Halloween Mantel Decor

It’s Halloween!

And if you are on a last minute decorating, here’s a very quick mantel decor idea you can do in no time. Just make sure to put the tealights in a glass or something so that the paper will not catch fire.

I matched the paper luminarias with red vases of varying heights, a couple of red glass lampshades and Ashrie's large Belle and Boo paper doll in a witch costume.

Easy-Peasy!

Lia's Pretty in Pink

I can't even.

Lia Ahryn's 5th Month

Wow! Lia's five months old now and what a month it has been.

There are a lot of hurrahs the previous month, lots of major milestones to celebrate.

Lia liked her first meal, it was mashed organic Japanese pumpkin. She also started to roll over and doesn't want to be carried horizontally unless she's very sleepy. She also started to crawl and reach for her favorite toys. She also loves touching your face when you talk to her.

What I like the most? Her giggles! Her laughs during peekaboos are contagious to say the very least.

Looking forward to more fun times as she turns 6 next month! We love you Lia!

Paper Gem DIY

We have seen a lot of geometric designs this year, in architecture and in interiors. We can see it in furniture, textiles, glassware, pottery, basically it's almost everywhere. So this Christmas, I would like to merge our holiday color theme with this trend.

I'm adding accents of these geometric gemstones on the mantel and coffee table perhaps. You can actually make more as these can also be used as a Christmas Tree ornament and so versatile that you can also use it even long after the Christmas season is over, during parties or simply to decorate a bookshelf.

Unlike the banner/bunting tutorial which is very easy to do, this will need craftier hands to execute. It took me at least 30 minutes to finish my first gemstone. I hope I'll get a little bit faster on the next templates. Also, I think those who have thinner fingers will find it easier to assemble and close the gems. (And that's me saying I'm not one of them.) If you want to try it out, here's a list of what you will need.

Materials:

Printed Paper Gem Templates
A4 Card Stock
Cutting Mat
Cutter
Scoring Tool (optional, I just used a regular ballpen to do the work)
Double-Adhesive Tape
Metal Ruler

*Choose a card stock that is neither too thick nor too thin. It'll be easier to fold and fasten it together when you have just the right thickness. 

Procedure:

1. If your card stock has a shiny texture (like mine), you might want to print the template on a piece of A4 paper first, and then tape it temporarily on the underside of the card stock before cutting. If not, you can directly print on the underside of your card stock and cut along the template lines carefully.

2. Once it is cut, score the lines so that it will be easier to fold the card stock. If you do not have a scoring tool, you can use a regular ballpen to trace the lines, leaving a groove for easy folding.

3. Assemble the gemstone by pasting the flaps together. I used double-adhesive tape so that it will have an instant bond. 

4. If you are going to use it as a Christmas Tree ornament or if you wish to hang it somewhere, make sure to add a string at the center top portion before closing it.

Here's the finished piece!

Now, I'm going to try the other shapes as well. Let's do this! 

Christmas Banner DIY

Christmas is coming and it's time to decorate!

This year we have decided to go with a Black and White Theme with touches of Gold. I have started off by changing the slipcover of our sofa in the living room from Beige to Black and following that with this simple and easy Christmas Banner in the same color theme. You can download the free printable here, and follow on with the materials and procedures below.

Materials:

Downloaded PDF of the Gold Banner/Bunting

Card Stock for printing

Color Printer

Ribbon or String

Masking Tape

Cutter

Cutting Mat

Metal Ruler

Procedure:

1. Print the letters that you will be needing. I scaled it down to 45% because the original PDF is way too large for my wall. I went for the classic MERRY CHRISTMAS greeting.

2. Cut your letters. I suggest using a cutter rather than scissors to make your lines straight.

3. Measure the amount of ribbon or string that you will be using and how high or low you want its curve to be on the wall while hanging. Add a few more inches for allowance.

4. Fasten the letters onto the string. I used masking tape at the back to secure the letters to create a cleaner look rather than using a puncher to slip the ribbon through. Start from the center letter of your word or phrase and don't forget to include the spaces in counting.

4. And lastly, hang your personalized DIY banner. 

I have yet to update the bureau top with Christmas decorations. So stay tuned for more!

Happy Crafting and Happy Holidays!