Season’s Greetings!

This issue features a number of festive choices to fulfill your gift-giving needs. When speaking in terms of fruits and vegetables, it is said that there’s nothing like “home-grown,” and when it comes to gifts, there’s nothing like homemade (or in this case hand-painted). Whether you are looking to paint holiday accents for indoors or outdoors, we’ve got you covered!

Throughout the year, we have featured a number of clay pot projects. In this issue, we are pleased to present Monika Brint’s holiday bell collection, featuring reindeer, Santa, and snowmen motifs. We show them displayed outdoors on a wrought iron hanger; however, you can easily make them into clay pot candleholders. Simply paint a saucer to match, adhere to the top of the inverted clay pot, and place a pillar candle inside the saucer. If you purchase pots and saucers in several sizes and adapt the patterns to fit, you can create a fun, whimsical mantel decoration for the holidays. You can also create a centerpiece with ribbons and faux greenery around the pots. The accompanying mini wooden pot ornaments are a perfect choice to decorate a garland or wreath. Truly, the adaptability of these designs is amazing.

Kim Chrismas’ “Sugar & Spice” Homespun Set is another design that offers a host of opportunities for those who love to be creative. Adapt any of the circular designs to plates, basket lids, and more. For family members and friends who love to cook, this project is our top pick. Fill a canning jar with the dry ingredients for brownies or muffins, paint a round cutout with the heart or gingerbread cookie design, and glue it to the screw-on lid, embellish with a piece of ribbon or homespun, and finish with a hand-painted gift tag.

The Dragonfly Tag Ornaments by Kelly Hoernig feature a more contemporary look. These, too, can be adapted to any number of surfaces. Add textile medium to your acrylic paint, following the manufacturer’s instructions, or use fabric paints in comparable colors and try painting this design on totes, handbags, T-shirts, jackets, and table linens—the possibilities are endless and can be used year round.

On another note, the Santa Plate, Note Holder, and Cookie Jar set by Karen Wisner features Santa sporting two different beards. The cookie jar is painted in a simplistic manner, whereas the plate design is more advanced.

Whether you are painting for others or for yourself, we trust you will find many ideas in this special holiday issue. Why not brighten up the outdoors with a brilliant, hand-painted Poinsettia Mailbox Cover and send a special holiday greeting to everyone in your neighborhood.