DIY Jingle Bell Christmas Tassel Earrings

As soon as it’s socially acceptable (aka, right after Thanksgiving!) I go into full-on Christmas mode. I can be found wearing a Christmas sweater, reindeer antlers, or Christmas accessory at any given moment. Sometimes, all of the above! A great way to add some Christmas spirit is to wear some holiday earring. One of my favorite types of earrings is tassel earrings! They always add such a fun pop of color to an outfit. They add a LOT of drama but weigh practically nothing. They’re perfect! Since I love decking myself out for the holidays, especially Christmas, I created this fun DIY project so you can jingle everywhere you go!

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You will need:

Embroidery floss (similar here)
Jingle bells (similar here)
Earring hooks (similar here)
Jump rings, optional (similar here)
Jewelry tools (similar here)
Scissors (similar here)

1. Make your tassel earrings by following these instructions. If you want thicker tassels, follow these instructions. Also, a note: if you try to use the first method (where you use the entire spool) and it gets tangled up, you can try using the second method (where you use cardboard) instead!

2. Brush out your tassels to give them a nice fluff. I recommend using a comb although I used what I had handy- a Barbie brush!

3. Now that your tassels are made, it’s time to make them into earrings! Attach a jump ring to the top of your tassel by looping it through the first string you tied at the top. Then, loop your earring hook through and close it. You want to make sure that the knots are at the back, so figure that out before you put the earring hook on. You can also skip the jump ring altogether and attach the earring hook directly to the string at the top.

4. A note: I’d recommend getting a set of these clear earring backs so you don’t lose your earrings. I sadly lost one of the Halloween ones I made!

5. Using a piece of embroidery floss, thread on your jingle bells. You can either use floss that is the same color (or similar color) or an alternating shade.

These are a great stocking stuffer or even something to add to an advent calendar! If you want a fun way to display them, try this tutorial to turn them into fun ornaments!

What do you think about these tassel earrings? Will you be having a Christmas movie marathon and make them with your girlfriends? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Animal Sweater Ornaments (Perfect for Mini-Trees!)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! While I usually decorated in traditional red and green growing up, my dad got us a little 3-foot PINK tree one year. It was the cutest thing! We decorated it with a few small ornaments, and basked in its pretty pink glow. 

Although I don't think I could EVER get my husband to agree to a pink tree in our living room (unless I have 7 daughters, and we all take a vote!) I did get myself a tiny pink mini-tree for the attic. And this mini-tree needed some fun ornaments to go with it. I had stumbled upon this puppy ornament from Neiman Marcus while browsing Pinterest, and knew I needed to make my own version! A few days, 2 coats of paint, and some glitter later, I was ready with an army of festive little animals! The best part (aside from how adorably colorful they are) is that they're not breakable! Plus, you can make them in any color scheme you'd like. So, pop on a Christmas movie, grab your supplies, and get crafting!

You will need:

Plastic animals (here and here)
Acrylic paint (here)
Felt (similar here)
Screw eyes (similar here)
Glitter (here)
Toothpicks
Gluegun
Scissors
Pliers
Embroidery floss (similar here)

Directions:

1. Paint a sweater onto your animals using your acrylic paint. I did it freehand, but you can always use some artist's tape if you don't have a steady hand. I did 2 coats.

2. While they dry, cut a few thin strips of felt for the scarf. Try to be mindful of how large the animals' necks are in comparison to the length and width of the scarf.

3. Paint your scarves with either a thin paint brush or a toothpick. I used the pointy side for the polka dots, and the edge for stripes. I used a paintbrush for the thicker stripes, but overall I mostly used toothpicks.

4. Once the animals are dry, add glitter to the edge of the sweater to jazz it up and provide a clean edge. I used glitter paint, but you can achieve a similar look by using a small amount of equal parts glue and glitter to create your own paste/paint. I found that a toothpick was the perfect tool to get the glitter paint on in a thin line.

5. Glue your scarf in place. I used a small dab of hot glue on the scarf to shut it. If it moved around too much, I added a small dab of glue on the animal to secure it in place.

6. Using your pliers, screw the screw eye into place. I first took the pointy screw side and twisted in to make a small hole, then I used my pliers to twist the screw eye into place. When it gets to a point that it's mostly in, I recommend using your hand to twist it all the way in, so that your pliers don't scratch the paint.

7. Add a small piece of embroidery floss to hang.

Dinosaur ornaments!! I mean, how stinking cute are these?! I know that dinosaurs could never exist among the other animals, but maybe a sweater and a cute scarf could have saved them from extinction.

How cute are these ornaments?! This has become one of my favorite and most fun projects to make on the blog! I really love re-purposing little animal toys, as exhibited by my Circus Animal Drink Stirrers and Zebra Party Tray. You can also use larger toys for a regular-sized tree, but these were perfect for my tiny pink mini-tree! Oh, and did I mention that they make a great necklace? Because they do!

Will these ornaments be joining your tree this year? Or, perhaps your kids' tree?! Let me know what you plan to make in the comments below!