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!

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 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.

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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!

Christmas Craft Ideas

I found this cute video on Youtube while searching for Christmas crafts.  All the ideas on here are quite simple and made with everyday household items such as socks, buttons and Popsicle sticks.  I love the wreath idea especially because buying a wreath at the store can be so expensive.  Check out the short Christmas Craft video below.

ake your home glisten with sparkling new holiday craft ideas

(ARA) – Time to deck the halls. That’s right, as the weather turns cooler, it’s time to don that holiday spirit and prepare your home for festivities.

But do your tightened purse strings have you saying “bah humbug?” Luckily, creating exquisite holiday decor can be fun and cost-effective when you do it yourself. Here are a few amazing holiday craft ideas that are simple and sensational.

Glittered holiday pinecones
Create a beautiful centerpiece with items that you might find in your backyard – all in less than an hour. Here’s what you’ll need: pinecones, Krylon Primer and Krylon Glitter Blast glitter spray, fishing line and a drop cloth.

Make sure that the pinecones are clean from dirt and dust, then tie fishing line around the stem of the pinecone. Hang them from above so that all surfaces are accessible with the drop cloth underneath. Next, simply spray a coat of primer and let dry and then spray with your favorite glitter color of Glitter Blast. Soon, you’ll have pretty pinecones ready to spruce up any table.

Colorful cones
Decorate your home with a festive holiday cone. Let your imagination run wild with these cheerful creations. Here’s what you may need: various sized foam cones, Glitter Blast glitter spray, scrapbook papers, self-adhesive foam sheet, sequins and pins, ribbon, paste and acrylic jewels.

To start, thoroughly spray the cones with your favorite colors of Glitter Blast and allow to completely dry. Then, follow these guidelines to create three unique versions.

Polka dot cone. Punch out a variety of sizes and colors of circles from scrapbook papers and foam sheets and attach in random patterns to the cone using the paste. Start with larger-sized circles and gradually adhere smaller sizes on top. Finally, pin on 1-inch glitter sequins.

Ribbon cone. Spiral ribbon around cone, anchoring in place with craft glue and craft pins. Cut small snips in the edges so ribbon will lay flat. Glue and pin sequin trim in between the ribbon spirals.

Beaded cone. Using straight pins, pin sequins at random all over the cone. Then use paste to attach flat-backed acrylic jewels in and around the sequins.

To complete the look of each uniquely designed holiday cone, make a hole in the very top of the cone with a pencil point. Press the neck of a small tree ornament into the hole and secure with a drop of glue. Now you have three beautiful and original cones for a creative and colorful arrangement.

Original ornaments
You may have had sticker shock the last time you shopped for holiday ornaments – but luckily with some inspiration from renowned crafter and author, Mark Montano, you can update your tree for almost free when you design your own. Here’s what you’ll need: eight wooden clothespins, cardboard, scissors, glue, spray paint, large rhinestones, hot glue gun and glue sticks, fishing wire and loose glitter or Glitter Blast glitter spray.

To start, take the clothespins apart and arrange the wood pieces in a starburst pattern with the fat ends of the pieces touching in the center and the skinny ends forming the points. Cut out two 2 1/2 inch cardboard circles. Glue a cardboard circle in the center of the clothespins and let it dry. Flip your starburst over, glue the other cardboard circle in the center and let it dry. Next, spray paint the entire ornament in a color of your choice. Cover the cardboard and about half an inch of the surrounding clothespins with glue and sprinkle glitter on top – or use Glitter Blast glitter spray. Flip the starburst over and repeat. When dry, use hot glue to adhere a rhinestone in the center of both sides. For the hanger, fold a 10-inch piece of fishing wire in half and hot glue the ends to one of the clothespins. Once dry, hang on your tree and enjoy.

For more holiday craft ideas from Krylon, visit www.yourholidaystyle.com; for craft ideas from Mark Montano, visit http://markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com/.

How to craft a lot of fun for the holidays

(NC)—Across our beautiful country, Canadians are actively preparing for one of the “most wonderful times of the year”. They gather in the homes of their loved ones, sing carols in front of a crackling fire and decorate their homes with holiday cheer. Because of the brisk air outside, Canadians are poised to take full advantage of the warmth that homemade holiday décor can bring to their homes.

“The holidays are a perfect time of year for families to get together and get creative,” says Shelli Gardner, cofounder of Stampin’ Up!, a crafting and décor company explains.

“Whether you’re decorating your house prior to the festivities, creating a perfect table setting for your holiday meal or gathering all of your memories in a scrapbook, our crafts will give you and your family a lot of options this holiday season.”

There are so many ways to add the perfect pinch of pizzazz to your home says Gardner, and here are a few:

Decorate

Nothing is more festive during the holidays than a perfectly festooned home. Stampin Up! offers you a variety of ways to turn your home into a yuletide extravaganza. The holiday stocking Bigz L Die, for example, lets you cut paper or fabric to create your own stocking. Bigz décor elements are fantastic holiday-themed vinyl pieces that create a beautiful damask background to bring the spirit of the season right into your home. You can also add a hint of holiday flair with the stitched felt and quilted satin ribbon, which allow you and those you love to design the perfect tree ornament or greeting card. Top these off with mini jingle bells to make your seasonal projects and décor ring out.

Greet

The designer series paper makes the art of card creating a cinch. You and your family will want to wrap yourselves up in these warm textures to create cozy cards for the holidays. Nothing spreads cheer faster than handmade greetings. You can even add a touch of glimmer and give them an antique look with embossing powder.

Set the table

Letterpress plates give an embossed look to items, lending a hint of year-end joy to any gathering. Use various cards to assign place settings, label dishes and create cocktail themes. The time it will take your family to make the table cards will definitely allow the chef of the house to focus on the feast.

Give

The holiday spirit is built around love and generosity for others. There is no greater way to share your love than through a personalized gift. Why don’t you bake some homemade cookies and customize them with sweet pressed cookie stamps to give to your neighbour who shoveled your driveway last week? These stamps are food- and kid-safe and can be used with your favourite shortbread cookie dough or fondant. Better yet, give your sweets a personalized touch by placing them in a homemade decorated box wrapped with the designer series paper and designer fabric.

“As you can see, there are so many ways to add seasonal merriment to your home,” says Gardner. “Anyone interested in learning more about these creative ideas is encouraged to attend a demonstrator’s workshop. Visit www.stampinup.ca to find a demonstrator in your area and add a little spice to your holiday.

www.newscanada.com