With Christmas just around the corner the experts from Spotlight share their top five tips for creating easy and eye-catching decorations and designs..
1. Make it personal: so much of the impact of a DIY gift is knowing it was made precisely for you. Our Felt Name Flags project is perfect for teen bedrooms.
2. Make it on-trend: we all eye off beautifully made, one-of-a-kind handcrafts and wish we could do it ourselves – well give it a go! Most DIY projects just need a little patience and a lot of ‘can do’ attitude. Try these upcycled vases!
3. Make it a sweet treat: a little bit of effort goes a long way when you’re baking or making sweets such as rocky road or sugar cookies. Better still, you can get the kids involved! Wrap them up in a Christmas treat bag and finish with festive ribbon.
4. Make it together: gifts for family and friends don’t have to be perfect, and involving the kids is the ideal way to keep little hands busy once school finishes. Hand-beaded jewellery such as these earrings and bracelet are a great task to take on together (with adequate supervision, of course)
5. Make it practical: give something they can use and they’ll think of you every day! For the techy on the go, try these felt cord organisers.
When it comes to the best craft trends for this year's Christmas Spotlight recommends handmade gifts made with love, because they never go out of style.
From sewing a patchwork stocking to making your own jewellery, you cannot go wrong with handmade.
This year Spotlight is loving the huge range of craft and DIY projects you can make with cutting machines such as the Cricut Joy – a pint-sized but powerful programmable tool that cuts through paper, fabric and more.
Soap making just got easier with the We’R’Memory Keepers Suds Machine – a soap moulding machine everyone can use.
DIY jewellery making and beading is also making a big comeback and is a fantastic craft activity to do with the kids – from gifts for the grandparents to friendship and charm bracelets, try getting started with Ribtex Bead Strands.
Macrame has exploded in popularity in the past year. It is no longer a mumsy 70’s craft, Spotlight has a huge range of cords as well as DIY kit, and a great selection of macramé projects and other free DIY tutorials at spotlightstores.com/nz
Markers and sketchbooks, stickers and paints are fantastic stocking stuffers for crafty kids and with brands like Crayola, Faber Castell, Francheville and more, there’s something to satisfy every creative whim at Spotlight.
So what are the best suggestions for a typical festive Kiwi Christmas meal? Head outdoors! With ‘social distancing’ being the buzzword this year, make for a more relaxed family get together by dining al fresco.
With melamine servingware, napery, aprons, and even festive welcome mats, you won’t have to worry about pulling out the good china this year. Add a splash of Kiwiana to your festivities with our native flora and fauna adorned tablecloths and napkins, Kiwi Printed Apron and Oven Gloves.
Spotlight has fantastic Christmas themed disposable tableware, gift wrapping and crackers so you can achieve a coordinated look from tree to table with minimal fuss, and even less washing up!
If COVID-19 scuppered your plans for seeing family this year from across the ditch or around the world, make the family Zoom a little more fun with costumes and accessories including our inflatable reindeer costume, light up festive earrings, or go glam with a Sequinned Santa hat.
As NZ’s number one destination for all things DIY, Spotlight is encouraging every Kiwi to have a go at making something special this Christmas. Whether it’s getting out the sewing machine to make patchwork placemats, to ruching a wreath for your front door, or going full crochet to gift a beach backpack, there’s a DIY project to suit every taste, family member and skill level.
This article was created for Spotlight NZ
