Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean its time to get rid of your strand lights. Dress them up for winter with a few fun and easy options — paper snowflakes, tissue snowballs, and tulle snowflakes. We could all use a little extra light in our winter days!
Materials:
– white paper
– white tissue paper
– white tulle
– strand lights
– yarn
Tools:
– scissors
Instructions:
1. Create paper snowflakes with your white paper and scissors to create a strand of snowflake lights.
2. Make snowballs lights with crumbled white tissue paper and yarn.
3. For more whimsical winter lights, use strips of tulle tied around each individual light.
Now, let’s get started!
Paper Snowflake Lights: First, we’ll show you how to create a strand of snowflake lights made from paper snowflakes, just like the ones you made in grade school!
First, cut your paper down to a square 8 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches. Then, cut your square into 4 smaller squares (4 1/4 inches x 4 1/4 inches). Fold your square diagonally into a triangle twice.
Next, cut your triangle at the center folded angle (make a very small cut so that it fits snuggly on the light) and then cut out various triangles
Finally, unfold for your snowflake and place on your lights!
Tissue Snowball Lights: Not only can you use you repurpose your Christmas lights, but your leftover tissue paper as well!
Cut a strip of tissue paper to create your snowball — you can use new or used tissue paper for this. Use a finger to wrap the tissue paper around. Gather your tissue paper together at the end where your finger was securing the paper and poke one of your lights through the gathered part.
Secure all the tissue together and to the strand of lights with yarn. So sweet!
Tulle Snowball Lights: Using tulle to create snowballs gives them a soft and whimsical glow.
Cut 5 strips of white tulle approximately 5 inches x 1 1/2 inches for each light (you can use more strips if you want your light to have more “poof”). Tie your strips around your light.
Once your strips are tied, trim the edges down to make all the strips equal and even them out around the light for a snowball effect!
And there you have it! A few fun ways to warm up your lights! Just make sure to keep an eye on your lights as adding paper to them can create a fire hazard.
What are your favorite winter party projects? Talk to us in the comments below.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.