Homemade Christmas Ornaments with #BICMerryMarking

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BIC® for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Once upon a time, I was fabulous and crafty… and then I woke up. But, with the holiday season upon us, I am determined to find an artsy bone in my body and accepted the challenge for #BICMerryMarking.

With a pack of 36 fine and ultra fine tip vibrantly-colored BIC Mark-It™ markers and another pack of 8 shimmering metallic colors,  I was bound to find inspiration. Since BIC markers are low odor and acid free (no added acid, no measurable pH), I can sit at the table and doodle without getting vaporized by the smell.

Even a non-crafty person can get excited about so many possibilities when you open a pack of new markers! So many colors! So many ideas! But, just in case your inspiration is dry, BIC has a pdf booklet available for downloading with tons of bright and beautiful ideas on their Facebook page.

I decided to make homemade Christmas ornaments from recycled lids since we had an abundance available after a birthday party. Other items I needed included:

• Scissors
• Glitter
• Cardstock
• Metallic Chenille Stems
• Pencil
• Glue Stick
• White School Glue
• #Sapphire BIC Mark-It™ Metallic Marker

To start, I sacrificed one of the lids to make a circle template. After tracing the circles onto cardstock, I cut them out. I wasn’t completely happy with my inability to cut a smooth line so I went back around later with scissors that make a decorative scallop. (See further down the post.) Before getting sticky with glitter and glue, I used my scissors to poked a hole through the rim of the lid.

Next, I used the white school glue, spreading glue all along the edge. I was able to keep my fingers glue-free by having my thumb in the middle on one side of the lid and forefinger in the middle on the other side. With the glue in place, I sprinkled glitter all over the wet glue and tapped the lid until the glitter stuck to the glue and then tapped to remove the excess. (And right here I will confess that when I went to pour the extra glitter back into the container, the paper plate popped and showered me in sparkle. Gives a whole new meaning to *bling*.)

The most challenging part for me was actually drawing on the cardstock. I think I still have flashbacks to college when my drawing professor criticized my ability to draw a still life.

I decided to stick with simple snowman figures, and I think they turned out so cute! I love the sparkle that the #Sapphire marker gives to my little frozen guys. They just shine, and I cannot wait to see them illuminated by Christmas lights.

Once the snowmen were ready to be placed on the ornament, I used the gluestick all over the back and pressed the cardstock circle onto the lid. The glue under the glitter was still wet but it actually helped form a seal around the cardstock. As the glue squished (yes, that is the technical term) around the edges, it took on the slight scallop shape.

After allowing the ornaments to dry overnight, I laced a silver chenille stem through the hole in the lid to create a loop. What do you think? No too shabby for a crafty-challenged person. Right? So, if I can accept this challenge and do well, I want to pass the challenge along to three of my blogging friends:

• Whitney at Beauty in the Mess
• Sarah at Simple Life Abundant Life
• Melissa at Adventures of a Frugal Mom

And I am challenging YOU too. Stretch your craft muscles with the #BICMerryMarking challenge. But before you get started, don’t forget to get the booklet of merry marking and a coupon to start marking.