Steampunk Ornament (Over Embellished !) Top Hat for Christmas

I add one ornament to the tree EVERY year (sometimes more than one) that captures my eye, usually something with a Victorian flair.  Over the last couple years I've fallen in love with all things steampunk but haven't found any steampunk ornaments in our Idaho stores so I decided to make one!

I went to our local Wal-mart and for $1.98 there was this darling black glitter, styrofoam/top hat with a chipboard rim.  It was cute as is, but I never could leave well-enough alone.

In a steampunk tag swap earlier this year one of the ladies alcohol inked a bottle cap and filled it with little clock parts.  It accidentally got bent before I could use it in a mini but I salvaged the amazing embellishments to use later.  Clipping a few red holly leaves from a red glitter Christmas pick I added those.

 

Went through my steampunk embelly stash and added some washers, gears, nuts and found parts that I had removed from a broken video camera and added those.  I used hot glue (just a little touch) to hold the items initially in place but also added mostly Glossy Accents to hold better.  The hot glue is just a tiny dab so they could be placed vertically and still hold until the Glossy Accents could dry.

I also replaced the chincy little silver string with a chain and put the tip of the Gloss Accent bottle in the hole that has a piece of wire and squeezed in a good drop to keep the chain better supported.

 

I had a few Steampunk Stickpins that I had put together this summer and stuck them in around the gears and again, reinforced with Glossy Accents down the portion of the stick pin that went into the hat.  After that, for a finishing support, I cut a few pieces of wire and bent it closely around some of the heavier nuts and steampunk embellies to make sure they stayed put.

You can see the wire around the copper coil on the top of the hat - I ran a gold leafing pen over the wire so it would fit in better. Also some charms are attached with wire (like this skull wreath charm.  I touched it with Ranger Patina to give it that turquoise tarnished look.  The little gear that is wire wrapped and those beside it I used the same technique of add just a dab of hot glue to place them, then Glossy Accented them in place.

 

Clipped a hole in the side and ran a chain and key to add some length and voila - instant steampunk ornament.

 

Thought of making a few for sale but realized it was only 15 days till Christmas!!!! Guess I better get on it faster for next year!!!

 

Hope your HOLIDAYS ARE HAPPY!!