Take A Can Of Gold Spray Paint....... 
by Colleen Moulding 
All That Women Want

Add some glitz to your decorations with just a can of spray paint. Choose silver for a cool ice palace look or gold for a traditional gleam scheme. 

Below is a list of ordinary items that become beautiful Christmas decorations with a few thin coats of spray paint. Hunt around the house, not forgetting the craft and sewing cupboards and you will probably find lots more items to transform. 

• Pine cones. Attach a florist's wire and push into foam while painting. Pile into baskets or clear vases or attach a ribbon and real or fake greenery and use to decorate drawer and door knobs all around the house. 
    

• Dried flowers that are past their best come alive again with a quick spray. Split up inexpensive silk flowers, like a bunch of poinsettias and use with the gold dried flowers. and a few cones for a pretty Christmas display. 
    

• Ivy, whole strands to weave through decorations, wrap napkins or trail from displays, or single leaves to decorate wrapped presents or hand made cards. 
    

• Terracotta pots. Rub gently with sandpaper before spraying, add sand to the bottom and use as candle holders.
    

• Spray small branches or large twigs before winding tiny white lights through them to light up a dull corner or even instead of a tree if space is a problem.
    

• Make small bundles of twigs 3-4" long. Spray, leave to dry, then tie on to trees or swags with a pretty ribbon. 
    

• Spray pasta shapes for children to string, use as garland anywhere in the house. 
    

• Hot glue walnuts to each other to make little clusters that look fabulous when spray painted and can be added to wreaths, swags, anything! 
    

• Dig out those shells you've been wondering what to do with. Gleaming with gold they will look great on your holiday table or make an unexpected seasonal accent in the bathroom.
    

• Large seed pods look superb sprayed gold or silver. Use them in floral displays to add drama.
    

• Baubles and tree decorations that no longer match your scheme become useful again with a couple of light coats of gold or silver paint. 
    

• Apples and pears look gorgeous if you don't completely cover them. Add to mantle displays, swags and wreaths, indoors or out, but make sure that children know they must not eat them. 
    

• Baskets of any type look wonderful for Christmas fruit and floral displays when dressed up in their Christmas gold and decorated with a ribbon. To avoid the basket weave getting clogged up remember that two or three thin coats works much better than one thick one.
    

• Wrap little wads of paper with delicate white tissue paper, then swoosh gold or silver paint over them, not covering all of the white, before leaving to dry. Then tie on a gold or silver ribbon and use them to decorate the tree, swags, etc.
    

• Spray large flat pebbles or chunky stones to catch the light sitting among your candles.
    

• Spraying the outside of baby food or other small jars, makes an ideal home or votive candles to light your path or porch when visitors arrive. 
    

• Napkin rings that no longer match your table decor are easily transformed with a swish or two of your spray can. Add a coat of clear varnish for a longer lasting finish. 
    

• A set of mismatched photograph frames make a lovely display once sprayed, or an extra gift for Grandma if filled with family photographs. 
    

• Old artificial wreaths or tabletop trees can become beautiful again in minutes. Keep the spray very light for these, building up several coats to get the look you want or just swooshing over the tips. 
    

• Dough shapes. Use your cookie cutters to make star, tree, heart or moon shapes from salt dough. Make sure you make a hole to thread cord or ribbon through before drying in a very low oven or just leaving in a warm place for a few days before spraying. These look surprisingly opulent when added to swags or hung from the Christmas tree.
   

Note: Paint spraying is best done outside in the open air as it can be very toxic. Even outside you will need to protect the area with plastic sheeting or even old sheets you no longer need. Small items can be sprayed inside a cardboard box with the opening facing towards you as the sides stop the paint going everywhere. If you do have to work indoors, make sure you open all the windows and wear a mask. Be especially careful to keep items that you have spray painted away from fires and other heat sources such as radiators. 

Merry Christmas! 

Colleen Moulding  Copyright 2002

About the Author:    Colleen Moulding is owner/editor of http://www.allthatwomenwant.com a magazine and web guide for women everywhere covering home and decorating, parenting, saving money, organizing, gardening, women's biz. Subscribe to our FREE monthly ezine by sending a blank email message to allthatwomenwant-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and visit our Christmas pages at http://www.allthatwomenwant.com/xmasindex.htm