Upcycling Your Christmas Decorations
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Why spend money buying ornaments when you can just ransack your kids room? Sand or rough up the toy. Then you can prime, paint and call it quits if you like ... but I went a step further. Drill hole through the center of the toy. Place a toothpick in the hole to use as a temporary handle. Mix plaster of Paris according to the directions. I like mine to have the consistency of pancake batter. Dip the toy in the plaster — two coats should do it. Let dry according to the directions, but remove the toothpick before it gets hard. Paint a high gloss funky color or go super sophisticated with silvers and golds Wire, add ribbon and you are done! (Anitra Mecadon | DIY Network)
Tired of your old ornaments? Upcycle! Try wrapping novelty yarn around an ornament and securing with hot glue. This may require a little patience, but you'll love the end result. READ: Upcycling: Turning Trash Into Treasure (Anitra Mecadon | DIY Network)
Materials: Primer, paint, and a hot glue gun. Prime ornaments with high gloss spray paint. Decorate. I love oil-based Sharpie paint pens for this part. You're really only limited by your creativity. (Anitra Mecadon | DIY Network)
Add some fresh greenery. I like magnolia, fluffy pine, cypress, juniper, and rosemary. "Shove" the greenery in around the wreath to fluff it up. I start at the bottom of the wreath with what I have most of — usually pine. I add magnolia next because the leaves are gorgeous and huge. Take a spool of wire and wrap it around the wreath to secure all of the pieces. Next, add some color. Add pine cones, ornaments, fruit, bells, berries … I like the straight pieces of pre-cut wire for this stage. That way I can add things one at a time and secure them to the exact location. To top it off, weave some ribbon in and out and secure it with a little snip of its own wire. Make a bow, and voila! (Anitra Mecadon | DIY Network)