Do-It-Yourself Christmas
Want to make your dorm look nice for the holidays? Need an easy Christmas decoration idea for home? Here are a couple ideas that will make your place look festive.
Decorations:
- Cookie Cutter Ornaments: This one is pretty simple thanks to Martha Stewart. This will work with any type of Christmas cookie cutter. Trace the cookie cutter on top of either festive paper or a photo and cut out the shape. Glue the edges of the paper to the cookie cutter and let dry. To finish, wrap a ribbon around the top of the cutter and knot it.
- Mason Jar Candles: I got this one from a nifty Google search and a blog (iowagirleats.com) All you need are Mason jars, votive candles, fake berries and fake spruce tree stems. First you want to drop the votive candle in the Mason jar. Next fill in the space around the candle with the berries and spruce tree stems. Tie a piece of string around the neck of the Mason jar and you’re done! Just be careful when you light the candle. Also, feel free to add whatever kind of Christmas decorations you want in the jar. For the full step-by-step instructions, visit http://iowagirleats.com/2011/11/19/diy-holiday-decor-for-less-than-15/
Want an easy snack that will make everyone happy with holiday cheer? Here’s a couple ideas that are super easy and super merry.
Food:
- Christmas Tree Cupcakes: This is a super easy recipe. Make any type of cupcakes you like as a base (you can even make them extra festive by using Christmas cupcake holders). After you’ve baked the cupcakes and let them cool, pipe green icing on top of the cupcake to make it look like a Christmas tree. Decorate the icing with any sort of sprinkles you choose.
- Brownie Santa Bites: All you need is brownie mix, strawberries, and vanilla icing. Start off by baking a brownie batter of your choice. To get the brownies round, bake them in a mini-cupcake pan. Cut the stem off the strawberries so they have a flat bottom. After the brownies have cooled, place the strawberry in the middle of the brownie and pipe vanilla icing around the edge of the strawberry to make it look like a Santa hat. To finish, pipe a little bit of icing on the top of the strawberry and voila!
Not sure what gifts to get everyone? These are some ideas that are easy to make and have that personal touch that everyone will love.
Gifts:
- Sharpie Mugs: All you need for this are white mugs and any color Sharpies you want. Draw what you want on the mug, bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, let it cool completely, and you have a personalized gift for anyone.
- Christmas in a Jar: Here’s another idea using Mason jars. Separate any ingredients you need to make cookies, hot cocoa, brownies or any other treat. Next, layer the ingredients in the jar and decorate the top of the jar with festive fabric or string. Finally, include the recipe on a gift tag and attach it to the jar. This is such an easy gift that almost everyone will love.
Note: There are pictures of everything on SmugMug.
