As some of my creations probably show, I love pebble art. I love the different shapes of the pebbles, how they feel and the possibilities hidden in them. There’s something quite calming about those smooth, curved edges.
I messed about with all sorts of designs last year, but my favourites by far were the robin and reindeer gift tags. Simple to make, but fabulous to look at.
The pebble designs themselves are relatively easy to do — a couple of red blobs, a bit of white and black for the eyes, and that’s about it. They really come to life once they’re glue-gunned onto the tags. A tiny beak and feet transform one into a robin; antlers and a touch of snow turn another into a rather cute little reindeer.
To finish the tags off, I add a small hessian bow to the top and thread them with some brown garden twine. I like to batch them in groups of six — it feels like a nice number for a little set. Last year they were really popular amongst friends and family. This year, I’m hoping to spread their wings a little further.
And then there’s the glue gun…
The glue gun remains my biggest challenge. Not least because of the endless wispy strands of glue that somehow manage to end up absolutely everywhere. And if you’ve ever accidentally put a blob of hot glue on your thumb, you’ll know just how much that hurts!
Still, burnt thumbs aside, I love making these. There’s something rather lovely about turning a handful of ordinary pebbles into something that will eventually find its way onto someone’s Christmas present.
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