Sunday, December 20, 2015

EASY CHRISTMAS DECORATION DIY - SIMPLE WHITE ORNAMENTS

HO HO HO BAKING SODA DOUGH!

diy baking soda dough photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

I saw this DIY in Facebook by Kodin Kuvalehti. It is really simple and easy. I don't know if you are a bit like me...I have always a bit hurry before Christmas when I start to get these crazy ideas what I like to do before and for the Christmas...this time I got plenty of time to make these because they are so easy. That is a very very good thing, I think. Photographing them today was the hardest part. We have sooo low light at the moment but luckily I have a tripod.

diy baking soda dough photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

First you make the baking soda dough. This recipe is from Kodin Kuvalehti.


INGREDIENTS

1dl corn starch
2dl baking soda
1,25dl pure water

Combine ingredients in the pot. Boil over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken into the smooth texture. Remove from the heat. Put the damp cloth over it. Let it cool for awhile. The important thing is to have enough moisture in dough. It's hard to make pretty ones when the dough is too dry. So keep your dough moistured. I kept mine in damp cloth and in a plastic bag waiting for baking. But this dough is the easiest ever to bake. Thickness of the dough should be about 5 mm and use spatula in lifting your pretty ornaments on to the baking sheet.


MAKE YOUR ORNAMENTS WITH

rolling pin
cookie cutters
plastic or wooden board (you can use plastic wrap around the wooden board like I did)
stick to make holes
spatula
baking paper
texture from different kind of things (this part is my favorite!) like I used dried poppy seed pod and pearl necklace. Never ever use the most obvious - that is my motto, I admit.

ginger pears photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

There have to be also a reason why to make a DIY. I need these ornaments for the Christmas present tags. We have made some homemade preserved ginger pears. Some of you are going to get them - some not. This is our first year with these so either other way you might be lucky.

diy baking soda dough photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

After you have baked your ornaments, they go to oven or you can also let them dry over night in a room temperature. But as I said I'm always a bit hurry (and impatient) to wait for the result so I baked them in oven in temperature 75 C degrees about one hour. Depends on how thick they are. I guess that's about it. Of course you can play with colors from spices or water colors or proper food coloring but I liked pure white. Simple.

diy baking soda dough photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

So off you go and have fun with your family and friends! Make many beautiful ornaments. 



It's time to Wish You A Merry Christmas!

xoxo
Kreetta

ps. You will find me in Instagram @kreettakreetta
 

Friday, December 11, 2015

NEW CERAMICS + iPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MARKET AT RYTI-HOUSE

ceramics and photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Weekend is here. So great. Tomorrow I will be at Ryti-house in Huittinen. It is my sister's family's place. I have all packed and hope we are going to have a great Saturday full of Christmas feeling. There will be traditional Christmas Market. I will be selling ceramics like flower frogs, vases, pendant, small cake stands and bowls and small paintings and small prints of my photos taken by iPhone. They are super cool :)

I wish you a beautiful weekend and maybe we see at Ryti-house tomorrow!


xoxo
Kreetta

ps. Christmas Market is on Saturday 11.12. from 11 am to 17 pm address Raskalantie 218, Huittinen. See the FB event here.
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