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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Tuesday Tip

Glitter your nuts! I first tried this craft more than a decade ago.  I am quite certain Martha Stewart put it into my head. What I can't tell you if it was from her show or her magazine. It was one of her few crafty creations that I thought I could actually do. Not the usual laborious kind of craft where you need 10 people to actually pull it off type that she is known for. But a super simple one that brings back memories of grade school projects using glitter and glue.



Glittered nuts!
  Even though I'm a grown-up, I love glitter, fairy dust, shimmer whatever you call it. There are many types of glitter. For this project, over the years I've experimented with different types. Don't use course glitter or German glitter. The first doesn't look good and the second is too expensive and will tarnish. To get the best results use very fine glitter. Martha has her own line (at Michael's) now, which saves time hunting around for the right type and color.  This year I am doing glittered nuts for hostess gifts. And, hopefully a few batches for my house. My goal is to do enough to fill a hurricane...we'll see if I get it done!



Copper & greens look wonderful in a simple glass dish.
  What you need: craft glue, glitter in 2-3 colors, wax paper and plastic containers. Disposable gloves if you don't like getting glue all over your hands.



I bought glitter on clearance and used all but 2 colors.

Martha makes a glitter glue that I decided to give a try. I'm pretty sure it's nearly identical to regular craft glue, but I liked the fact it came with it's own brush attached to the lid. My daughter helped me and just used a small artist brush I already had to dip in the glue. This is a great project to involve kids. It's a bit messy and holding the nuts to apply the glue can be tricky. You will also need several small Glad containers to put each color of glitter in. Lids if kids are involved. Let each person work with one color on a wax paper placemat.



Container to drop glue coated nut into glitter
 

Step 1: Select your nuts. Use a variety of sizes and make sure there are no open seams or pieces missing. Especially check almonds. They have a more delicate shell that tends to chip. Any rejected are perfect for eating!

Step 2: Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of each glitter color into a container. Replenish as needed, but don't start out with too much because it will get caked up with glue bits.

Step 3: Brush the nut with craft glue. Don't glob it on (I know easier said than done if kids are involved) but do coat the nut completely.

Step 4: Put one nut in the container at a time, pick up the container and swirl it around until the nut is coated in the glitter. (I've tried using larger containers and multiple nuts, but they either stick together or the layer of glitter is too shallow to coat the nut.) If kids are involved, put the lids on and tell them to gently shake it. Once the nut is coated, push it out onto the wax paper with a toothpick. I don't recommend the kids do this part because they will either dump the glitter from the bowl or use their fingers to get the nut out which will remove the glitter.



Dry on wax paper

Step 5: Let dry several hours or overnight. Put in bowls or hurricanes to decorate or cello bags to give. To store, just dump them into a plastic bag and pack them away with your holiday decorations.



These are about 10 years old!

They are missing some glitter, but still look good!


New version and colors.

 I am still experimenting with color combinations and whether I prefer the glittered nuts combined with the natural nuts. What do you all think?

Alternate tip: Spray your nuts silver and gold. I've done this too. I don't think it's any faster because you have to turn ALL the nuts over to get all sides, but still very pretty.

15 comments:

  1. I cant say the first thing that came into my mind here, however they do look great. I used to spay paint pine cones gold and silve for various occasions

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  2. Gorgeous! I just did the same thing with pinecones, too - sprayed them gold and silver and then topped off with glitter. I'm going to try some nuts, too. Great post!

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  3. really gorgeous and I bet they last for ages--tried to sugar some fruit a few years ago and they looked great but were so perishable! Will definitely give this a try!

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  4. I love the mix of the
    glittered nuts and the
    natural ones : ) And,
    I think you might have
    coined a new phrase.
    Instead of "Shiver me
    timbers" it could be
    "Glitter me nuts!!"
    {Sorry, couldn't resist.
    It came to me when I
    read your first sentence!}
    Thanks for the tip!
    xx Suzanne

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  5. Dear AAA, Even though you have graded this craft work at level zero, it is still way beyond me. I just know that glitter would be everywhere and especially in my hair which is where Filo pastry ended up when I was foolish enough to think that I could cook many years ago!! No, far better that I just gaze in wonder at yours and marvel at the variety of ways in which Martha Stewart seems to find her way into all things!!

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  6. Great idea - though your opening sentence made me laugh out loud!

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  7. Such a simple and great idea. I am excited to try this since I just bought a set of beautiful glitter colors by Martha Stewart. I have been looking at the set trying to decide where to start using it. Now I know. Nuts it is! Thanks!

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  8. Great idea! Little glitter, a little glam. Adds sparkle to the rustic nut - I love that these would work all through winter!

    Glue and glitter at the ready!!!
    xo Elizabeth

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  9. Hmmm. I might have to try this since thanks to you I have an entire bag of nuts left over from my table LOL! I bought two bags of pine cones at Michaels and was thinking of flocking them with that fake snow. Maybe I'll glitter them instead. Now I have the attention span of a nut so not sure if I have the patience for that one but think I might try a small batch in silver. GREAT POST!

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  10. That's such a great idea! I usually have nuts that go rancid because nobody likes to crack them. This is perfect!
    xoxo
    Lila Ferraro

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  11. These are the finest looking nuts I've ever seen! Loving that they last for ages.

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  12. I think the glitter combined with the natural looks great...as does all glitter! Too bad I am such a freak with stuff like glitter...as in waaay too ocd to handle my children doing this, it looks so fun here on your blog (where its nice and neat!) :)

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  13. Love the look...simple and festive!!

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  14. So pretty! I guess my teens will love this project!

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  15. What a great idea!! I'm not very crafty so I'll probably never get to it but it certainly looks terrific. The only thing I've ever sprayed and still have and use in my decorations is pine cones. As with the nuts, they look great mixed in with all the other natural items.

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