The holidays are fast approaching!
If you feel crunched for time but still have some decorating to do, there’s no need to fret; we have some tips for you. Here are some fun, easy ways you can deck the halls without breaking the bank or taking up too much of your busy holiday schedule.
Tip 1. Add a festive touch to a plain glass vase with gift wrap ribbon
It’s not hard to make a glass vase holiday-ready! All you need is some colorful ribbons normally used for wrapping presents and a few pieces of translucent tape. Start by taping the end of the ribbon wherever you’d like, then wrap the ribbon around the vase, gradually working your way up the vase. You can put as much or as little ribbon on as you’d like, and you can also alternate colors. When you have finished wrapping a piece of ribbon around the vase, tape it in place. Display with some seasonal flowers, such as poinsettias.on!
Tip 2. Make a tree for the kids using colorful felt cloth
If your little ones just can’t resist taking your carefully placed ornaments off the tree, consider making a tree just for them. Felt of every color is sold at most craft stores and can easily be cut into fun shapes for ornaments. Grab a few sheets of green felt to act as the tree and cut into triangles, then arrange into a tree shape. The “tree” can either be mounted on a wall at a child-friendly height using masking tape or easily assembled on the floor. Cut circles, squares, hearts, stars, or any shape you can think of out of the other colorful felt.
Tip 3: Display Christmas cards using twine
Rather than let all the Christmas cards you receive gather dust on the counter or in a drawer, display them proudly! Using twine, a hole punch, and pushpins or temporary adhesive wall hangers, you can make a cute, rustic banner display. Measure the twine first; you want to have an inch or two in between each card. Then, punch two holes at the top of the first card (avoiding the crease if it is folded), one on the on the left side and one on the right. Push the twine through the back of the left punch then through the front of the right. Repeat for all remaining cards. Once you have finished, hang from the pushpins or wall hangers, making sure to let the twine hang a little loose so the banner falls into a drape.
Tip 4: Make fun handmade ornaments using clear glass balls and acrylic paint
Here is a craft so easy and stunning, it can make anyone look like an artist! Buy a set of clear glass ball ornaments (found in most craft stores) and acrylic paint in several different but complementary colors (make sure the package specifies the paint can be used on glass/multiple surfaces). Remove the top from the glass ball, then pour some of the acrylic paint into the opening. Do the same with the other colors, then cover the opening (tightly!) with your fingertip or a paper towel. Shake gently until the surface of the glass ball is completely covered on the inside. Invert over a Styrofoam or other disposable cup for twelve hours before putting the top back in place. Use these as a colorful addition to your Christmas tree, or have the kids help and give the final product away as gifts to friends and family.
Tip 5: Make any wreath a lighted wreath
That garland on your door just a little lackluster? Rejuvenate it using a strand of battery-powered mini-twinkle lights (sometimes called fairy lights). Smaller than the twinkle lights that adorn your Christmas tree, fairy lights give a subtle, almost ethereal glow that really pops against the faux pine used to make most Christmas and holiday wreaths. Simply purchase a wire strand of fairy lights from a store (these are sold in both craft and major retailers during this time of year) and carefully lace it through the “branches” of your wreath. Tuck the battery pack in the back of the bottom of the wreath (the base the wreath is built upon usually has a space that is perfect for a small battery pack), then turn it on and enjoy the view!
