The Festive Season: Six Weekend DIY Projects

The festive season is approaching fast and now is the best time to get your home ready to embrace it. For some of us this time is saved for holiday adventures, while others are looking to just relax.

Whether you are getting prepared for some serious entertaining at your home, of wanting to create a festive getaway for your family – set aside a weekend and check out these easy DIY projects/

1. Set the Scene 

The festive season is all about celebrating, having friends and family over and enjoying some much earned entertaining and relaxing time. Welcoming your guests into a beautiful presented living area can make all the difference in setting the scene. Soft throws and brightly coloured cushions will give your lounge a pick-me-up whilst beanbags are the perfect portable seats for the young visitors.

Investing in some simple coffee tables will provide you with plenty of surface space for glasses or champagne or cups of tea and a festive centre piece will make an appealing project.

2. Cool Shades

Whether you’re heading into summer or winter for the festive season, installing good quality curtains and blinds is essential for climate control. You want something that will insulate your home all year round, fit with your current décor style and of course add a little value to your home.

Whilst most curtains and blinds offer some sort of heat protection, sunscreen roller blinds are particularly renowned for their versatility and superb insulation in the most extreme summer and winter climates. Roman blinds are a fantastic option for those that love the luxurious drapes of curtains but require the mechanisms of blinds, and plantation shutters can offer an elegant look with strength and durability.

3. Deck out Your Patio Area

There’s no better way to make the most of the great outdoors than with a perfectly decked out patio area – created simply to bring you hours of endless fun, comfort and an attractive focal point for your home. Heading into the festive season, it’s the best time to start checking your deck over for safety hazards such as loose balustrades or splintering wood.

If it’s looking a little tired, use the weekend to sand the hardwood back and apply a few coats of fresh polish on it to get looking new again. You can dress up the alfresco dining by purchasing new furniture, changing the lighting around to alter the mood dynamics or adding a new built in feature like a hot tub or outside kitchen.

4. Bright Ideas

Outdoor lighting is not only a great safety feature, but it can create dramatic moods and enhance certain focal points in your garden. Even better, at this time of year, lighting gives you the opportunity to have a little fun – especially when there are children involved.

There is nothing more like getting into the festive spirit than taking a drive around the neighbourhood to check out which house has the best fairy lights. So want the best-lit house on the block? The secret is getting the right mix. You can go the whole way and create Santa’s second home, or you can just do something simple but striking.  Play up your home’s features, such as a bay window with icicle lights or you can give your Christmas scene some depth with shimmering path lights. For something really simple, a tree or two with lit up trunks can look amazing with spiral lights wrapped around – pick the most unique looking tree in your front yard and work with that.

5. Add a Little Colour

Colour is the perfect (and easiest!) way to refresh a home and change the atmosphere completely. Consider the climate you’re heading into and how you can work its colours into your home. Working in some fall colours into your current décor can add some autumn spice, or keep things looking cool with soothing blues and summery yellows.

You don’t have to completely turn your house upside to paint everything, keep it simple and add some coloured photo frames or painting a feature wall can brighten things up. For the outside of your house, you might want to repaint the front door or go around the gutters with a bright and vibrant colour that will complement neutral coloured walls.

6. The Final Touches of the Christmas Spirit 

There’s nothing like celebrating Christmas than with a brilliantly decorated Christmas tree, matched with some stockings stuffed with presents to compliment. There is something pretty spectacular about having a real Christmas tree glistening with colour in your lounge room and loaded with presents underneath and it definitely creates a fresh and inviting atmosphere.  On the other hand, artificial ones can also have their benefits too and will last for more than the one year – whatever you decide, be sure to add some candy canes.

This post is written by guest contributor Jayde Ferguson, who writes for Curtain World, Perth’s largest range of blinds and curtains.