Deck the halls with crafty holiday decor

(NC)—Fun, easy projects are a great way to spend quality time with family before holiday celebrations ensue and also make fantastic, thoughtful gifts for family and friends. The holiday décor team at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse recommends the following DIY projects this year:

Fundamental Ornaments

Jazz up simple shatter-proof ornaments by using interior paint in a gloss or semi-gloss finish with fun holiday colours. First, paint with a primer and allow ample drying time. Paint stars, monogram your friend’s names or spatter the paint in wild colours to make a style statement. Wrap painter’s tape or place round self-stick felt pads around the ornament and paint over them for fun stripes and funky polka dots, and remove after paint has thoroughly dried for at least 24 hours.

Spectacular Wreaths

Turn a tired wreath into a show-stopper with a little TLC. Use an artificial wreath from seasons past, with no attached lighting and spray it with one coat of white paint. After it’s dry, spray it again with one to two coats of orange-peel ceiling texture paint for a flocked look. Add painted pinecones, ribbons and bows for a modern take on a traditional look. For a more vibrant décor option, use a wreath with battery-powered lights and attach brightly painted ornaments you just created with 22-gauge wire. Wrap the wire around the wreath’s metal frame to secure the ornaments andvoilá – you have a fabulous decoration guests will ooh and ahh over.

Wrapping Wonders

Give mirrors a holiday makeover by wrapping them with Christmas ribbon. Measure the size of your mirror and cut two pieces of ribbon, per mirror, about four inches larger on all sides. Place the ribbon diagonally over the corners and tape it down. Tie a large bow and place in the corner similar to all the presents under the tree.

www.newscanada.com

Coffee Filter Wreath

Continuing on with the craft ideas using coffee filters, I love this one.  So Lowe’s came up with a simple challenge – make a unique wreath using Lowe’s materials.  Seriously, I was amazed by how creative some people can be!  Beautiful wreaths made out of wrapping paper, tubes, wood, pipes, coffee filters, wires and so much more.  I find that wreathes can be so expensive if you buy them at a craft or department store.  This video has inspired me to make my first ever wreath!  I will make one this weekend and report back with what I made next week!

Coffee Filter Angel

I’m always on the prowl for making easy and inexpensive Christmas crafts.  Homemade, unique crafts and ornaments are definitely my favorite.  This video is on how to make a coffee filter angel Christmas ornament.  Apparently this is quite common, however I had never heard of it before.  It is super easy and perfect for making with kids!  It is also so cute, and again super inexpensive.  I know what I’ll be making with my niece this weekend!

Christmas ornament balls

Every year I always look forward to decorating the Christmas tree.  It was a family tradition growing up as well.  My father would first, lovingly and very carefully put up all the Christmas lights.  Once he had done that my mother, sister and I would decorate the tree!  My mother always cherished our homemade ornaments that we had made in grade school.  I remember little lifesaver people, God’s eyes and other various ornaments.  Today as I was getting ready to decorate the tree I thought it would be fun to make some homemade ornaments this year.  I found this cute video on youtube on how to make “no sew” fabric Christmas ornaments.  It’s a short video with some great crafting information!

Christmas Crafts: Candy Trees

Good old Sandra Lee loves to make craft videos.  I did not know this until I spent a couple days looking up craft videos on youtube.  I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Sandra Lee but I do like some of her craft ideas.  For instance, I love the idea of an edible candy tree.  This would be perfect to take to the office or keep on the table at home during the holidays.  Basically all you need is some candy, a bow, a foam cone, and some T pins.  I like the fact she mentions to put a bowl next to the tree for the removed pins.  It is a super easy Christmas craft and also super cheap – double score!  Here is a quick video on how to make a Christmas candy tree.

Christmas Crafts Are Fun!

I found this Christmas craft video on youtube today and I love the simplicity of it.  It shows how to make simple crafts for kids and adults.  I like the idea of the wooden block and the cute Christmas bag. This year I plan to make things more personalized and I think videos like this serve as the perfect inspiration. Enjoy!

Gingerbread House

Since the holidays are quickly approaching I’m thinking of all the ways I can get into the holiday spirit!  Let me see… first I typically dig out my trusty collection of Christmas DVD’s and start watching Home Alone, The Christmas Story and One Magic Christmas. Next step in holiday spirit partaking?  I do a bit of shopping for Christmas presents – online of course!  I’m not crazy.  Next is decorating of the Christmas tree.  I truly love this one and spread it out of a course of a few days.  Now on to the my “crafty” part of the season – “Gingerbread House Decorating Party!”

Every year I throw one of these parties and all my friends, and their children, adore it.  It is quite simple actually.  I supply all the gingerbread houses or ask the guests if they would like to bring their own if I’m strapped for cash.  Gingerbread decorating kits are readily available at craft stores and grocery marts to make preparing for the party an ease!

Gingerbread House Crafts are Fun!

Next I get the extra supplies to really up the ante such as tubs of icing for spreading on the houses, tubes of icing for finer details, sugared gumdrops, colored candies and candy canes.  Everyone has a great time building their houses and decorating Candlyland style!

As an added thought: I also like to give prizes for the best and most creative gingerbread houses.  I typically have adult and children categories to be fair and for the winners I give small gifts such as Starbucks gift cards, movie tickets or edible treats!

Christmas Scrapbooking

I love the idea of scrapbooking and have often thought about taking it up as a hobby.  Michael’s and Hobby Lobby are a variable treasure trove for scrapbooking ideas and needs as I’ve seen whole aisles devoted to this hobby.

Christmas Tree Scrapbooking

Recently I started thinking about the holidays and how fun it would be to make Christmas Scrapbooks.  I did some searching online and found some adorable stickers and supplies. Scrapbooking is also the perfect Christmas craft for children!

Adorable Pink Christmas Tree Scrapbooking

I love this pink and green combo!  It is such a simple idea of laying textures and stickers with cute phrases such as “All I want for Christmas”, “Christmas Cheer”, and “Dear Santa” thrown in. I think I will ask my sister if she wants to have a Christmas scrapbooking party soon because these are too cute!

Nature-inspired Holiday Decorating

(NC)— For a fun way to decorate with your kids, try these dipped pine cones from Sarah’s Holiday Party, airing on HGTV Canada this holiday season.

Dipped Pine Cones

Supplies:

• Collection of pine cones in various sizes

• Latex paint

• Plastic containers or other containers appropriate for mixing paint. Make sure the container has a lid with a good seal on it. Use a separate container for each colour.

• Water

• Pair of tongs

• Waxed paper

Method:

1. Find your collection of pinecones in a park or purchase some at a craft store.

2. Gather left over paint from past projects or purchase a small amount in a variety of colours to suit your holiday scheme.

3. Pour one colour of paint into a container, adding a splash of water to slightly dilute. Approximately two parts paint to one part water.

4. Put the lid on the container and shake the paint and water until they combine. Mixture shouldn’t be too “gloppy”.

5. Drop a pinecone into the paint mixture, replace the lid and shake until cone is completely coated.

6. Remove pinecone using tongs and place onto waxed paper to dry.

7. Repeat process for each pinecone, until you have as many as you need.

www.newscanada.com

Sandra Lee, Christmas Guru

Good old Sandra Lee. Not only does she wow the masses with her recipes on Semi Homemade on Food Network apparently she also makes videos about Christmas crafts.  I love this video I found on youtube where she is making glittered ornaments.  They are so cute and also so much cheaper than buying the expensive glittered ornaments at the store!