Our local shops are filled with patriotic decorations! It made me remember the Ghirardelli Postcard Tin I purchased at LAX airport last April. I was shopping for a snack to take on the return flight home and I added it to my pile of souvenirs.
It is fun to make a few pieces of mixed media art for Sunrose Gallery to match what’s happening on the calendar and I bought the Postcard Tin with that idea in mind. I made this “VOTE’ piece many years ago and it actually sold, however Cathy posts it on her Facebook page most voting days to remind folks to get to the polls!
So I gathered my postcard tin, some cool fringe, a few scrabble pieces, some annealed wire, and a clip art eagle head I made with my computer
I am offering a free printout of the eagle head at the end of the post, just click it and print it out on cardstock and cut out.
Adhere the eagle head to any patriotic tin or cardboard flag.
Next, cut the fringe for the shoulders. Cut an extra 1/2″ of fringe so you can fold back the extra to prevent unraveling.
Fold the extra length and secure with a dab of Hot Glue, then add hot glue to the entire piece of fringe and adhere it to the tin.
Glue on the USA scrabble pieces in the center and decorate them with a bead of Stickles for some glam! While the Stickles is drying, cut a piece of thick wire. I like 16 gauge annealed wire, but any thick wire makes great legs for the eagle.
Fold the wire in half and then twist into a loop. When the front of the eagle is completely dry, flip the bird over and use some hot glue at the “twist” to adhere the legs/hanger to the back of the eagle towards the top. After the hot glue is set, curl the ends of the legs and bend them to your liking.
Cover the hot glue at the wire twist with paper and hold down until the hot glue is completely set. Notice two popsicle stick sections on the back of the eagle’s head. Cardstock likes to curl in humidity which we have here at the North Coast of Oregon, so I use hot glue and popsicle sticks to prevent any curling in the future.
I have to admit I enjoyed the candy that was tucked into this little tin, hope it inspires you to think of a candy box as an art supply!
Here is the eagle head you can click and print on cardstock:
