CraftPals Scented Crafts by Enjo





~~enjo posted Message 1361 in the CraftPals Scented Crafts
Dated : October 12,
Subject: Lynette's photocopy idea & potpourri paper cones...
In this case, PC means Paper Cones, not Pine Cones, LLLOL!

Lynette had a neat idea for shellacking photocopied photographs
to "tea-dye" or faux-age them -- I believe it's on the All Crafts Board?
She mentioned trying it with photocopied music sheets, too --roll up &
ribbon-tie them for Christmas pkg decorations & tree ornaments, or
for paper-cone angels, etc).

Now y'all stop me if this is crazy, but wouldn't the aged-look photocopied
music sheets also make pretty, fast, easy, potpourri-holder
paper cones as Christmas tree ornaments?

I'm makin this up as I go, so y'all puh-leeeze TELL me if this is garbahzh
BEFORE I -- The Kompleat Krafting Klutz --go & try it, okay??!!
Once I saw these in parchment or something similar but I never tried to
make any.

They were GORgeous on an enormous tree with wired ribbon & pearl strands
draped on it too; and they scented the whole room. We bought a huge full
artifish tree after Christmas last year & I desperately need large fancy
inexpensive stuff for it, as all we have are tiny things.
So y'all take a look and see if any of this makes sense...

"Aged" Music-Sheet Paper Cones for Potpourri

If possible, experiment with different papers:

Try photocopying & shellacking soft-colored, textured, recycled, or
parchment-like papers for various effects. A mail-order company called
PaperDirect sells fabulous recycled & "treeless" papers which are safe for laser & inkjet printers and might work in copiers too.

(A great co.; call & ask, they know everything about their papers.)
BTW, you don't HAVE to photocopy Christmas carols... Unless your Christmas
guests include world-famous composers or conductors, no one's
going to know the difference.
Just don't photocopy words or titles.
Any complex page of any musical notes from any source will give
the proper "effect" (check a library if you don't have your own music).

After photocopying, cut the sheets if necessary to a size to make a fairly
large, wide-mouthed rolled cone.
Experiment with blank paper first to determine the size cone that
will best suit your tree.

When it's time to form the cone, paste the copied, shellacked sheet onto
cardboard if it's too flimsy. Secure edges of rolled cone well. You
experienced crafters will have to say what kind of glue will hold a
shellacked & a non-shellacked edge together? If all else fails,
I spoze one could try a few staples?

"Edge" decoration, if desired, before shellacking:
Trim the edge that will form open top of cone with deckling scissors
or other decorative design scissors.

"Base" decorations:
When making the cone, leave a small hole at the pointed base.
Knot together several lengths of thin satin ribbon.
Thread the ends through the hole, letting the knot catch on the inside to
hold them.
Bow-tie some of the streamers, braid some, or just let dangle.
Streamers of other things such as lace or pearl strings might also be
pretty. They can be taped securely inside cone if they cannot be easily knotted.
But obviously, either they need to be fairly thin or the hole at the
cone's base tip needs to be larger.


For a hanger:
Gently poke a small hole on each side of rear seam below the cone's wide top edge.
Inside cone, reinforce the holes with tape or those old round gummed
looseleaf reinforcers (do they even make those any more??).
String an appropriate length of ribbon or cord & tie or knot.
Within reason:
The lower down the holes are from the top edge and the farther apart they
are, the less chance the cone will tip forward too much when filled & hung.
If you're making very small cones, you might be able to use just
one hole w/ a looped hanging cord (but glue the potpourri to the
*inside* of the cone as well as to itself as described below).

For a "filler" if needed:
*If needed* depends on how deep and wide your cones are.

For large wide cones, make a small bag of net or plain muslin, or even
well-used dryer sheets (unscented or no-scent-left).
Fill loosely with your smallest, not-so-great-looking potpourri, as long
as it smells good.
Bag can be glued or stapled at edges; nothing fancy.
Size it just big enough to fill a cone up partway, so less
of your "good stuff" goes on top. If you plan to use cedar-or-woody-
scent potpourri on top, for example, try cedar chips or sawdust in the bag.
If using a "food" scent, try citrus-peel bits saved from breakfast & dried.
Even use unscented material such as cut-up plastic packing
peanuts if necessary.

For the "topper" potpourri:
Select fairly large, attractive dried botanicals from among your best
Christmasy-scent mixes. Arrange, gluing them lightly together, in a
circular pile or mound in the top opening of each cone over the filler bag.
Don't glue them to the bag or to the inside of cone, just to each other.
If your cones are quite small, you might be able to kip the filler bag and
just use the "topper" botanicals since it won't take much to fill them.
Glue botanicals lightly to inside of cone as well as to each other.

To store after Christmas (or until this Christmas):
Empty the cones, put all filler bags in a large plastic zip baggy & all
topper piles in another. Lay paper cones on their sides on top of bags.
Add a copy of your scent oils recipe or the name & source of the pre-formulated oil used, in case you need to refresh scents some day ...
because in Christmases Future you WILL have forgotten what you used!


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