5 creative DIY décor and gift ideas to try this Christmas

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without reams of sparkly tinsel and fairy lights draped over the tree, the sound of Christmas crackers popping and old photo albums on the coffee table for loved ones to reminisce over. It’s a wonderful time of year when the whole family can join in on the fun of filling their home with spirit and festive cheer - so why not spice things up this year with these out-of-the-box ideas that you can easily make using an Epson home printer.

Deck the halls with happy memories

If you don’t already have one, a family photo wall is a must in every home - especially over the holidays when family and friends are over. To make your own wall of memories, print and mount a series of your favourite photographs to hang up in the hallway, or at the entrance to your family room. There’s no need to face the nightmare of endless queues at the mall just to have your photos developed – the Epson L365 lets you print high-quality photos in the comfort of your own home in just a few seconds. You can also free those long-lost photos trapped in everyone’s smartphone by printing wirelessly using the Epson L365 nifty Wi-Fi capability function.

Create your own custom wrapping paper

Everyone looks forward to the sight of colourfully-wrapped packages nestled under the tree on Christmas morning. Taking the time to wrap a present for a loved one is what tells them you really care, but making your own wrapping paper adds a personal touch to your gift that anyone would appreciate. You can design it yourself or search online for free printables, particularly if you’re not the most creative person in the family. To top it all off, you can make your own gift bow using gift ribbon or colourful printed paper.

The perfect gift for Instagram addicts

There’s always that one family member who is known for their love of selfies, whose time is most spent choosing the perfect filter and caption on Instagram. For those avid ‘Instagrammers’ in your family, a printed collection of all their favourite photos is the perfect gift this Christmas. While there are tons of services online that can do this for you, there is no match – once again – for a gift you’ve made yourself, and it is a far less expensive way to go. Using a home photo-printer such as the Epson L850, set each photo on a white background, creating a border of about 10mm from the edge. Print and cut out each photo, which you can then arrange on a large framed board. You can also include wires and pegs that your loved one can attach to the wall to display the photos.

DIY Christmas table decorations and accessories

The perfect table for Christmas day entails much more than the perfect roast. Sitting down to a table decorated with bells and baubles makes for a far more festive lunch, and it doesn’t have to involve that much effort. Craft your own miniature paper Christmas trees by printing your own patterned paper (your custom wrapping paper design will do just fine) in various colours according to your theme. For an added surprise, you can also use the wrapping paper design you created to make your own Christmas crackers – you can find a simple tutorial for this, here.

Give your guests a recipe gift basket to take home

Leave your guests wanting more with a simple gift basket containing the recipe and ingredients for one of your favourite signature dishes. This is a great way to give your guests something memorable that they will not only love but will remember you for all year long.

Measure out the exact quantities of each ingredient and place these in homemade paper bags tied with ribbons. You could also make your own paper bags using your home printer and a little sticky tape with this easy-to-follow tutorial. Place any liquid ingredients in mason jars, and print out the ingredient names on label stickers. If you don’t already have a label printer the Epson LW-600P allows you to customise the front size, type and boarder pattern to make each label more personal. Finally, print out and place the recipe in each basket.

Breathe new life into Christmas 2015 with these unconventional ideas for décor and gifting that will impress your loved ones to no end. Who knows, these may work their way into your family’s most-loved Christmas traditions for years to come.

For more information on the various Epson home printers, visit www.epson.co.za or call 011 465 9621.

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