired you, please tag me and let me know! I love to see! I really really do! And if you decide to make some of these ornaments, tag me @12SquaredCreations on Instagram or #12SquaredCreationsPatreon so I can find it!

And... because transparency sometimes makes me laugh... here's my WOOPS... 

The star shape was lost in the larger garland in the bag. LOL

I switched to lighter pieces and ribbon and was fine. 

Can YOU see a star? I cannot. LMAO