Day Three of the Twelve Days of Christmas

Good morning friends

I'm glad to see you back again for Day 3 of my Christmas Celebration.  Lots to share today, so we'll start out with my tutorial.

Christmas Wall Plaque

You will need...

Scrap of pine board 

Modge Podge 

foam brush

printed image of your choice*

white paint**

rubbing stain

sandpaper

twine

Choose your board according to the size you wish to have.  Mine was a scrap from another project that measures about 10" x 6".  I sanded it lightly, then painted with my background color.  **I chose a creamy white, but feel free to use whatever color best compliments your printed image.

 Once the paint is dry, I took my paper image and carefully tore the edges of it to make it look old and tattered.  I found that keeping my fingers close to the torn edge while tearing it, resulted in less 'white' from the paper showing.  Preview how the image will sit on your board. You want to have some extra space at the top and bottom, and a little on the sides.  Once you have decided how you like it, put Modge Podge on the top half of the board, place your image and carefully press it down, getting out as many wrinkles as possible. Don't fuss with it too much or your paper may rip.  Lift up the unglued bottom of the image, and apply more Modge Podge, repeat as with the upper part.  It is often difficult to get a larger image on exactly right if you use the Modge Podge on the entire piece at once, which is why I prefer to do it in sections.  Once your image is glued down, go over it lightly with another layer of Modge Podge, making certain all of the edges are glued down.  Set aside to dry.  Sometimes you will see wrinkles in the image...most will disappear once it dries, but some will stay, which only gives it more of an old look.

 Once your image is completely dried, take your sandpaper (or a small palm sander) and carefully sand the corners and edges to expose some bare wood.  Take a rag and apply a bit of rubbing stain onto it.  Starting at a corner, apply the stain on the corners and edges to further 'age' the board.

 At this point you are nearly done.  Take a length of twine and wrap around the top and the bottom of the sign, as shown.  Add a sawtooth hanger on the back and hang with pride!  You just made a beautiful Christmas sign! Perfect for your home's decor or gift-giving.

 *You can use any image you choose.  Just do a Google search for Vintage Christmas post card images...lots to choose from.  Graphics Fairy also has a lot of images to pick from.  If you like mine, feel free to nab it here by right clicking and saving to your computer to print.  To adjust the size of your chosen image, you can use just about any print program.

Our recipe for today is one we all LOVE.  Creamy, soft and delicious, this fudge is easy to make and a family favorite at Christmas time. I originally shared this back in 2011, but it is definitely worth posting again!

It's so good... I challenge you to eat just one piece.

Wendy's 

Peanut Butter Fudge

 3 c. sugar

3/4 c butter

2/3 c evaporated milk (not condensed)

7 oz jar of Fluff 

1 pkg (12 oz) peanut butter morsels

1 t vanilla

3/4 c chopped peanuts (optional)

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and evaporated milk.  Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add peanut butter chips.  Stir until melted and well combined.  Next, add your Fluff and vanilla.  Stir again until well blended.  If you are adding nuts, do so now (I don't add them, as we prefer the smooth, creamy texture). Pour into a 9 x 13 foil lined pan.  Chill until firm and cut into bite size squares.

Yummy.

 To add a little interaction to our Celebration, I would love to hear what your favorite Christmas treat is!  Comment away!

That's it for today dears, but stop back tomorrow for more fun!  And please, if you are enjoying these posts, feel free to share them!  You can easily do so by heading to the bottom of the post, and clicking the Facebook or other icon.  Thanks so much!