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diy project: twine christmas tree

12 more days to go before Christmas!

With the cramming mode turned on, you probably don’t have enough time to put up and decorate a big Christmas tree. But don’t worry, you can still add a bit of Christmas spirit to your space by opting for a small tabletop tree. This can be readily purchased in malls or bazaars, and are usually made of papier-mâché or wire.

But, if you’re a diy person like me, you can just make and customize your own tabletop Christmas tree for half (or even much less) the commercial price. This one is inspired by the twine balls we made last week.

Materials:

Cardboard; abaca rope, raffia, and paper twine; brown and maroon ribbons; gold string; berries, glittered leaves, pinecones and other small Christmas tree ornaments; glue gun and (lots of) glue sticks.

Instructions:

1) Make a cone by rolling a large sheet of cardboard in an angle. This way, you’ll come up with a stiff cone base. Glue the edges in place with hot glue.

2) Cover the cone base by alternately gluing around it the paper twine, abaca rope and raffia (images 1 & 2).

3) Decorate the tree with ribbons (alternating the brown and maroon), berries, pinecones, and glittered trims (image 3).

If you want the tree to be much taller, make a base using a box filled with crumpled newspaper. Just cover the newspaper stuffing with paper twine and a bedding of glittered leaves around the the tree’s base for a neat finish.

diy project: christmas twine balls

Instead of the usual glitzy, shimmery holiday decors, you may want to try a more organic look this year. In fact, we’ve seen several ornaments in rustic natural materials and earth-toned colors in Rustan’s.

I guess this is a result of the heightened consciousness to be “green” (sustainable). So in line with that concept, it is not surprising that design trends are  going towards the direction of a more “organic” (natural) style. Hmmm, this might be a preview of what to expect for the new trends this coming 2010.

Here’s an easy diy project for you to add to your Christmas decors—twine balls with satin ribbon trims.

Just rope the abaca twine around a Styrofoam ball or an old Christmas ball until it is completely covered. Then, glue the satin ribbons (we used maroon and brown ribbons) and gold string to add a hint of color. If you find this too plain for the holidays, you can add a bit of shimmer by topping the ball with some glittered leaves and berries.

You can use these as tree ornaments, or maybe arrange them on a plate or bowl and use them as a centerpiece.

diy project: christmas candles centerpiece

Candles are among the staples in Christmas decorating. When lighted, they add warmth and nostalgic appeal to your home’s holiday look. Dress up your candles with a bed of garland and add recycled Christmas tree ornaments to make it look more festive.

M A T E R I A L S

garland

wire

candles in different sizes

leftover/recycled Christmas tree ornaments (berries, poinsettia, pinecones)

I N S T R U C T I O N S

1) Bend the long garland into a 5-segment zigzag pattern.

2) Wire together the corners to secure the garland’s form.

3) Place the candles in between the segments.

4) Spruce it up by inserting berries, pinecones, and other recycled decorations into the arrangement. Cut the bracts of a glittered poinsettia and add them as glittered “leaves”.

You can set this up as a centerpiece for your coffee table or console.

how do i live: a priceless christmas

If I had all the money in the world, I would indulge in buying ornaments and have my Christmas tree look like a Rustan’s centerpiece. Hmm … then again, maybe not. I would probably feel guilty having a lavish tree that I would enjoy for just a month or so. I am not “Practical Princess” for nothing.

Here are my personal Christmas tree decorating do’s –

As with makeup and structures, you need a good foundation. Fluff up the tree well. Check for “bald spots”. Bend each stem upward to make your tree’s stems simulate the real thing.

Start lighting your tree from the bottom, working your way from the outside, then towards the inside of the trunk, then out again. Wrap the lights around the tree branches for an evenly lit tree. This is the most important step so I take my time in making sure there are no areas left unlit. This year, it took me all of 3 hours to do this – I take Christmas tree lighting very seriously. I used rice lights this year instead of the generic ones – it gives a more subtle effect.

Recycle and add. This is my trick for changing the motif, as I don’t want to overhaul ornaments every year. Last year, we had a blue, green, silver and gold theme. I recycled the glittery gold balls this year and added the red and orange ornaments. I reused the green balls and silver stars, and arranged them in clear vases as table pieces (I got this idea from DF’s Christmas balls article!) Maybe next year, I’ll do a blue and orange theme.

Want those gorgeous, giant bow tree toppers like the ones at the mall? No need to buy a ready-made bow. YouTube it. I watched a couple of how-to’s on YouTube and voila! I made my very own bow tree topper!

A Christmas tree looks naked without a tree skirt. I went to SM to find one, but only saw the usual bright green and red skirts, with some poinsettias and Santas frolicking near the hem. I needed a more mature-looking skirt so I took matters into my own hands. I bought 2 yards of rich gold upholstery fabric and draped it around the base, careful not to expose the unhemmed edges. If I get tired of using it as a tree skirt, maybe I’ll convert it into a table runner.

Lastly, and most importantly, brave Divisoria! Seek and you shall find … the most fabulous Christmas ornaments within your budget!

12 large metallic orange balls – Php 300

24 medium metallic red balls – Php 290

12 metallic orange icicles – Php 300

12 two-tone (red/orange) poinsettias – Php 180

10 yards 3” wide, autumn-print, wire-edged ribbon – Php 250

10 yards 1.5” wide, metallic red, gold wire-edged ribbon – Php 120

6 dozen small gold and lacquered pinecones – Php 240

2 bunches of twigs – Php 100

2 bunches of large metallic two-tone (red/green) holly – Php 70

2 yards gold printed fabric – Php 400

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T O T A L   =   P h p   2 , 2 5 0  

diy project: christmas balls

For those who want to add a hint of holiday cheer to their space without looking too christmas-y (maybe to maintain the modern character of their interiors), christmas balls are your best option. Arrange them on a bowl or a platter and you have an instant center piece for your table.

But if you ask me, I like using christmas balls all year round, especially the ones in silver and pale blue, as inexpensive interior accessories.

That’s one designer cheap trick for you!

objects of design: it’s christmas in rustan’s!

While picking out items for my Space Starters shoot in Rustan’s, Shangri La Mall, I took the chance to go around the home department to look for unique Christmas decorations. Rustan’s never lets me down (except for their high-end prices, hehe) when it comes to providing the best and the latest in home decors.  Here are my top three favorites:

1) The lace reindeer (above) displayed at the conceirge.

2) The most interesting Christmas tree at the bridal registry, which is adorned with birds and balls. There’s the blue green peacock (very Carrie),

 and cute little birds on nests.

3) The purple-green-gold Christmas tree by the main entrance of the home department. I like the combination of different shades of purple and green, and the use of glass mirror panels as tree charms.

Visit Rustan’s  (Shangri-la is my favorite) to see more of the latest finds and ideas in holiday decor.

i saw design: holiday decorating with nene tantoco

 It’s Christmas! Or, at least it already feels like it here in manila.

One place that I love to frequent during the holiday season is Rustan’s Home because of their fantastic visual merchandising and collection of christmas decor.

Last tuesday, Rustan’s hosted a workshop on holiday decorating. It was given by Rustan’s Nene Tantoco and her sister-in-law, Genie. I didn’t know about the event until that afternoon, after I was done with a photo shoot for Myhome magazine.

The workshop centered on the different themes and colors that can be used for the season. Apart from that, they also gave tips on how to maximize one’s existing Christmas decorations. Based on the displays that they had, the trend this year is going for a mixed look. In other words, no to matchy-matchy decorations. As long as you follow a concept, you can mix rustic decorations with the sparkly-shimmery ones and still come up with a coherent arrangement. This way, you can just go through your past christmas decors and mix them up to create a new look this year.

 The conceirge room was filled with vignettes showcasing different themes and decorating strategies for Christmas. Although there are new decorating trends, the classic green-and-red scheme will always be present. This is a Christmas tree and table setting done in what they called “traditional elegance”.

 The tree is filled with angel figurines, christmas balls, pinecones, berries and branches of real pine needles.

The same goas for the table setting. The garland, that acts as a bedding for candle-lit mercury glasses and other decors, was given more body with the addition of branches of real cypress and bottlebrush.

They also had an “eco-friendly” setup, where decorations are made of natural moss, paper mache, dried barks, twigs, and pinecones, and LED lights on an abaca console table. This arrangement has a rustic character but was made glamorous with the addition of metallic and crystal accents.

They also presented interesting diy ideas which we plan to make ourselves. Watch out for them here in designfolder in the coming weeks.