This isn't exactly what you're asking for so it may be of no use to you...but I know I've seen sticker back words with transparent backgrounds in Walmart's scrapbooking section...they might even have the same thing in with all their wedding stuff...I think I've seen words written neatly in cursive or various font styles over in that department with the same type of transparent background and sticker back or ones you can glue on...if you could find the type of sleeve you're wanting that might work if you can't think of anything else maybe?

Love this.  Great job.  Would never guess that was homemade.  (Although, if I tried to do something like that, I think I'd rather have the dowel hanging straight, rather than leaning.  Wonder if something weighted and added to the heavier side of the dowel would keep it hanging evenly...while not drawing the eyes straight to whatever was used to do it with...or decrease the beauty of it in the process.  I would be interested in hearing any ideas anyone may have on how to go about doing that or what to use to do it, etc...if anyone has any suggestions.) 

I think that would be a great Christmas gift.

Edit:  Nevermind.  I just went back and looked at the photos and OBVIOUSLY it was only leaning because of how it was hanging and would be easy to straighten by adjusting the string it's hanging from.  hahaha

A "Recon" I did real quickly today.  Needed a tree skirt.  Made this fast little throw together out of an old Tshirt and dress pants that have been sitting in with "garage sale" stuff for the winter.  We are only having a table top tree this year so I just needed something to throw around the base(which is in a corner standing on a plastic white two drawer thingy that I have a bunch of sewing supplies in)...I should have made it longer to cover the drawers...but oh well...it works....


^After


^ Before


^ Close up of the fabric

I thought so too.  Next time I'd add a little more color.  The instructions use toothpicks for arms and the nose, but I didn't have any so I chose sticks instead.  They also draw the eyes on with a black marker...but I had these tiny little baby buttons I used in place of the marker.  Baby socks would work a lot better than the girls' size 8 ones that fit my daughter's huge feet...but since I had her lonely little one that's been sitting in a sack with no mate for 6 months, I decided I'd just use that one...and had to sew it down a little to get it to fit snugly. 

 

That little black speck next to one of the buttons is just a stray piece of fuzz from the fabric I used as the scarf.  I didn't notice it until I after I took the picture.  And The spot on the left side of the bulb is just a shadow from his arm.

The instructions can be found at:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/11368/homemade_christmas_decorations.html?cat=30

Thank you for the positive feedback

They all look SO even and smooth on top.  Love the peppermints.  I'm so happy you offered the "tips" for how to do it because last Christmas, I used a random recipe I found by googling it...and they weren't anywhere near being as smooth and even on the surface as yours appear to be.  Definitely going to try it your way.

Very, very cute.  I especially love the stockings...and the tree skirt....and the tiny gingerbread men.  I think you should totally use the mini gingerbread guys to make garland:) 

Actually, that's what I thought they were for, until I read the caption, heh.

I thought I'd share this easy tree topper star idea that's made from sticks/twigs.  I searched, but couldn't find a similar craft already listed.  It sounds incredibly easy and would be a great idea for involving the help of younger children, if you happen to have any around. 

Collect sticks/branches/twigs from outside and cut them into pieces that are approximately 6 inches in length.  You can use as few or as many as you like.  Hot glue them together shaping the pieces into a star.  Attach them to a paper towel or toilet paper cardboard tube with a vertical stick/twig/branch, glued in place. Slip it on the top of the tree...and Voila!

(If you don't have a cardboard tube handy, just use whatever else you can find that's round/tubular you think might work...I cut an empty pringle's can down for us to use and plan on disguising it by wrapping the can with a piece of a brown paper sack glued around it, myself)

Talk about easy...  I thought this was a great idea for a topper.  And my 5 year old LOVES to help with making things...so this is a perfect activity for us to do together(well minus the hot glue, of course)

The only thing is... I can't remember exactly which website I was on when I came across the instructions for the idea.  I think it was at "ehow" and I did a search using the keywords "tree topper" and this was one of the results it came back with.

I found the idea after my 5 year old was already asleep in bed.  So tomorrow, we will be collecting our sticks and making one.(Our weather forecast says we should expect some snow tomorrow though, so I'm hoping we'll get them collected before it hits us)  I'll post a photo of it after we actually make ours.

Edit:  Here's what we ended up with...



(my webcam is totally colorblind, and this picture looks horrible compared to how great this thing looks in person.  My son went a little wild with the red glitter...but that's ok because now it sparkles and I really love how it looks in the light.  It looked a little too plain left as it was, and I had way too many little spots of hot glue showing to leave it that way...which is why we opted for the glitter) We also ended up cutting a toilet paper tube in half and glueing more sticks onto the outside of it.  I then made two little 'notches' to help support the weight of the twigs because a few of them were a little larger and heavier than the smaller sized ones and I was afraid the weight would cause it to lean once it was on the tree.  With the sticks on the front it reminds me of a shooting star...although in THIS photo...it looks more like someone puked on it...hahaha.

you rock that sexy top!
good job

Thanks