December 2012 Video Tutorial -Deck The Halls! Making a Garland Brush

**Barbara B** · 15 December 2012, 09:55 PM

Deck The Halls! Making a Garland Brush

It’s that time of the year again, when we wrap gifts, stoke the fireplace, and decorate the halls. And envelopes, and websites, and this month, Gary shows you how to build an elegant garland brush in Xara. With the media in this month’s zip archive and the steps you’ll see, you’ll have everything you need to make your season a bright, colorful, and inspired one! Ho, ho, ho and get ready to go!

So view the video and grab the tutorial files and get festooning! Show us your garlands in this thread. Feel free to add stuff to the garland or make other holiday brushes using the steps in the tutorial.

**angelize** · 16 December 2012, 07:00 PM

I had some fun with this! I even tried using a photo of a vintage ornament from my tree and used the bitmap tracer following the video

It made a cute wreath

**Gare** · 16 December 2012, 07:26 PM

You did good, Frances.

I was hoping someone would wrap the garland around a circle!

My Best,

Gary

**gracehjs** · 16 December 2012, 10:09 PM

I assume that if you are left handed, you make strokes right to left as you will be drawing left to right

**Gare** · 16 December 2012, 10:13 PM

Um, no.

Actually, I'm left-handed, Grace.

The orientation of the stroke as you build it should be horizontal, left to right. Here's the bough: >>>>>>>>>o>>>>>>>

Now as you saw in the video, I dragged left to right and the garland was produced as expected.

Drag right to left and the pine cone will be upside-down, because the stroke has a definite up and down orientation.

...and I'm glad you asked this, because I wanted to explain this in more detail in the video, but it was getting dark and mom wanted me to come in and get cleaned up for dinner.

-g