*I received the glitter supplies used in this project free of charge from American Crafts. All ideas and opinions are 100% my own!
Today I am excited to share my Fourth of July mantel decorations with you! I know it is very close to the 4th already, but I am actually quite proud of myself for having it done already! My Valentine’s Day mantle didn’t get put up until a week after Valentine’s Day. Haha. (I really wanted pictures of what I had made. I guess I’ll put them up on the blog next year!)
As we all know, I am obsessed with washi tape. But here is my little secret: until I made these frames last week I had NEVER ACTUALLY USED IT!!! I was basically in love with the idea of washi tape. And now I’m in love with the actual washi tape. It absolutely lived up to the hype! I am completely in love. It was SO. DANG. EASY. SOOO DANG EASY!! I think I will need washi tape frames for every holiday after this! And you know what made my washi tape frame go from cool to AH-MA-ZING?! GLITTER TAPE!!!!! I am so obsessed. SO obsessed. Seriously….don’t get me started!! I loved all of the glittery papers and loose glitters and glitter glue that I received to try out from American Crafts, but what knocked me dead and changed my crafty life was the glitter tape. Pardon me while I swoon. (If you think I am exaggerating about my glitter tape love then you must not be following me on Instagram yet. See this picture for proof.) Check out all of the goodies I got to play with below. Score, right?!
Now let me show you JUST how simple it is to create washi tape frames. (I used the same technique to create the firecrackers. I got the firecracker set from Pick Your Plum, but you could easily make them with three blocks of wood and a little wire!)
Grab some wooden frames, white paint, and washi tape. Coat your frame with white paint (since the tape is rather transparent). Now just tape! Washi tape works like masking tape, so you can stick it on, readjust it, tear it, etc. I left the tape hanging over the edges a bit and trimmed it all along the side of the frame with scissors at the end. I also sealed it with a layer of Mod Podge, just to make sure it lasts in storage to bring out every year.
Fun, right?! Now on to the gloriously glittery paper bunting for my patriotic mantel! It consists of chunky glitter paper that makes my heart skip a beat, cardstock, and, of course, glitter tape! I will walk you through the steps below. This was easy but still time consuming. I love the way it glitters and pops on our mantle, though, so it was well worth the time! I used the duotone glitter paper for this project. It is simply magnificent. Chunky glitter in paper form. Again….swoon! As you can see, it was quite messy, but it was a mess that was well worth it!
First use a ruler to measure your triangles/pennants. Now cut. Embrace the mess and love it. You can sweep when you are done! I decided to use a top layer of glittered triangles that alternated colors, and a bottom layer of white cardstock triangle that I embellished with my beloved glitter tape. Once your white triangles are embellished you can attach them with a bit of Scotch tape. Now look at how much the glittered triangles will overlap and glue them on top of the white triangles, as shown. Now use Scotch tape to secure all of the triangles together for good measure. Finish up your bunting with some of the glitter tape along the top for a fabulously polished look.
Aaahhh…..so much color. So much glitter. I am one happy gal! There isn’t much decor that can make me happier than something glittery and glam. GLITTER ADDICTS UNITE!! (I have problems…..)
What do you think of my glittering patriotic mantel?
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katie says
June 26, 2013 at 8:13 pmLOVE your mantle and love that you finally got to play with washi tape. Isn’t it the best!?!?! I’m obsessed with the stuff!