13 Alternative Christmas Trees

So the Festive Season is around the corner and if I go by shopping mall decorations, I should have already posted this in October. Here are a few alternatives to the beloved Christmas tree. And why would you need an alternative? Well if you're like me, I will be out in the mountains and that calls for an alternative to the Christmas tree. 

If you have spare space on your wall add some washi tape

Washi tape makes everything better. There are so many different colours and variations and best of all if you mess up, just pull it off and start again. Click here if you would like to get your hands on some lovely washi tape.

Paper Craft Trees

Get your paper crafting on with these easy to assemble trees. Instead of one tree, why not create a tree curtain by sewing paper strips together? Get the whole family involved with an origami tree . Use decorated paper for a more dramatic effect or plain paper and decorate it afterwards. For a mini tree use buttons to decorate and any one cut up paper into strips. Finally create strips of paper, glue or staple them together to create a chain.

Something for every one 

 Use your Christmas cards to create a tree or create an advent calendar. For the foodie, bake some festive cookies and arrange them in a tree shape. If said foodie is on a diet, use fruit or veggies to do the same. For book lovers, grab all of your summer reads and stack them up. (If you've joined the e-reader generation, then this is not for you). And finally for the wine connoisseur collect, those corks. Giving you a reason to try out new wines.

And if all else fails...

Grab a branch and make it your own.

*

The first decorated Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia in 1510.

Mosaic: make your own jewellery holder

I love to craft. Anytime that I can sit down and get lost in crafting, I am happy. My sibling knows this all too well and got me an awesome DIY mosaic kit for my birthday. After spending the better part of four months on my desk, I decided to finally open it up while binge watching Suits. 

I found it very therapeutic (could also have been the red wine) and decided to try some more. A few years before, while writing my thesis, I tried my hand at mosaic. I had a lot of time on my hands, and made a photo frame. It came out pretty well and sits on my mom's bookshelf. I then tried to make coasters for my dad, and when I gave them to him, and said I made them, he said "I can see that". That was the end of my mosaic. 

On a Saturday, I was running errands like grown ups do, when I decided to stop at the hardware store to get nails. I wondered around after at least three people asked if they could help - I must've had that helpless rookie look about me - when I discovered a mosaic studio. JACKPOT. 

Make your own jewellery holder

Wood board of your choice * Mosaic tiles (I liked red, mirror & gold) * Wood glue * Tile cutter *Grout *Hooks

• Smear the wood glue on the wood board
• Cut the tiles with the tile cutter
• Place the tiles on the glue
• Once covered, mix your grout & smear
• Allow to dry & then wash off excess grout
• Add the hooks

Recipe Book: make your own

I only learned to cook when I moved into digs with a group of my friends in my 3rd  year of university. To give you an indication my cooking skills before - a recipe I was making at home called for "frozen spinach". I went to the veg garden, grabbed some spinach, put it in a plastic bag and threw it in the freezer. My mom went to get something from the freezer and asked "What the hell is this?", I explained and my entire family packed out laughing. I have never lived that moment down. 

Once moving into digs, my friends and I cooked all the time and even harvested mullberries from the neighbour's garden to make a pie. I was on lookout duty. After varsity I moved to Taiwan. My new roomies and I went to a concert and got a free book. My friend Lauren suggested making a recipe book out of it, and that is how this one was born. 

Current DIY Recipe Book

My new Recipe Journal

I heart Origami: just fold

I found this awesome and super easy origami heart bookmark on How About Orange's blog. They have the most awesome DIYs - origami and non related origami posts. For more info on how to make this super easy heart >>>> click here

If reading a real book and using a bookmark is not your thing, you could also use the heart to make cupcake toppers:

Or stick them together and make this funky garland:

Fun fact: Origami (折り紙, from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper"  is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. The biggest risk of taking up origami is getting a paper cut, and as we all know those are the worst. 

Sew easy: I made a dress

For my birthday last year I got a sewing machine. My family always mocks me and says that I have taken on the "tannie" lifestyle. I love crafting and baking way too much. I am owning it. Over the holidays I decided to make a dress and this is how it turned out. 

I can't wait to perfect my dress making skills. 

Look what I made: a tablet cover

So yesterday my sister's boyfriend's tablet cover broke. I have been wanting to craft one of these bad boys for a while, but never had a tablet of my own to do so. The cover is kind of girly, as that is the only material I had lying around. I will make a more manly one over the holidays. 

Tablet with cover <

3 Advent Calendars that you can make

So the other day my buddy bought me my very own Advent Calendar. You would think that by now I would be over such things, but it makes my day awesome. Yesterday I almost forgot to eat my chocolate behind door number 3, but just before bed, I remembered. Luckily. 

Here are some cool advent calendars that you can make. 

1. Make a Christmas City

Taken from Mr Printables.

2. Extra Baggage Advent Calendar

Make your very own in this easy to follow tutorial from Lovely Things.  What I like mod about this is that the little gifts are not limited to chocolates, heck you could put entire boxes of chocolates in these bad boys. 

3. Advent Calendar turned Christmas Tree Ornament

How cool are these from MiniEco? And best of all after carefully removing your gift, you could string these back together and add them to your Christmas Tree. 

A little bit about the History of the Advent Calendar (in easy to read point form)

• The first printed Advent Calendar, although without windows to open, was published in 1908.
• At the beginning of the 20th Lang produced the first Advent Calendars with little doors to open.
• World War II terminated the success of this German tradition. 
• The cardboard was rationed and it was forbidden to produce Calendars with pictures. 
• The first printed speciems after the war were printed by Richard Sellmer in 1946.

For your Face: Make your own muesli

The other day at work, one of my colleagues was saying how she had made her own muesli and that it was super easy to do. So I made some myself. It is so easy to make, you know exactly what goes in it and best of all it more delicious than any store bought muesli. 

Mix 500g oats and 200g desiccated coconut. Toast for 15 minutes.

 Melt 1 cup maple syrup or honey, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. 

Bring to the boil and stir for 1 minute.

Add the syrup mixture to the toasted oats mixture. 

Add in some dried fruit. 

Line a tray with wax paper. 

Add the mixture and flatten out. Put in the oven until toasted (about 30 minutes) at 180 C. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

It goes great with milk or yogurt or just as is. Yum. Now feed your face. 

DIY: A Place for Pretty, Shiny Things

Brace Yourself: DIY Bracelets

There are some pretty awesome bracelets around at the moment that are to DIY for. Here are three of my favourites that look pretty easy to make. 

1. It's a Wrap

Made by Honestly WTF

What I love about these wrap bracelets by Honestly WTF is that the colour combinations are  endless. They are also very easy to make. Click here to go Honestly WTF and follow her awesome tutorial. I think a black and white one would look very cool. This website also has some other tutorials that you should definitely check out.

2. Knot just another bracelet

Made by Thanks, I Made It

Well this bracelet will rope you in to crafting. It is that easy to make. Click here to learn how to make one of your very own by Thanks, I Made It. I would make a navy blue one. You know to keep up with the whole Nautical trend that is so last season.

3. String Theory

Made by MiniEco

This is real DIY. You can get all the supplies that you need from the hardware store. Click here to visit MiniEco to learn how to make one. You should go to there as they have some awesome craft projects.

And there you have it. Three awesome bracelets that you can make. You wrist will thank you for this awesome arm candy.