Watercolor Holly Gift Topper

I like wrapping Christmas gifts almost as much as I like giving the gifts themselves. It's my time to experiment, to indulge my many different decorating personalities. I can go whimsical, masculine, feminine, elegant, modern...for that moment I get to try on a different hat. It's fun, and I like to think that it adds a little something extra to the gift.

My Christmas decor was all about neutrals and metallics this year, but I do have a few containers of variegated holly in my kitchen which was the inspiration for this gift topper. I've always thought that the leaves of variegated holly were reminiscent of watercolors, so I set out to create a playful paper and watercolor version, using pressed holly leaves to create the templates. I'm using the topper to adorn my son's teachers' gifts, though I think someone other than a second grade teacher could certainly appreciate it, like your crafty friends.

The Inspiration:

Materials:

Holly Leaf Templates (see below)
Textured cream cardstock or watercolor paper
Pencil
Scissors
Watercolor pencils (olive, emerald, dark green)
Thin paintbrush
Water
Baby Q-tips
Red crepe paper (streamers work) or tissue paper
Floral wire
Self-adhesive floral tape

Directions:

Step 1: Download the holly template and print out onto cardstock (you can either use the painted holly leaves as is or cut them out to use as a template). Trace around the leaves onto textured ivory cardstock or watercolor paper and cut out. (I used the top row of leaves on the template for this topper.)

Step 2: Using an olive colored watercolor pencil, make a border around the inside of the leaf using short strokes.

Step 3: Fill in most of the interior of the leaf with a Dark Green watercolor pencil, going back over the initial layer to make darker strokes that resemble veining.

Step 4: Make a few strokes over the Dark Green with the Emerald watercolor pencil. You won't really see the effect of this when you're making the strokes, but it will lend some variation once activated by water.

Step 5: Dip your brush in water and go over the penciled area with short, quick strokes, working toward the interior of the leaf and blurring the outer border of the watercolor inside the leaf.

Step 6: Fold the holly leaves in half and set aside. Cut a square of red crepe or tissue paper and set aside. Cut off one end of a baby Q-tip, then cut off the narrow tip on the cotton swab to form a ball shape.

Step 7: Stick a piece of floral wire inside the Q-tip, then fold the square of crepe or tissue paper over the cotton swab and twist the ends.

Step 8: Using floral tape, tape the crepe or tissue papered ball to the floral wire. Repeat for the number of berries desired.

Step 9: Place a berry stem on top of the largest holly leaf and secure them together with floral tape, but not extending the tape all the way down.

Step 10: Just below the first berry, insert the second berry stem and keep wrapping the floral tape around it, but again, not wrapping to the bottom.

Step 11: Place the third berry stem over a second holly leaf and adhere it to the holly stem below the second berry stem. You can stop here if you'd only like two leaves.

Back View

If you'd like a third leaf, adhere it below the second leaf. Here I've placed the leaf on top of the stem (rather than behind it) before securing it with the floral tape. This gave it a more dimensional feel.

Download Watercolor Holly Leaves Template