How to Make Ornaments From Milkweed Pods
Milkweed pods are available from craft stores or collected in the woods during early fall, are the perfect base for a number of holiday ornaments. The pear shape lends itself well to creating faces, rain drops, flowers and whatever other creative use the imagination allows. Below are instructions for a Santa or snowman face ornaments, although the possibilities are many.
Instructions
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Process
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1
Open the collected pods with fingers and remove inside seeds if any. If the pods are purchased from the store rather than the wild they are already de-seeded and dry and therefore skip to step 3.
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2
Dry the pods by air drying in a warm dry place or using a counter top dehydrator. The pods must be dry before applying any paint, glitter or other application to the surface. Dry pods are much easier to work with and the risk of breaking is minimal.
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3
Apply a base coat of acrylic paint to create a blank canvas and let air dry. White makes a great foundation color. Apply using a small craft style paint brush. Be sure to place newspaper underneath the painting area to catch drips and spills.
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4
Use black or red to create a hat for the snowman or Santa figure. Paint the top half of the pod with the color of choice and let dry. Acrylic paint works well for this project as it dries quickly. The amount of detailing you add is up to you.
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5
Add detail to the lower half of the pod to create the face of the holiday character. An orange carrot nose and black eyes and mouth work well for a snowman. For a Santa face, a little pink or flesh tone creates a good base for a face.
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6
Coat the entire dry pod with a clear varnish to seal the design. An acrylic clear coat makes for an affordable varnish that dries quickly. Always follow directions on the label and use a clean brush for applying to avoid residue paint smudges.
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7
Create interest by applying glitter to the pod to make it sparkle and catch the light. Be sure the clear coat is completely dry. Hold the pod at the ends between your finger tips to make all over coverage easier. Let dry completely, preferably overnight.
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8
Pierce the very top tip of the pod with a threaded sewing needle, pulling the thread through the top of the pod to create a loop from which to hang the finished ornament. Add to a Christmas tree, attach to gift tags or string along a piece of festive ribbon for a hand crafted rustic touch.
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