When what to my wondering eyes should appear....a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer!
What a magical experience it was to hand-paint not one....but THREE Christmas scenes onto this vintage world globe!
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I purchased this globe months ago from a local thrift store and was waiting for just the right idea for a fun repurpose!
One day while looking at it in my shop....I thought to myself...."what do I think of when I see a globe?".
I knew immediately that my mind always goes to Christmas Eve!
As a little girl, my dad would always bring out the globe to show me where Santa was on that particular night to encourage me to get to sleep quickly so he could deliver my toys.
That was it......I knew I needed to paint Santa on the globe just as I'd always imagined it as a child.
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Somehow this idea grew into what the globe should look like in a 24 hours period as it spins on the axis.
morning sunrise with the glowing cabin in the woods
the stillness of midday in the mountains
the night sky lit by the glow of the moon as Santa made his way around the world
I taught this as a class in my group Curiously Creative....which I'd love to have you join us!
This one project offered multiple teaching opportunities such as:
~how to blend the blues to create the cloudy skies
~how to paint a cabin with glowing windows
~how to paint snowy trees
~how to paint a snowy mountain scape
~how to create trees on a distant horizon
~how to create a water line with reflection
~how to paint a realistic glowing moon
~how to paint a treeline silhouette
~how to create a star filled sky
~how to paint a santa sleigh silhouette
~a little bit of color theory
~a little bit of light theory
~how to utilize specific brushes for specific techniques
And ALL of the above can be done even if you think you cannot draw!!!
Click HERE for more details... Give it a try. You won't regret it!
All aspects of the scenery were painted with Dixie Belle's chalk mineral paint line.
I prefer it for any project that will require any type of blending.
It also thins and thickens so easily depending on what look you are after.
For instance, I used white paint at a very thick consistency for the snow on the trees... however I watered it down greatly for the star filled sky splatter.
The base of the globe is painted in my favorite black and white checkered pattern and I think this totally took this project to the next va-va-va-voom level!
There is something about this pattern that takes your project from "crafty" to "regal"!
I finished off the hand painted globe and the stand in Gloss Top Coat for the highest shine possible!
I have a feeling there will be lots of little fingers spinning this globe this holiday season.....so a nice shine will make it easy to wipe away sticky fingerprints!
I am thrilled with how this turned out!
I hope it inspires you to see tossed aside decor items as your next painting opportunity!
There is nothing safe from paint in my house!
Ready to try painting your own thrift store find? Here are a couple fun and unique gift ideas! They are all easy to create with a huge "wow" impact...
Christmas Elf Gumball Machine - a truly unique gift anyone would love
Wine Bottles - the perfect hostess gift!
Painted Canvas Bags - quick gifts you can make in bulk
Be sure to visit my Whimsical Home Decor Ideas blog for more design ideas.
Click on any photo below for more up-close photos and all the design details
If you enjoyed this and want more of a deep dive into home decor and DIY processes, I would love it if you joined my exclusive online creative group, Curiously Creative. I show up LIVE to guide you through every step of updating, upcycling, crafting, and creating on-trend home decor and gift-giving ideas!
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