How to Make Crafts With Poinsettias
Poinsettias are native to Mexico and the Aztecs used to use poinsettia bracts -- the red flowery leaves -- to make red dyes for crafts and handiwork. While poinsettias are no longer relied on for their staining qualities, the bracts still make useful materials for craft projects. If you have a lot of live poinsettias and can spare a plant for a craft idea, consider turning a poinsettia bract into an ornament that you can hang from a Christmas tree or holiday mantle.
Things You'll Need
- Shears
- Candle
- Lighter
- Red fabric pompom
- Red glitter glue
- Gold glitter glue
- Green pipe cleaner
- Book
- Decoupage medium
- Paintbrush
Instructions
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Poinsettia Ornament
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1
Trim a poinsettia bract off the poinsettia plant with shears. Leave a stem connected to the bract that is at least 1-inch long. The cut stem will produce a milky sap that drips out. Keep the poinsettia stem and bract fresher for longer by searing the stem. Light a candle and place the cut stem over the flame until you see the sap bubble.
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2
Glue a red fabric pompom to the inside center of the poinsettia. This creates a dramatic look and ensures that the bracts stick together.
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3
Decorate the poinsettia bracts with glitter glue. Apply a line of red glitter glue around the top of the bracts, and draw stars or other designs on the bracts with the gold glitter glue. Allow the glue to dry for one hour.
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4
Cut a 6-inch piece of green pipe cleaner. Wrap the green pipe cleaner around the remaining stem from the flower so that the end of the pipe cleaner is tied to the stem.
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5
Create a loop with the free end of the green pipe cleaner. Twist the end around the stem, too. Hang the poinsettia by the loop from a Christmas tree branch or a nail in the mantle.
Decoupage Poinsettia Ornament
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6
Pluck the red bracts from two or three poinsettia bracts. Lay the bracts flat in between the pages of a heavy book -- one or two bracts per page. Close the book to press the bracts and leave them there for one to two weeks. Poinsettias must be pressed to work for decoupage projects.
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7
Glue the pressed bracts on top of an ornament that you wish to decoupage. Use a circular ornament or a flat one. You might even use a picture frame ornament.
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8
Use a paintbrush to coat the top of the bracts and the ornament with decoupage medium, a glue and sealer. Allow the decoupage medium to dry overnight.
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Tips & Warnings
Once the plant stems or bracts are cut from the plant, the bracts will start to droop. Crafts involving live poinsettias have a short shelf life, so if you are preparing for a party or event, make the crafts that day to keep the bracts looking alive and fresh.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
