Mistletoe 🌲
If you want a simple, sparkly Christmas project you can finish in one sitting, this mistletoe art canvas is perfect. It uses an 8x10 canvas, sheet glass, beads, and a tiny bit of paint - and the result is a beautiful mixed-media piece that shimmers under resin. This is absolutely beginner-friendly, and you can adapt the colors however you like!
Step 1: Paint the Gold Background
Start by covering your entire 8x10 canvas with DecoArt Enchanted Gold. This paint goes on looking almost white, but as it dries it flashes a soft metallic gold. You may need two coats for good coverage. Let the canvas dry fully — metallic paints take a little extra time.
Step 2: Cut Your Mistletoe Leaves from Sheet Glass
While the canvas dries, start preparing your glass leaves. Use green sheet glass and your mosaic tile nippers to nip leaf shapes at an angle. These small curved shapes look just like natural mistletoe leaves. The ends will be sharp, so grab a honing stone and gently file the pointed tips until they’re smooth. This quick step keeps your fingers safe and helps the leaves sit nicely on the canvas later.
Step 3: Transfer the Stem and Bow
Lay your tracer over the dry gold canvas and tape it down so it doesn’t shift. Slip graphite paper underneath and lightly transfer only the bow, the hanging ribbon, and the mistletoe stem. You do not need to transfer the leaves - the glass pieces will replace those.
Step 4: Paint the Stem and Bow
Using a small liner brush, load a tiny amount of black paint and follow the transferred line to create a wiggly, natural-looking stem. Rinse your brush, then go back in with Raw Umber and paint right beside the black line. The two colors together give the stem dimension and softness.
Switch to a slightly larger liner brush and paint the bow with Cherry Red acrylic. Fill in the loops and tails, then add a small shadow with a touch of black. Once that’s dry, brighten the bow with a few strokes of white mixed into the red to create highlights. Let dry.
Step 5: Arrange Your Glass Leaves
Begin placing your glass leaves along the stem you painted earlier. Start with your longest leaf near the top, then build outward, pairing leaves in twos and threes the way mistletoe naturally grows. Keep adjusting until the cluster feels full and balanced. You can dab small dots of glue behind certain leaves to help them stay put before resin.
Step 6: Add Berry Stems with Pen
Use your archival black pen to extend small line stems off the main branch wherever you want berries. You can add just a few clusters or several — trust your eye here. This simple detail gives the berries a natural place to “grow” once you glue them down.
Step 7: Add the Berries
Choose red beads or pearls depending on the look you want. (Mistletoe berries can be red, white, or even pink — so anything goes!) Add small dabs of glue at the ends of your drawn berry stems and press your beads into place. Try to angle each bead so the bead hole is facing sideways or downward, not straight up. Continue placing berries until your cluster looks full and festive.
You can also write the word "mistletoe" on the bottom of your canvas with script lettering to finish it off.
Step 8: Mix and Pour the Resin
Put on gloves and mix ½ ounce total of resin (¼ oz hardener + ¼ oz resin). Stir slowly for three full minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup.
Pour the resin directly over your glass and beads, starting with the center of the piece. Use your stir stick to spread the resin evenly, making sure the glass and berries are well-coated but not pushed out of place. Check for any debris, bead holes facing up, or leaves that slid out of position and adjust them gently.
Step 9: Pop Bubbles & Add Frost
Elevate the canvas and use a heat gun or torch (on low, moving constantly!) to pop bubbles. Be careful not to over-torch metallic paint — if the paint was still a bit damp, the resin may repel in tiny spots. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
Once the bubbles are gone, gently sprinkle your crystal luster seed beads onto the wet resin wherever you want a frosty sparkle. Make sure not to torch again after adding these beads, or you may burn them.
Allow the piece to cure on a level surface for 24 hours.
If you don’t want to miss my Facebook LIVE art instruction, make sure you are on my texting list. I always text 10 minutes before I’m going to go LIVE, so you won’t ever miss it. You can text “Hey Cindy” to 901-519-2923.
Want more inspiration and artwork?
- My website artshattered.com with resources, shop, and more!
- My creative membership The Shattered Circle, where you can explore the world of glass art with online workshops, a supportive community, and more!
- My mini creative membership Just A ‘Lil Bit Monthly Glass Art Club, where you’ll get a new quick and easy online tutorial for just a lil' bit of sparkle in your life!
- My Facebook page where I go LIVE every Wednesday night.
- My YouTube channel which has tons of free art lessons right at your fingertips.
