Christmas Decorating DIY ideas

If you want to decorate your home with something more than a wreath, here are more crafts work steps to follow to achieve chic and affordable holiday decorating.

Card Garlands

The season's first greeting cards, arriving weeks before the family tree goes up, are enough to stir most people's decorative impulses. This year, festoon mirrors with Lametta tinsel and use the sparkly wire to display your collection of cheerful tidings. Under the garlands, nestled in compotes, ribbon-lined candy pouches make sweet, simple party favors.
Steps to making Card Garlands

1. Lametta tinsel -- thin, flexible wire covered in shiny tufts -- is available at crafts stores or by mail order. Narrow ribbon and twine work, too; use metallic finishes for maximum shine. Drape several strands across a mirror; affix to back of frame with thumbtacks. Hang cards with 1-inch double-ring paper clips.2. Our pouches recycle 2- to 3-inch-wide ribbon scraps. Align ribbons; we paired sheers with solids so the treats would be visible. Trim ends with pinking shears, and stitch together lengthwise. Cinch one end of pouch with narrow ribbon or yarn, slip in mints, gumdrops, or peppermint sticks; tie other end.

Everlasting Garland

 Steps to making Everlasting Garland

1. Measure the length of your mantel, and multiply by 1 1/4; cut ribbon to that length.
2. Using a ruler and a pencil, mark ribbon at regular intervals. (We marked the ribbon every 6 inches for the larger garland.)
3. To create swags, mark a second ribbon at regular intervals, with spaces at least an inch greater than that of the first ribbon; leave several extra inches on ends. Make creases on second ribbon wherever marked.
4. Apply hot glue to top of first crease, and attach it to the first ribbon where marked, holding crease at a 45-degree angle across width of first ribbon; hold in place just until glue sets. Repeat. (For additional swags, repeat step 4 with more ribbon, and use hot glue to attach swags at creases.)
5. Trim ribbon ends at an angle.

Paper Evergreens

Step 1 For large Christmas trees, use an adjustable circle cutter to make 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-inch-diameter circles from green card stock (for small trees, omit the 6-inch circle).

Step 2 Fold each circle in half 4 times with a bone folder. While circles are folded, snip off the tip of each piece, forming a very small hole in center.

Step 3 Place smallest circle on the pointed end of a wooden skewer (we used 12-inch skewers), letting the tip poke through the hole in circle. With a hot-glue gun, dab underside of circle, where paper and skewer meet. Hold for 10 seconds to secure.

Step 4 Working 1 at a time from smallest circle to largest, slide remaining circles onto skewer; secure with glue.

Step 5 Insert bottom of skewer into a spool; remove, and cut skewer to desired height (we cut ours to 6, 9, and 10 inches), keeping in mind that only spool should be visible beneath standing tree. Return skewer to spool; secure with glue. Add a dot of glue to top of skewer, and attach a gold bead.

Have fun crafting!

via Martha Stewart

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Craft Time: Turkey Luminarias

Turkey Luminarias

Materials 

Scissors

Lunch-size paper bag

Tissue Paper (white, yellow, red, orange)

Glue Stick

Sand or Rocks

LED tea lights

Instructions

1.       Cut a circle from the seamless side of a lunch-size paper bag. Use the cutout circle as a guide to cut a slightly larger circle from white or yellow tissue paper.

2.       Cut skinny triangles of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper for the feathers, and cut two wing shapes from red tissue paper. Use a glue stick to affix the feathers and wings onto the tissue paper circle.

3.       Cut a turkey body from the brown paper circle, then glue it to the center of the tissue paper collage.

4.       Line the edge of the bag's circular hole with more glue, then lay the collage circle on top. Fill the bag with about an inch of sand or rocks and nestle an LED tea light inside.

via Disney FamilyFun

Craft Time: Turkey Napkin Holder

Turkey Napkin Holder

Create cute napkin holders dressed up like your favorite Thanksgiving bird, the turkey! The colors and googly eyes will surely please the kids and other present day pilgrims.

Materials
5- by 7-inch Colorful poster board
Craft knife
Double sided tape
Glue stick
2 Goggly eyes (craft stores)
Red and yellow construction paper
Instructions
1) Cut head and feet shapes in the top and bottom edges of a 5- by 7-inch rectangle of colorful poster board, leaving a 2- by 7-inch center band.
2) Use a craft knife to cut 2 wings near the center of the band.
3) Curl the cardboard by wrapping the ends of the band around something round, such as a rolling pin. Remove the band, overlap the ends, and secure them with double-sided tape.
4) Use a glue stick to attach 2 googly eyes, a red paper wattle, and a yellow paper beak. To adorn each mini tom with fancy feathers, simply fold a colorful napkin accordion style and tuck it inside the ring.
via Disney FamilyFun