Last Christmas I decided to get a little creative with my Holiday Card display. I usually tape them to the back of our front door, but over the years, we have started to receive more and more cards. I think it is because I have so many blog friends that I exchange cards with now. I draped a white metal chain that I purchased from Lowe’s across our family room window. We have shutters on the window, so it is the perfect place to hang the cards. My husband used three small nails and hammered them into to the top of our shutters. I’m completely lazy, so they stayed there all year. It was perfect when I went to hang all of my garlands and pennants for the Holidays throughout the year. I hung my cards on the chain with simple wood clothespins.
Well of course, I love craft blogs and all things crafty. I wanted to make my display a little more sparkly this year. I decided to glitter up the clothespins. Because glitter makes everything better right, well, and unicorns too. I looked at several tutorials and figured it out on my own. I’m going to share my step-by-step process here. All of the photos are taken with my iPhone. I had Mod Podge, Glitter, etc. out and did not want to get my DSLR messy.
Supplies Needed:
- Wood Clothespins
- Glitter (I used Martha Stewart Glitter. Everyone tells me that it is the best glitter.)
- Mod Podge (Gloss Version with the Orange Label)
- Foam Brushes
- Brown Craft Paper (To do the project on, not make a mess)
- Bowl (To catch the extra glitter)
Step 1: Set Out Your Supplies
I chose to do this project on my kitchen counter. Glitter is the herpes of the craft world. It gets everywhere. I wanted to be able to sweep the mess into my sink after it was all done. I set down the brown craft paper and gathered my supplies.
Step 2: Open The Mod Podge Container, Organize Clothespins, Grab a Container of Glitter, and Get some Mod Podge on the Foam Brush
This step should be self-explanatory. Set everything out for the first set. I did my clothespins in groups of five. I did five of each color. I was going with a rainbow theme. Note: My husband LOATHES, actually HATES this rainbow trend. His problem, not mine. Make sure you do one color of glitter at a time, that is, doing all of the clothespins with one color, then put the extra glitter back. It is much easier to clean-up if you do it this way.
Step 3: Apply Mod Podge to the Clothespins, and Add Glitter
I inserted the foam brush into the container of Mod Podge. I did not get a ton of the Mod Podge on the brush, I was gentle. I coated the long side of the clothespin with the Mod Podge. I was careful to not let it drip everywhere, because that makes a mess, and I don’t want the excess glitter to stick everywhere that it shouldn’t be. I then grabbed a bowl and a container of glitter. I shook the glitter all over the Mod Podge coated clothespin, with the excess falling in the bowl. When I was done making the clothespins with a certain color, I made a paper funnel to dump the glitter back into its original container. I made my paper funnel because I can never find anything in this house. I know we have a small funnel somewhere.
Step 4: Leave the Clothespins Out to Dry, Glitter Side Up
Set the clothespins out to dry. Make sure you have them glitter side up. Otherwise the Mod Podge will stick everywhere, and you will be peeling the clothespins off of the brown craft paper. I actually did it right the first time, which is completely shocking. I let the clothespins sit on the paper for a few days, like three or four to fully dry.
Step 5: Apply Mod Podge on Top of the Glitter
I used a foam brush and Mod Podge to seal the glitter. I lightly brushed the Mod Podge on the glittered clothespins. I then left them to dry for three to four more days. I coated the tops of the clothespins with the Mod Podge because otherwise, glitter would be everywhere. Like I said before, Glitter is the herpes of the craft world. By sealing the glitter, I can use these clothespins for a long time. After they were dry, I gathered them up and placed them into a freezer bag. I pull a different color out when I receive a new Holiday Card.
I am slowly getting Holiday Cards at my house, so I don’t have a ton right now. I think everyone is mailing theirs out late this year. Slackers! But I wanted to show an example of how the cards look when hung by the glitter clothespins. Pretty!
Other Uses and Ideas for Glittered Clothespins:
1. Paint the clothespins first. I’ve seen the clothespins painted to match the color of the glitter. They look awesome.
2. Magnets. You can glue a magnet onto the back of the clothespin to use on refrigerators to hang notes, schoolwork, etc.
3. Art displays. Hang a clotheslines, and hang up children’s artwork. They were look very snazzy hanging from the sparkly clothespins.
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