5 DIY Holiday Decorating Tips

Here at Castle & Cooke, we love a warm and welcoming home. Check out our top 5 DIY decorating tips for this holiday season.

Holiday Crafting with Wine Bottles

What you need:

• Clean, empty wine bottles
• Spray paint
• Vinyl Decals (optional)
• Acrylic Craft Paint (optional)
• Floral Sprays or accent greenery (optional)
• Ribbon or twine
• Glitter (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean and dry each bottle throughly
2. Spray paint each bottle with your favorite color spray paint. 2 or 3 coasts should cover the bottle nicely.
3. Once the paint is dry, decorate it however you like. In the examples is the word “JOY” with the O replaced with a snowflake. Do whatever YOU would like.
4. Decorate the neck of the bottle with ribbon or twine all the way up to cover the rest of the glass. Add some berry or floral sprays inside the bottle itself to match the colors if you’d like.

 

Personalize Seating

NO Sewing required!

What you need:

• Red and Gray felt
• Wooden letters
• White spray paint
• Wood glue
• Fabric glue
• Ribbon
• Hole punch

Directions:

1. Cut the red felt into a notched banner shape.
2. Cut the gray felt into the same shape but 1 inch shorter on all sides
3. Center then glue the small gray felt onto the red using fabric glue.
4. Spray-paint wooden letters white and let dry.
5. Attach them using wood glue to the gray felt.
6. Punch holes in the swag’s upper corners, slide ribbon through, and attach to the chair backs with ribbon.

Bottle Brush Tree Wreath

What you need:

• 12″ foam wreath
• fabric strips (in designed pattern)
• bottle brush trees and bushes
• scaled miniature ice-skating figurines
• 1 1/2″- thick ribbon
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• hot glue sticks

Directions:

1. Cut fabric into several 2 1/2-inch-wide strip
2. Wrap wreath in fabric
   1. Dab glue onto the back of the death and secure the edge of the fabric to the foam.
   2. Begin wrapping the fabric strips around the wreath.
   3. Repeat securing with glue periodically unit the wreath is completely covered by fabric.
3. Add trees
   1. Remove the bases of the bottle brush trees and bushes so that the wire is exposed.
   2. Insert the wire into the wreath, then bend the wire so that the red is flat against the wreath, securing with glue as needed.
   3. Repeat with more trees until you get a landscape effect on either side of the wreath.
4. Add ribbon and figurines
   1. Cut and 18 inch piece of ribbon and lace it through the trees so that it’s loosely draped across the bottom of the wreath.
   2. Glue the ribbon into place, as needed. Then, using a dab of glue, secure each of the miniature figurines onto the ribbon.
   3. Once the glue has cooled, hang the wreath.

Mason Jar Snowman

What you need:

• Pint size mason jar
• Clear plastic ornament
• Fake snow
• Acrylic paint
• E6000 Craft Adhesive
• Foam brush
• Cardboard
• Black felt doll hat
• A few buttons
• Small ribbon for scarf

Directions:

1. Fill the ornament and the mason jar approximately 1/4 full with the fake snow.
2. Glue the ornament to the mouth of the jar using E6000.
3. Paint on a nose, eyes, and mouth using the acrylic paint.
4. Cut a small circle of plastic or cardboard and glue it over the hole at the top of the ornament before gluing his hat on.
5. Add ribbon to a plain black felt doll hat, glue a couple buttons to the jar and tie a ribbon scarfs around his neck.

Let It Snow Diorama 

What you need:

• Wine glasses in various sizes
• Cardboard
• Pen
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun
• Small plastic trees, figurings, or ornaments
• Sugar
• Superfine silver glitter (optional)
• Ribbon or string
• Candles

Directions:

1. Create the base for the dioramas by placing the glasses upside down on cardboard and tracing around the outside edge. To make one for your young friend, cut a clear plastic bottle in half, and use the bottom end just like the wine glass. Cut out the rounds.
2. Fire up your hot glue gun, and start arranging any small figurines or decorations. You can even pop in a few flittering plastic animals for a sparkling diorama.
3. Once the glue has dried, place the wine glass or bottom of the plastic bottle over the base to make sure everything fits. Now remove the base, flip over the wine glass or plastic bottle, and pour around one-fourth cup of white sugar into the glass. Add a sprinkle of glitter for a sparkling touch.
4. Replace the base of the diorama, besting the glued figurines into the sugar until the base is level with the edge of the glass. Secure with hot glue.
5. Finish with a length of ribbon or twin for a cute look. Flip, and enjoy the cute snow-filled drama. If using wine glasses, top with candles, and you’re ready to decorate.