Ashley's Christmas Centerpiece

UPDATE~ I will be linking up with Today's Creative Blog!






 and 

Hi friends! So, with the Halloween decor down I am just itching to move onto new projects to fill the lonely space. It's early November but Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year and we like to welcome it early in our house! We don't forget about Thanksgiving but Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without the Christmas decor!

As I'm sure it is for many of you, it is so important to me that my kids remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Santa and presents are fun and my kids get caught up in this part very easily so I try to drill in their heads that the birth of Christ is why we celebrate. Which is what got the ideas flowing on this project...well that and Annette's Shadow Boxes!

Supplies I used bought at Hobby Lobby:

Unfinished wooden candlesticks

Unfinished wooden napkin rings

2 unfinished wooden plaques, 2 unfinished wooden finials

One 3ft unfinished wooden slat

and one 1x6 board purchased at Home Depot

I started by marking and cutting down the 1x6 to 36"

with my Ryobi battery powered circular saw.

I then sanded down the edges with my battery powered Ryobi sander.

I then spray painted all of the pieces with a favorite, Rustoleum American Accents Heirloom White.

I used my Cricut (George and Basic Shapes cartridge) to cut out stencils and dry brushed over them with Americana Lamp (Ebony) Black acrylic on the 36" board.

Distressed the edges and corners with my 3M sanding block (80-grit paper)...

and then applied Minwax Dark Walnut stain to the distressed edges to bring out the detail!

I then used the Gorilla Glue Epoxy to glue two napkins rings and two candle sticks together and glued them to an unfinished wooden plaque

and repeated to make two bases!

I then used the Gorilla Glue Epoxy to glue them to the bottom of the small wooden slat, set that aside

and got to work on the board again.  I applied the Gorilla Glue Epoxy to the bottom side of the board

flipped the candle stick and board up and secured the board on top!

Now for the finishing touches!

~ A little Minwax Dark Walnut stain on the edges of the small wooden slat

~ Ralph Lauren Smoke Glaze all over (paint on a wipe off)

Remember the finials...a little glaze

some Gorilla Glue Epoxy on the bottom and ...

a Christmas Center piece is created!!!

Like I said, it is so important for me to keep my boys in check when it comes to the TRUE meaning of Christmas.  I love this new piece and I hope that it will be a constant reminder to my boys and me as well as we head into the Holidays! 

I will be adding this to Just A Girl's Party for thrifty Christmas gifts.... Check it out guys!!

UPDATE:

 And...  I will also be linking up at Works For Me Wednesdays over here...  UPDATE: