Cinnamon stick & berry jar candle...

You can never have too many candles...

so lets create a cinnamon stick jar candle.

 I can hear you say - this ones been done a million times...

But I think mines just a bit special 

with a cute plaited jute bow tie,

and accent berries.

 Plus the cinnamon sticks have been spaced 

so you can see the candle in the jar

All you need to create this is a small jar,

a small candle,

Cinnamon sticks

jute string

and some artificial berries.

 I used a dab of hot glue to hold the cinnamon sticks in place,

and plaited three strands of the jute string.

Twirl the jute string around the jar twice, and tie a bow.

Then I added the berries,

 which were already pre-wired.

Now it is ready to light!

Let me show you the book table while we wait 

for that delicious aroma to start as the jar warms up from the candles flame...

This year I'm using a lovely French style coffee table, 

 to display some very special Christmas books.

It sits beside the red Christmas tree...

You can find out how to make the simple burlap bows HERE.

Can you smell the cinnamon now?
The cinnamon stick and berry jar candle is gorgeously Christmas.

It's pretty cute to look at, and fabulously rustic too.

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#christmascrafts #diychristmasdecorideas #cinnamoncandle

Buttery and sweet, white chocolate and lemon truffles...

Got a sweet tooth?

Then here is a sweet treat that will surely satisfy it!

Buttery...

Sweet...

White Chocolate...

AND

lemon!

All you do is pop into a double boiler and melt:

(For me that is a pot with a metal bowl sitting on the top.)

460g White chocolate melts

100g salted butter

and

6 Tablespoons thickened cream.

Once melted: stir in 2 teaspoons lemon juice

 and 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind.

Cool.

 Refrigerate for 2 hours stirring often as the butter will initially separate.

Once the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls, put 1/2 cup of icing sugar in another bowl.

 Drop teaspoons of mixture in it and roll into small balls.  

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Makes approximately 30 balls.  

(depending on the size of the ball you roll.) 

Serve directly from the refrigerator.

And just in case you are wondering who this beautiful angel is...

 Meet Angelica.

She is a gorgeous Christmas Angel from the collectable Bear range - Bearington Bears. 

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by joining for free HERE.

#christmas #christmastreats #chocolatetruffles #truffles

Hole punch paint dipped tin can lantern...

The white and silver Christmas tree display was glittering and sparkling, but something was not quite right.

I needed just one more thing to balance the visual dynamics of it all...

So I whipped up this cute tin can lantern.

Remember making these as a child?

But instead of just doing the hole punching on the tin can, 

I decided to add a little paint.

This is where the dip dye trend meets the tin can lantern trend.

The first thing you need to do is put water in the can,

or a sand/water mix if the metal of the can is of a softer variety.
(Make sure you fill it to the top, as once frozen, the can will hold shape when you are punching the holes.)

Freeze it overnight.

Remove from freezer.

Punch two holes below the top rim of the can on each side

(this is where the wire hanger will attach).
Position your template...

and attach with tape to can.

Punch holes around the template outline on the tin can using a nail and hammer.
The bigger the nail- the bigger the hole size.

Then remove template and punch holes inside the outline.

When you are happy with the holiness,

let the ice melt and tip it out.

Dry the tin can.

In a container place acrylic paint in the colour you would like.

Dip the bottom/sides of the can in the paint.

Blot on paper and set aside to dry.

To make a hanger from wire, 

attach wire to can via one of the top rim holes.
This wire is available at Bunnings in New Zealand.

Twist and twirl the wire overhang 

by winding the wire around a pencil or dowel rod.

At the top of the hanger, make another twirl.

Poke wire through second hole on rim.

twist and twirl the overhang.

(Sounds musical doesn't it?)

Pop a candle inside.

Sit on a mantel, sideboard, table or make lots, 

and hang from the trees in your yard. 

I love the way the candlelight flickers through the holes in the tin can...

Now the white and silver Christmas tree vignette...

Is perfect!

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#diychristmasdecorating #christmascrafts #christmaslanterns

DIY Quick Sew Christmas Table Runner Tutorial...

As you are all lovin' 

the DIY Table runner post with the beach theme so much, 

I thought that I would create a step-by-step photo tutorial for you.

Let's make one in a fun red and white Christmas-themed fabric. 

First step:

WASH the fabric.

Now I'm telling you this because I previously made a gorgeous runner, washed it AFTER making, and it shrank two sizes!!!

So ALWAYS wash the fabric BEFORE sewing it.

Step two:

Iron the fabric.

Fold the fabric in half lengthways.

Measure your table length.
Work out the length to fit your table.

Cut fabric to the length required, allowing at least 5cm extra each end for hemming.

 With right sides together pin across top of fabric 
and down the length side.

Sew. 

Turn out to right side. 
At this stage, it is like a huge long pillowcase.
Use a chopstick or blunt-end knitting needle to poke the corners out. 
Iron again so seems are even.

At the bottom opening fold a seam inwards as shown. 

 Press with iron and then pin with seams perfectly matching.

Pin it and sew.
On the other end, sew it exactly the same, so that each end looks top-stitched.
Press again with your iron.

 Place on your table.
(Aren't those reindeer just the cutest?)

Add a centerpiece. 

 And there you have it...

 A super simple table runner

Custom-made the DIY way to fit your dining table.

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#homesewn #diytablerunner

Christmas table centrepiece, and the berry dilemma...

You know how sometimes you throw together some decor pieces...and it just works!

It looks perfect.

 It is exactly what you had in your mind's eye.

THEN a disaster strikes.

Well, that is exactly what happened with the Christmas table centrepiece!
So let's start the story from the beginning...

Take one gorgeous, chippy French-looking handmade bowl.

Some beach-found wee pine cone like seedpods.

(Perfect for the bowl.)

A candle found up in the cupboard, some red berries in the Christmas 'bits' box.
Put it all together, and the vignette was lovely.

Simple, a little Frenchy, a whole lot wonky 

(a little like my tin can wreath on the front porch - find out more about that HERE), and rustic.

I loved it!

So it was placed on the table.

But over the next few days, berries were discovered in various places throughout the house.

And then one got chewed, sigh.

And then another one.

The kitty fur babies (alias the Christmas Grinches) 
had taken a particular liking to the red Christmas berries.

So I began to rethink my centrepiece design.
But the berry novelty quickly waned; perhaps it was the polystyrene plastic taste, as only two got chewed in the end.
Chewing shiny red done and dusted, the new game became 'roll the little pinecones'!
I LOVE the wee bowl dressed in all its merry glory.
And so it has remained the same.
Though I am not sure how many pine cones will actually survive to see Christmas Day.

The reindeer table runner was finally sewn, and with the bowl, it looks fabulous for Christmas!

Visit HERE for the step-by-step photo tutorial 
on how to make the DIY Quick Sew Christmas Table Runner.

For updates about the latest blog posts,

you can join for free HERE.

#DIYchristmasdecorideas #christmasdecor