Are you ready? From here on it’s holiday season all the way, and I kicked things off with a festive craft party hosted in partnership with Martha Stewart Living. I invited a few talented friends to join me for an afternoon of hands-on holiday decorating. Since I don’t do a traditional Christmas look, I took inspiration from my gumball stirrers—black-and-white stripes, the Martha Stewart Jingle Brights ornament collection, and bold pops of honeycomb color. The result: a bright, modern holiday vibe, Studio DIY style. Scroll through to see highlights from the party and download the free printable invitations, recipe and craft cards that Sarah designed to help you host your own gathering.
One of the nontraditional ornament projects Martha Stewart shared was an ornament chandelier. We put our own spin on it by mixing in colorful honeycombs for a playful, layered effect.
Our theme was Mix & A-Mingle, and guests relaxed on fluffy floor pillows while crafting ornaments and decorations. A key hosting tip: prepare as much as you can in advance so your guests can jump right into the creative part. I pre-strung ornaments and honeycombs on fishing line so everything was ready to assemble. I also used the craft materials as part of the table styling—practical and pretty.
When crafting wrapped up, we hung each chandelier so everyone could admire the finished pieces. I loved seeing how unique each one turned out—those color combinations were so fun and unexpected.
Of course we had sweets and festive drinks. My gumball drink stirrers made a comeback to jazz up the cocktails, and I color-coordinated the cookies using sanding sugar and sprinkles to match the party palette. The cookies were lemon spice—easy to make and delicious. Be sure to keep an eye on baking time, as ovens can vary.
Print the recipe and cocktail cards at the end of the post to recreate the menu at your own gathering.
All photos by Mary Costa Photography. Party printables by Very Sarie. Party decor and styling by Studio DIY.
To download the printable party invitation, recipe card and craft card, click the printable file included with this post.
Find more about the party and the recipes used on Martha Stewart.
A heartfelt thank you to Marissa, Callie, Sarah, Chelsea, Leah and Amanda for getting crafty and helping bring this celebration to life—well before the holiday rush.
All product featured in this post was provided by the Martha Stewart Living team as part of The Home Depot’s ‘Tis the Season of Doing holiday campaign.