General
Create Handmade Holiday Decorations
After the scent of the Thanksgiving turkey and all the fixings have faded, thoughts of decorating your home for the next round of holidays begins. So, wouldn’t it be nice to skip the plastic pieces found at almost every retailer or inflated characters found sadly deflated during the day?
Have Fun! Create Handmade Decorations
Have you ever thought of trying to create handmade holiday decorations? Using cut pieces of hardwood, fencing, pallets, or small mosaic tiles – splash with paint, creatively carve, sprinkle with glitter, or dazzle with bows. This time of year, there are multitudes of magazine articles and websites featuring decorating and design tips. Pinterest is great for ideas. So, find a design you love and have fun creating your very own special seasonal decorations. If you have young children, they’ll enjoy making their own art pieces, and at the same time, form happy memories of sharing special time together with you. In turn, they could share their handmade art as gifts to family, friends and teachers.
Simple or ornate, religious or seasonal, big or small… the choice is yours! A good friend loves snowmen and they appear throughout her home. She paints beautiful, whimsical scenes on wood, fencing and slates. Best of all, snowmen can stay past the holidays and decorate a home all winter long.
And while you may have to look around for them, wooden toys are still handmade by craftsmen. Movable trucks and cars, wagons filled with blocks, fancy dollhouses; dominoes, chess, checkers and backgammon games; plus puzzles and rocking horses can be made using beautiful hardwoods.
In addition, working with leftover wood from fencing or home projects is a great way to recycle and reuse.
Remember, you don’t have to be a professional artist to create handmade holiday decorations. Find your inspiration and enjoy!
All artwork courtesy of Elizabeth Hattoy Joyal. Photos used by permission. Liz is a local artist residing in West Warwick, RI. She enjoys shopping for wood products at our West Warwick Builders Surplus store.