What you need to do:

1. Natural Assorted seashells or one that you purchased from craft shop
   
2. Sand or rice
   
3. Tea light
   
4. Parrafin
   
5. Knife
   
6. Chopping block
   
7. Potholder
   
8. Double boiler/microwave
   
9. Glass measuring cup
   
10. Hurricane lamp
    
11. Candle wax
    
12. Candle (not tapered)
    

Gifts

Method:

1. Firstly, it is recommended that you choose a wide shell which is large enough and fits easily on a flat surface. When you decide to use a natural shell that you found on the seashore, make sure that you wash and dry the shell thoroughly before doing any decorations on it. Then, you have to place the shell upright and if possible use a bowl (or other container) that you manage to fill it with rice or sand because by doing this you would be able to stabilize the shell position when wax are poured onto the shell.
   
2. Next step to do is to remove the tin casing found on your tea light and gently pull out the metal core from the bottom side of the light in order to remove its wick. Make sure that you secure the metal core along with the wick standing upright positioning it right in the middle of the shell.
   
3. Once you finished doing the above step, you can place the paraffin on your chopping block so that you would be able to cut it into one-inch cubes by using sharp knife. Put all the cubes in a double boiler in order for you to heat it and ensure it is only medium heat of approximately up to 5 minutes or until you see that the wax has melted. Another option is to place the cubes into a glass-measuring cup so that it can melt in the microwave once you use a high setting of approximately 6 minutes.
   
4. After the wax has melted, slowly pour them into your sea shell around the wick. Ensure that the wax is cool completely before you start to place it into your gift box and wrap it with holiday wrapping paper.
   
5. Another idea of home decorating gifts is to make a hurricane lamp shell gift by choosing a hurricane lamp that you own; it does not matter what size or shape that you have. Then, take a tapered candle and drip a few melted drops of your candle wax into the inside of the lamp and onto the base. Once done, immediately set the candle into the warm wax that you have created and hold it firmly until you find that it is set and secured.
   
6. Finally, you can place your hurricane lamp onto the base before you start to pour sand into the lamp until it is at least 2-inches to 3-inches deep. You can add variety of shells around the candle and also on top of the sand thus creating bright and cheerful gifts for this Christmas celebration.
   

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Simply Handmade: 365 Easy Gifts & Decorations You Can Make

Flea Market Decorating

Home Decorating Gifts is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Personalized Home-made Christmas Gifts
2. Create your own Christmas gifts
3. Decorating Your Home for New Year’s Eve

You will need:

1. Jigsaw
2. Sandpaper
3. New Year’s Celebration Accessories To Add To The Theme
4. Marine Plywood
5. Wood For The Ground Support

Steps:

1. Take exterior plywood and cut out your main theme for display. Pick marine plywood as it lasts longer and is more resistant to weather changes. The main feature cutout should select the New Year’s theme; you can search themes from online sites, store decorations, TV ads and magazines.
2. Sketch your ideas on graph paper to blow up the size that you need easily. Then, transfer the sketch to a plywood sheet before cutting it out using jigsaw and paint according to your desired colors.
3. Make an easel for support and place in yard. You can also use a simple Happy New Year banner or an hour glass display with the same message. If you dare, you could even display your New Year’s resolutions for all guests to see!
4. Collect ideas for the other small cutouts to add to your yard display as the same sources for your main display. Perform your design, cut out, paint and place the selected smaller New Year’s related items near the main display.
5. Make them simple so it is easy to cut out and paint. For a banner, try accessories such as empty champagne bottle and cap, cutouts of confetti and noise makers. Make them large enough to be seen and fastened each other and the ground securely.
6. Then string some colorful ribbons or spray can stringers all around and connected to the other displays. Keep some of the same materials on hand to replace the ribbons and spray can stringers. The reason is because sometimes the weather will not cooperate and you may have to redo portions.
7. It is also a good idea to use sparkling and shining materials such as for the table decorations, noisemakers and hats. Anchor and glue everything down well so they won’t be disappearing during the night of the celebration. Light up the entire display and your porch too. It is also fun to get your family members to be involved and help to decorate your porch and door too.

Additional Reading:

The Lawn Bible: How to Keep It Green, Groomed, and Growing Every Season of the Year

Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations

Decorating Yard for New Year’s is a post from: DIY Guides

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1. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Party
2. Decorating Yard for Fall Festival
3. Activities to do on New Year

To have a masquerade theme for your New Year’s Eve party is an exciting and fun way to celebrate the upcoming year. Your family and guests will be excited to wear beautiful, glamorous clothes and masks for your party. The party will not be completed without decoration to achieve a masquerade atmosphere party. So here are the steps on how to decorate the party according to this theme.

You will need:

1. Assorted masks such as Venetian or Mardi Gras masks
2. Ribbons
3. Feathers
4. Balloons
5. Confetti
6. New Year’s sign
7. Flower Arrangements
8. Colorful Plates And Glasses
9. Colorful Beads
10. Colorful Throw Pillows
11. Scented Candles
12. Colorful Table Covers

New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party

Steps:

1. First, clean up the space that you will need to set up for the decorations by removing the majority of the previous holiday decorations. Do not remove the decorations that would blend with the masquerade theme.
2. Visit the nearest party stores to purchase several assorted colorful masks, feathers and beads for the decorations. Place the masks by hanging them over the drapery rods, and use the beads as tie backs for curtains. This is not the Halloween party theme so choose the suitable masks that is not scary and monstrous. The great choices for the masks are the Venetian or whimsical fairy masks as they both are cheerful and wonderful to suit the masquerade theme.
3. Use a brightly colored table cover and avoid using neutral or white colors. You want the guests and yourselves to celebrate the New Year with cheerful and joyous ambiance, so choose to use colorful satin fabrics to add fun and exciting atmosphere.
4. For the flower arrangement, use a tall glass vase or a colorful glass to insert the flowers, feathers with different sizes and Venetian masks.
5. Set the buffet table with colorful runners, colorful serving platters, plates and glassware. Above the buffet table, hang a New Year’s banner or on any wall where the party is being held. Put a cake in the middle of the buffet table and light a few scented colorful candles. Create a beautiful light fixture by adding colorful beads on each arm.
6. Drape yards of deep purple, royal blue, deep green and bright red across the room by hanging each end at each corner of the room. Achieve a tent look by criss-crossing several of them, and finish the look by hanging a chandelier or glitter ball.
7. Place colorful balloons all around the house by tying them behind the banisters and sofas. You could also tie the balloons on weights and place them on each corner.
8. For the ceilings, hang strands of colorful ribbons making sure that there is a space for your guests’ heads. Make a piñata box with confetti inside and hang them from the ceilings all around the room. Make pulls with tie ribbons so at midnight; people can pull the ribbons to open these boxes to drop the confetti.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Masquerade Party

The New Year’s Eve Compendium

Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Simple Ideas for Party Decorating
2. Simple New Year’s Eve Party Decorating Ideas
3. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Party

What you need to do:

1. Yule tree
   
2. Yule Wreath
   
3. Cedar, spruce, fir of holly springs, pine cones, nuts or berries
   
4. Oak Leaves, grape vine, glue, wire and an orange
   
5. Ribbons and garlands
   
6. Lights and candles
   
7. Lighted Sun symbol decoration
   
8. Nails
   
9. Tape
   

Yule Decoration

Method:

1. The Yule tree tradition, which originally originates from Germany, is to actually decorate your house especially on the patio area, and gifts are to be left beneath the tree for the spirits of the land. Nowadays, modern Yule tree are being used and decorated with glitter, ornaments and colorful lightings. For simple decorations, you could also use small outdoor lights and natural ornaments like berries and pine cones.
   
2. During the Yule celebration, pagans normally do set their wishes and place their oaths on the Yule’s wreath. The wreath are usually made of natural materials like cedar, spruce, fir of holly springs, pine cones, nuts or berries. The wreath will be hung around the house and according to tradition; it will be burned on the twelfth night of the Yule’s holidays which normally falls on the first of January.
   
3. Another popular symbol of winter solstice is an oak tree because it represents the Oak King’s fight for the coming of the sun. Some of the decorations that can be done using an oak tree are to make an oak leaf and orange wreath for your outdoor Yule decorations. In order to make the wreath, you need to have some grapevines, oak leaves, glue, wire, and an orange.
   
4. Take the orange and slice it before you dry the slices on low using your oven until it reaches leathery consistency. After that, you have to wrap the grapevine around itself into a wreath shape and if necessary secure the vines using a wire. Once finished, glue your oak leaves into different places on the wreath, add the orange slices or up to you to be creative when doing this step. To give your wreath a more attractive look, add other natural materials that can be found in nature.
   
5. You can also hang mistletoe in doorways using red ribbons, which is also one of the traditional Yule decorations. Use greenery items decorated along with brightly-colored ribbons and bows or even add some more glitter into it with more red and silver ribbons.
   
6. Look for holly branches, wire and other nature look items for creating a Holly garlands. First thing to do is to gather some of the holly branches and overlapping. Once done, secure all of the branches using the wire. Next, use glue or wire to add pinecones, acorns, and leaves. You need to continue to use the wire to overlap and securing the branches. This garland can also be decorated with bows or just hang it as it is on your entrance door or outside your house during Winter Solstice.
   
7. Brighten up your house with a wide variety of lightings available in the market during the Yuletide holidays. The lights can be placed on your evergreen boughs; mantles, doorways, Yule tree, or even in front of mirrors and in windows. Besides using lights, you can also decorate candles with natural elements around your house and make sure it is a safe location for safety reason. To add more Yule holidays mood, you can even use carved out apples as your tea light candle holders, or place holly ivy beneath your pillar candles.
   
8. Create a lighted sun symbol for your Yule decorations because it represents the increasing hours of sunlight that starts on the winter solstice. In order to do that, you need some nails along with yellow strands of lights. The decoration of the sun can be made either on the floor, hang it on your wall or window (use tape for windows). Firstly, you can start to make a long straight line with lights and the nails. Make sure that it is much loner than your sun’s circle.
   
9. Create a wide X shape by making two more lines across the first line that you have created and place the end of another light strand in the centre area where you want your sun to be. Then, attach it to the first light strands. After that, you have to encircle the lights in a spiral shape until you manage to create a big enough circle for your sun. When you choose to make this decoration on your wall, you need to use nails in order to hold the lights or just weave it through the lines for sunrays that you have created.
   

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth

Sabbat Entertaining

Yule Decoration Ideas is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Wall Decoration Ideas for New Year’s Eve
2. Making a Glass Block Christmas Decoration
3. Great ideas for fall and holiday seasons decorations

You will need:

1. Silver-Themed Decorations
2. Crystal and Tea Lights
3. Gold Starbursts

New Year’s Eve Party

Steps:

1. A New Year’s Eve party usually happens at night so a gold starbust will fit the theme perfectly. You can find these decorations with greater deals by searching online or at big home improvement retailers.
2. Search for gold starbursts or any starbursts of other colors. Decorate your house by hanging the starbursts on the ceiling; add with balloon and floral arrangements for the table centerpieces.
3. Gold confetti such as stars can be added to the tables as well. If you choose to use gold elements to your decorations, black or cream is great to offset gold settings. For 1970′s style, chairs and table can be draped in gold lame and provide each guests with a gold crown or a party hat to wear.
4. Making a silver-themed party is elegant and simple to do, all you have to do is to buy or make your own silver foil decorations such as a disco ball or globe, ceiling and wall hangings, table decorations and streamers.
5. You should then contrast your silver place settings with white, blue or red. This theme resembles the silver glitz of the Times Square ball that drops at midnight of New Year’s Eve.
6. For the champagne and punch drinks, you can try a simple yet fancy decorating theme. The combination of crystal and tea lights is a good way to enhance your serving table. Place a crystal punch bowl and matching glasses for the centerpiece at a side of the serving table, and other trays with different mixed beverages in drinking glasses, stemware or glass pitchers.
7. Serve the appetizers and hors d’oeuvres in another table, or create a buffet-style in crystal or glass trays. Cover all service tables with matching tablecloths.
8. If you have any other interesting ideas or some put-ins that you feel are right for this project then go ahead and try them. When it comes to decorations, it doesn’t hurt to make the right choice with the right plan.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

The Military Wives’ Cookbook

Paula Deen & Friends: Living It Up, Southern Style

Simple New Year’s Eve Party Decorating Ideas is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Simple Ideas for Party Decorating
2. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party
3. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Party

Bring your guests over to your house for a New Year’s Day buffet instead of having a New Year’s Eve party. During the day, you can serve lots of delicious food and drinks and at the same time, enjoy a relaxing day with your family and friends. Decorating your buffet table for the day is fun and even easier when you take your family members to help you out. Here are the steps on how to decorate your buffet table for a New Year’s Day celebration.

Things that You Need:

1. Dining Room Table
2. Napkins
3. Silverwares
4. Plates
5. Dishes
6. Bowls
7. Plates
8. Tiered Cake Holders
9. Galvanized Bucket
10. Champagne Glasses
11. Small Gift Boxes
12. Wrapping Papers
13. New Year’s Greeting Sign
14. Colorful Paper Confetti
15. Noise Makers
16. Fortune Cookies

New Year’s Day Buffet Table

Steps:

• Determine the type of table that you will use for the buffet table. You can use your current dining room table, long folding tables or a couple of card tables. The amount of tables that you will need depends on how many guests you are inviting. For smaller things such as napkins, silverwares and plates, you can set up another small card table next to your dining table.
• Place two to three plastic boxes of varying heights on the table and use a tablecloth to cover the table and boxes. Drape the tablecloth around the boxes loosely, while the boxes under the tablecloth will add the needed dimensions to the table.
• To place your food and snacks for the guests, arrange different sizes of serving dishes, bowls and plates on the table.
• Tiered cake holders stacked on top of each is great for the cookies, small snacks cakes and hors d’oeuvres. To make sure your drinks such as champagne are kept chilled and fresh, place the bottles inside a galvanized bucket with lots of ice and set it on end of the table.
• Next to the bucket, arrange fluted champagne glasses so your guests can help themselves with the drinks. Wrap small gift boxes without the tops with festive papers to fill with mints, nuts and others mini treats.
• You can complete the look of your buffet-style table with a New Year’s greeting sign behind the table or over it, depending on the place where you are setting up the table. Hang and let the brightly colored streamers from the ceiling. Between the dishes and table, sprinkle colorful paper confetti and toss a few noise makers and fortune cookies randomly over it.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

The Military Wives’ Cookbook

Decorating a New Year’s Day Buffet Table is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Decorating a Kitchen Counter for a Christmas Buffet
2. Decorating a Thanksgiving Table
3. Simple Ideas for Party Decorating

You will need:

1. Plastic Or Wicker Hampers
2. Tape
3. Storage Space
4. Rubber Bands
5. Plastic Bins in Different Sizes

Gift Wrap Storage

Steps:

1. Firstly, find empty plastic containers, wicker baskets, plastic or wicker hamper and suitcases in your house. You can also purchase these things at the home improvement store if there is none that is available in your house.
2. Make sure to buy a woven wicker hamper with fabric lining to prevent your gift wraps from getting torn. Think about the space in your house that is suitable for your storage, such as under beds for long bins and closet corners for the hampers. You should also check whether the containers are long enough to store the length of the wrapping paper. For gift wraps decorations and bows, you can purchase smaller containers for storage.
3. Then, collect and secure your excess wrapping paper rolls. Roll the little bits of your paper gifts leftover tightly and place inside the tube of another wrappers.
4. Fold smaller scraps of paper and then place them with tissue paper. Take a piece of rubber band or tape to secure the rolls. Be careful not to wrinkle and to pinch the paper.
5. Next, keep the gift wraps inside a plastic bin, suitcase or hamper. These storage containers will help to organize and preserve the gift wrap by keeping it in order and dust-free. You could also purchase custom-made gift wrapping organizers, but mostly are unnecessary and pricey. It will be better if the larger storage could place the smaller storage containers for bows, name tags and ribbons.
6. Store together with a tape and a pair of scissor with the entire gift wrappings. Be careful not to overload your storage. This will save more space and it will be easier for you to find all the things that you need for wrapping gifts.
7. Make sure to organize the gift wrappings, according to the season and theme. Using clear plastic boxes will allow you to see the content and keeping them tidy. By keeping your wrapping storage organized, it will be easier for you to search boxes to find the needed gift wraps in the future.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Wrapagami

Gifted Wrapping

Making Gift Wrap Storage is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Folding Old Wrapping Paper into Gift Bags
2. Gift wrapping your Christmas presents
3. Re-using your old greeting cards and gift wraps as Christmas garland

You will need:

1. Balloons
2. Lighting
3. White Tables
4. Decorative Food
5. Confetti

Party Decorating

Steps:

1. Adding balloons to your room is an instant decoration for the party that you want to do. Blow up several balloons and gather them as clusters of balloons in groups of three or four. Secure their mouthpiece end together by tying them with a string. Place each balloons cluster to the wall, the sides of a table, the window or any place suitable with a tape.
2. Lighting could change your room to become more festive, especially for the people who have always been in the same room seeing the same environment every day. Turn off the usual lighting that you use and change it with colorful lighting such as paper lanterns, string lights, colorful lighting, candles or any combination of those. The party atmosphere will change and be livelier by changing the light sources. You could also set the lighting position to focus on the area where you want your guests could go to, such as the food and drinks area, and the spots to hangout.
3. The most known sign for a festive event is by covering the guests and serving tables with a white tablecloth. You can use disposable tablecloths, which is available in any home improvement or party store as it is inexpensive and easy to clean. The white tablecloth can be used as it is or add with a little bit of colors of runners, banners and streamers for a colorful cloth. The main reason to use a white tablecloth is that it will help to draw your guests’ attention and awareness to the tables that you provide.
4. The way you serve the food in the plate is also crucial to attract the guests; it is actually easy to do although it sometimes can be complex. The key is to follow the basic rules to make simple but delicious appetizer and food that looks appealing to your guests to eat. White and pale colored plates are suitable for dark and colorful foods to create contrast.
5. Use small plates to fill finger foods, but if the foods come with a complex decorative then place those fewer on the plates so your guests can take them easier. If possible, use tiered serving trays or place old phone books below the tablecloth to create makeshift elevated platforms for your own tiered table.
6. Sprinkle the serving areas and table with colored foil glitter confetti. Use bigger size confetti as they are easier to clean and add some extra sparkle to your party. Sprinkle only small pinches at a time as you don’t want to make your guests feel disturbed with the overpowering glitters everywhere.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

Simply Green Parties: Simple and resourceful ideas for throwing the perfect celebration, event, or get-together

Pretty Party Cakes

Simple Ideas for Party Decorating is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

1. Simple New Year’s Eve Party Decorating Ideas
2. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party
3. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Party

New Year’s Eve is one of the most anticipated yearly events that are usually celebrated with parties and the best thing is that decorating is the exciting part to make this event a more lively party. Using fun and colorful decorations will help to make your guests feel special and they will welcome the future with great spirits. If you are planning to have a party at home then you should decorate your home to welcome the New Year together with your invited guests. Here are the steps on how to decorate your home for New Year’s Eve.

You will need:

1. Paper Table Roll
2. Balloon Weights
3. Table Covers
4. Balloon Drop
5. Paper Lantern
6. Helium-Filled Balloons
7. Party Favors
8. Brushes and Acrylic Paints
9. Metallic Streamers and Party Hats

New Year’s Eve

Steps:

1. Pick a color scheme using a combination of at least two to four colors. A casual party is great with bright colors while a formal party will best be suited with black and gold or silver scheme color. Determine the color scheme, according to your party code, whether it is casual or formal.
2. Choose tablecloths with color coordinated to cover the tables. Place party favors on the table so the guests can help themselves. You could also add traditional favors such as noise makers and party horns for celebrating the midnight’s eve.
3. Other items that you can include as well are bubbles, small games and party hats that can be used by your guests throughout the party.
4. If you have an extra budget, hire a balloon company to install a balloon drop to be released at midnight. Or, you can purchase a balloon drop kit at any party stores, but they are generally small and sometimes do not release smoothly. So, hiring a professional to create balloon drops for your party is much safer and effective.
5. Make a large banner for your wall by tearing off a section of a paper tablecloth roll. Add paints of colorful New Year’s Eve message on the banner or give markers to your guests so that they can add their own New Year’s greetings or resolutions.
6. The messages on the banner will get more and more as the night goes on. For the ceiling decoration, drape the metallic streamers across it, attaching the streamers to the wall in opposing corners and again in the center of the room.
7. Hang a huge paper lantern in the center. Follow the same design using the streamers but instead of hanging paper lantern, use a disco ball if you have a dance floor.
8. For the helium-filled balloon decoration, tie clusters of five to seven balloons to a weight. Drop the weight inside an upside-down New Year’s party hat. You can either put the balloons decorations on the tables or make them tall to stand on the floor.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

New Year’s Eve

Decorating Sewlutions

Decorating Your Home for New Year’s Eve is a post from: DIY Guides

Related posts:

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2. Decorating for a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party
3. Simple New Year’s Eve Party Decorating Ideas

You will need:

1. Thin Gold Ribbon
2. Glitter
3. Styrofoam Cup
4. Bell
5. Pencil
6. Button With At Least Three Holes And Glue

Styrofoam Cup

Steps:

1. First, measure a strand of thin gold ribbon and cut it about three times of the Styrofoam cup’s height. Make sure to watch your children when they are using scissors to cut the ribbon strands.
2. On one end of the ribbon, tie a small bell on it. You should use a bell that has the same shape as the sleigh bell. You can find these bells in any craft stores. Insert the end of the ribbon, which is in the opposite of the bell through one hole of a button.
3. Choose a button with large holes so your ribbon strand can be inserted easily. To make it easier to thread the ribbon through the buttonholes, cut the end of the ribbon into a small slant if necessary.
4. Then, insert the ribbon back down through the second hole and then through the third hole of the button. Place the button about a 1/3 of the length of the ribbon from the bell and 2/3 the length from the end without the bell. Secure the location of the button by tightening the ribbon. Use the tip of a pencil to make a small hole into the center of the bottom of the cup by poking it.
5. Insert the end of the ribbon without the bell up through the cup and through the hole. To help you maneuver the ribbon through the hole, use the pencil instead. Pull the ribbon up through the hole before pulling it out of the bottom of the cup. 1/3 of the ribbon with the bell attached should remain inside the cup while another 2/3 of the ribbon should be pulled out of the bottom of the cup.
6. Next, make a loop at the end of the ribbon and tie it in place near the hole to make the bell inside the cup and the loop outside the cup. Paint white glue on the outside of the cup avoiding the ribbon. Sprinkle your desired glitter over the glue until it is completely covered with the glitter. To prevent any mess, work your glitter sprinkles over a newspaper.
7. Finally, leave your bell to dry either by placing it on newspaper or hanging it on a hook.

Image Credit:

Flickr CC

Additional Reading:

The Treasure in Styrofoam Cups

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Crafts With Kids (The Complete Idiot’s Guide)

Decorating a Styrofoam Cup is a post from: DIY Guides

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3. Decorating for Halloween