Easy Victorian Crafts and Decorations
Use a dinner plate to make a candle centerpiece in a Victorian theme. Cover the plate (white plate is best) with white or antiqued lace piece. Arrange four pale-pink taper candles in the center of the plate, gluing them in place, and leaving an inch or so between each candle. Attach green leaves between the candles, towards the outside of the plate. String dark pink (not hot pink) satin ribbon between the leaves, allowing it to twist and fall here and there. Now use magenta and pale-pink small flowers to attach to the leaves. Drop some of the flowers in the center, between the candles, and glue into place. Use pale-pink ruffled fabric to outline the plate and finish the design.
Purchase a grapevine wreath shape from a craft store. Also buy a long strand of tiny pearls on a string along with eighth-inch ribbon in a different color than the pearls. Glue the first bead somewhere towards the back of the wreath. Now hold the strand up and let it randomly fall onto the wreath, all the way around. Where the beads touch the wreath, glue into place. Cut pieces of ribbon fold in half, and glue the fold onto the wreath. Begin gluing on flowers of pale pink, blue and white. Group some of the flowers together here and there but leave some flowers standing singly. Tuck small green leaves under the flowers and glue into place. Make sure there is at least one flower covering each of the ribbon pieces, at the center. Gather pink, white and blue ribbon together and tie into a multi-bow, allowing long strands to hang, and glue to the top of the wreath. Make a simple hanger by entwining a pipe cleaner into the branches and bending to make a loop.
Make a plain lampshade look Victorian by using lots of ruffles and lace. The shade should be white or beige and smooth on the surface. Purchase fabric with a Victorian print. It’s important that the print be something that will allow you to cut the Victorian images out and put them on the lampshade. Fabric glue is perfect for this no matter what materials were originally used to make the shade. Glue the images here and there on the lamp or arrange them neatly and evenly spaced. Use fabric paints to outline each image with gold. Choose gold pearl-tones rather than glitter types of paint. Purchase ruffled fabric, with lace trim, in colors that coordinate with the cloth images. Attach the ruffle and lace trim around the bottom edge, with lace trim facing downward, then around the top edge with lace facing upward. Add buttons and bows to the perimeter of the bottom and top of the shade, if desired.
Make a Victorian tree skirt by cutting a gigantic circle, approximately 4′ in diameter, from white lace. Cut another circle out of stiff netting and sew it to the lace. This will allow you to scrunch the skirt around the tree rather than have it lay lifeless. At the edge attach pale pink ruffled fabric with lace trim. Cut fabric Victorian images and place a small wad of pillow stuffing under the image before using fabric glue to affix it to the skirt. Place a book or another heavy object on each image until the glue dries. If the stuffing is then flat use a small needle to go through the cloth and fluff up the stuffing. Outline the images in gold pearl fabric paint. Decorate the rest of the skirt with buttons and bows.
Make a quick Victorian bookmark by cutting a piece of lace and cutting it to the appropriate size. Use narrow lace to do the perimeter so it won’t have raw edges around the perimeter. Use fabric stiffener, according to directions, to stiffen the bookmark. Add a pale pink ribbon to the top of the bookmark.
Use a plastic egg to make an impressive ornament. Use a large egg and cut an oval into one side of it. Eggs that snap together in the center are not suitable for this craft. Instead, purchase a crafting egg. Spray paint the egg gold, inside and out, and allow to dry. Glue white narrow lace around the opening. Inside the egg glue a small amount of Spanish moss. Glue on leaf sprigs and small flowers. Allow tiny ribbon pieces to hang from under the flowers but not out of the opening. Gather a long piece of lace on one side. Fold a ribbon piece in half and glue it to the backside of the egg. Then arrange the gathered lace to where the lace will spread out all around the egg and be well visible from the front view. Attach a bow to the front of the egg at the bottom of the oval to complete the look.
Make a pincushion by cutting two exact images from cloth. A cherub, button-up boot or something similar will make a cute pincushion. Sew the two pieces almost completely together but leave an opening to turn. Stuff with pillow stuffing or cotton and sew shut.
Use any small cardboard box with a lid to make a trinket box. Use decoupage or fabric glue to cover the box in Victorian-theme fabric. Decorate the top with a diamond-shape piece of lace doily. Add buttons on corners and a bow in the center. Or simply arrange a piece of antiqued lace on a small table and set a Victorian-theme picture on top of the lace. You’ll think of even more crafts after you’ve completed these and before long, your entire house will be Victorian beautiful.
