phNomming in the Penh: Simple DIY Christmas Deco for Just About Anyone

Yes I agree, that it is a little too late to still be out and about for christmas decorations since it is literally just 5 more days to Christmas. But with all the work piling on, I kinda pushed decorations (not AS important as proper business perception-wise) to the back, doing it by bits and pieces in whatever pockets of time we have.

Anyway, this post is about creating stencil art with artificial snow spray! Its fun and its easy to execute, and most importantly, easy to CLEAN UP!

You'd need:
1 Cutter
1 Small roll of sticky tape
Few Plastic Sheets, amount depending on how many stencils you'd want to create
Few Common Paper
Few Artificial Snow Spray cans (see below where to get in Phnom Penh)

Good to have:
Adobe Illustrator software (lol, nothing is easier than drawing it on Illustrator)
or
Pencil, Eraser & Ruler

Step 1:
Search on google for whatever you wish to create (snowflakes/snowman etc.) to get some inspirations and ideas. In my case I looked for 'snowflake stencils', 'holly stencils', 'candy cane stencils'. Save the images and print them out! If you like any of the images I made below, I've attached them at the bottom of this post so feel free to download it. They fit in an A4 sized paper, and make sure you uncheck 'fit to page' before printing. =]

If you do not have a printer, you could just sketch the stencils out on paper. Look for a simple design to start with.

I wanted a more special touch to the designs, so I created the designs in Adobe Illustrator.

Step 2:

Stick your sketch/printout on to a plastic sheet big enough for your design. Make sure that it is secure and does not move when you're cutting it.

Step 3:

Use the cutter to cut out the areas, in my case the areas to cut out are the ones shaded. Make sure you cut through the plastic sheet, and be sure to use a cutting mat! =]

Step 4:

When you have your stencil cut, make sure there is at least a 12cm border from the edge of the design to the edge of the plastic sheet. If not, you could always add some extra areas with more plastic sheets with your sticky tape. This is to ensure that when you spray the artificial snow, there is enough plastic to catch any stray mist.

And... You're done!

All that is left is the fun part.

I use these Snow Spray cans that I got from the IBC (International Book Center) in the city (Phnom Penh). They cost $1.20 each, so I reckon buying about 4 would be more than enough to decorate any glass surfaces in your house.

AND SPRAY AWAY!

Do a few tests on the surface before you go crazy with spraying of course. =]

Tip: You don't have to be too meticulous with cutting straight lines as the spraying would even out any jagged edges you have on the stencil.