Easy Valentine/Anniversary Gift

I had fun making this sentimental Valentine's/anniversary gift: print the lyrics to your first dance onto parchment/white birch-type paper and cut into a tree shape...I've seen this with 2 hearts hanging from the tree branch but I thought 2 love birds would be cute.  :)

a foray into crafting: rosette ball

First, let it be known, I have never really considered myself a "craft person."

I have to give credit to T. for sorta changing my life in that regard by inviting me to craft night and also pushing me to join Pinterest, which I had lots of misgivings about, and still do actually (addictive, materialistic time suck)...but there are redeeming qualities as well...

So, slowly, I am becoming more comfortable with the idea of me and crafting in the same room. My first project this month was something to hang in Molly Rose's room. Next up was this craft, basically because it looked easy to do, the components were cheap & easy to find, and our mantel could use a splash of color for February.

Now, I know there are hundreds of crafting blogs already out there with amazing layout, beautiful photography, and witty writing. I do not even begin to aspire to such crafting greatness, but I did think it might be helpful to add a few tips to the wonderful website I got my instructions from.

I purchased an extra large roll of crepe paper thinking surely I wouldn't need more, but I did almost use all of it. I also purchased a medium sized styrofoam ball. (Keep in mind that after you've added all the rosettes the ball will be much bigger than what you're starting from.) So materials (assuming you already have a glue gun) were less than $5.

It took me about 30 minutes to perfect my technique of rolling rhe rosettes and then a couple hours to create enough to glue onto the ball. I tell you this upfront so you know what you're getting into. I admit that the thought crossed my mind at least once that I could just be putting in some work hours from home and be able to purchase store bought decor. But, uh, that's not something a craft-y person would say, is it?

As the blog states, it's nice to crumple the crepe paper up first and then smooth it out so it's not so stiff. (I did this after I had cut it into many 24-inch-ish pieces.) Then fold the top third down--and it took me awhile to figure out that you don't crease the fold, but make it more of a gentle fold-then they'll look more like roses instead of tight little buds. It was a challenge to make the rosettes loose enough but I tried to keep my fingers at the bottom and loosely wrap the crepe paper around and around. I placed them and adjusted them as necessary before gluing to each other and the ball.

Toward the end I was getting really tired and got a little sloppy, which the perfectionists out there may have already noticed. However, I'm happy with the end result, and happy that I've been inspired and pushed to step out of my "non-crafting" box!