Sparkly Ombre Popsicle Stick Star Garland (using Mod Podge)

Halloween is finally out of my mind and I’m now looking forward to the
next set of holidays.  Even though I don’t really like winter (boo,
shortened daylight hours), I do appreciate that we’re entering a special
season filled with cozy sweaters, yummy food, family get-togethers,
yummy food, twinkly lights, yummy food and of course… holiday crafting
(and yummy food)! Right now I’ve got an itch to add more glitter and
sparkle to my life.  Luckily for me, Plaid sent me a couple of
holiday-themed crafting items, including Mod Podge Sparkle, which will help me to do just that.

Psst-  If you’re new to Mod Podge, here’s a bit of an introduction to their line of awesome products

• Mod Podge is an excellent all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish.  It’s available in a ton of
  different formulas, making it a perfect to use for your holiday (or
  everyday) gift giving projects.
• You can buy Mod Podge at tons of retailers nationwide or directly from Plaid’s website as well
• Not sure how to start using the product?  No worries.  Plaid’s
  website has a ton of great tips and tricks for using all their products:
    http://www.plaidonline.com/decoupage/dept/basics.htm

So, inspired by the upcoming holiday season and my love of the nighttime
sky, I made this sparkly, ombre, popsicle stick star garland. 

Wanna make this simple and sparkly garland?  Well, put on your favorite holiday song and let’s get started!

 Materials:

• Mini Craft Sticks
• FolkArt Multi-Surface paint 
• Plastic Artist’s Palette
• Paint Brush
• Scrap paper 
• Mod Podge Sparkle
• Mod Podge Spouncer (an easy to use sponge brush)
• Hot Glue Gun
• Parchment Paper
• String
• Scissors

1.  Decide how many stars you want to make.  Then, take that number and
multiply it by 5 to figure out how many craft sticks to paint.  (Each
star will be made out of five craft sticks.)  Now it’s time to paint. 
To create an ombre effect, first paint five stars your darkest color. 
(Be sure to paint the sides of your sticks too!)  Then, add a bit of
white paint to your original color to lighten it just a bit.  Paint five
more sticks with this lighter color.  Keep repeating this procedure and
mixing in white paint as you paint each new set of five sticks.  Your
original color will become lighter and lighter, creating an ombre
effect. 

2.  Once your paint dries, use the spouncer to apply Mod Podge Sparkle
to your sticks.  This will protect your paint job and add just a bit of
lovely sparkle.  Lay your sticks on parchment paper to dry.  (The
parchment paper prevents the sticks from sticking to your work
surface.)  Try to make sure that your sticks don’t touch one another as
they dry

3.  Once your sticks are dry, it’s time to make your stars!  (If you
have a bit of excess Mod Podge around the edges, use your scissors to
trim it off.)  To make sure that your stars look similar, first make a
practice star and then use a pencil to trace your star’s five points. 
Use these pencil marks as guidelines when you hot glue your stars
together.

4.  Arrange your stars in order.

5.  Cut out your desired length of string.  Then, tie your stars on one
by one to the string, starting from your darkest color and ending with
your lightest color.  To make sure that the stars don’t slide off, tie
your string through the center of each star and not through one of the
arms.   

And voila!  A lovely star garland, just perfect for the holiday season (or really… everyday!)