Technique: Dreamy Fairy Lights (plus: a little Sugar + Spice)

Today I wanted to bring you a little tutorial on how to make a pretty strand of "fairy lights." Our house is so gloomy now without our Christmas decorations, and with the days being so short (and cloudy right now, for us!), I needed something to brighten up our home!

Keep reading below (past my layout) and I'll show you how to make this prettiness:
Before we get to the tutorial, here's my layout for the Sugar and Spice challenge. (Using the Paper Doll kit, of course!)
My husband recently called Sabriel "Miss Sugar & Spice" because she is the very epitome of that phrase, so I just had to use it as the title for the layout as well. :)
I made these little backgrounds for my letters using my Silhouette.


I cut out a big square in the layout and backed it with some other patterned paper from the kit, and distressed the edges. I love how much dimension it gives!


Fairy Lights Tutorial:

I picked up some of these white lights on clearance at Walmart after Christmas. I knew I could use them for something. ;)


Gather some white coffee filters. You can also use the natural colored ones. I'll have some tips at the end of some other things to use, but this is for the basic idea...

For each "bloom" on the lights, you'll need three filters.

Crumple them up. There is no particular science to this.
Open them up and gently flatten them out. Layer them on top of each other.
Use a small scalloped circle punch on some pink paper from the Paper Doll kit. Put it in the center of the "bloom."
Pinch up all the layers from the bottom of the pile. This helps to form the bloom.
Open it back up and use a craft knife or paper piercer to poke a hole through all the layers.


Remove the pink scalloped circle for a moment, and push one of the white lights through the coffee filters. (I did one "bloom" for every 4 or 5 lights.)
Put a bit of hot glue on the bottom of the pink scalloped circle and push it down onto the light/coffee filters. MAKE SURE TO NOT HAVE THE LIGHTS ON when you are gluing! I imagine it's probably not a safe thing to do. ;)
Quickly squish up the coffee filters onto the pink scalloped circle & hot glue.
You may want to do a few dots of glue between the filters. Then, add a bit dollop of glue on the bottom side of all the filters, and twist the filters around on top of the glue to help hold the bloom tightly in place. Once you get all the blooms on the lights, brush some of the Shimmerz Blingz onto the coffee filters with a foam brush. It makes them so pretty and sparkly, and gives them the lightest of pink blushes.



*Note: do not leave these lights on unattended, just like with your Christmas tree. :)
Let me know if you have any questions!

Here's some other ideas I had:

-use layers of text paper cut out with a large scalloped circle die cutting machine or punch
-use layers of tissue paper
-spritz the filters with different glimmer mists
-insert one large piece of scalloped circle die cut patterned paper
-add "leaves" behind each bloom
-dangle Valentine's heart ornaments from the lights