MERRY CHRISTMAS

WREATH LOVE

Time for peace and tranquility. A present for a dear friend.

Filling your soul with beauty. Nourishing your body with delicacies.

Memories to remember.

Dearest and beloved ones around.

 

"It's Christmas time, and there's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time, we let in light and banish shade
And in our world of plenty, we can spread a smile of joy

Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time."

Band Aid 1984
Songwriters
Bob Geldof, Midge Ure

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Kreetta

EASY CHRISTMAS DECORATION DIY - SIMPLE WHITE ORNAMENTS

HO HO HO BAKING SODA DOUGH!

I saw this DIY in Facebook by Kodin Kuvalehti. It is really simple and easy. I don't know if you are a bit like me...I have always a bit hurry before Christmas when I start to get these crazy ideas what I like to do before and for the Christmas...this time I got plenty of time to make these because they are so easy. That is a very very good thing, I think. Photographing them today was the hardest part. We have sooo low light at the moment but luckily I have a tripod.

First you make the baking soda dough. This recipe is from Kodin Kuvalehti.

INGREDIENTS

1dl corn starch

2dl baking soda

1,25dl pure water

Combine ingredients in the pot. Boil over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken into the smooth texture. Remove from the heat. Put the damp cloth over it. Let it cool for awhile. The important thing is to have enough moisture in dough. It's hard to make pretty ones when the dough is too dry. So keep your dough moistured. I kept mine in damp cloth and in a plastic bag waiting for baking. But this dough is the easiest ever to bake. Thickness of the dough should be about 5 mm and use spatula in lifting your pretty ornaments on to the baking sheet.

MAKE YOUR ORNAMENTS WITH

rolling pin

cookie cutters

plastic or wooden board (you can use plastic wrap around the wooden board like I did)

stick to make holes

spatula

baking paper

texture from different kind of things (this part is my favorite!) like I used dried poppy seed pod and pearl necklace. Never ever use the most obvious - that is my motto, I admit.

There have to be also a reason why to make a DIY. I need these ornaments for the Christmas present tags. We have made some homemade preserved ginger pears. Some of you are going to get them - some not. This is our first year with these so either other way you might be lucky.

After you have baked your ornaments, they go to oven or you can also let them dry over night in a room temperature. But as I said I'm always a bit hurry (and impatient) to wait for the result so I baked them in oven in temperature 75 C degrees about one hour. Depends on how thick they are. I guess that's about it. Of course you can play with colors from spices or water colors or proper food coloring but I liked pure white. Simple.

So off you go and have fun with your family and friends! Make many beautiful ornaments. 

It's time to Wish You A Merry Christmas!

xoxo

Kreetta

ps. You will find me in Instagram @kreettakreetta

 

Green X-mas - Confetti DIY

Oh white X-mas where are you? We totally miss you. I decided to make my own colorful snowfall. Are you still wondering what to give for X-mas gifts...here comes a great tip for you then! DIY confetti with plants.

Snow is white...I know but I could decide what color my confetti snowfall is, haha. All you need is a basic office hole buncher. That's it. I usually make quite easy DIYs but I guess it can't get any easier than this anymore. But simple ideas are the best ones and many times we think too complicated. I needed a bit X-mas decoration for my succulents and other green plants that I was planning to give as a X-mas gift. They needed a bit little extra something to be adorable X-mas present. So confetti made my day.

Of course there have to be a wow moment or at least a moment of a joy when opening a gift. That's why I made a small white paper bag, put confetti snow in the bag and used the beautiful thin twine to tie it. 

The gift receivers can decide what they want to do with it. It can be sprinkled on plants or not. I guess they are pretty enough without any confetti at all...but I think confetti makes the gift a little bit more special and precious. What do you think?

You can give more than one plant and build your decorated arrangement of green plants on the tray. Use some pretty paper on the tray and maybe even add different kind of things like flag garland. I used disposable Chinese chopsticks as a flag holders. A bit washi tape and some writing and that's it.

Now everything is ready and it's time to make wrapping. As you noticed I love to use materials that are recycled or can be recycled. So go and find some nice paper from your boxes, magazine piles, kitchen cupboards what ever you can find as a nice wrapping paper. Use your imagination! I think it's so nice to get a very original and  gift made in personal way.

This is it. The last post before X-mas. If you are still thinking what should I buy for beloved ones - try green plants. These succulents, Tilladsias are very easy because they don't need so much care or watering. They are very stylish too and can bring joy the whole year around - not only on X-mas.

I wish you very Merry X-mas my friend! Have a peaceful and cosy time with your family and friends!

xo
Kreetta

ps. Here you can find another Christmas DIY I made last year. It's a paper flower. A simple decoration for your home for X-mas.

Easy DIY - Last Minute Christmas Decoration

On one late evening during this week I got a crazy crafting bug, if you know what I mean. I realized that I want to make some Christmas decoration - different than last year and years before. 

Usually I use vintage decoration what I've collected during the years. But not this year. No to X-mas tree even though I love it. Yes to paper flowers and real flowers - love them too. One vintage item I will have and have it already - orange star in the window. It's the same kind as the one we had at our home when I was a child. So it has a special meaning. With orange goes well brussian blue. Love also vintage, so the paper I used for these flowers is vintage gift wrapper. 

You can use any size of paper you want. My paper was retangle shaped and a little bit smaller than A3 (297mm×420mm). Don't use too thin paper. Fold the paper in same sized folds flipping over each time. Cut the last bit away if it's too small or if it's too big, cut the extra piece away.

Fold in half. Then tie the metal wire or thread where the fold is. I used metal wire.

Cut both ends same time to the shape you like. You can always make different kind of flowers.

Unfold it. You can use tape like I did - double sided of course or glue. Join sides carefully together. Use a needle to put a thread through for hanging.

Then you have a last step to go - where to put them? I will decorate one wall with these flowers.

Merry X-mas to You!

xo

Kreetta