DIY ornaments, accessories, cooking & home remedies with Lierac Paris

With the craziness of the holidays and the cold creeping up on us, we’re all in need of a luxury “me” day – at least I know I am! And what better way to relax and get into the holiday spirit than with an at-home spa and DIY day? I spent this past weekend pampering myself and creating a Christmassy wonderland in my apartment – almost all from scratch!

There’s nothing like a few wintery touches around your home to set the tone for the holidays. These are my two favorite (and easy!) DIY decoration tips:

I’ve made dried orange slices for the holidays with my mom ever since I can remember – they are great to hang on a tree or in a window – and as an added bonus, they make the house smell delicious while baking! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Slice the orange(s) into very thin slices, horizontally.
2. Bake in the oven at low heat for 1-2 hours
3. When they have dried and cooled, make a hole near the outer edge and thread onto a pretty ribbon – I usually go for thin gold and glittery ribbon (like this one), but different colors look great too! You can also use wire or fishing line.

Take a look at this website I found for more tips on drying orange slices!
Photo credit: Diane Rixon.

This is another favorite of mine. Go for a walk in the park and pick up some pine cones and leaves – I like picking out all different sizes. Then buy a can or two of spray paint – gold and silver are my favorites, red also looks great! Et voilà! Easy peazy tree ornament, centerpiece, side table decoration – anything you want!

Photo credit: Style Estate


As I was in a crafty mood, I decided to check out this great DIY website, P.S. - I made this… – she makes the greatest accessories and clothes from scratch, and I found some great ideas for holiday accessories! Here were my two favorite:


Revive a pair of old pumps with a bow – all you need is fabric or ribbon, a glue gun, scissors, and Velcro!
Click here for the step-by-step.





A pair of rhinestone earrings! All you need is earring wire, rope, a glue gun, and rhinestones!
Click here for instructions!



With these 2 accessories, you’re ready for all the holiday parties you’re invited to! And the best part? You’ll be asked where you bought your shoes :)

For those of you who prefer to exercise your creativity in the kitchen, here is one of my favorite Christmas traditions: La Bûche de Noël (Yule Log) is a staple for French families during the holidays. The symbolism of the Bûche de Noël dates back to the Middle Ages when families would find a thick log that would be burned on Christmas Eve, and was meant to burn until the new year. The burning of the log on Christmas Eve was accompanied a small ceremony, and the log was decorated with ribbons.

Nowadays, la Bûche de Noël is a spongecake generally filled with chocolate buttercream, and decorated to look like a real log with meringue mushrooms, powdered sugar to look like snow, and sometimes little figurines like Santa, elves, or an axe. I found 2 recipes that I liked the look of, but you can customize your Yule Log according to taste!
Good Housekeeping recipe
Martha Stewart recipe

Photo from Betty Crocker

Finally, the best way to end a day that included a walk in the cold, arts & crafts, and baking, is with an at-home spa night using my favorite Lierac products!