A couple of Novembers ago I was at Michael’s Craft store and stumbled upon a bin of 90% off Halloween items. Mixed into the bin was a small orange tree. Normally, I’m not into mixing holiday decor. A tree means Christmas to me, but at under $5, I saw the possibilities of this little tree. So off it went with me.
I’ve been slowly accumulating Halloween ornaments to adorn my tree. Some are real ornaments, others are floral picks I converted into ornaments. I even strung a set of purple lights on it. It turned into a really fun project, but I couldn’t figure out what to use as the topper to this tiny tree. A witch? Dracula? I was stumped until it hit me one night: a traditional Christmas tree is topped with a star. Why don’t I make a moon for the top of my Halloween tree?
I bought a four-inch wooden crescent moon online. I thought this shape was the most recognizable for a moon. For the color, I used yellow acrylic paint I already had on hand.
But I felt like paint wasn’t enough. So back to the craft store I went. I found some sparkly flat-backed rhinestones at Michael’s. Bead landing rhinestones come in a variety of colors and sizes and are a nice alternative to my beloved Diamond Dotz.
Like with Diamond Dotz, the rhinestone’s color shows better with a similar color painted as a base underneath. I opted to get an assortment of sizes of stones instead of just one size. I think the different sizes of the rhinestones give the moon some depth and texture – just like the real moon.
To attach the rhinestones, I used Liquid Fusion Heavy Duty glue. I used a craft stick to spread a thin layer of the glue onto the piece. To make handling the rhinestones easier, I simply used my Diamond Dotz applicator and some wax.
To attach the moon to my tree, I straightened a small paper clip and glued it to the back.
This project only took a couple of nights after work to complete. I love how sparkly the rhinestones look. When the tree is lit, the moon literally glows. I’m glad I was able to make this beautiful topper to complete my tree. It reminded me that when you can’t find what you’re looking for, just craft it.
The Quaint Crafter 