DIY Christmas 2012 with Sarah Ahiers

When Sarah sent me her post on Christmas decorating, I was floored by how beautiful her projects turned out with just a few simple pieces. Tres brilliant! She could get a job working at Macy's Display Team. Try these at home!

Sarah Ahiers does Centerpieces--with a little help from Yvie

Centerpieces. Yes centerpieces. If you have a dining room table (which I used to have but is now missing for various reasons (and now I'm saving up for a new one)) or if you have a pass through between your kitchen and another room (Which I DO have) then a centerpiece is a quick and easy way to add some holiday decorations.

The best thing is, they are super easy to make!

I have a terrarium I bought at a crate and barrel a few years ago.

I forgot to take a picture of it when it was empty, so instead you get a stock photo. BUT, this is the exact one I have, FWIW

I keep thinking about putting some houseplants in it, but I haven't yet. And now I've taken to using it for holiday decorations.

So, either gather random crafty stuff you have lying around (if you're one of those people who happen to keep random craft supplies around) or head out to your nearest craft store and get a nice selection of candles, baubles and fake plants and fruit.

Just a normal candle. Pick a color you like and match accordingly. Don't worry if they're scented or not.

Also, get some help.

Yvie says these fake pears are inspected by her and now safe to eat

What are these "baubles" you speak of?

These taste worse than the pears!

Time to throw in some gold and sparkly plants!

Don't be afraid to experiment. And don't be afraid to go asymmetrical. Two different sized candles often work better than two of the same size.

Then get crafty and arrange everything in your terrarium to your liking!

Voila! Holiday terrarium! I like to use a singular peice (in this case, a bird) to be the focal point, but don't be afraid to experiment and go crazy. Almost anything would look awesome!

Don't have a terrarium? No problem! Wine glasses work on much the same (albeit smaller) level! Just use some baubles, maybe a ribbon, and a candle and voila! You've got some holiday candle holders!

I'd use scented candles, here, because then you could light them and make the house smell nummo

You could also use a pretty silver serving plate, etc. And don't be afraid to try this for different holidays or seasons. I do much the same thing for Halloween, just with purple and black decorations and mini tombstones instead of birds.

So there you have it! Holiday decorations can be easy and cheap! I raided the Michael's Christmas bins for the majority of my decorations and they were all 60% off.

Sarah Ahiers blogs about writing and weird phenom MWF over at Sarah Ahiers Writes. She often procrastinates from writing or cleaning by crafting, hanging out with her dogs or partaking of general geekery.

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Don't forget, you can leave a comment on any previous DIY Christmas 2012 post for a chance to win the prize on that post. Who knows? You might get lucky.

Other DIY posts from:

Shelley Munro
Cathy Pegau
Gwen Gardner

Marianne Arkins  

Barbara Wright

There are more great posts to come. All contests end December 21, 2012.