CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--STENCILED SNOWFLAKE HOT DISH TRIVETS

Hot snowflakes? Oxymorons aside, that’s what you’ll have when you stencil snowflakes onto cork trivets. And this craft is so quick and easy that you can whip up a few in no time for that spur-of-the-moment holiday get-together.
Materials:
8” x 10” plastic stencil sheet
permanent ink marker
X-acto knife with new blade
repositionable adhesive
7” round cork trivets
stencil paint in your choice of color(s)
stencil brush
clear satin acrylic spray

1. Enlarge the snowflake pattern to 6”. Tape to underside of plastic stencil sheet. Using permanent ink marker, trace pattern onto stencil sheet.

2. Carefully cut out snowflake. If you make a mistake while cutting, you can repair the stencil plastic with tape and recut. When you’re finished you’ll have two stencils, one a positive image of the snowflake and one a negative image.

3.  Apply repositionable adhesive to the back of the stencils. Allow to dry.

4. Place stencil centered over cork trivet.

5.  To stencil, dip the tip of the stencil brush into the stencil paint. Remove excess paint by tapping the brush onto a folded paper towel. Hold the brush perpendicular to the stencil and dab the brush in an up and down motion over the cutout edges of the negative snowflake stencil and around the cut edges of the positive snowflake stencil.

6. When stenciling is complete, carefully lift the stencil from cork. Allow the paint to dry 24 hours.

7. Spray surface of stenciled cork with two coats of clear satin acrylic.

Tie together a set of two, one positive image and one negative image, with natural raffia to give as a hostess gift whenever you’re invited for dinner or to a party throughout the winter. Everyone always needs a couple of extra trivets, right?

Do you have any quick and easy projects up your sleeve? Let’s hear from you. We have a very crafty giveaway this week from our special Book Club Friday guest author. Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. -- AP