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From hip garden-inspired candles and twig frames to a personalized playlist notebook, these DIY projects are perfect to help relieve holiday stress
Simple DIY crafts like twig frames can be the perfect antidote to holiday budget stress
A simple DIY craft can be the perfect antidote to holiday stress.
Make these cool garden-inspired candles to light the way at your next wintertime party, bedeck your door with a twig frame and help your friends unwind with a decorative personalized playlist and journal.
Excerpt by Christina Symons and John Gillespie from Sow Simple: 100+ Green and Easy Projects to Make Your Garden Awesome. (Image: Dennis Green)
Fill a plastic container (yogurt, milk carton, etc.) with about 2.5 cm (1 in.) of water. Place the container in the deep freeze on a flat surface and allow the base to freeze solid. Remove the container from the freezer and place a smaller container (a candleholder is ideal) inside the first container, resting it on the base of ice.
Tuck greenery, rosehips and small winter branches into the crevice between the containers and then fill this space with water right to the top. Place a heavy object inside the smaller container to prevent it from floating up. Carefully return the pair of containers to the freezer for at least 24 hours until the water freezes solid. To release the ice candleholder, remove the set from the freezer and allow to thaw just slightly. Or, run the containers under warm water until the ice releases. Set the ice outside, insert candle, light and enjoy.
Nesting blogger Nerissa Goco creates a personalized CD and journal for gift giving. (Image: Dennis Green)
Cover a simple soft-covered notebook with wallpaper using craft glue. Scan a piece of the same wallpaper, resize to the shape of a standard CD and print onto self adhesive sticker paper. Attach the image to the CD. You can personalize the notebook by stenciling the gift recipient’s initials onto the bound book using acrylic paint before you glue in place. Place both items into a plastic sleeve, wrap up with a thin ribbon and voila!
Stylist and writer Laura Sugden pulls together items from the garden to create twig wreaths for decor and gift giving. (Image: Dennis Green)
Bundle together small branches and twigs and bind corners with twine to create a square frame. Attach a piece of twine to your favourite holiday decoration, such as a pinecone or ornament, and weave through the top centre of the frame. Get creative! Tie the leftover pieces of twine into a loop for hanging. Make different sizes to decorate your front door, home, garden, tree or gifts.
Originally published in BC Home & Garden magazine. For regular updates, subscribe to our free Home and Garden e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the magazine.
