Decorating a Christmas tree with the family can be lots of fun. We make things even more special in my house by using fresh new colour combinations each year. For starters, you can’t go past the basic colours of silver, gold and red. Create any theme you like and get the kids involved too. Choose your favourite colour combo and save a few dollars along the way with my simple yet stylish handmade decorations.
SCANDI-STYLE TREE
You will need:
■ Fiskars Bling Bling Punch, $20, Spotlight
■ Woodgrain ‘Ash’ self-adhesive covering, $6 per roll, Kmart
■ Gift wrap, $4.95 per sheet, Kikki-K
■ Glue, $6, Spotlight
■ Jo Sonja’s acrylic paint in Titanium White, $4.99, Spotlight
■ Ribbon to hang, Spotlight
■ Drill, Bunnings Warehouse
■ MDF discs, $1.99 each, Spotlight
How to:Cut circles from the adhesive using MDF discs as a guide. Paint discs white on each side and dry with a hairdryer. Stick on the adhesive, use the punch to create stars and glue them in place. Drill a hole in each and thread ribbon to hang.
You will need:
■ Bark, free from your park or garden
■ Craft stars, $3 for pack of four, Spotlight
■ Zenith Fancy Twine, $6.72, Bunnings Warehouse
■ Brown Earth acrylic paint, $4.99, Spotlight
■ Sharp scissors
How to:Paint the front and back of the wooden stars and dry with a hairdryer. Apply glue to small sections at a time and press on strips of bark. Turn the stars over and use the outlines as a cutting guide. Create loops and hang them using glue and string.
You will need:
■ Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch, $30, Catchy Crafts
■ Zenith Fancy Twine, $6.72, Bunnings Warehouse
■ Glue, $6, Spotlight
■ White scrapbooking paper, $2 per sheet, Catchy Crafts
How to:Use the paper and hole punch
to create snowflakes. Working on two flakes at a time, turn them over and place a small dab of glue in the centres of each, then sandwich the string between them. Keep working along the string until you have as much garland as you need.
UNDER THE SEA TREE
You will need:
■ Aluminium embossing shim, 0.5 metre roll, $20, North Shore Art Supplies
■ Stylus, $5.10, North Shore Art Supplies
■ Thick box cardboard
■ Sharp scissors
■ Pattern templates, seahorse, fish, starfish: Download Under the Sea pattern templates
How to:Place cardboard underneath the shim before drawing around your templates using the thicker end of the stylus. Supervise children at all times. The shim is soft so it’s easy to draw outlines and textures using your templates as a guide. Once the creatures are complete, cut them out and pierce holes to hang using the stylus.
You will need:
■ Acrylic baubles, assorted sizes, approximately $5 each, Spotlight
■ String, $5 per ball, Bunnings Warehouse
■ Sand, shells, coral, assorted varieties, Seaweed & Sand
How to:Pull the baubles apart and fill. Don’t overfill as they’ll be too heavy to hang. Use string to form hanging loops for a ‘beachy’ look.
Tip: These baubles look great when they are filled with other things too. Try chocolates, lollies, small toys or tinsel.
GOLD GLAMOUR TREE
You will need:
■ Papier-mache stars, $4.99 per pack, Spotlight
■ Gold spray-paint, $15 per can, Bunnings Warehouse
■ Treats or gifts to fill
How to:Spray the boxes inside and out with gold spray-paint. When dry, fill with treats and hang on your tree.
You will need:
■ Moda Vera wool, Spotlight
■ Polystyrene baubles, assorted sizes, Spotlight
■ Long darning needle and pin, Spotlight
■ Metallic thread and glue to hang, Spotlight
How to:Apply a drop of glue to the top of the bauble then use a pin to secure one end of the wool. Apply glue and wool in a circular pattern around the bauble until it is covered. Insert the long needle and metallic thread with a knot in one end all the way through the bauble, base to top, and tie off with a loop to hang.
Stockits: Bunnings Warehouse bunnings.com.au Catchy Crafts catchycrafts.com.au Kikki-K kikki-k.com Kmartkmart.com.au North Shore Art Supplies (02) 9476 0202 Seaweed & Sand seaweedandsand.com.au Spotlight spotlight.com.au
0 Comments