Some of my old projects

[Just Whisper]

These are some of my old projects. The pictures are not clear as they are video frames. I don't have any pictures of my Christmas dec...just my Halloween...go figure???

These are pretty old now. Lollipops and gingerbread men. Use to be more, and are now faded. I will probably make new ones this year as they are so easy and quick to make. My gingerbread house blew away in a storm. :sad:
http://melissawatts.webs.com/candy1.jpg

Gift boxes. The 2 small ones are just styrofoam boxes I made and covered in Christmas fabric. Use to be 3, storm again.... The large box is actually a recycled Halloween prop. The lid opens and closes and the little bear pops his head out.
http://melissawatts.webs.com/giftboxes2.jpg

Small Manger
http://melissawatts.webs.com/manger1.jpg

[Frosty]

I like the packages! Where can i buy blocks of styrofoam already cut to size though?

[Just Whisper]

I looked into that originally. There is a business here in Pensacola that makes styrofoam for everything from local businesses to building house forms. I was having a hard time getting them to call me back, so I ended up making my boxes. I used 1" thick styrofoam sheets, cut out 5 squares, and built a cube. It actually turned out well because I can turn them upside down and store things in them when done. If you build yours carefully enough you may be able to make them fit inside each other for storage. Mine had to all fit inside my attic door so they had to be small. I connected them with hot glue, but be careful not to melt your styrofoam.

[frenchy]

great job ! i love those decoration too bad you don't have pics of them display maybe this year ?

[Sickie Ickie]

Cool that you posted these. I've been trying to figure out a way to so a square present with an elf head popping out of it. Now that I see the rectangular, it doesn't look as bad as I'd feared. I may just go that route instead. Thanks!

[Mummy deer-est]

These are great! I was considering gift boxes last year...may do that.
I have an idea about the foam boxes -- Mistress Muffy sent me some some of her yummys in a styrofoam box. Wonder where she got those? It was like a low-tech cooler.

I also was out at "the great outdoors" home store this weekend (wow, holy overspriced, by the way) and saw styrofoam candies like yours. About 20 or so bucks! For one!

[Sickie Ickie]

We're thinking along the same lines, Mummy. Only to be more durable, I was thinking about a plastic cooler I have had forever, and could be used to store stuff in afterwards...

[SantaPaws]

Sometime dirty you shouldn't say on a Christmas forum. "I like your packages."

[Just Whisper]

great job ! i love those decoration too bad you don't have pics of them display maybe this year ?
For sure, I will take pictures this year. I probably have pictures somewhere, but if they're not on my computer I don't know where to find them...too much work digging thru "the box" of old photos. One day I will get that box organized...like maybe when we all get our basements, attics, sheds, and closets organized with our decorations, huh???:rolleyes: Anyway, thanks for all the kind words.

[SkullyClause]

http://melissawatts.webs.com/manger1.jpg

You know one could build a manger out of old wood pallets for free...Hmmmm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Wooden_pallet_with_glove.jpg

[Just Whisper]

You know one could build a manger out of old wood pallets for free...Hmmmm
Pretty close Skully (and a good idea). After Hurricane Ivan ripped us apart we had to rebuild our fence. This is part of the old one. I have found a hundred and one uses for that old fence so far. And the roof is just an old piece of plywood I found in my backyard. The frame is pvc, and it is actually parts of a frame from a Halloween prop that I just used the short pieces from. Recycle every chance I get.

[bethene]

everyting looks great, love the present wit the elf head coming out of it!

[Just Whisper]

Must be a bad photo...it's a bear head. LOL But thanks for the snaps. Still working on trying to make an elf head as a matter of fact...

[lunchinn]

If you go to your local vets or animal shelter ask them for the styrofoam boxes that their vaccinations come in. They come in different sizes & the ones we get are the perfect size for large presents. I also cut them apart to make tombstones for Halloween. Hope this helps
Brenda

[Sickie Ickie]

good idea, lunchinn

[Just Whisper]

cool lunchinn, thanks for the great tip.

[j.i.t.r]

how you get the gift top to open and close? thanks

[Sickie Ickie]

jitr, two great Halloween project sites that has ideas to tweak in order to make into Christmas projects is HauntProject.com, and http://www.halloweenmonsterlist.info

The opening and closing coffin was tweaked to make it an opening and closing gift.

There's almost nothing compiled like this for Christmas Deckers like us, so that's why I built the community made project list SantasProjects.com . Let's face it, Larry's forum here is groundbreaking in it's pioneering of make-it yourself Christmas props. Hopefully we soon shall have the same number of projects on the Christmas SP site as the other sites.

[Just Whisper]

j.i.t.r. here is a link to the actual instructions for that specific prop.
http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/halloween/spookdawg/openingtombstone.html
You don't have to build yours exactly like his. But you'll get the idea. Also, I used a 6 rpm Dayton gearmotor (2Z806C), as I found a 4 rpm to be just too slow for this prop. The kids lost interest waiting for the box to open. I believe that particular motor may have been discontinued. Here is the replacement motor...Dayton 1MBF5, which is a 6.5 rpm, and just as good. Don't forget to buy the capacitor which is required with that motor.