
Sadly, Thanksgiving is over. On the bright side, that means it’s time to start planning for Christmas! Out come the fresh pine trees, Christmas lights, and of course, decorations for the tree! If you’re looking for a new way to decorate, these easy stained glass ornaments are the perfect touch. And what’s even more amazing is that you only really need two ingredients: glue and food coloring!
Ingredients:
-Elmer’s glue
-Gel food coloring
-Masking tape (optional)
-Paintbrush
We loved the stained glass so much that we made all kinds of glass decor: ornaments, wine glasses and candle votives. For all of the items we stained, we followed the same basic steps. Mix a small amount of glue with a few drops of gel food coloring. Add coloring frugally at first, and remember a little bit goes a long way. Swirl, and then you’re ready to get started!
We started off making solid color ornaments. To do this, swirl the food coloring (2 drops) and the glue, then add a few drops of water to thin out the coloring. This way, each layer will be even when you’re painting the ornament. Put one to two thin layers on and let dry. Don’t worry if you think the coat looks too thin. When it dries, it takes on a whole new look.
Dried! If you feel like yours isn’t bold enough, add another thin coat. After painting the solid ornament, we started to get a little more creative with our painting.
To take your stained glass to the next level, try using painters tape to create patterns on the ornament. This way, you can create ombre and gradient stained glass! Just paint within the lines.
For these rainbow colored ornaments, there’s no need to dilute the glue mixture. You can do stripes, strips or swirls — whatever your heart desires.To get a more dramatic layered look, put on more coats of the non-diluted stain.
To make sure the ornaments dry without smudging, hang them on string tied between two weighted bottles.
We also made some solid colored votive holders following the same technique above. You can see that only a thin layer resulted in a beautiful, bold shade of yellow.
Last, but not least, we can’t forget the wine glasses! Gotta make sure we ring in the holidays with style. Simply follow the directions for the solid ornaments, and suddenly those IKEA wineglasses will look like they came from West Elm! No one will ever know.
Try making a colorful collection of these for your holiday parties this year. They also work great as gifts.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.