CRAFT:
Set the scene with hand-made Christmas gifts and decorations.
tabletop gifts and decorations
GIFT BOXES Decorating boxes is fun and easy and it doesn’t take long to transform a plain little carton into a pretty, present-worthy gift box.
Remove the lid from your boxes and spray-paint the outside of each box with your chosen colour. Allow a few hours to dry. Measure the top of the lid and cut out a square of patterned paper to fit. Glue in place. Line the box with tissue paper, pop your gift inside, replace the lid and tie a ribbon round the box and lid.
CHRISTMAS BAUBLES
Start with the thickest twine and make a knot at one end, leaving enough to create a tassel. Separate the threads of your tassel so that they splay out nicely. Place a little glue in the centre of your polystyrene ball, press the knot of twine onto the glue and use a sewing pin to secure it in place, leaving the tassel hanging (pic A). Now start winding the twine around the ball, glueing it in place as you go. Continue until the ball is completely covered. Use a thinner, contrasting shade of twine to wind and glue in between the first, thicker layer (pic B). Note: You can use as many alternating colours and thicknesses as you like. If you are using several thinner threads, you can tie them all together and wind and glue them all at the same time, positioning them side by side as you go. Once finished, glue a wooden bead on the top of the bauble (this will also hide the ends of your twine). Cut a paper clip so you create a long ‘U’ bend (pic C). Place a little glue on the ends and press firmly through the centre of your bead and into the polystyrene ball. Tie a length of ribbon through the paper clip to form a hanging loop.
PLACEMAT PEBBLES Make cute personalised place-names that your guests can take home with them as a keepsake.
1 Wash and dry the river stones, then give each one two coats of white paint and allow to dry thoroughly. 2 Scale your image to fit onto each stone and print it out in black (you’ll need a copy for each stone). Print out guests’ names in reverse as they will be glued face down. Cut out image and name as close to the print as possible. 3 Brush the top surface of the river stone with Mod Podge and place your image and name face down on the glue. Smooth out so all printed areas are in contact with the glue. Leave to dry overnight. 4 Using a damp cloth, carefully dab the glued paper to moisten it, then gently rub it with small circular motions; the paper will start to peel away, leaving the image behind, along with a very fine layer of paper (this is why white paint works best). Seal with another layer of Mod Podge and leave to set.
NAPKIN RINGS
1 Decide what size you want your rings to be and cut each length of wire 10cm longer so you have a 5cm overlap at each end for twisting together. I simply used the natural curve of the wire from its bundle, which made it much easier to form a circular shape. Alternatively, you could wrap the wire around a cylinder to create the size you wish. 2 Thread beads onto the wire and then twist the ends together to form a circle. Cut off excess wire and use pliers to bend the ends over so you don’t have any sharp points sticking out. 3 Cut a piece of ribbon approximately 30cm long. Tie this in a knot over the wire join. Thread on a Christmas bell and complete by tying ribbon in a little bow. Cut out a leaf shape (I used a gold leaf-patterned paper). Glue in place beside the bell.
TREES AND STARS These simple stars and trees look stunning on the festive table or mantelpiece.
1 Glue pieces of patterned paper to the front and back of your thin card using spray adhesive. The patterns on each side can be the same or different – it’s up to you what effect you’d like. 2 Photocopy or draw tree and star templates to the size you require. Cut out. Place templates on patterned card and trace around them with pencil (pic A). 3 Using your ruler and craft knife, carefully cut out two of each shape (pic B). 4 Make opposing cuts down the centre of each (see templates below). These need to be as thick as the card so the pieces slot together without buckling. Now simply slide the two pieces together. Experiment with sizes and patterns – the more the merrier!