Holiday Projects

Holiday Window Decals

These make a great gift, or add pizzazz to your own holiday decorations. Better yet, they're very easy. All you need is an inkjet printer, clear decals, and a pair of scissors!

What You Do:

• Find festive clip art, family photos, your kids' drawings, anything you'd like on your PC.
• Load the clear decal stock into your printer, and print out one image at a time.
• Cut out each image with your scissors.
• Tear away the clear backing and adhere to any window, mirror, or glass surface.

Make Your Own Personalised Mouse Pad

This is a terrific gift idea, as nearly everyone you know uses a computer--either at home or at work (or both). You can create funky, fun, festive mouse pads for everyone on your list! Here's what you'll need:

• 3mm thick foam sheet (A4)
• Double-sided adhesive sheets (enough to cover the surface area of your mouse pad
• Inkjet coated, satin-finish fabric
• Coated inkjet paper
• Glossy-finish acrylic spray
• Sharp scissors or hobby knife

Here's What You Do:

Create a design for your mouse pad to fit on an A4 page. You can use anything you'd like: family photos, cute pics of the pets, your favorite work of art, your own work of art, or funny festive clip art--just choose a design with a clean outer edge that can be easily cut. The smallest you can go and still have a functional mouse pad is about 20.3 X 17.8 cm.

Print an initial copy of your design on coated paper using the normal setting; this will be your proof. Check your image for size, colour, and contrast and adjust it to your liking. Remember, colours will look different (usually darker) when printed on the fabric.

Print the final copy of your design on satin fabric according to the manufacturer's instructions. Allow the ink to dry completely.

Spray the fabric printout with the glossy acrylic spray, then let it dry again.

Peel away the backing from one side of the adhesive and apply it to the back side of your printed fabric so that the entire design area is covered all the way to (or past) the edges. If you have to apply the adhesive sheets in several sections, line up the edges side by side instead overlapping them to avoid a bumpy mouse pad.

Cut the design out, leaving an 0.3 cm margin all the way around.

Remove the other side of the backing from the adhesive and mount your printed design carefully on the craft foam sheet.

Finally, cut around the outside of the design with scissors or a hobby knife to trim your mouse pad into shape.

Make a "Family Faces" Holiday Calendar

Here's what you need:

• Card stock (A4 sheet)
• Glossy inkjet printing paper (A4 sheet)
• Lexmark Inkjet printer
• Family photos stored on your PC or CD-ROM
• Clip art images
• Hobby knife
• Cardboard to cut on
• Glue

Creating the Calendar

You will need one photo for every day of the month on your computer screen--or you can duplicate some if you'd like. Lay them out side by side in rows of seven for all but the first and last weeks (dependant on the month!). Size them all exactly the same, and place them exactly the same distance apart. Leave at least five cm at the top of the page for text.

Print a proof copy on an ordinary sheet of paper. When you're happy with what you see, print on your A4 sheet of card stock. Set it aside to dry.

Now, you need one holiday clip-art image for every day of the month (again, you can duplicate if you'd like). Lay these images out on your screen in exactly the same spaces and dimensions as your photographs. Add a decorative border to each image if you'd like, and a message at the top of the page that says something like "Happy Holidays, 2005" or anything else you'd like.

Print a proof copy. When you're happy with what you've got, print the images out on an A4 cm sheet of glossy inkjet paper. Make sure it's completely dry before proceeding.

Lay your sheet of paper with the clip art images on a surface that you can cut on (we suggest a sheet of cardboard). Use your hobby knife to cut along the top, right, and bottom edges of each image. Do not cut along the left edge!

Putting It Together

Turn your clip art sheet over, and run a thin line of glue around the edges of the sheet. Dot more glue throughout the center of the sheet, avoiding the "doors." Carefully set the sheet with clip art over the sheet with photographs, lining up each image. Let it dry.

Now, if you fold back each little door, you will see a family photo peeking out! Make several of these for gifts for all of your family members!