Do It Yourself Holiday

Every autumn, somewhere between donning a cozy sweater and savoring a pumpkin spice latte, the holidays sneak up on us, leaving us wondering how we’re going to get all of our to-dos accomplished. Although your schedule may be packed with work and obligations, or your decorating hampered by tight budgets and limited space, it is possible to make the season special—even when a weekend or an evening are all you have to spare. In this issue of Do It Yourself ™ Holiday, we’ve gathered our favorite classic and on-trend projects. Whether you’re looking for new uses for old items (“Second Chances,” page 8), have no room for a traditional tree (“O Christmas Tree,” page 30), or want showstopping ideas for your front porch (“Season’s Greetings,” page 22), we’ve got you…

DAILY DELIGHTS Treat-filled piñatas, opposite, provide a festive way to mark the days. Each is made from rolls of colorful and inexpensive crepe paper— the kind used for party decorations. Add number stickers to the top of each piñata, then string all 24 onto bakers twine or display them on a tree. PAPER TRAIL Deck the walls with decorations where paper is the star. Miniature numbered envelopes, clipped to ribbon strands stretched inside a frame, contain holiday messages and activities. SEE HOW TO MAKE THIS CALENDAR AT BHG.COM/ADVENT how to make a mini piñata MATERIALS • Cardboard tube • Crepe paper • Glue stick • Toys or candy • Embroidery floss • Fringe scissors (optional) • Number stickers Step 1 Cut a 2-inch-long piece from cardboard tube. Glue a piece…

BOTTLED UP Gently roll and insert prints into a collection of glass vessels. Use the eraser end of a pencil to adjust the prints as desired through the bottle necks. Add sprigs of greenery inside the vessels and tie twine around the bottle necks for natural flourishes. PERFECTLY PUNCHED A recycled paint-color swatch and a holidaytheme crafts punch are all you need to make a color-block gift tag. Punch a small hole on the opposite end, and tie it to a package with bakers twine. OLD IS NEW AGAIN Fragile and imperfect vintage ornaments might not be tree worthy, but they look stunning when piled into a vintage brass bowl HOOP HAPPY Miniature embroidery hoops transform sweater remnants into festive wall hangings or ornaments, left. Cut out display-worthy areas of…

IT TAKES A VILLAGE Vintage and modern putz houses have long been a favorite of holiday collectors, but thanks to DIY kits, such as the ones available from etsy.com/shop/HolidaySpiritsDecor, you can create your own festive town, above. Once the buildings are assembled, turn over a flat-bottom wooden platter to make an earthen-like hill for the village to set upon. Add miniature trees to the scene and small lights through holes in the back of the buildings for a glowing display. SEE IT CLEARLY Turn a glass vase into a winter wonderland. Arrange sheet moss in the bottom of a vase and top with bottle brush trees, holly, and ornaments of your choice. Dust with fake snow. TINY PINES Trim off small branches of pine, boxwood, or other live greenery and…

DOWNLOAD THE HOLLY LEAF AND 3-D TREE PATTERNS AT BHG.COM/MINIHOLIDAY CREATIVE COLLECTIBLE TURN A VINTAGE TOY CAR INTO A FUN HOLIDAY DECORATING ACCENT BY STRAPPING A MINIATURE TREE OR SMALL PINE SPRIG ONTO THE TOP WITH TWINE. 1. FELT Use our pattern to cut holly leaves from felt and tie the centers around a piece of twine. Hot-glue pompoms to the leaves for berries. 2. BEADS Get creative with acrylic paint and faceted wooden beads. We chose jewel-tone paints and strung beads onto a length of twine. 3. TRIM No cutting, gluing, or sewing is required for this idea—simply cut a length of mini pompom trim to make this garland. 4. PINECONES Collect pinecones from your yard, or purchase them by the bag full, then paint the cones with metallic…

FIRST IMPRESSION DEVOTE YOUR ATTENTION TO THE WALLS AND SURFACES YOUR GUESTS SEE AS THEY STEP INTO YOUR HOME. WORTH YOUR TIME: A GREATLOOKING FRONT DOOR, A FESTIVE RUG OR MAT, AND A WELCOMING ENTRY TABLE OR WALL. EVERYTHING ELSE IS GRAVY! STEP 1: QUICK DECOR You don’t need to wrap your home in lights and have stunning trees in every room to set a festive mood. Just do two or three of the following: WRAP IT UP. Buy multiple rolls of one type of wrapping paper and go to town. Fold a long strip to serve as a table runner; wrap framed artwork or cabinet doors; do up an occasional table as a giant package. DECORATE FROM THE GROCERY AISLE. Avoid trips to multiple specialty stores and rely on…