Christmas Build - Better Than CSS and HTML
The Build
This build has absolutely nothing to do with CSS and HTML - sure it would probably have been easier to build in HTML and CSS, but definitely not as fun or as satisfying!
Just because I “build things for the web” doesn’t mean I can’t “build things for my family”
Christmas In Australia
This is the first Christmas in about 3 years I have been at home in Australia. It’s hot and no chance of snow…except for what comes out of a can!
My wife and I decided we would decorate a bit for this years family party which is at our house. We have a pretty nice garden that is always fantastic to rest in and we’ve decorated it with the obligatory lights.
Although I must admit, our last few Christmas seasons have been in Thailand and it is embarassing how fantastic their decorations are: Australia is supposed to be a christian country and Thailand a buddhist country, but they make Aussie stuff look like an afterthought!
Part 1 - The Sign Post
Right! So we decided to build a few things. It started of we wanted a sign to direct our guests around the back of the house. Our idea was to put up a sign that said “North Pole”.
Ok, so we are closer to the South Pole, but hey, let’s keep with the spirit!
Anyway it evolved from stuff we had around the house:
- spare christmas decorations
- an old snack tin we painted
- an unused climbing plant trellis
- cardboard, foam, tape
- some scrap wood
- and a cheapo bubble machine we bought from Jaycar
It is now not just a pleasant sign, it is interactive! No matter who you are you can’t resist trying to catch or pop a bubble!
Part 2 - The North Pole
While at the hardware shop getting some more garden supplies I saw them throwing out a very tall and solid cardboard tube - perfect to build a “North Pole”. They were happy to let me take it.
I grabbed a few more things:
- some wood for the base
- support brackets and some screws
- red and white cloth adhesive
Perfect! I wasn’t quite sure about the sphere at the top yet - I had seen some foam spheres at the craft shop but we ended up using the glow ball night light next to my son’s bed. The base still needs to be painted, but we’re happy with the results!
Merry Christmas Everyone!