Showing posts with label advent calendar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advent calendar. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Day 21 - Emergency Altoid Tin Stocking Stuffer

First things first: YULETIDE BLESSINGS TO YOU! It's the Winter Solstice today and our pagan bottoms are celebrating with a feast. The seasonal holiday fattening begins in earnest this evening.

Now, on to today's project, which I am super stoked about!

Every year Santa's elves get into the nog and he asks for a little help with the stockings. As much as I love opening my own stocking, stocking stuffing for others can be a pain in the rump. Searching for ideas is frustrating because so many of the suggestions need to be ordered in advance or are totally ridiculous. (I'm not sticking a $60+ item in a stocking just because it fits in there.)

One of the ideas I came across was for an emergency kit in an Altoid tin. I've got tins galore and it's a cute idea, so I compiled a list of necessary items. Having been teetering on the edge of a panic attack for the past few days, my items reflected a more emotional magical emergency.

Emergency Altoid Tin Stocking Stuffer - Nichola Battilana

Inside I've included stickers, glow in the dark band-aids, a pink unicorn, thimble, a glittery ring, a small book for jotting down good ideas and happy thoughts, a wee pen, friendship pins, good luck charms, chocolate, glitter, a wee crown and a spinner to help make life's difficult decisions.

Emergency Altoid Tin Stocking Stuffer - Nichola Battilana

 I'm well pleased with the bottle cap spinner. It's cute and the only options are good ones.

Bottle Cap Spinner - Nichola Battilana

And believe it or not, all of that fits into an Altoid tin with a smidge of room to spare!

Emergency Altoid Tin Stocking Stuffer - Nichola Battilana

I've got some dinosaurs and slightly less glittery items to make a more 'masculine' version... but to be honest, if I'm giving you love, you're getting glittered.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Altoid Advent Calendar

Are you ready to be bombarded with pictures? This is a biggun'. Well, the actual thing is quite small... but it's almost epic in it's awesomeness!

I've thought about creating an advent calendar in an Altoid tin for a very long while, and finally set my mind to it. I'm really, really proud of how it turned out and I'm so excited to share it with you.

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

The outside is sweet and jolly lovely. A wee wreath made with a snip of Wired Pine Needle Stem with the teeniest bow and Star Sequins. The corners are frosty with layers of glitter and faux snow. That little gnome can be found on this Santa is Outside Collage Sheet.

But the inside... oh the inside!

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana
*Gasps! Claps hands! Jumps up and down* LOOKY AT THAT! Can you even stand it?!

Get a load of all those little drawers. Each one with a little surprise tucked inside.

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

I'm going to be honest. This was an enormous pain in the bum to make. It took a gazillion times longer than I had anticipated. I'm a disaster for measuring and straight lines, so those little boxes were a nightmare. And, because it's sooooo tiny, any wobble or imperfection throws everything off (and believe me, there are imperfections a-plenty here.)

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

But let's not focus on the rump pain. Let's look inside... 

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

Once the drawers were created, the next issue became what the heck would fit inside them. Some of the drawers contain dollhouse miniatures like the tiny tankard above. 

Altoid Advent Calendar (detail) - Nichola Battilana

One of the drawers contains a small collection of lucky charms. (Three is when something becomes a collection, right?) If you decide to tackle a similar project, charms and beads are a great option for filling those small spaces.


Another drawer is filled with shiny stars.

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

There's an itty book of sketches.

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

And a chocolate kiss made with a chocolate chip and snip of foil! 

(Confession: in reality I'm distraught because it's a butterscotch chip inside. The horror! The fairies must have eaten all the good and proper chocolate ones.)

Altoid Advent Calendar (detail) - Nichola Battilana

Of course I couldn't not include glitter. This glass vial was from a vintage set that contained the tiniest watchmaker gears you can imagine. Even though it was already so very small, I still had to cut and file it down to fit it in the drawer!

Considering the recipient is helpful for ideas too. This piece is on it's way to a fellow who once made a giant circus peanut, so I've included handmade fairy sized versions.

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

I also included a teeny weeny Altoids tin...

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

Perfect, no?!

Finally, on the last day of the count down, the little doors are popped open to reveal a message of seasonal glad tidings.

Altoid Advent Calendar - Nichola Battilana

What do you think? Do you love it?! I love it! I'm so damn pleased with myself it's obscene. Ha!

Thinking of making your own? I don't have a tute, but here are some pointers:

• Give yourself a lot of time.  A LOT. I mean it. This thing was nuts to make.
• Be as organised as you can be with your materials.
• Keep your working area clean (ha! I know.)
• If possible, gather more items than you need for the drawers. Having many options is really helpful.
• A small snip of tissue tucked into the drawers helps to keep small loose items in their place.
• Creating drawers of differing sizes not only adds visual interest, but allows you to include items of various sizes.
• Tweezers. Get some. Use them. Love them.

Other supplies used in this piece:
Narrow Gold Fleur Dresden Borders*
Tiny Dot Dresden Borders - Gold*
Wallflower 12x12 Paper Stash
Flat Brass Drawer Pulls - Set of 16
Old Fashioned Grocery Rectangular Tins

Be sure to let me know if you create your own version of this project and show off your mad skillzzzz. Start now and you may be done by next Christmas ;)

I love you THIS much!