Light Up Nose for Rudolph

Materials: STR�LA, Light Blub, Faux Taxidermy Deer Head

Description: What's a mounted Rudolph head without a light up nose? Just a lame old deer head, that's what! So if you have one of those cardboard taxidermy deer heads (or you can download a template to make your own here) and want to make it a bit more festive, I've got the perfect hack for you.

Here's what you'll need: a strand of battery operated red LED lights (STR�LA $3), a hollowed out light bulb that is sized appropriately for your deer head, some Krylon Looking Glass spray paint, electrical tape, and wire strippers.

Since I didn't want to be able to see the LED lights on the STR�LA strand, I sprayed the Looking Glass spray paint inside of the bulb and distressed it with a little water to get a faux mercury glass look.

Next you will need to remove any excess LED's from the STR�LA strand. Figure out how many led lights will fit through the opening of your light bulb. In my case 5 LED's could fit. I cut out the extra LED's from the middle, leaving as much excess wire as possible connected to my 5 LED's and the battery pack. Strip the last quarter inch of these wires and reconnect the battery pack wires to the led's. You will need to turn the battery pack on to make sure they are working, if not switch the wires.

Once the lights are working use some electrical tape to secure the wires separately. I also used the same electrical tape to bundle all the LED's together.

Then it's as easy as cutting a hole through a few layers of your Deer Head, fishing the wires through, and hiding the battery pack. In fact, if you use the template from Instructables (blown up 400%) the pack will tuck nicely in one of the cavities.

Now, invite some people over to your holiday party so they can admire your handy work.

If you'll like more details to create your own Mounted Rudolph Head come on over to my blog, The Ambitious Procrastinator.

~ Nikki Kelly, Denver, CO

Spruce It Up

Materials: MARGARETA + KVARTAL

Description: I created a curtain Christmas Tree using the MARGARETA fabric and KVARTAL top and bottom rail from Ikea in just 5 easy steps.

1. I measured to the center of the fabric using a tape measure and ironed on a 4 inch strip of Pellon 808 craft fuse Iron-on backing down the center. This enabled me to cut the fabric in half without the fabric fraying once it was cut.

2. Once the fabric was in two pieces I measured the length of the KVARTAL rail and cut each piece of fabric on the outside edge to be one inch longer than the rail.

3. Using my iron on the hottest setting I ironed the outside edge under by the extra inch. I secured the top and bottom KVARTAL rail to each half of the fabric

4. I took down the two center panels of my KVARTAL curtains and hung the two tree panels in its place.

5. I added the ornaments by affixing green craft wire to the ornaments and poking the wire through the fabric. Once the wire was through the fabric I just bent it down flat against the back of the curtain.

Now I have a no-mess, no-space-required, Christmas tree!

~ Camron

Having a crafty Christmas?

Ahh ... tinsels and carols. The season is definitely coming. And I am busy making new ornaments from IKEA JULKUL cupcake liners.

It's a first for me - making ornaments, that is. Decided not to go the store-bought route this year and so far, I am having fun.

You can check out my tutorial over at JULES.

What are you doing differently this Christmas? Or what are you crafting for the season? Let me know (or share your link with us) in the comments below. I'd love to see what you've done.