Materials
- Clothespins of various sizes, old or new
- Empty paper towel rolls, TP rolls, or craft tubes
- Glue gun
- Glue sticks
- Miniature decorations (optional)
- spray paint (optional)
Directions
1. Gather your clothespins and separate them from their metal spring. This is easy to do... simply pull the handles of the clothespin in opposite directions to loosen the metal, and gently wiggle them apart.
2. Prepare your tubes by removing any left over paper. If you want to eventually paint your trees, cover the tubes with tissue paper that matches the paint color you’ll be using. If you are going to keep them “natural”, no need to cover.
3. Using your glue gun, start glueing the pins onto the bottom of the tube, with the “inside” portion of the pin side down. You want to glue the slanted tip of the pin to the roll, so that the bottom of the pin slants down and hits the “ground” or table surface you’re working on. Create your first layer of "branches" by gluing the pins side-by-side until you go all the way around the tube.
This is your base!
4. Work our way up the tube creating rows of clothespins. TIP: each row you do, attach the pin in between the two below it. This makes for more realistic branches, it’s okay if you see a bit of the roll underneath.
5. When you’re near the top you want to glue the middle of the clothes pin to the top area of the roll. The layer that finishes the tree off will be glued on top of this, so you want to have it pretty secure.
6. finish off the top by holding two clothespins together with glue in the middle over the roll to see how wide they needed to be set apart, when this is dry, use it as the base to finish off the top, attaching pins to it to form a peak. Use smaller pins to fill in the gaps if needed, until it creates a ‘cap’ on the tree.
7. Add fun miniature decorations to your tree, or spray paint it first and then add your accessories!
Materials
- Wood spoons (you can even use the square ones)
- Acrylic paint
- Acrylic paint pen in black
- Paint brush or sponge
- Small black buttons
- Small wooden mushroom buttons
- Plastic miniature snowman carrot noses
- Plastic miniature snowman carrot noses
- Any other little decorative items like ribbon, beads, googly eyeballs, construction paper, ribbon, pom poms, etc.
Directions
- Set your spoons on a paintable surface, and paint them according to the characters you would like to use. I am making a Santa Claus, a toy soldier, a reindeer, a gingerbread man, an angel and a snowman. We will be focusing on the snowman for the step out.
- Paint your base coat of paint on all sides and set aside to dry. For the snowman, we will be painting the spoon white.
- Once dry, add embellishments like eyes and mouth with your black paint pen.
- Using your hot glue gun, glue on the carrot nose to the middle of the spoon/snowman’s face.
- Add any other embellishments using hot glue that you would like. I’ll be attaching a scarf made out of ribbon, a top hat made out of construction paper, and three buttons down the handle of the spoon.
- Pack up your little characters once they are all dry and enjoy the Christmas cheer it brings your kitchen!
Tips:
- Use old spoons that might be discolored or burned. Once they are painted, you won’t be able to tell! This is a great way to repurpose old spoons.
- Using a black paint marker instead of paint and a paintbrush will make you appear like a much better artist than you actually are! It’s a great shortcut.
- Print pictures off the internet for inspiration for any of the characters you would like to paint.
- Use the square spoons to make square characters like a toy soldier.
Materials
- Toilet paper roll tubes
- Paper towel roll tubes
- Mailing tubes
- Hot glue gun and LOTS of hot glue sticks
- White card stock
- Spray paint
- Glitter
- Mod podge or Elmer’s glue
- Masking tape
- Battery-operated tea lights
- Greenery for the base, wire cutter if you want to cut the greenery, ribbon, or any accessory of your choice.
Directions
1. Cut the paper tubes in various sizes. I cut the tubes in the following lengths:
(2) Mailing tubes at 11”
(1) Mailing tube at 9”
(3) Paper towel tubes at 8”
(3) Toilet paper tubes at their standard height (4.5”)
(3) Toilet paper tubes at 2.5”
2. Cover the tubes in white or cream cardstock with tape.
3. Take your masking tape to create a little valley for the tea light to sit in. That part can be a
bit messy since we will cover it up with glue.
4. Using a large hot glue gun, create the look of melted wax. You can do this over and over
again until it looks like a lot melted candles.
5. Using spray paint, paint each individual candle. This may take a few coats. Make sure that
you paint over all of the glue. Set aside to dry.
6. Using glue or mod podge, add a coat to each candle.
7. While it’s still wet, add glitter to each candle (Optional)
8. Arrange the candles together in a configuration that you like. You can keep them separate,
or glue them together.
9. To make the candle match the tea light, wrap the wick of your tea light in tape & spray paint
it with the color you used for the candle
10. Add the tea lights to the top of each candle.
11. Turn on the battery operated light, add some greenery and enjoy your Christmas candle
display.
Tips
1. You can cut the paper towel rolls at 8” and use the other side for the 3 smaller tubes at 2.5”.
2. You don’t have to use the card stock to cover the candles, but it does hide the lines of the
tubes. If you don’t mind the lines, you can skip a step. If you do use card stock, you can use
double sided tape to hide the tape.
3. When you arrange them into order, you can leave them separate or attach them together with glue.
Materials
- Repurpose Round Tree Skirt of Round tablecloth
- scissors
- ruler
- yarn (Thick wool)
- hot glue & gun
Directions
1) Depending on the size of your tree skirt cut 3 stripes of yarn
2) Hold 3 strips of yarn and tie a knot at one end
3) Start braiding yarn and leave enough room for another knot at the bottom
4) Start pulling apart yarn to make it fluffy
5) Use an old tree skirt as a template or use round tablecloth
6) Hot glue the braids onto the skirt-step and repeat
7) Make sure to space out the braids
8) To fill in open gaps on the tree skirt cut a braid to size and glue
9) Once you have filled tree skirt place underneath tree
Materials
- Butcher block
- Nails/ screws
- Template printout
- Drill
- Rubber band
Directions
1) Tape template to butcher block
2) On template, mark drill points with pen then drill through paper
3) Remove paper to reveal drill points
4) Screw in nails
5) Wrap rubber bands around nails to create design
Materials:
- Several different sizes of mason jars with lids. I used a small jar, a regular sized jar, and on oversized cookie jar.
- Fake snow (I used a plastic-based snow).
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Scissors
- Fillable clear plastic ornaments (the ones that come in 2 parts – you will only need one part per mason jar) I got sizes 100mm, 80mm and 50mm.
- Miniature Christmas decorations
- White card stock
- Ribbon or twine
- Goodies to fill the mason jars
- OPTIONAL: Small twinkle lights
- OPTIONAL: Gift tags
Directions:
- Take the top of the mason jar lid off and trace it onto white paper.
- Cut out the circle and glue it to the lid of the jar on top.
- Add fake snow to the top of the mason jar lid.
- Add little miniature figurines and décor to create your own little snow globe scenes.
- Once you love the configuration, glue the items into place.
- Glue the half ornament to the outside rim of the lid.
- Fill the mason jar with your own little goodies.
- Screw the lid on and add ribbon or twine around the lid.
- Add a gift tag if you would like.
Get more from Paige Hemmis at www.PaigeHemmis.com.
Materials
- Canvas
- Green Non-Toxic, AP Paint (for footprints)
- Ribbon
- Tacky Glue
- Stencil
- Permanent Marker or Paint Marker
Directions
1) Use a brush to apply non-toxic paint to the bottom of babies’ feet
2) Place feet one by one pointing down on the canvas, leaving room at the bottom to write
TIP: If the paint is too watery, press feet down on a piece of paper a few times until you get a clear footprint
3) Allow paint to dry
4) Use a tacky glue to glue ribbon around the border of the canvas
5) Decorate top of canvas with bows and fake holly
6) Use a stencil to write out “Mistletoes”, the name of your baby, and the year. Use a
permanent marker or paint marker to fill in.
7) Display in your home
Materials
- Sleigh
- Plastic window box
- Floral foam blocks
- Evergreens (cedar cuttings, noble fir, magnolia leaves, holly berrie, tall birch branches)
- Wilt Pruf spray
Directions:
1. Insert plastic window boxes with floral foam blocks inside of the sleigh (pack them in tight)
Tip: If you live in an area with a cold/wet climate use dry floral foam blocks. If you live an area with a warm/dry climate use wet floral foam blocks
2. Use cedar cuttings to disguise the foam and plastic window box by inserting along the edge to cover sides
3. Use noble fir to soften and cover the back of the sleigh
4. For the middle of the sleigh, insert magnolia leaves and holly berries for a pop of color
5. Add a touch of tall birch branches for a finishing touch
Tip: You can customize your sleigh with any other evergreens
6. Preserve arrangement for a couple of months by applying a Wilt Pruf spray to the arrangement
Materials
- Fabric Sheets
- Glue Gun
- 3” Embroidery hoop
- Nightlight
- Ribbon
- Stencil and fabric paint
Instructions
1. Print image on fabric sheet with ink jet printer or paint with stencils.
2. Cut and peel fabric sheet.
3. Open hoop and sandwich the sheet between large and small hoop and tighten hoop.
4. Trim edges of sheet.
5. Glue onto nightlight.
6. Cover glue with ribbon (optional - you can’t see the glue but makes for a nice design choice).
Materials
- Ladder
- Wood boards
- Paint primer
- Gold Spray paint
- White Paint
- Paint brush
- Fake snow (optional)
Directions
1) Sand down ladder and spray paint it gold.
2) Measure the distance between each step and add 12". Cut boards down to size.
3) Paint boards white. Let dry.
4) Place boards along ladder steps.
5) Cover with fake snow (optional) and decorate!
Materials
- Plastic/wooden or bamboo spoons
- Foam cones
- Glue gun & glue
- Modge Podge or Glitter paint
- Paintbrush
- Wax paper
- Scissors
- Acrylic spray
Directions
1. Paint a gazillion tips of plastic spoons with your desired choice of color and set aside to dry. I found this much easier then trying to paint the spoons when they attached to your tree base.
2. Cut handles off the plastic spoons. The spoons will cut fairly easily with some scissors. The amount of spoons used for this project is totally dependent on the size you choose.
3. Spray with acrylic sealant.
Once your spoons are dry, coat them lightly with acrylic sealant. This will help keep the glitter from falling off and ending up all over your house (you’re welcome).
4. Glue spoons onto cone.
Starting at the bottom of the cone, and moving around the base in a full circle, hot glue spoons onto the cone. The bottom row will take the longest, and the task gets quicker with each concentric circle, but this step takes a WHILE, so be prepared.
5. Add the tree topper explain different styles and tips
Directions
1. Melt wax in a double boiler
2. While it’s melting start to make you chocolate chips just by cutting up a piece of dark brown or black crayon with a knife
3. Once the wax is fully melted you add the fragrance oils.. about 2 big splashes
4. Pour out some of the wax into another bowl & add a little bit of brown crayon (maybe some orange to warm it up) , we need to aim to make ours beige for the cookie color
5. Add white crayon into the rest of the wax. It will dry white but we want it Milk white
6. Keep stirring the cookie wax until it turns to a putty-like substance
7. Once it’s putty-like scoop it out & shape your cookie with a spoon
8. Put chocolate chip crayon shavings on top of your cookie
9. Stick the bottom of the wick into your milk wax & then into your candle glass holder. Make sure you place the wick off-center for the placement of the cookie
10. Pour white wax into the glass holder
11. Use 2 markers or popsicle sticks to hold the wick in place while it cools
12. Let cool
13. When the milk is about 95% hardened push the cookie in, that way it will be set into the candle but won’t melt .
14. Let fully dry
Rocks Glass
Fragrance Oil Winter Set
Wicks
Materials
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Sequined Trim
- Stuffing
- Sewing Machine
- Pins
- Paper
- A compass or something circular (ie, trash can top) to make a perfect circle
Directions
1. Use a bow compass or something circular to make a perfect circle
2. Create the circle on paper
3. Take 2 ½ yards of color fabric, cut 2 circles approx 24” in diameter
4. Pin together the two circles to make sure it stays in place and perfectly even
5. Sew together pieces so they are “face to face” and then flip it inside out
6. Stuff the pillow with poly-fil (make sure thick enough to retain shape)
7. Hand sew it closed
8. Glue together 3” wire ribbon for the top
9. Decorate the body of the ornament with sequin trim to add “glitz”
Materials
- Garland
- Mistletoes
- Decorative Items
- Berries
- Ribbon
- Floral Wire
- Wire Cutters
Directions
1. Hang your garland around a door frame
2. Bunch mistletoes, decorative items, and berries together and wrap with floral wire to hold together
3. Leave a long piece of wire out once you are done wrapping. This will be used to hang the mistletoe.
TIP: Separate the mistletoe leaves so that it becomes larger and is no longer flat
4. Cut a large piece of ribbon and make a small loop with part of it. Wrap floral wire around it and twist once.
5. Make a second loop the same way, take a piece of the wire that you used for the first twist, and wrap it around the second loop and twist.
6. Repeat this process for as many loops as you want from your ribbon
7. Attach mistletoe arrangement to ribbon with floral wire
8. Hang mistletoe to garland using the piece of floral wire you left long in step 3.
Materials
- Plywood
- Stencils
- Joint Compound
- Leather
- Ceiling Fan Blade Brackets
- Table legs
Directions
- On plywood draw body of reindeer (free hand or google reindeer body shape)
- Cut out body shape
- Place stencil on plywood
- Apply joint compound over the stencil, then remove stencil
- Once dried, paint reindeer
- Apply antique stain if desired
- Attach table legs to base of reindeer using screws
- Cut out ears from leather material
- Screw ears onto each side of reindeer
- Take Fan Brackets and screw on to each side of the head to create antlers
Materials
- Hand towels
- zig zag trim
- Puff paint
- Buttons
- Ribbon
Directions
1. Fold towel into thirds
2. Cut zig zag trim the width of your towel plus 1” (so it can fold over to avoid showing the edge)
3. Lay buttons to design your gingerbread face
4. Draw the mouth
5. Glue on the buttons and bowtie
Materials
- Fruit Box, Plastic Milk Crate, or Plastic Storage Bin
- Artificial Turf
- Hot Glue Gun
- Garden Shears or X-Acto Knife
- Permanent Marker
- Ribbon
Directions
- Lay out your artificial turf with the turf side facing down
- Place your fruit box or plastic bin on the tuf and trace with permanent marker
- Repeat this for all sides. *TIP: For the top of you bin cut true to size. For the sides of the box, give yourself an extra ½ inch at the top
- Use garden shears or an X-Acto Knife to cut artificial turf to fit each side of your crate *TIP: If you want a larger hedge gift, combine two milk crates together with hot glue prior to making measurements.
- Hot glue each piece on by one, with the turf spears facing up
- Use a thick ribbon and wrap gift with a large bow on top
Note: For outdoor hedge gifts make sure the base you use is weatherproof ex. plastic milk crate, wooden crate, plastic bins. For indoor hedge gifts you can use a cardboard box, as long as the artificial turf is lightweight and won’t weigh it down
Get more green in your outdoor decor with DIY Christmas Tree Gnomes and a DIY Living Holiday Wreath
Materials
- 1” closet dowels
- 2 1”x4” pieces of wood (@12’ each)
- 1” Insulation Foam Board
- Spray Foam Glue (Foam glue can be purchased at most hobby stores or online)
- Sandpaper
- X-acto Knife (or paring knife)
- Screws
- Paint
Instructions
For Ladder:
Measure the board, mark the middle
Pre drill holes with drill bit
Add screws
Cut 1x4 ends an angle (for base of ladder)
Put dowel directly in the middle
Repeat until all rungs are secured
Paint
For Santa:
Trace the Santa onto 1” foam board
Cut pieces with knife
Use Sandpaper to round the edges
Assemble pieces with foam glue (Let foam glue set for 1-2 minutes then stick glued pieces together)
Paint
Dry brush to add highlights
Download Santa Pattern PDF
Download Home & Family's Christmas Workbook here>>
Materials for Santa Hat Chair Cover
- Red Felt
- White Faux Fur
- Scissors
- Hot Glue Gun
- Pom-Pom (Directions Below)
- Chalk
- Measuring Tape
Materials for Pom Poms
- Thick White Yarn
- 2 Pieces of Cardboard
- X-Acto Knife, or Scissors
Materials for Angel Wings Chair Cover
- White Foam Core
- White/Sheer Ribbon
- X-Acto Knife
- Tape
- Hot Glue Gun
- White Feathers
Directions for Santa Hat Chair Cover
1. Measure the width for the front and back of the char
Tip: Give yourself an extra inch on each side
2. Measure the length of the chair (We measured halfway down, but you can decide how long you want the chair cover to go)
3. Cut two piece of red felt to match your measurements
4. Make a pointed triangle at the top
5. Once you have the shape of one chair cover down, measure all of your chairs and use this as your template for the rest
6. Attach felt together using hot glue
7. Once the glue has dried, turn cover inside out so it creates a clean seam on the outside
8. Glue a strip of white faux fur to the bottom of the hat
9. Double check if it fits over the chair
10. Sew or glue a white pom-pom on the top of hat
Directions for Pom Poms
1. Cut the cardboard to make 2 circle that are either 4 or 6 inches in diameter, depending on the size you want; multiple sizes can be used as well
2. Draw a 2 inch circle in the center of the circle and cut it out; you will also want to cut out about ½ to 1 inch of the outside of the circl
3. Hold the cardboard pieces together, and wrap the yarn around the donut shape multiple times until it is thick
4. Cut the end of the yarn and tie it to the beginning end of the yarn in a knot
5. Place the scissors between the two pieces of cardboard and cut the yarn from one end to the other
6. Take a separate, long piece of yarn, and place it between the two pieces of cardboard and pull tight to tie into two knots; this will secure the pom-pom shape
7. Remove the cardboard by simply sliding it ou
8. Fluff the pom-pom and use the fabric scissors to prune the pom so that it looks even all around
Directions for Angel Wings Chair Cover
1. Cut foam core to the shape of angel wings (each wing should be cut individually)
2. Glue feathers onto the wings, using a variety of large and small feathers
3. Cut out a small triangle from the foam core and tape or glue onto the back of the wings so that it doesn’t sit flat on the back of the chair
4. Tape or hot glue ribbon to connect the two wings
5. Tape ribbon to the bottom, back of your wings and set in place on the back of the chair
6. Loop the ribbon through the opening of the chair and tape on top to secure wings in place
MATERIALS:
- Napkin of your choice
- Stamp
- Ink pad (make sure it’s permanent ink!)
- Jewels, pearls, embellishments
- Needle and thread
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Spread out your blank napkin
- Roll the stamp in ink
- Gingerly press stamp onto napkin
- Let the ink dry
- Hand stitch the jewelry into place as ornaments
Materials
- Wooden trash can
- plastic trash can
- robe hooks
- drill
- Hot glue
Directions:
- Using a wood burning tool, etch the top portion of the trash can
- For a more charcoaled effect, paint with black craft paint
- Drill holes on either sides to insert the hooks/ handles
- Insert plastic trash can on the inside
Materials
- Topiary (Big or Small)
- Floral Wire
- Various Hallmark Ribbons and Gift Bows (we used four inch, and 8 inch gift bows)
- Wire cutter
- Scissors
- *Optional, Hot Glue
Directions
1. Using floral wire, tie the gift ribbons together. You can weave it in and out of the ribbon spaces through the back
2. Wrap the ribbon/floral wire between the topiary spaces. The floral wire should hold it in place after tightening.
3. If using cascading ribbons - Take off the cardboard but keep the staple to hold them together. Use hot glue to attach to topiary.
4. Some hallmark bows are big enough to use all on their own!