Christmas present dioramas are more work than a simple bow but they're also but more fun and way more interesting. You can make these holiday scenes to match the person you're giving the gift to.
Yup! It's a surprise Tuesday post. I wanted to give you a close up view of the Christmas wrapping I did this year and if I didn't do it on a Tuesday (instead of when I regularly post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) I wasn't going to be able to fit it in before Christmas. If you read my post on Diorama Present Toppers a few weeks ago you know that I topped all of my presents with little winter scenes. I only had a couple of them done at the time so I wanted show you how they all turned out, and how I got the look.
This is Betty's present. A skating rink and bench. The figure skates are an ode to her Christmases past. The snow on this present and on all the other presents is just regular spray snow that's been allowed to dry. The pond is hot glue.
I made the skates out of high rubber boots that were on a Bratz doll from Dollarama. I just cut them off, painted them white and hot glued on some bent wire for skate blades.
The bench is a section from a miniature white picket fence from Dollarama. I broke it apart and glued it back together in the form of a bench. The fence also came with a tiny Christmas tree which I used on another present.
This is one of the original Diorama present toppers you saw earlier in the month. The skis are made from popsicle sticks and I made the boot imprints in the snow with a potato stamp I carved.
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We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Not all of the presents are entire scenes. Some of them just feature a simple tree. If you're looking to make diorama present toppers but don't want to spend all the time it takes to make skates (like a lunatic) then just adding a tree instead of a bow has almost as much impact.
But of course, it has a little more impact if you add in a truck with hay bale in the back. The most important things with these dioramas are the little details. Like running the truck through the snow as soon as you spray snow it so you get tracks. Without the tracks in the snow this present topper is good. WITH the tracks it's enough to make a Restoration Hardware stylist spit carefully curated antique square head nails with jealousy.
Another one of the original present toppers I showed you a few weeks ago. A black road with silver sparkles embedded into it. On top of the car is the little tree that came with the picket fence.
This might be my favourite. It's a snowy scene with a flatbed truck making its way down a winding, snow plowed road to deliver a Christmas tree to a homestead. Complete with red mailbox.
This car was originally a firetruck, but having a firetruck racing towards a house at Christmas seemed like a slightly bad omen so I broke off the back of the firetruck with a pair of pliers, which resulted in a little flatbed.
I've never had so much fun wrapping Christmas presents in all my life. Ever.
I feel myself filling with rage every time I think of someone opening them, so that might be a problem. Other than that, I suspect it's going to be a happy, happy holiday.
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Michelle
Absolutely my favorite wrapping design! How did you get the trees to stay upright? I'm worried hot glue isn't going to cut it...
Karen
Just hot glue! ~ karen
Shirle Adams
Karen, I truly loved all the scenic present-toppers you errected. Now, I just wish you had thought of what I did years ago when I was making (my opinion, anyway) dramatic wrappings that presented themselves mainly on one side of the gift box:
I wrapped the top of the box separately (yes, takes more time), then the bottom. It was on the top that I attached my scenes or fancy 3-D decorations that I thought could easily be used again.
Saves a lot of rage!
Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy all the holidays!
~ Shirle
Karen
Thanks Shirlie! I call those soap opera boxes. The kind of wrapping you see people give each other on soaps to prevent having to rip paper off. ~ karen!
Camille Strate
Now you've done it...must rush to Dollar Tree to get stuff for my own. SUPERAWESOMESAUCINESS!!!
Lisa
Just seeing your diorama gifts for the first time. Absolutely terrific!
You have inspired me! Thank you! Perhaps a Valentine's diorama???
I liked your cherry tarts too. Super easy but none the less a thrill for
my teenagers. Wishing you a pleasantly surprising VD. That is what
my art teacher called it back in High School. :)
Jen
I don't know how I ended up here in July for Christmas five years earlier, but it's so fun at your house. Please invite me on time this year :)
Karen
Ha! I'll try to remember. ;) ~karen!
mrsben
Came across your post vie Pinterest and better late than never ... ☺ .... wish to compliment you on your creative wrapping. That stated; in respect to removing the wrapping something I recently seen done was basically a) a piece of thin ribbon was strategically attached to the inside of the paper b) with a small piece of its end protruding on the outside that when pulled it would tear the paper along its line. Haven't tried it myself but it might be something you may wish to consider.
-Brenda-
Karen
That does sound like fun!! ~ karen
Elaine
This time last year, I'd just moved into a condo in your town, Karen, and wasn't aware of your blog then. I saw this post about a month ago, was bowled over by the love and imagination you poured into this but didn't have time to post a comment. It's now 1:00 a.m. and I "was" getting sleepy but wandered over to this idea. It has now bowled me over AGAIN - so much so, I swear my heart rate has revved up and now I'm wide awake!! lol! I was loving your Group of Seven gold glitter tree paper but these take the cake. I am having a hard time picking a favorite! Your Mum's is very special (those skates!) but I think maybe, that car on the winding icy road might be my choice. You should be EXTREMELY proud of this, Karen! I think Martha would say "it's a good thing".
PS: in reading a few previous posts, I can't believe anyone can be rude or mean enough to say to "craft loving" ladies the old putdown "you must have a lot of time on your hands"!! It sounds a bit like the green-eyed monster to me!
Karen
Ha! Yup. My least favourite saying in the world. As I say, we all have the same amount of time on our hands, it's how we choose to spend it that differs. ~ karen!