NEW YEAR'S EVE DIY

So....If you are like me then you are already worn out from all of the holiday festivities.   But we have one more to go.  New Year's Eve!!  There are so many wonderful parties in town that sometimes it's nice to have your friends over to yours before you head out on the town.  Check out this wonderful DIY project by design sponge that I found.  UPCYCLE some of your old champagne glasses by using gold leaf to bring a little sparkle to them.  Decorate your decor with black and gold glitz.  Not only for new years but for the SAINTS TOO!!!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/12/happy-holidays-happy-new-year-from-ds.html  

last minute diy gifts

If you’re like me sometimes the holidays can be a blur.  Rushing from party to party and buying gifts can make your wallet go flat.  So I have some DIY last minute gifts that are easy and affordable for everyone.  First, everyone loves candles so you can decorate your own candle.  You can use clip art or even old wrapping paper.  Get a design, whichever you chose, spray it with 2 coats of clear varnish, letting varnish dry between coats.  When decal is dry, cut to desired size and soak in a bowl of water for about 1 minute to loosen the paper backing.   Carefully remove decal from water, and apply it to candle, peeling off backing as you go.  Smooth decal with a paper towel, eliminating air bubbles and excess water.  Let dry for approximately 3 hours. Another fast and easy idea for a gift is gift cards.  But to dress your gift card up you can create gift card holders.  You can turn wide ribbon into pouches and grace oversize gift tags with ribbon pockets.  Purchase precut tags with grommets from a stationery store.  Cut a 3-½ inch length of wide fabric ribbon.  Fold each cut end under by ¼ inch; glue.  Sew bottom and side edges to tag to form pocket.  Tuck gift inside.  It’ so easy and cute. Impress friends and family with gifts dressed up in thoughtful holiday gift boxes. These handmade packaging ideas not only offer a beautiful presentation, they'll be cherished long after Christmas is over.  Give cardboard jewelry boxes a ruby-slipper-inspired makeover and you won't even need wrapping paper. Brush the tops with acrylic paint to cover the label; let dry. Apply craft glue, and then sprinkle on glitter in the same shade as the paint. For extra sparkle, finish with metallic ribbon or embroidery floss.  Put a little present such as construction paper that you have converted into one of a kind stationary.  Draw the recipient’s name on the top of the card stock or construction paper and photocopy it on all the others so he or she has their own personalized stationary.

Upcycling your Wrapping paper

In this economy most people opt to not have the gifts professionally gift-wrapped but I have some fun and creative ways to wrap your presents this year without spending a lot of money.  Some items that you will need are regular brown packaging paper, newspaper, acrylic paint, and any type of ribbon or string.  A good thing about gift-wrapping your own gifts is that you can up cycle other materials such as attaching a small pinecone or leaf to a ribbon.  After wrapping your gift, use acrylic paint-to-paint decorative objects on the paper.  To add a personal touch you can even paint the name of the recipient and decorate the gift accordingly.  Another fun touch is to attach feathers, glitter, buttons, and straw or grass to the ribbons.  Gifts can really help or hurt the décor of your interiors.  If you have a themed Christmas try and work in that theme to your gift wrapping so everything looks cohesive.  

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upcycling holiday decor

7 Ways to Upcycle Your Holiday Décor

1.    1.  Use left over ribbon and gift wrap along with pine cones and other greens to create a beautiful and unique holiday inspired centerpiece that you can use on your table and even on your mantle

2.    2.  Spray paint small clay pots and saucers any metallic color and use them as coasters and or little candleholders that create a festive feel for your guests.

3.   3.   If you have left over lights, string lights onto some of your potted plants in the house and in your yard to add just a touch of glamour.

4.   4. Instead of having family portraits or other prints hanging on the wall, take them down and warp them with ornate and whimsical gift-wrap so they look like presents hanging on your walls.  This is especially fun for children.

5.   5.  If you have a chandelier in your dining room or in any other room in your house, hang glittery festive ornaments to enhance the holiday décor.

6.    6.  Get a Christmas ornament and take the top of it out and put a little wather in it and place a small flower in the ornament.  Place this next to a plate if you having a dinner party.

7.    7.  Go to any type of grocery store and buy a small cleaning brush that is usually used to clean bottles.  You can get any color.  Dip the brush in glue and roll it around in glitter.  You can also use a hot glue gun to glue on other decorative objects.  You instantly have a delicate little Christmas tree for side tables and coffee tables.

Chet Pourciau Christmas Party

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Chet Pourciau Design's Christmas Party!  I had such a wonderful time and I hope that everyone enjoyed themselves.  And a special thanks to PinkBerry for all of the delicious treats!