Creative Conversions
Need a cure for cabin fever? While away the season’s long hours by crafting simple DIY projects that will bring an inviting ambience to your rooms.
Stave off cabin fever by crafting simple seasonal DIY projects.
Window to the World
Paint an old window to bring the beauty of winter inside. On the front side of a clean window, use a permanent marker to temporarily sketch a simple outdoor scene within the panes. On the back of the glass, fill in the shapes with white gesso or acrylic paint. Dip your finger in paint and dot over the surface to mimic falling snow. When you’re finished, wipe away the marker guidelines on the front of the glass using a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Swaggy Seat
Embellish your dining chairs with charming silver pinecone swags. For each, spray a medium-size pinecone with silver paint and let dry. If you prefer to let some of the natural color of the pinecone remain, dry brush just the edges with silver paint. Insert an eye hook into the top center of the pinecone. Thread a length of holiday ribbon through the eye, wrap around the top rung of the chair, and finish by tying into a bow. Wire two to three branches of fresh greens together and attach to the underside of the bow.
A Sign of Welcome
The pineapple has been a symbol of hospitality and friendship since Colonial times. Display this iconic fruit on a narrow painted cutting board for a warm holiday welcome. Start by covering a wooden cutting board with a light shade of acrylic paint. Coat with a layer of crackle medium, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Then, paint the surface with a dark contrasting color. Attach a handrail bracket to the bottom front of the board. Insert long screws through the bracket and through the base of a metal tart pan. Hang the assembled piece on your wall using appropriate hardware. Push a fresh or faux pineapple onto the extended screws, and surround it with greens, berries and pinecones.
Green Screen
Hang this cone-shaped arrangement bursting with natural textures anywhere that needs a seasonal boost. Wearing protective gloves, cut a piece of chicken wire for your cone shape, starting narrow at the bottom and growing wider at the top. Roll the narrow end, leaving an open bottom, and secure the sides together by folding the loose wires into the mesh with pliers. Spiral the mesh up, gradually increasing the diameter to create the cone. On the back, attach wires to hold the spiral together.
Run a long piece of wire through the mesh from the bottom to the top to stabilize the cone and create a wire loop for hanging. Spray paint the entire cone white. Fill with greens as well as twigs that extend out the bottom and top. Arrange sprays of berries and snowy pinecones on top. Attach a big buffalo-check bow as a finishing touch.
Sweater Weather
Repurpose Christmas sweaters into quick covers for your everyday pillows. Measure your pillow and find a sweater that will comfortably fit while making the best use of the pattern. Look for a sweater that sports buttons or a zipper to add extra details and allow easy access to your pillow. Turn the sweater right side in and place your pillow inside. Measure and pin the top and bottom as well as the sides, if necessary. Trim away excess fabric. Sew the top and bottom seams and sides, if necessary. If the pillow has a zipper, be sure the top and bottom of the zipper is exposed and accessible once the top and bottom are sewn. If your pillow has a button placket, measure, cut and sew accordingly to feature details on the front. If your sweater has neither buttons nor a zipper, measure, cut and sew the two sides and top. Fold the bottom ends inward and secure both layers together temporarily with safety pins. Sew four or five evenly spaced contrasting buttons along the bottom through both layers of the sweater. Remove safety pins.