You all probably know by now that I have a not-so-slight addiction to making wreaths and door hangers….yep, I have more than a few.  However, I’ve yet to fully dive in and paint one by hand from start to finish, and by that I mean no spray paint, no stencils, no vinyl decals.  Basically NO HELP of any kind.  Just me and my (not very) artistic ability.

Well that all changed a couple weeks ago when I spent a Saturday evening at a local repurposing/vintage/artsy store that was holding a “paint your own stocking door hanger” night.  Being a stay-at-home-mom with no friends or family in the area, I look for any excuse to get out of this house, and bonus points if it involves something crafty!

 

Whimsical Painted Christmas Stocking Door Hanger

I was super excited for weeks about this event because I’ve always loved the look of hand-painted signs and door hangers, but I’ve never been brave enough to try one myself.  I prefer the ease of spray paint as well as the perfection that stencils and/or vinyl decals provide (check out my Project Gallery for lots of proof!).

Hey, I’m self-diagnosed OCD.  Guaranteed crisp, clean lines just make me happy.

Hand-painting, however, would force me to both let go of my need for perfection and let my proverbial hair down.  Besides, it would be fun to learn a new skill….and have an adult conversation with someone besides my husband or the cashier at Target.

One other big thing I learned from this experience of crafting in a group setting (besides the nuts-and-bolts of the actual painting) is that I craft slooooow.  Yep, I like to take my time….reflect on my progress….enjoy the process….pay attention to the details….strive for perfection….and this is apparently not how the other ladies work.  So I rushed through this thing in class for fear of holding everyone up, and I finished it the next morning at home….more on this below.

 

Supplies

• Wooden stocking cutout
• Craft paints in various colors
• A few paint brushes in various sizes
• Drill for holes & black wire for hanging (or glue some twine to the back)

 

Painting the Wooden Christmas Stocking Cutout

The wooden cutouts arrived to us unprimed like this:

 

So the first thing I did was to give it a couple coats of white craft paint on one side and all the edges….

 

….until it looked like this:

 

Next up came the colors!  I chose to paint mine in traditional red and green, and I went for a red-and-white-striped candy cane look with a green top and heel.

 

The next step was to add the embellishments, and this is where I really struggled….the devil is in the details, ya know.

Like I mentioned, I was the slowest one of the bunch, so my paint was the last to dry.  I had originally wanted white polka dots on the green, but since my paint was still wet and I didn’t want to hold everyone else up, I went ahead and attempted the white….which quickly turned to pail green.  Boo.

Then I gave some free-handed strokes and swirls in black….and immediately regretted every one.  Blech!  Not cute.  Not what I was hoping for.  “This!  THIS is why you shouldn’t hand-paint anything, Christine!” I thought.  Self-Conscious-Super-Critical-Perfectionistic-Mean-Christine was rearing her snarky head again.

So this is how I took the door hanger home and embarrassingly showed it to my husband.  I strongly considered spray painting it in white and doing the whole thing over, this time with my never-lets-me-down vinyl or stencils since my hand-painting skillz just ain’t there.

 

But then something incredible happened after I had a good night’s sleep….I decided to stop being so damn hard on myself!  That takes a lot of work (at least for me), but it’s something I’m consciously starting to try more and more.  Life’s too short to beat yourself up all the time over every little thing.  Chillax.

So I pulled out some of my own paint and brushes and did my best attempt to resuscitate this Christmas stocking!  Some small yellow polka dots and some white on top of the black provided a ton of help….at least enough to not make me too embarrassed to share this with all of you. ;)

 

The Completed Whimsical Painted Christmas Stocking Door Hanger!

And here’s my final door hanger!  I’m still not totally in love with it and probably never will be, but I think it’s a mighty fine first (and then a pseudo-second) attempt at hand-painting one.

I’m debating whether or not to add a bow of some sort, and the Southern girl in me REALLY wants to add a monogram, but for now I’m resisting the urge to personalize.  And trying to compliment more than criticize.  Tis the season after all! :)

 

Holiday Craft Party!  Day 4: Wreaths!

There’s more fun!  This week I’m taking part in a Holiday Craft Party with four other lovely and crafty ladies.  Every day is a new theme and we’re all sharing tutorials!

• Ornaments (Monday, 11/16): TWO ways to make a yarn ball ornament!
• Gift Tags (Tuesday, 11/17): Check out my colorful snowflake gift tags!
• Mason Jars (Wednesday, 11/18): Drink and be merry, folks!
• Wreaths (Thursday, 11/19): How about a whimsical painted Christmas stocking?!
• Home Decor (Friday, 11/20): I’m all about making spirits BRIGHT!

 

Today’s theme is Wreaths, so make sure you check out their amazing holiday creations too!

• DIY Snowflake Door Hanger With Embroidery Hoops by The House Down The Lane
• Easy Jingle Bell Wreath by Simply Kelly Designs
• Mini Grapevine Wreath Napkin Rings by Two Purple Couches
• Red Berry and Pinecone Christmas Wreath by Weekend Craft
• Whimsical Painted Christmas Stocking Door Hanger by Where The Smiles Have Been (that’s me!)

 

Holiday Craft Party Giveaway!

But wait!  There’s more! ;)  We’re also celebrating this Holiday Craft Party with a GIVEAWAY!  Woot Woot!  Yep, we want to help all our lovely readers have a fabulous and crafty holiday season, so we’re giving away three great prizes!

Enter in the widget below for your chance to win….and come back each day this week to see more amazing holiday tutorials AND more chances to enter!

 

(Open to US residents only.  Happy Holidays!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

If You Enjoyed This….

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for lots of other crafty creations, including these holiday goodies!

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Merry Christmas!