Category: Crafts

With the holidays on the horizon, that means it’s time to start getting the holiday decorations down from the attic, or maybe you even want to begin DIYing your Yuletide décor.

If you can crochet some stylish and seasonal Christmas decorations yourself, you’ll end up saving a ton and have some fun in the process.

We tracked down these elevated Christmas crochet decoration patterns that will save you money without making you comprise a gorgeous, decked-out holiday home.

From your tree to the table, to the banister, and out onto the front door, these ideas are sure to turn every inch of your home into a magical Christmas landscape.

From easy-to-make Christmas ornaments to simple Christmas decorations and even show-stopping holiday wreaths, there’s something here for every taste and skill set. So go ahead, curl up on the couch in front of a roaring fire, put on your favorite Christmas songs or movies, and start crocheting away to your heart’s content.

Crochet Christmas wreaths

When it comes to Christmas decorations, your outdoor holiday decorations are truly just as important as the ones you hang up inside. Christmas wreaths are a classic yet easy way to instantly up the ante when it comes to your Christmas décor.

You may think Christmas wreaths are boring and outdated but that’s simply not true. Wreaths are an important symbol of Christmas, they make our front doors look festive, our homes look welcoming and they bring cheer to anyone who sees them.

On this list, you will find an assortment of fun, festive Christmas wreaths you can make for yourself or give as a gift!

Crochet Christmas Trees

Christmas is on its way! And what better way to prepare for the festive season than to crochet your own Christmas Trees for your home, office, or for gifts.

For the spaces, that couldn’t fit an actual tree, or for the people, who want to make the holidays even more special, a DIY Christmas decoration is a great project. That way, you can pick the size, the color, the style, and the texture entirely on your own, and make the tree and the Christmas decorations look like a beautiful accessory, complementing the room décor. What is more, that way it will definitely be one of a kind!

To give you some ideas, here is our selection of some Christmas tree crochet patterns that we liked a lot. What will yours look like this year?

Crochet Snowflakes

Let it snow! This holiday season; get to decking the halls with a flurry of snowflake crafts guaranteed to make your home sparkle and shine. From a chic white colour palette to colours that pop, this list includes whimsical ideas for ornaments, garlands, gift toppers, and other décor and party decorations. From snowflake wreath to simple snowflake gift tags, these projects shine with holiday spirit.

Be sure to make enough for your own decorating. In a couple of hours, you’ll have a flurry of star crystals you can display throughout the house. Get creative, and customize them with details that are all your own. After all, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a little snow!

Crochet Christmas Tree Decorations

When it’s time to trim your Christmas tree this year, you may be drawn to your tried-and-true store-bought ornaments that have been collecting dust in the attic all year long. While they’re a sure-fire way to spruce up your, well, spruce, we think crocheted Christmas tree decorations can be a more meaningful way to decorate the tree.

Whether you’re already in the holiday spirit and can’t wait to get to work or want to hold off on making them until you’ve picked out your tree, there’s never a wrong time to start thinking about what homemade Christmas ornaments you want to make this season.

When it comes to decorating your Christmas tree, adding a bit of crochet can take it from festive to fabulous! With so many ideas to choose from from this list, you’re bound to find something that suits your taste and, most importantly, your tree.

So if you’re tired of dusting off your old decorations, we suggest you take a peek at some of these homemade versions you can make right now.

Crochet Christmas stockings

Whether you’re a crocheting newbie or an old hand at making magic with needles and hooks, you know there’s nothing quite like creating holiday craft projects for your loved ones. And that especially goes for the décor that “gets hung by the chimney with care,” which is why we’ve got the very best Christmas stocking patterns list for you.

For many, personalized Christmas stockings are prized possessions, enjoyed over the years – and that’s especially true if they were handmade by beloved family members, like you.

These patterns range from beginner-friendly to advanced, so no matter where you are on your crochet journey, you can deck the halls with handmade stockings. Whether you’re looking for something classic or a bit non-traditional, crocheting your own stockings is a no-fail way to show off your holiday style!

Have Fun Making Your Own DIY Christmas Decorations

Sometimes store-bought (or even more convenient – online) is just the way to go, but there’s something so special and charming about homespun Christmas decorations that money simply cannot buy. Case in point: These thoughtful Christmas decoration crochet patterns are impossibly easy, makes for hours of forced family fun, and are easy on the wallet.

Get out your green and red yarn. It’s time to explore these Christmas Décor Crochet Patterns. And if you’re not keen on the classic explosion of red and green, that’s fine too. Whether you’re into a winter wonderland motif or prefer to decorate in the most modern way possible, the choice is entirely yours.

Crocheters, grab your hooks – it’s time to decorate for Christmas! Going handmade is an obvious choice for the holidays, whether you’re looking to make ornaments, gifts, garlands, or another décor. These holiday crochet patterns are a wonderful way to get into the season, especially when paired with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a few carols!

After choosing the perfect color for a room or furniture, another important decision needs to be made – choosing a paint finisher. With many types of paint finishes to choose from, it would be best to know more about them so that you can choose the perfect one for you be it your normal chemical/oil based or a more sustainable version.. This article will discuss paint finishers, some things to consider, and their types.

Some Things to Consider when Choosing a Paint Finisher

• Sheen – paint finishers have varying amounts of shine. The variant you choose depends on the look you are going for.
• Maintenance – certain paint finisher types require less maintenance than the others. Some can even be cleaned using only common household cleaners.
• Concealing Power – some people use paint finishers to hide imperfections these come in small “touch up” tins. The other types of finishers provide better coverage and come in your common paint tin.

Types of Paint Finisher

When choosing a paint finisher, you usually have six options to choose from. Each one of them has a certain characteristic that makes them stand out from the rest. Let us explore these paint finisher types:

Matte Finisher

Sometimes called a flat finisher, this is commonly chosen for ceilings and interior walls. The use of this type of finish is often used on modern trendy furniture like these display cabinets from Homes Direct 365. It is popular because it provides almost no shine, allowing your design choices to be focused on. Matte finishers will surely work well with most rooms in your home.

This finisher is also good at concealing imperfections such as cracks and chips on your walls. Due to this, matte finishers make good options for older homes that have experienced wear and tear.

For cleaning marks or handprints, things may get difficult due to the finisher’s flatness. It is often better to opt for a touch-up to quickly get rid of these marks. This is also why having a spare matte finisher on hand is highly advised.

Matte-Enamel Finisher

Just like the previously mentioned matte variation above, this finisher comes with little-to-no shine and a flat finish. However, the altered chemical makeup of matte-enamel finisher forms a layer of film on the surface as it dries, making cleanups easier.

The durability provided by this finisher makes it a good option for high-traffic areas including bathrooms and kitchens. When looking for this type of finisher, you are likely to encounter products labeled as washable, meaning they can withstand light scrubbings using soap and water.

Eggshell Finisher

You will find eggshell finishers interesting if you prefer some shine in your finish and a vibrant color. To get an idea of how shiny it is, try picturing the outside of an eggshell. This is remarkably like the results you’ll get.

An Eggshell finisher is great for busy homes due to its easy-to-clean surface. With just a slight amount of sheer, you do not have to deal with the luster that comes with glossy finishes. It was also a frequent color in Georgian kitchens back in the day.

One downside of this finisher is the probability of cracks and imperfections in the future. To better avoid this, it is recommended to patch up your walls first before using this type of finisher. Additionally, brushing in the same direction helps in the formation of lines as the paint dries.

Satin Finisher

Many homeowners prefer satin finishers due to the warm and velvety feel they provide. This type of finisher does exceptionally well for framing elements like trims, moldings, and doorways.

Moreover, its outstanding durability also makes it an ideal choice for high-traffic areas such as hallways, bathrooms, and kitchens. Satin finishers are chip-resistant and easy to clean as well.

When it comes to its limitations, one of them is the possibility of brushstrokes appearing. Touch-ups are not an option if this ever happens. Therefore, it is essential to be extra careful during the application process to avoid this from happening.

Semi-Gloss Finisher

This finisher type is comparable to the previously mentioned satin variant. The only difference is the extra sheen it provides, making your chosen shade appear darker due to more light bouncing off.

Semi-gloss finishers make good choices for rooms that need frequent cleaning. The shine it provides is also perfect for emphasizing certain design elements, such as fireplace mantels, kitchen cabinets, and banisters.

Gloss Finisher

Sometimes referred to as high-gloss finisher, the highly reflective surface gloss finishers make it a good choice for furniture and trims. This finisher can also be used to add glamour into your home. If you desire to ramp up the glamorous aesthetics inside your home, feel free to go big and coat your chosen surface twice.

Conclusion

Choosing a paint finisher is just as important as choosing the perfect shade for your home. Several factors are usually considered when choosing a paint finisher, including sheen, maintenance, and concealing power.

Understanding each finisher type’s characteristics and considering your needs and preferences are both necessary in choosing the perfect variant for you. If you do all these steps, you will find your ideal paint finisher in no time.

Have you ever heard of pandoro Italian cake? If no, then you will be surprised to know this Italian cake is the yellow and soft leavened product that is eaten with cream or alone. There are two ways to make the cake: One which is a simple one and another is the traditional one that requires a lot of effort to make.

If you don’t like making the cake in your home, then you can buy pandoro cake online from various websites. If we talk about the history of this Italian cake, then you will be amazed to know they have their origin in Northern Italy. This cake was served in the home of rich people by the name of ‘Pan de Oro’.

While making the pandoro, you have to decide which type of yeast will make the best bread. You can use the fresh yeast so that the pandoro made will be of good quality as well as taste. You may think that the pandoro made in the home will not taste like the one which you bought from the market. If you doubt that ten pandoro made in the house is too dry inside then, you get the pandoro cake online from any website.

Ingredients Needed to Make 2.2 Pound Pandoro Cake

For Poolish

• Manitoba Flour – 2 ounces
• Fresh Yeast – 0.18 ounce
• Water – 2 tablespoon

For First Dough

• Poolish
• Egg – 1 whole
• Manitoba Flour – 4 ounces
• Fresh Yeast – 0.18 ounce
• Caster Sugar – 0.04 cups

Second Dough

• Manitoba Flour – 9 ounces
• Eggs – 2
• Lemon Peel – ½ grated
• Egg Yolks – 1 ounce
• Caster Sugar – 5/8 cups
• Soft Butter – 9 tablespoons
• Honey – ¼ tablespoon
• Vanilla Pod – 1

Cooking Instruction

You need to prepare the polish by mixing all the ingredients like yeast, Manitoba flour and water the evening before you prepare the pandoro Italian Cake. You need to mix the mixture till you get the homogenous loaf and then place the dough in the bowl for letting it rise overnight.

Next day, you need to start by making the first dough by using the polish, Manitoba flour, sugar, and fresh yeast.

Start kneading then add egg in the mixture. Mix the ingredients till the time it is blended perfectly.

You need to place this dough on the bowl and cover it with the paper. Put the bowl in a hot oven to let it rise, or you can leave the dough for 4-5 hours so that it can rise.

The dough will be double in volume if you either keep it in the oven or leave it for 4-5 hours in the open.

Once the double becomes double in size, you can put it in the stand mixer. Now add honey, seeds of the vanilla pod, Manitoba flour, sugar and peel of the half lemon.

You need to knead the mixture in the low temperature and then add egg yolks and eggs in it. Make sure the mixture is incorporated perfectly fine.

Now you need to add butter by cutting it into small cubes in the mixture. When all the butter is incorporated perfectly fine in the mixture, you can transfer the dough to the work surface that is non-floured.

You have to make folds to the mixture and then start making the ball of smooth dough. You need to place the dough inside the buttered and floured mold.

You need to place the tin inside the oven with the light for 8-10 hours, or you can keep it at the room temperature for 10-12 hours so that it can rise.

Now cook the pandoro at 140°C by placing the bowl full of water at the bottom of the oven to maintain the humidity. This will help in not only cooking the pandora cake but also helps to let it not dry.

When the pandoro is golden on the top, then you can be sure it is ready. Remove the Italian cake from your oven and let it cool. You have to remove the cake from the mold and then cover it with icing sugar.

Be it any occasion or Christmas preparing pandoro cake at home will be the best option so as to enhance the happiness by eating this golden bread.

Are you looking for the 5 essential scrapbook embellishments? Would you like to invest in a good quality scrapbook kit that won’t break the bank? We’ve got the answers to your questions right here.

Scrapbooking or memory keeping has been a popular crafting hobby for quite some time now. Even with the rise of social media and technology, most people still prefer to document their precious memories using paper, stamps, stickers, and other scrapbook embellishments.

If you are new to scrapbooking, you might not be familiar with the essential and must-have scrapbook supplies. This post will help you figure out which scrapbook embellishments are necessary and which scrapbook it will suit your needs. Without further ado, here are the 5 essential scrapbook embellishments that you must have right now.

Paper, Paper, and more Paper!

When it comes to scrapbooking, it is a no-brainer that you need PAPER. Everything starts with a blank piece of paper – whether it’s a plain white paper, a colored or textured paper, or a patterned paper. Without paper, you pretty much won’t be able to create anything. It is one of the basic scrapbooking supplies. However, it can also be used as a scrapbook embellishment.

Scrapbook paper comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and designs. Patterned or designer paper usually have, well, patterns and images that you can fussy cut and adhere to your scrapbook page. This will save you the trouble of looking for images or stickers for your page. You may also create your own scrapbook embellishment by using colored or textured paper to die cut your stamped images!

Stickers

Obviously, stickers are absolute must-haves in your scrapbook kit. Whether it’s a chipboard sticker, a clear sticker, or a die-cut sticker, stickers will be your new best friend when you start with your memory keeping journey.

Collecting unique and versatile stickers is advisable especially if you tend to document various events and occasions in your life. This will help you create scrapbook pages easily without searching your scrapbook kit for the appropriate sticker. Make sure you don’t go overboard with your stickers though. You don’t want your scrapbook page to appear too heavy on the eyes.

Alphabet Stickers

Having alphabet stickers on hand is a must when it comes to scrapbooking. While most scrapbookers rely on their handwriting or journaling, it is still better to add something different to your scrapbook page every once in a while. Alphabet stickers are great for scrapbook page titles – they add that extra jazz. They are also pretty easy to use and not so expensive. There are a variety of font designs and colors available out there so you won’t have a hard time choosing the best alphabet stickers for your scrapbook kit collection.

Wood Veneers

Like stickers, adhesive wood veneers can add flow and movement to your scrapbook page. It can make certain areas and spots on your page pop! These scrapbook embellishments come in different shapes, sizes, and colors! Some wood veneers in various shapes like triangle, circle, square, rectangle, hearts, etc. There are also wood veneers that form words – from family and love to sweet and hugs. These wooden adhesive veneers will surely add dimension and texture to your scrapbook page.

Enamel Dots

Never underestimate the power of enamel dots! They might be tiny but they do pack a punch! Adding a few enamel dots here and there will add interest to any scrapbook page. These colorful scrapbook embellishments usually come in different-sized circles, but there are other shapes like heart, diamond, triangle, etc. Enamel dots are must-haves in your scrapbook kit. They are so useful and versatile that you can even make them the focal point of your page! Don’t have alphabet stickers or sentiment stamps for your titles? Use enamel dots to spell out words! Want to add movement to your page? Try creating shapes using enamel dots! The creative possibilities are truly endless.

Now that you know which 5 scrapbook embellishments are essential, don’t waste any more time looking around. Grab these from your favorite online store and grow your scrapbook kit collection!