🍥Styro-For Craft Nuts🍥Christmas Tree Added!

We were always getting these in stuff we ordered; I would save them in case we needed to send out something that needed cushion. They would get everywhere, I would inadvertently tip them over and just cause a "pain in the mess" to clean up - -then (with the discovery of styrofoam disks..) this idea💡popped into my head on how to reuse them. So, sure enough, by then I had thrown them all away ;D and had to buy some from my local pack 'n ship store.
💚Luckily, they were ¢heap, that whole box load was a couple bucks! (But foam disks are just a drop in the bucket, possibilities are endless- not to mention easy and fun!) **Also, those thick, square/rectangle blocks of styrofoam -usually packed, securing electronics, come in VERY HANDY, as well -for MANY things**

Supplies

⚫Packing Peanuts

⚫Foam disk(s) ~can be bought from craft & dollar stores (there's also styrofoam balls)

*Foam Cone Poster Board (form your own cone) Optional TP rolls (angel topper/small cones)

*Misc paper stock per preference Misc beads, ornaments, ball-tip pins and trinkets (even mini lights) for decorating

⚫Hot Glue Gun, extra glue sticks (recommended)

⚫Paint (spray, bottled, tube, watercolor, acrylic -any)

*spray paint obviously covers alot, quickly, easily, but you can miss some areas/nooks/cranies -so, hand-painting is more thorough; * however, you can use a brush to spread the spray paint while still wet

**spray paint, as you can see on my 'Sunflower', has a very interesting chemical reaction with the peanuts

⚫Miscellaneous / various beads, feathers, pins, trinkets..

⚫Miscellaneous / various Tools/supplies: toothpics, foam block/cup, skewers, Exacto knife, scissors, Glue / Hot glue, etc.

⚫⚫**THIS WILL BE YOUR DESIGN, YOUR IDEA; My examples are Poinsettia, Sunflower, Thanksgiving Turkey "Tom" **⚫⚫

🔵🔵YOUR DESIGN, CREATING YOUR ORNAMENT🔵🔵

1) Determine YOUR craft project / desire (draw it out, dry run with peanuts & foam disk, etc)

2) Paint the disk (*or your styrofoam 'base'form) your desired color(s): Set aside, Let dry

3) Determine the number of peanuts you may need *some may need to be cut to size*; Paint peanuts and/or paint them as you go; 💠 I used (speared them with) Toothpicks & set them to dry

4) Gather (determine) your decorations / accessories

>🎄For the Christmas Tree - see Step 2 >

>💠 For the Poinsettia, Sunflower and Tom Turkey - see Step 3 >

🎄Christmas Tree🎄

🎄Paint your cone ~ whichever one you choose ~ *pick your desired shade of green

🎄You can mix yellow (-shades of) and blue(-shades of) to make green; different shades of green add depth and interest

🎄I mixed yellow with turquoise and deep blue; used more yellow and white for lighter shades / more blue for darker shades and used (store bought/bottled) green, as well

🎄You can (hot)glue the nuts onto the form and paint OR paint them individually; have your paint palette handy

🎄Either way, allow to dry fully

🎄Optional "tree trunk" ~ I used a stick / small branch; cut it to your required size and shape a point on one end - "spear-like"

🎄If you opt for the trunk, you need to do that before you cover the entire tree with the packing nuts*

🎄Leave at least 3 or so inches of gripping space at the bottom of the cone; dredge out a hole in the center of the bottom of the tree and insert your (tree trunk) stick **if you try to insert a "trunk" with all the pkg nuts attached, you will damage it**

(a suggestion, for a tree this size - your stick/branch should be at least six -to eight inches and inserted at least half-way, then strongly secured in a dish ~ I used oasis foam & rocks/stones)

🎄Decorate (*carefully*); I used beads - i made a beaded garland, I also used strung beads, ball-tipped pins and I found these wonderful TINY, battery operated string lights, from a chain hobby store (online).❄️

☃️Optional ANGEL Tree Topper: I formed a cone *&cut wing shapes out of toilet paper rolls; painted her white, added beads and glitter. I used a large pearlized bead for her head and a floral wire halo❄️❄️

🌺Poinsettia, 🌻Sunflower, 🦃 Tom Turkey...

(Poinsettia):
🌺 Paint the foam disk and the peanuts; poke the 'nuts into a foam block to dry- or upside down foam cup
🌺 (Once dry) Glue on your P'nuts per (your) design
🌺 The center "Flower Buds, Stems" are hand-painted (wood) Beads, Ball-tip Straight Pens and tiny foam balls (available at craft/dollar stores)
🌺 some faux leaves were glued/tucked in / around the sides
🌺 a Hanging Ribbon was secured at the top with decorative Beads and Pins (you can determine top/bottom 1st)
(Sunflower):
🌻**I PLACED ALL P'NUTS AND SPRAYPAINTED AFTER **
>MASKING THE CENTER- A SMALL CIRCLE AREA**<
🌻 a chemical reaction occurred -the paint ate the foam - I liked the effect, you may not (to me, it gave it an aged/dried flower look)
🌻 I filled the center circle (area) with glue, then tiny foam balls I painted brown
🌻 I decorated with faux leaves & optional "stem"
🌻** I made a pilot hole with the skewer before painting
(Thanksgiving Turkey):
🦃 I used different colored feathers
🦃 A Pilgrim Hat made from shiny black Tape
🦃 Tom's head was cut out of another disk (a 'sort of' peanut shape itself); his eyes are rondelle beads and black ball-tipped straight pins; under his chin the "wattle" was a packing nut

🎆Have Fun!

Optional

You may wish to finish your ornament with a clear coat glaze.
I hope you enjoy!
-desiree

🍥Styro-For Craft Nuts🍥Christmas Tree Added!