DIY and Crafts

Deck the walls with these stylish and simple Christmas crafts

Get the kids involved and add the final flourishes to your Christmas decorating with these four simple yet stylish homemade ornaments

paperAngels

1. Paper angels

The kids will love to help make these decorations. These cute little paper angels look great on a tree or hung on the wall with tape in a child’s room. They also make great toppers for wrapped presents.

What you will need:

  • 15cm x 15cm scrapbooking paper – 2 sheets per angel
  • Scissors
  • Cord or twine – 30cm per angel
  • Double-sided tape
  • Wooden beads about 2cm in diameter

Steps:

  1. To make the skirt for your angel, take a sheet of 15cm x 15cm scrapbook paper and concertina it to make a fan.
  2. To make the wings, take another piece of scrapbook paper, cut it to 12cm x 12cm and concertina it.
  3. Fold both fans in half. Lay wings above skirt on a flat surface.
  4. Double over the cord and use to tie the wings and skirt together in the middle with a double knot, with the ends of the cord extending above the wings.
  5. Use double-sided tape to stick the bottom edges of the skirt together to make a skirt shape.
  6. Thread a wooden bead onto cord to make the head, which sits on top of wings. Knot loose ends of cord to make a loop for hanging.
  7. Fan open skirt and wings and hang on the tree.

Get the look

Wooden beads and thread, $2 a packet, from Look Sharp; Rosie’s scrapbooking paper pad (20 sheets), $8, from The Warehouse; pale pink stars on tree, $2 for six, from Kmart; blue-grey vessel, $39.90, black bullet vase, $14.90, both from Country Road. Tree and other items, stylist’s own (Alex & Corban sell a similar tree for $49.99). Wall painted in Resene ‘Springwood’.

wreath

2. Felt wreaths

If you like the idea of an indoor wreath but you’re not a fan of the traditional look, why not try one made of felt? The colour and simplicity of the felt makes it perfect for a contemporary or Scandi-style interior.

What you will need:

  • Felt (50cm length of each colour)
  • A large metal ring (40cm in diameter)
  • A small metal ring (27cm in diameter)
  • Thin ribbon (about 1m for each wreath)

Steps:

  1. Cut felt into strips roughly 15cm x 3cm. You need about 100 strips for the large wreath, 60 for the small.
  2. Tie each felt strip onto the metal ring with a simple overhand knot until wreath is completely covered.
  3. Tie on ribbon and hang on a hook in the wall.

Get the look

Small metal ring, $3.99, large metal ring, $4.99, Krafty Savers thin ribbon, $1 a roll, all from Spotlight; felt, $7 a metre, from Craftworkz The Emporium; black Tam chair, $340, from Bauhaus. Wall painted in Resene ‘Geyser’.

starWall

3. Star wall hanging 

We are big fans of the wool hangings that are trending in interiors at present, so we thought we would take this concept a step further and create a festive wall hanging using tree decorations. This hanging is very simple and quick to make and would look stunning in an entrance way or dining area or any nook that needs that special festive touch.

What you will need:

  • Thin ribbon (about 4m)
  • 9-10 star decorations
  • 1.2m dowel
  • 80-90cm thin leather cord or ribbon, for hanging

Steps:

  1. Thread thin ribbon through each star decoration, varying the lengths.
  2. With the dowel on the floor, arrange decorations in a pleasing layout. When you’re happy with the look, tie ribbons onto dowel.
  3. Attach leather cord or ribbon to both ends of the dowel and hang from a hook.

Get the look

Wire star decorations, $2 each, from Kmart, black hex table, $39 (set of three), both from Kmart; 1.2m dowel, $2 for six, Krafty Savers thin ribbon, $1 a roll, all from Spotlight; small copper box, $11, from se3.co.nz. Wall painted in Resene ‘Geyser’.

blackDecorations

4. Art deco block decorations

These art deco-style blocks make neat little tree decorations and were inspired by the stylish print shown in the photograph. Their colours really pop against the black tree.

What you will need:

  • Wooden blocks (we used 40 blocks to make 15 decorations)
  • Drill
  • Paint testpots
  • Paint brush
  • Cord to hang decorations (about 4m)

Steps:

  1. Drill a hole through the middle of each block (you may need to use a vice for the smaller blocks).
  2. Paint blocks in your three chosen colours. We used testpots of Resene ‘Santa Fe’, ‘Springwood’ and ‘Rhino’. Apply 2 coats per block, leaving them to dry between each coat.
  3. Cut cord to desired length for hanging. Double cord and poke through painted blocks (mixing the different shapes) to make a loop at the top. Secure with a knot at the bottom.
  4. Hang on the tree. How good do they look!

Get the look

Cord, $1 a metre, from Ike’s Emporium; 80 wooden blocks, $15, A3 float frame, $12, both from Kmart. Wall painted in Resene ‘Springwood White’. All other items on this page, stylist’s own.

Words by: Natalie Walton. Photography by: Chris Warnes/Warnes & Walton/Living Inside

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