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A Star is Born–Starfish Holiday Ornament Tutorial

For the past several years my work, Devaney & Associates, has donated a fully decorated tree to Carroll Hospice’s Festival of Trees. Each year we democratically pick a theme and then carry this theme out in Christmas tree form. After a very close race, this year's theme is a beach tree.

Not only do we get to do a good deed, we often find ourselves creating great crafts (with the added bonus of crafting during work hours). So as our agency develops these beachy ornaments I thought I would share some of the how-to’s with my few (but loyal) readers. So fix yourself a pina colada, turn on that sun lamp and get ready to craft.

The first ornament is a real tree diva…a glittery starfish.



What you will need:
12” of 20 guage wire (we used copper)
4” (or so) starfish
Wire cutter
Glitter (we used Martha Stewart’s Crystal Course Glitter)
White Craft Glue (we used Modge Podge)
Inexpensive paint brush (to apply glue)
2 to 3 medium sized glass beads

  1. Generously brush glue on to one side of the starfish and cover starfish in glitter. After it is completely dried, turn over the starfish and repeat with the back side. Hint: you might want to do this on a paper plate to make for easy cleanup and to save the unused glitter.



  2. Measure and cut a 12” piece of wire. Carefully wrap one end of the wire to one of the points of the starfish.

  3. String the beads onto the wire. Bend the wire at a 90° angle to the beads and starfish.



  4. Hold the open end of the wire in your hands and carefully create a spiral by making a small open ended loop at the beginning and then wrapping the wire around progressively having the loops get larger, see fig 4 for sample.

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