DIY Christmas decor and gifts a cinch
Add to the fun of Christmas. Make your own decorations, writes Megan Baadjies
‘TIS the season to get creative and add a personal touch to your decor.
Making your own decorations is a great way to save money and keep the kids busy while you finalise this year’s Christmas lunch menu.
All it takes is a little creativity and a few recyclable items and you are good to go.
There is no need to spend hundreds of rand on tinsel and mistletoe which will only end up gathering dust in the garage.
From sprucing up gift wrap, to creating beautiful wreaths and even edible Christmas trimmings – the list of eco-friendly decorations and ideas are endless.
If you are able to recycle it or grow it, there is a way for it to be incorporated into your Christmas trimmings.
Interactive gift wrap
Turn unwrapping gifts into a game-filled activity the kids will love. Crayons and toy cards will entertain your little ones for a few moments before the frenzy of opening presents commences.
Wrap your gift in simple craft wrapping paper but, instead of ribbon and a bow, add a toy car – such as Matchbox and Hotwheels – and a road.
I made this one using 6cm strips of black paper, a white paint pen and a yellow toy car. I also stamped the word “vroom” on one box, but you could also stamp the child’s name.
I attached the cars with a hot glue gun. It allows the car to stay on the box at any angle, plus it easily peels off after the gift is opened.
“Colour Me” wrapping paper – wrap your gift in white paper. Stamp the words “colour me” on a corner of the box, and attach crayons instead of a bow.
Make sure the gift inside isn’t breakable or delicate, and let the child tear off the crayons and colour all over the box, decorating it in any way he or she wants. They will love this.
“Decorate Me” Christmas Tree Wrapping – wrap your gift in craft paper. Cut out the shape of a Christmas tree from green paper, and glue it to the front. Get sheets of stickers, roll them, secure them with tape, then place them along the tree. Stamp the words “decorate me” on the box, and let the child decorate their tree with stickers before opening their gift. – linesacross.com
Christmas tree decorations
Create tree decorations by cutting a triangular tree-shape out of cardboard and punching a hole in the top. Tie a piece of string or fishing gut and create a hoop.
Apply wood glue to the one side of the cardboard tree and stick down broken leaves like a mosaic, or perhaps gather small branches and cut them to size – from short to long. Lay the small branches horizontally under one another and stick down.
Granny Mouse Country House & Spa
Wine cork angels Wine corks Wooden balls Twine Ribbon Hot glue gun Fine tip marker Matte Mod Podge Blush
Brush a layer of matte Mod Podge on the wooden balls and allow to dry.
Add blush to the cheeks and make faces with a fine-tip marker.
Glue the heads onto the wine corks with a hot glue gun.
Add twine around the neck and glue a loop of twine onto the back of the cork. Make a bow with the ribbon and glue it to the back to make the angel wings. – onelittleproject.com
DIY Mason Jar Holiday Luminaria
Smooth-sided mason jars Frosted glass spray paint Clear matte sealer, or glitter spray paint Stick on letters to spell your word Spray paint for the lids (optional) LED votive candles (Craft stores) Ribbon and picks for the lid
Place the letter sticker on each jar, centered as much as possible. Rub the sticker on well so no paint leaks underneath. Remove lids and rings. Spray paint the jars with the frosted glass paint (three light coats recommended) and dry at least 15 minutes between coats. Dry for at least one hour after last coat, then spray with clear matte sealer, or a glitter spray paint to seal. Dry overnight. If desired, spray paint the rings and lids. I used a silver sparkle spray paint. You can leave them gold if you like.
Remove the stickers. (I warmed them with a hairdryer first so they would peel off easily.) I tied some mini-ornaments onto some wire ribbon, wrapped it twice around the top of the jar, then tied it. Add your LED votive to the bottom of the jar, with or without a little craft snow. We discovered when we used snow that it boosted the height of the candles, and we would have placed the letters a little higher on the jar if we had realised this beforehand… Just FYI!
A little tip: I used some cooking tongs to grab the votives to pull them up for turning on and off. The words show up best against a dark background.
Candy Christmas Tree
Hershey’s Kisses (but any triangle-shaped chocolate or sweets will do) Branches Scissors Glue Glitter star
Collect small branches or twigs that are easy to break or cut. Trim your pieces to create an outline of a tree. Use a handsaw or heavy-duty scissors to get a precise cut. I used six pieces for the branches and one long piece for the trunk.
Use a gun to glue the branches to create a wooden tree. I didn’t measure where to place the branches, but you want to allow enough room to fit the chocolates on each branch.
Use a low temperature glue gun to glue the chocolates onto the branches. You’ll want to make sure it is fully wrapped so glue won’t seep inside the wrapper.
You could also use strong adhesive glue dots but I found that they don’t hold up as well.
I started from the bottom up and tried to space the candy in between each other on the next branch up.
Use a small star punch and glitter card stock to create a star topper for your candy Christmas tree. Glue the glitter star on the top of the branch. – apumpkinandaprincess.com
Family Photo Wreath
Styrofoam wreath Straight pins Black-and-white photos Ribbon that you love Circle stencil aAhesive Straight and scalloped scissors Cute scrapbook paper Wreath stand for display
First, cut your photos out in circles. You can get creative and use other shapes. I mounted my black-and-white photos on cardboard and then I used scalloped scissors to give them a fancy edge.
Next you will use your ribbon to wrap the styrofoam wreath.
Start by taking the end of your ribbon and attach with a straight pin or tack. Then begin wrapping the ribbon around the wreath, pulling pretty tight, until all the white is covered.
Now that the whole wreath is wrapped, you are ready to add the photos. I just played around with mine until they looked right.
I liked the close-ups staggered throughout the other photos.
To attach the photos, just use straight pins around the wreath! Super-easy. – http://thecraftingchicks.com
Wine Cork Christmas Wreath
34 corks 1 large wooden wreath support; and 1 small one Metal wire Glitter Mod Podge + brushes to apply Hot glue gun + glue Red decorative fillers Optional: vine leaves + ornamental flower + ornamental gold grape Ribbon
Apply Mod Podge all over both wooden wreath frames, then generously apply the glitter all over the Mod Podge to cover up the entire surface. Let it dry for at least one hour.
Once the glitter has set onto the Mod Podge, apply a layer of Mod Podge over the glitter, which will keep it from falling everywhere in your house. Let itdry again.
Take the wire (I picked a red one) and weave it into one of the holes (pre-existing) to attach the smaller ring to the larger ring.
Arrange your corks and decorative fillers (without glue) to preview the spacing. When you are happy with the arrangement, apply the corks and fillers, one at a time, with hot glue. Do the same for the large ring.
Now attach all of your decorative elements. Finally, attach the ribbon by passing it through the red wire from step 3. – http://wineandcork.blogspot.co.za