Holiday DIY «

{Get your tools ready: Pine Cones (forage them in your neighborhood/woods or buy them at a craft store), Spray Paint, Twine (or any string you like), Gold Leaf (available at most craft stores, or online here), Glitter, Screw Eye Hooks (I got mine at Home Depot).}

{Take your Cones outside (or in a well-ventilated area), and spray until you achieve the color saturation you like. Let dry for about 15 minutes.}

{Once your Cones are almost dry (still slightly tacky), apply the Gold Leaf and use a sponge tool or brush (even a soft toothbrush will do) to dust off the excess Leaf.}

{Use your Glitter liberally on your non-gold Cones!}

{Yay! Gold & Pink Glittery Goodness!}

{Using either your fingers or a pair of pliers, gently screw a hook eye into the top of each Pine Cone.}

{Line up your Cones in the order you’d like them to hang on your finished Garland. Then knot your twine, evenly spaced, onto each Eye Hook. }

{VOILA! Your beautiful, sparkly, & glamorous Garland is ready to be hung wherever your Holiday Heart desires (in my case, over my fireplace!}

What would the Holidays be without a super glam & fun DIY!? This Pine Cone Garland is easy and will cost little money to make. I decided to add pops of bright & glittery pink to mine, but you can let your imagination go wild with color choices here…..add some deep red for a true Christmas feel, or some green….or maybe even black for a more edgy look.

This was my first time working with Gold Leaf, and let me tell you – I now have the urge to literally Gold Leaf everything in sight!!!

{All images by Miss Renaissance.}

{Get all of your tools ready before you start your candle-making adventure! I used this candle-making kit. P.S. the glitter was not used in this project, although you could most definitely add a sprinkling of glitter to the tops of your candles while they’re almost dry!}

{In a double boiler, melt the wax to 185 degrees F. Take off the stove, add your desired amount of color/scent, and let the wax cool to 125 degrees F…}

{…then pour the wax into your candle containers (vintage tea cups in my case). Make sure to fill them all the way to the top, the candles will be extra pretty that way!}

{Wait 5 minutes, then insert the wicks into your candle while the wax is still liquid.}

{If necessary, place a wooden stick/toothpick on the rim of your candle to hold the wick in place & keep it centered. Remove the stick/toothpick after a few minutes (before the wax starts to dry) to avoid leaving a mark in the wax!}

{Voila! After about 1-2 hours of drying, your candles will be ready to use.}

{To create the perfect Ombre Effect, heat several batches of wax with different amounts of dye in each batch. In my case, I heated & poured 5 separate batches of wax. I added 7 drops of red/pink dye to my 1st batch of wax, 5 drops to the 2nd, 3 drops to the 3rd, 1 drop to the 4th, and no dye to the 5th.}

{This candle adds a perfect touch of vintage & girly whimsy to my coffee table!}

Who’s ready for a fun DIY just in time for the Holidays?! I’ve seen this type of DIY floating around the internet in a few different variations, and have been dying to put my own spin on it.

On a recent Flea Market outing I came across this adorable set of vintage tea cups. The intricate pattern & gold accents drew me in immediately (and so did the low price tag!) I knew I probably wouldn’t use the cups for actual tea-drinking….which meant the perfect time for attempting my Ombre Candle DIY had arrived. I bought a soy candle starter kit online (your local craft store might have these kits as well), and as you can see, the project was a success! Candle-making is pretty simple, as long as you work carefully and follow instructions.

These cuties will make great little Holiday gifts for friends & loved ones. They smell delicious, (I chose a scent combo of orange & Holiday spruce, but vanilla or a floral scent would be nice, too) and look unexpected & glam on a coffee table or lined up as a center piece for a dinner party. If you don’t have vintage cups on hand, you could use mason jars, simple glass votive holders, or even old jam jars for this. The possibilities really are endless.

I hope you give it a try…homemade gifts (even if they’re just for yourself) are always special!

{All Photos by Miss Renaissance.}

Tag Archives: Holiday DIY

It’s DIY Time {Holiday Edition}

It’s DIY Time {Ombre Candles}

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