Country Christmas Crafts: Country Style Christmas Banner

This holiday, why not make your own country Christmas crafts to decorate your own. Country style decorations for Christmas are easy and fun for the whole family, and the materials are inexpensive and easy to obtain. Before I offer suggestions for how to make your own country Christmas banner decoration, let's take a look at what "country" means. Country style refers to preference for classic country designs, which can be American or European (French country style is quite popular in some circles.) Generally, this refers to rough-hewn pieces, which are often considered "primitive" or "rustic." While primitive might sound like a derogatory term, bringing pre-civilization humans to mind, primitive in this case actually refers to art or work created by someone with no formal training, often with a simple style. So if you don't have a degree in art and you've never held a paintbrush in your life, no worries! Country style Christmas decorations often feature distressed finishes and designs painted by hand. If you are using fabric, you'll want to use chintz, linen, or denim, or woven plaids. Often, the fabrics will be textured or "nubby." Ready to get started?

Country Christmas Banner

You will need:

1 dozen pre-cut wooden stars

1 roll 2-inch wide plaid ribbon, without wired edges

hot glue gun

acrylic paint in black and your choice of two more colors (I like yellow and orange)

paper towel or napkin

small paintbrush

sandpaper

Head to your local craft store and pick up a dozen precut wooden stars and a roll of plaid ribbon that's 2 inches wide, without wired edges. You can choose a Christmas-colored plaid, or keep it red-and-white gingham for a year-round look. Paint the stars in your choice of color using inexpensive acrylic paint. You will be painting another layer of a different color on top, so use your lesser favorite for this first coat. If you are using a light color, light yellow, which is what I recommend, paint two coats, allowing each layer to dry between coats.

When the first layer is dry on your in-progress country design, painting a layer of paint using your next color (I like orange). While the paint is still wet, use a balled up paper towel to create texture by pushing it down and lifting it up repeatedly on the star. Allow to dry thoroughly.

Next, take a piece of sandpaper and lightly sand along the whole piece so that the under color starts to show through. When you've finished distressing all of the stars, use black paint to color the edges of the stars. You might also want to use a tiny paintbrush to paint a row of ticking along the edges to make the stars look

stitched. If desired, you can now used an acrylic glaze to protect your design (modge podge is great!) but it's not necessary.

Now, turn all of the stars so the front is facing down and the unfinished backs face up, arrange along the length of ribbon. Glue each of the stars into place and allow to dry. Now you have a great banner to decorate your favorite doorway! Enjoy!