Get CRAFTY - Making homemade Mexican Votives and Papel Picado Banners

Well, the last few days have been very busy, making homemade decorations for my upcoming 30th party. As I mentioned in my previous post, I wandered around a few shops on my birthday looking for supplies, but I really didn't find exactly what I was looking for. So Ive been making both paper and plastic (for indoors and outdoors) Mexican cut out flag banners and a set of Mexican votives (which I based around a fleeting glimpse of a mexican votive in the Iko Iko store on K Road). 

PAPEL PICADO - MEXICAN PAPER CUT OUTS

I followed some instructions on how to make the Papel Picado but here are my versions - I have made them in both tissue paper and plastic..... here are the tissue ones..

Here are the Plastic Papel Picado - Made from thin plastic tablecloths from The $2 Shop - Red, Orange, Green and Blue...

MEXICAN VOTIVES ~ DECORATED GLASS CANDLE HOLDERS
The next crafty thing that I tackled was to make a set of Mexican style votive candle holders. I am about to go and pick up the printed stickers which will be wrapped around each votive, so will take more pics of the completed project!! Here are the steps to make your own;

SUPPLIES

• Votive sized glasses - although I bought 2 sets of tumblers from The Warehouse which stand at 11cm. I also bought a few random glasses from the op shop ( I would recommend op shop is best- RECYCLE!!)
• Strong Glue - I use Tiger Grip glue, you can use it for EVERYTHING! 
• Glitter in a variety of colours
• Adhesive jewels or rhinestones - anything hideously tacky and bling! (although these are 'adhesive' I still had to glue them on!)
• Gold paint (or in my case nail polish)
• 2 lids - 1 for the glue and the other for the glitter
• I have used Photoshop to make up a set of stickers featuring Lady Guadalupe, Frida Kahlo and Mexican Senoritas - all surrounded by rose and flower borders! See next post for new pics!

Step 1

pour glue into one lid and glitter into the other

Step 2

Dip the glass into the glue..... 

.....then into the glitter.....

.....roll the glass around in the gliter to completely cover the glue.

Step 3

Now is the time to bedazzle and bejewel your votives - I have used red, sapphire and baby blue jewels to adorn mine and all of the gaps in between are daubed with a gold dot (which I have now realised isn't actually shown in this photo.....)

Step 4

Now to add the stickers and candles. I created my stickers using images from the internet and the wonders of Photoshop - Here is one example of the kinds of labels I designed, this was then colour copied onto a clear adhesive sheet and then cut to fit the glasses.

I just left all the labels rough around the edges as I knew they were going to be cut out anyways...

Here are the finished products.....

Here are some shots showing the way that the flowers wrap around the sides....