Sneaky Santa Inspiration

My Winter Scene handpainted glass vase with "snow"

I needed a little Christmas inspiration because not only do I love Christmas, but I love to create a lot of my own gifts at Christmas.  I'm always on the lookout for new ideas.  I feel that my gift giving wouldn't be complete without some little handmade addition to Santa's sack of goodies for friends and family.
The faculty at my school does a voluntary gift exchange which we fondly call "Sneaky Santa".  This year I picked the assistant pricipal's name, and although we began working here some 36 years ago and have probably been each other's Sneaky Santa more years than most teachers at my school have been teaching, I still feel the need to give her something handmade in addition to a storebought item. 
Another reason I like to give handmade gifts is because they're different, unique and from me and hopefully the recipients will enjoy them just a little more for that reason.  I put a little of myself in everything I make.  I am not a really confident storebought gift- giver because I always second guess myself.  Can the person can use it? Will they like it?  Will someone else get them the same thing?  It's so much easier to whip something up and rest secure in the knowledge that they will not receive anything else like it.
The other day, I spent about 2 1/2 hours scouring the stores at our local strip mall for a unique gift to give my Sneaky Santa because the gift I was planning on making was not finished.  I picked up countless candles, potpourri containers, baskets and even thought about making a little bag of Christmas wrapping paper, bows, gift bags and tags, but for the amount we were supposed to spend, the bag looked pretty meager.  So I found these pretty felt snowflakes placemats, which, I have to admit, I have been eyeing myself.  I bought 4 and a little red felted cardinal ornament.  I wrapped it all in tissue paper and put it in a Santa themed felt bag, added a card and a ribbon and was set to deliver the gift.  But then I just didn't feel right because there was nothing handmade in the bag.

The next day I had a thought,  I only had a couple of hours before I was going to give the gift to her, but since I get to school early, I figured I had enough time make her an additional gift and finish it before homeroom or at least in my free periods. I was a woman on a mission.  I packed up a glass container I purchased at one of our local department stores, and my brushes and set out to school ready to  paint!

Wine Bottles Christmas Display
from www.cleverlyinspired.blogspot.com

I found a beautiful inspiration a few weeks ago for the gift I was about to make. It was a wine bottles Christmas display.  I tried this out on a large wine bottle, but since I wanted to add a more artistic touch,  I painted a little scene with houses and trees in the middle of the bottle and added the "snow" at the top and bottom.  I wanted to work a little smaller for this gift, so I purchased a nicely shaped glass container, gessoed it. and sponge brush painted the sky and snow, so it would cover easily.   Sponge brushing is so much more forgiving than using a regular paint brush.  I painted tree branches and evergreens with a little cardinal perched on a twig.  I added the Epsom salt snow (what an inexpensive and clever idea from the tutorial) on the bottom of the container, the top and randomly in the sky.  I used Mod Podge as the glue for the snow, but also added a layer on the container and an extra layer over the snow to help it adhere.

Detail of my Winter Scene handpainted vase

By my first class, I was finished and let it dry a couple of hours.  When it was dry, I wrapped it in red tissue paper which I actually forgot to bring with me, but being an art teacher with a closet full of miracles, my problem was solved.  I slipped it into a candy cane striped gift bag that I brought with me and brought that and the store bought gift with me to our holiday luncheon and presented the assistant principal with my final Sneaky Santa gifts.  I can't wait to see how she liked her gifts, after all, I left a little bit of myself wrapped in that red tissue paper in the candy cane bag!