Fed up of buying expensive Christmas decorations or getting bored of reusing the same ones? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered!
We’ve taken three crafty makes from Craft Your Year With Sara Davies: The Crafting Bible. The Dragon’s Den star’s book is out now so you can try them yourself and get inspired this festive season… and they’re not going to break the bank either!
Have a go at making a gorgeous garland or try out a snow-effect jar – both are fun to do with the kids.
Also, if you want to look extra fancy while tucking into dinner over the festive season, try the Christmas tree napkins – they’re a cool addition to any table. Enjoy!
Christmas Garland
This Christmas garland looks fabulous and adds a little extra to any room
(Image: Jodie Blackburn)
You will need:
● Plain faux garland
● Craft wire or floristry wire
● Zip ties
To decorate:
● Dried orange slices
● Cinnamon sticks
● Baubles
● Pine cones
● Holly and berries
● Winter foliage picks
● Fairy lights (optional)
● Hook, hammer and nail (optional)
To create:
1 Lay out your garland and separate your decorations into piles.
2 If you’re using fairy lights, wind them around the garland, making sure you have an even spread of lights.
3 Time for some decorations! Focus on the arrangement of your trimmings first, and work in groups of three. Gather a trio of decorations at a time and make sure you space them evenly along your garland.
4 To secure the decorations in place, loop a piece of craft or floristry wire through each one, twist the two ends together, then wrap the wire around the garland. Arrange any greenery around the decorations to make sure the wire isn’t too visible.
5 Continue until your garland looks just right. Then, if you want to turn it into a beautiful wreath for your front door, simply use some more wire or a zip tie to join the two ends together. Add a nail or a hook to your door to hang the wreath. Otherwise, simply drape your garland over the mantelpiece, stand back and admire it.
Snow-effect jars
Pretty and cute – why wouldn’t you make these snow-effect jars?
(Image: Jodie Blackburn)
You will need:
● Glue gun
● Glue sticks
● Length of scrap paper to protect your work surface
● A few handfuls of Epsom salts
● Permanent spray adhesive
● 2 glass jars or vases of different sizes
● Twine
● 2 faux Christmas berries decorations
● 2 sets battery-operated fairy lights
To create:
1 Scatter the Epsom salts over the paper on your chosen work surface.
2 Cover your first jar or vase in spray adhesive and roll it across the layer of Epsom salts, making sure its surface is fully covered.
3 Set it aside to dry for 30 minutes.
4 Once the jar is dry, plug in the glue gun to heat up.
5 Take a length of twine and wrap it around the neck of the jar or vase. Tie it off in a bow. Glue the twine into place.
6 Take a faux Christmas berries decoration and use the glue gun to fix it to the front of the jar.
7 Set aside to dry then repeat with your second jar.
8 Add a string of fairy lights to each jar and place in the centre of your table ready for the big day.
Christmas tree napkins
Add a little extra sparkle to your festive table with these Christmas tree napkins
(Image: Jodie Blackburn)
You will need:
● Fabric napkins (I’ve used 20in x 20in)
● Cinnamon sticks
● Ribbon or twine (optional)
To create one napkin:
1 Smooth out your napkin on a hard, flat surface.
2 Fold the napkin in half lengthways.
3 Fold it in half again so you are left with a square. Make sure the corners are completely lined up and there are no wrinkles in the fabric.
4 Turn your napkin towards you so that the four separate layers are directly in front of you rather than the one folded corner.
5 Fold up the corner of each layer, one at a time, taking care to stagger them equally.
6 Slide one hand under the napkin and place your other hand on top, so that the fabric is sandwiched between them. Flip it over.
7 Fold both the left and right outer corners towards the centre to make a diamond shape. One should sit on top of the other.
8 Flip the napkin over again. Fold each flap up under itself to tuck the points in.
9 Once all of the points have been tucked neatly under, pop a cinnamon stick under the napkin to give a tree-trunk effect. Tie a bow around the cinnamon stick with ribbon or twine to give an extra wow factor.
Sara Davies’ gorgeous crafting book is packed with ideas
(Image: Jodie Blackburn)
Craft Your Year With Sara Davies: The Crafting Bible (Bantam Press, £20) is out now
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