Ever since I was a child I’ve horded miniature relics and idolized dioramas (see: my adventures in an overstocked basement.) Whether creating tiny scenes on a shelf or in a shoe box, there’s something amazing about how the fractioned scale invites you in. In college, I satiated this fascination with an undying admiration for David Levinthal’s early works – specifically, Wild West and Hitler Moves East. But it wasn’t until I saw Blackface in Houston a few years ago that I began to appreciate placing all attention on the object itself and allowing each toy’s history to visually unfold.

Bright Puppy

Like many TLC projects, both design and history have their place. These bright photographs are no exception.

To create your own images, place your object in the middle of a light box (Porta Trace makes a great one for less than $40.) (Or, at $15, the Fado lamp from Ikea is a fantastic alternative.)

Bright Gorilla

With a digital camera, shoot photos of your object from a high angle (above the toy) getting as close as you can while still maintaining a sharp focus. Be sure to fill your screen with the white of the lamp (lay sheets of white paper underneath your light source to provide a larger white area). Cameras that allow you to control your shutter speed and aperture settings work best (as you’re dealing with dramatic lighting situations). Expect to spend some time getting used to the lighting and take lots of photos to make sure you get a good shot. Offload your images and print! That’s it.

Got questions or interested in TLC capturing your favorite childhood relic for you? Just ask. We’re happy to help!

Create your own custom photo tree as a holiday gift, to document your wedding, a baby’s first year, anniversary or other occasion. Combine photos, card remnants and rubber stamped leaves and blossoms to complete an original wall piece unique to your event.

Final Custom Photo Tree

You’ll need several sheets of 11×17″ printer friendly watercolor paper, black India ink, a drinking straw (cut to 4″), several (25+) digital photo files sized for print, .75 & 1″ hole punches, old invitations or decorative card stock, double sided tape & foam tape, leaf rubber stamps (TLC shows you how), pencil with rubber eraser and rubber stamp ink pads.

Create the tree that will hold your story. Check out our how to or skip the hassle and purchase a starter tree from our store. Edit your photos and punch perfect little photo circles. (Cut out your invitation fragments using the larger punch.)

Edit Your Photos

Once you have prepared all the pieces for the final design. Gather rubber stamps and ink. On a scrap piece of paper, test your stamps for the best color combination. You can even match your tree to the event’s season! Begin laying your photos and cut outs on the branches until you’ve established a layout you’re comfortable with. DO NOT affix any items yet. Once you’ve decided the locations your photos and cut outs will bloom, start to tape them in place making sure you alternate between two sided tape and foam tape for added dimension. Next, begin to fill empty areas with leaves of various colors and sizes.

Assemble Your Unique Creation

Prepare yourself as you will certainly receive loads of compliments for having constructed such an original piece. Congratulations!

For a full tutorial or if you have questions along the way, just ask. Find more photos here.

(Save time by ordering a premade tree or let TLC create the treasure for you.)

Now, with the big day gone and a refrigerator full of leftovers, comes creativity. For me, this means Leftovers Empanadas. The idea struck me about a month ago when hosting a dinner party. It’s easy, it’s fried and it’s delicious.

Toss diced turkey, ham, stuffing, green beans and any other leftover dish in a pan until warm. Cut approx. 3 inch circles out of store bought puff pastry. Fill with warmed leftovers and pinch closed to make a half moon. Drop in hot oil until brown flipping once to fully cook. Serve with gravy or cranberry sauce. Die happy. I cannot express how perfect and simple these treats are. If it’s not too late, give it a try.

Got your own ideas? Shoot em my way – I still have a fridge stocked with possibilities!

Reading her note, I can’t help but be reminded of the playful photo collection by Jan Von Holleben of Germany, Dreams of Flying. Read on to find your inspiration…

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell

Love the site, Bregan! Arts & Crafts are a big deal in my house. I don’t play with dolls or transformers, so if Sky wants to kick it with mommy, that means we’re makin’ something. When she was just a baby I started by sitting her on my lap and holding a crayon in her hand. We’d sit and draw multi-colored circles together. Then she would sit and watch while I turned them into various creatures and objects.

The Rocketteers

Mommy also doesn’t do tag or any such running sports, so one of our favorite outdoor pastimes is to do sidewalk chalk outlines of each other. Then we turn our shapes into fairies and make giant gardens all around them.

4 year olds are pretty easy to please when they’re making a mess. I keep us stocked in plain ol’ construction paper, paints, white glue and vials of glitter. Throw in some scissors and the possibilities are endless.

The Superman

My dream is to have a studio of my own where I can add clay, a potters wheel, a kiln, canvas, glass and other such things to our arsenal. But to tell you the truth, making ‘kid stuff’ with Skylar is one of my favorite things to do. Sure it’s all very silly and only lasts through the next rain or as long as it survives on the refrigerator, but those activities still serve as a creative outlet for me too.

I have no idea who my daughter will be when she’s all grown up (though I have a few suspicions), but creativity is in her blood and something tells me that’s something we’ll always have in common.
It sounds like you share that with your mother as well.

Much love
~N

Let us know what unique crafts you’ve come up with – with your kids or on your own.

Please welcome TLC’s newest contributer and my ridiculously well-spoken mommy, Cindy Hubbard. If this doesn’t get you in the holiday spirit, you’re on your own.

Dr Delphinium, aliedwards.com

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it means the first snow in KC – or at least cool crisp weather – the first sign that Christmas is on its way. For me, Thanksgiving is a no pressure holiday. Just a marvelous family gathering, wonderful smells wafting from the kitchen and a warm fire glowing to clothe the chill.

After Halloween I save all of my pumpkins and gourds for Thanksgiving decorations. Thanksgiving is Act 1 of the Christmas play – and what a wonderful beginning, what a way to introduce this joyous holiday (and it truly is joyous for me – from the first unpacking of my little treasures stored in the basement to decorate the house).

Decorating for the holidays is not a task. It is the beginning of a wonderful holiday surprise that kicks off my holiday celebration. For me, decorating for Christmas is as delightful as when Christmas morning arrives. Every container, brought up from the basement, is a glorious surprise – a happy reminder of what the last joyous seasons have brought. When I open up each container, I say to myself, “Oh, I just love this.” It’s like recycling a little surprise gift. Decorating for the holidays, for me, is a special Christmas gift that starts the season.

Good Housekeeping, Crate and Barrel, Wreath Works

On Thanksgiving I forage my backyard for natural decorations – maybe a long walk in the neighborhood to find special prizes like pine cones, leaves, bird feathers. But it’s the backyard that offers the most precious gifts that become my old grapevine wreath.

I used the soft pliable vines to shape the wreath and twisted sprigs of bushes with bright red berries along with special fuzzy weeds and pine cones. A delicate birds nest lost by our big tree from a storm is nestled in the wreath just above its curve holding a couple of bright feathers in its bed – just perfect. I let it dry and added other decorations from outside.

Thanksgiving started my backyard nature collecting for the holidays: wreaths, fresh cut branches from trees, everything beautiful that nature offers us for free during our quiet trip outside. It’s just magic. And it turns your home into a wonderland of natural discovery.

What natural decorations do you love?

As it turns out, my affinity for the broken bounty was not overlooked. When it came time to sell the home, having recognized my love for creating new relics from tired treasures, my grandma granted me my choice of any and all costume pieces. Nevermind their chipped colors and broken links, hundreds of necklaces of all shapes and sizes were now mine – and my love for jewelry making was born.

Broken items were fully disassembled and categorized into sectioned boxes. More contemporary pieces were set aside for reference and admiration. I still pull from this original selection of glass, bone, wooden, ceramic, metal and plastic beads. Looking for conversations in color, size and material I build unique handmade costume jewelry with a bit of history intertwined. Memories are strung into each custom costume jewelry bracelet as I often come across a certain bead that holds a story. This is what makes these handmade pieces so unique. It’s what allows us to carry our mothers and grandmothers with us in our day to day.

To create your own recycled costume jewelry bracelet, spread your beads, old and new, across a cloth or pour them onto a platter. Begin to dig for common colors but allow various materials to find companionship. (My current crushes are hues of blue and clear beads coupled with brass and tarnished silver).

Lay your choices in a line until you discover the winning combination or string them together on memory wire (I used CreativeS gold plated 3.6″ diameter Necklace Memory Wire), found at any bead store. Be sure to alternate the types and sizes of your beads to optimize the effect of your custom costume jewelry bracelet. Once you’re pleased with your design, create a loop on each end with a pair of jewelry pliers (needle nose pliers tend to work best). Attach a clasp on your loops or tie the ends together with a cut of elastic ribbon or twine to complete your original costume jewelry bracelet.

Show us your creations and tell us your stories. We’d love to hear from you. Or contact us to commission a custom piece (we’ll even incorporate your heirloom bead).

Tiny Masterpiece – Birds in Autumn

Many of our ideas for hand made crafts come straight from our shop. Though our studio concentrates on providing the most unique handmade gifts, we want to also encourage our readers to explore their own creativity. Involving you in our blog creates an open conversation between the designer and you. We welcome suggestions for new crafts projects, comments on those we post and any other feedback to help make The Lead Chandelier your resource for contemporary hand made crafts.

The paint is dry and our doors are open. Watch over the next few weeks as our shelves begin to fill with unique hand made crafts, available in our unique gift shop. We also welcome creative collaborations and special orders (to help keep our creative juices flowing) – please contact us for more details.

Tiny Masterpiece – A Home in Autumn

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