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.

And a zoom-in view:

Cleaning is easy, just wipe with dry newspapers and a glass cleaner!

Merry Christmas everyone.

Feel free to print out the stencils below to save some time! They fit in an A4 sized paper, and make sure you uncheck 'fit to page' before printing.

Big Snowflake, 12 cm Width

Holly Stencil, 14 cm Width

Small Snowflake, 9 cm Width

Candy Cane, 14cm Width

Messy Desk Creative Mind

So, I came across this brilliant article on Forbes (click here, it opens a new window) and I can't tell you how much I agree with it. It goes to show I was right about choosing my field of work ever since I was a child.

The article quoted Einstein allegedly saying, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?" I'm obviously going to re-quote this the next time someone comes up to me commenting on my messy table. Genius me.  

You're obviously not going to believe me when I say my desk is like an office version of a war zone or a post-typhoon scene, so I've very kindly attached a photo of my desk taken in May. Don't ask me why I even took such a picture in the first place, just believe me when I say I wasn't taking part in the Neatest Desk Award in the office.

Lo and behold! Here you go:

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Messiest Desk Award of the Decade goes to *drum rolls* ME!

Hence, I hereby confess, that I have a very messy desk creative mind indeed - my desks (actually, my room, my cabinets, my floors and my shoe racks and whatever you can think of) have been messy for the longest time in history. Of course, I'm not exactly living in a sty, and obviously I did a few spring cleanings every now and then, but sooner or later (more often than not sooner), they go back to their original state and there is nothing much I can do about it. AND since they always go back to their original state, what really is the point of putting those things in place? 

That much said, I'd very much like to categorise my pile of rubbish things as a pile of 'Organised Mess', but not many people seem to believe me when I tell them that. I do admit that my eraser doesn't seem to like me and loves to hide somewhere whenever I need it, so does my ruler, as I think it's jealous of the measuring tape which I hang around my neck (and sometimes forget it's there), but other than that, I don't have much trouble looking for my stuffs. =] 

Update: I have since tried to be a little less creative after sending the above photo to Emily, as she was shocked beyond words. Worried that I might lose a friend over some intangible creativity, I decided to keep the friend and do a little clean up, much to the surprise of my work mates the next day when they see the all new tidy and clean desk. Alright alright, I know it still isn't tidy and clean like any normal desks but please refer to the photo above and tell me that I've done a pretty good job at least. 

And this will not last very long. =]