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PLANNING AHEAD
Speaking of holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving are always sneaking up
on me, leaving me with a turkey TV dinner or a tree like Charlie
Brown's. Not this year: Interior Decorating Guide Glenna Morton has 10
things to do right now to prepare for the holidays.
http://interiordec.about.com/homegarden/interiordec/library/weekly/aa102300a.htm
Elegant Bows for Easy Holiday Decor
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/homegarden/desrep/bows.shtml
Fold This Over I confess. When not chasing viruses I
like to
decorate my home. Glenna Morton helped me have a
fabulous holiday table with her napkin folding
techniques.
http://interiordec.about.com/library/bl_napkfold000.htm
CHRISTMAS STORAGE IDEA
If you get some of those big decorated tins as a gift during the
holidays, don't throw the container away when it is empty. After the
contents are eaten I use them for storing my Christmas ornaments and
other theme collections. The one decorated with Santa holds my Santa
ornaments and Santa Collection. The one with Angel theme holds my
tree tip angel and other angel ornaments etc.
Festive Holiday Card Display
Here's a fairly inexpensive way to decorate your mantle
with good tidings. String some gold cord from one end to
the other, spray paint clothespins in red or green and use
them to hang holiday cards.
Christmas Poinsettia
http://www.fernlea.com/xmas/poininfo.htm
Site offers Poinsettia care and selection information. . .
Christmas Poinsettia
http://www.fernlea.com/xmas/poininfo.htm
Information about one of the most beautiful of all decorations during the
Christmas season - the Poinsettia. Tips on selecting them; tips on the care
of them; legends they carry; and much more...
Light It Up!
Dazzle your guests - line your driveway
with weatherproof lights. Here's how:
Save plastic gallon ice-cream containers and coat
the inside with vegetable spray. Fill with water and
set outside. When partially frozen, insert a thick
candle in the center and freeze solid. Remove from
container. Light and line your driveway or walk.
For interior decorating hints, try The Mining Company's
Interior
Decorating site. You'll find do-it-yourself projects, wallpaper and
paint estimators, and more.
http://interiordec.miningco.com/
LAST MINUTE DECORATING IDEAS:
Place different sized red, white, or green pillar candles on clear glass
cake plates. Arrange glass ball ornaments around the base of the
candle. Or, cut a length of fresh or artificial pine, arrange around
base of candle and then place small glass balls on top.
Group different sized candles together on a bed of fresh or artificial
pine for a Christmas centerpiece for your table.
Arrange shiny glass Christmas ornaments in a large clear glass brandy
snifter or group two or three of these together as a table centerpiece.
Fill a basket with wrapped candy canes in different flavors and colors.
Make your guest bathroom festive by draping a pine swag around your
mirror. You can add a small strand of Italian lights if you wish. Place
a Christmas decorated fingertip towel or two on your sink and a few
Christmas guest soaps. You could also add a Christmas candle.
For a buffet table, wrap silverware in a cloth or paper napkin and place
on a Christmas tray.
News On Line
So . . . many holiday cards and letters came in email form
this year, huh?
Don't forget that other family members want to read the
latest from friends and relatives who report once a year.
Print out the holiday greetings, even if they're plain old
black and white.
String decorative twine across a wall or corner of your
home. When holiday e-mail arrives, write the sender's name
across the back of the folded letter, decorate it with a
sticker or two, and hang the letter on the line. I use
clothespins with red and green ribbon trim to keep the
holiday theme going.
CARING FOR HOLIDAY PLANTS
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/gardening/garden/03900017.shtml
TREE-CARE TIPS
If you're planning for Christmas, it's time to start thinking
about that tree.
Read our tree-care tips to learn how to
find a fresh one, how to keep it happy
and healthy through
the holidays, and what to do with it when the holidays are
over.
http://www.almanac.com/holidays/treecaretips.html
Tips
on caring for your Christmas tree
SIX RULES FOR THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE
1. Look for a fresh tree with bright green needles.
2. Crush a few needles in your hand. A strong evergreen
fragrance is a sign of freshness.
3. Bend back a few needles. If they snap or break in
temperatures above 25 degrees, the tree's not fresh.
4. Use a tree stand that holds at least a gallon of
water.
5. Don't leave the decorated tree near radiators,
fireplaces or any sources of heat or drafts.
6. Always turn off the tree lights before going to bed.
Taking Care of Your Christmas Tree
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011210d.cfm
Easy to remember tree care tips
Caring for and planting a balled in burlap Christmas tree
http://www.appollonia.net/livechristmastree.html
Holiday Greenery
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-22.pdf
Say "Happy Holidays" with decorations you make yourself
from fresh evergreen boughs! This informative brochure
is in Acrobat Reader format.
Ten Inexpensive Holiday Decorating Tips
http://www.katiediddesign.com/tip-10holidaytips.html
Safe, Stylish Holiday Decorating and Entertaining Ideas for
Busy Families - Armed with a few safety precautions,
decorating alternatives, and a dash of creativity, parents
can create fun, hazard-free holiday homes...
http://oldfashionedholidays.com/holidaysafety.shtml
Decorate & Wrap
http://home.santa.com/santa/decorate/index.htm
ELEGANT BOWS FOR EASY HOLIDAY DECOR
http://www.thefamilycorner.com/homegarden/desrep/bows.shtml
Flower & Spice Table Toppers
Special ideas to help decorate for the holidays!
http://www.practicalkitchen.com/holiday/christmas/yuletide_crafts.shtml
HOLIDAY CHEER FOR YOUR HOME:
Don't forget to dazzle your kitchen with cheer this year.
Hang boughs of holly, cookie cutters tied with ribbons, and
snowflake doilies and stars in windows and from cupboards
and ceilings Sprinkle potpourri around the house to bring
in the smell of the holidays Sprinkle over the soil of
houseplants. It adds color and makes the whole room smell
fresh. (The petals and leaves eventually decompose) Toss some
potpourri into a crackling fire for even more scent.
The Gift of the Cacti - Festive Thanksgiving and Christmas
cacti are easy to care for, and make the perfect holiday
gift.
http://www.gardenguides.com/articles/christmascactus.htm
Low-Cost Holiday Decorating
Holiday organizing expert Cynthia Ewer says you don't have
to spend a lot on holiday decorating. Instead, she says,
"Use what you have!" She suggests taking stock now of your
holiday decorations, as many of us forget what we have in
storage. You may not be as tempted to buy more after you
survey your inventory. Also, there's nothing homier than
natural decorations, so look around your yard for
evergreens to clip and place in a vase.
For more ideas, see the article 'Frugal Holiday Décor Strategies.'
http://www.holidayorganizer.com/decor/frugal.html
Basket Bonanza
If you've stored every basket you've ever received and
rarely use them, now's the time. As a matter of fact, you
can really clear some of the clutter by using baskets to
deliver homemade holiday treats such as cookies or other
baked goods. Simply add a cloth napkin, bright ribbons and
a tiny ornament.
Use baskets to fill your home with holiday cheer. Small
baskets can hold holiday candy, nuts, and chips or
pretzels. Larger baskets can hold holiday hand towels in
the bathroom, pinecones by the hearth, or the extra
ornaments that didn't fit on the tree. Very large baskets
can store extra blankets in the guest room.
About.com's Interior Decorating area, where you'll find
an impressive list of
Web sites offering decorating tips
and ideas. You'll discover a month's worth of
daily tips
for decorating your home, tips for choosing the perfect
tree, and
even instructions for creating holiday centerpieces. http://interiordec.about.com/library/bl_cmasprlist.htm
At the Decorators Dream House, you'll discover some
wonderful ideas for
decorating your home, such as using
mini ornaments as ceiling fan pulls, or
using colored bulbs
in your nightlights. You'll also find instructions for
making
potpourri, directions for Christmas crafts like cinnamon
dough ornaments,
and instructions for creating Christmas
crackers.
http://user.icx.net/~pbaldwin/cmas/cmasden.html
Visit Country Sampler's Decorating Ideas page, and click
on Projects,
Tips, or Techniques for some holiday decorating
tips for wrapping your Christmas
presents, for creating
unusual gift tags, and for decorating your home. The
painted
lightbulb ornaments are particularly neat!
http://www.sampler.com/decideas/decideas.html
If the concept of an "old fashioned Christmas" appeals to
you,
visit Reader's Digest online and learn how to create
a Christmas ball and candle
centerpiece or an evergreen,
rose, and lime wreath. You'll also find ideas for
gifts you
can make, such as scented bath oil.
http://www.rd.com/splash_holiday.jhtml
Interested in some new holiday decorating ideas? Tired of
pulling out
the same torn boxes of decorations year after
year? Let's visit the Internet and
see what new, exciting,
and easy decorating ideas we can find for this holiday
season. Our first stop will be About.com's Interior
Decorating area, where
you'll find an impressive list of
Web sites offering decorating tips and ideas.
You'll
discover a month's worth of daily tips for decorating your
home, tips for
choosing the perfect tree, and even instructions
for creating holiday
centerpieces.
http://interiordec.about.com/library/bl_cmasprlist.htm
At Christmas Thyme, you'll find simple decorating tips for
every room in your
house. On your front door, hang a pair
of skates with a big red bow. Hang silver
and gold garlands
over closet doors in your bedrooms. Or, drape a set of jingle
bells over the towel wrack in your bathroom. http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Meadow/8272/decorating.html
If you and your children enjoy working on crafts, be sure
to stop by the
Holiday Crafts page. You'll find directions
for making a Christmas wreath using
pipe cleaners, for
creating a snow globe, or for decorating with pinecones.
The
page also offers craft ideas for other holidays as well. http://www.essortment.com/in/Crafts.Holiday/
Frugal-Moms.com offers some delightful decorating ideas
for those of us
on a budget. Get ideas for how to decorate
with fabric scraps, or how to
decorate your yard for the holidays. http://www.frugal-moms.com/decorating.shtml
Santa's House offers links to Christmas decorating ideas
in
areas like wreaths, trees, and stockings, Learn how to
create a felt and button
Christmas tree, a "no sew" plump
snowman, or a Santa tissue box. Click
on Adorable Snow
Folks in the Decorations category, and you'll learn how
to
create a group of winter friends by using your children's
mismatched mittens and
socks.
http://www.cassandrabella.com/House.html
101 Holiday Decorating Tips
1. Create a charming display of teddy bears dressed for the season. Gather
together three or more teddy bears and arrange them on a table or on the
floor in a corner. Dress the bears with touques, scarves and mittens. Place
candy canes in their hands or tie bows around their necks. You can even wrap
up some small, empty boxes with Christmas wrapping paper to place in the
bears' hands.
2. Make simply bows from Christmas print ribbon and pin them to your
curtains.
3. Display a collection of nativity scenes from different cultures.
4. Hang a collection of Christmas stocking on your mantle, a shelf or the
wall (even if you don't stuff them). The more the merrier.
5. Revisit your childhood. Cut snowflakes from white paper and hang them
in all of your windows.
6. Use red and green 3-dimensional fabric paints to trace simple Christmas
patterns (like stars, bells, santas, stockings, etc.) on a white tablecloth.
7. Buy a clear plastic shower curtain. Use a hot glue gun to attach
Christmas decorations to the outside of the curtain. Don't use breakable
ornaments - instead, try small wooden or plastic ornaments (remove any
hooks), bows, garland, etc.
8. Dress up your house plants - hang small Christmas ornaments on them.
9. Tie a red ribbon around a tall, slim drinking glass. Fill the glass
with candy canes and display on a shelf or side table.
10. Fill a small glass bowl or decorative Christmas bowl with small cones
and display on end tables, shelves, buffet tables, etc.
11. Purchase plain green or red placemats and attach Christmas ribbons,
bows or small wooden ornaments with a hot glue gun.
12. For quick ornaments, hang Christmas cookie cutters with ribbon. Hang
them on your tree or in a window.
13. Decorate plain red, white, green or gold candles with 3-dimensional
fabric paint. Draw stars, bells, angels, snowmen, etc. If you make a mistake,
let the paint dry and peal it off, then start again.
14. Create a cookie wreath centerpiece for your table. Just arrange
Christmas cookies in a wreath shape right on the table cloth. No need to
attach them to anything 'cause everyone will want to nibble at them. If you
like, place a pillar candle on a small plate in the center of the wreath.
15. Pile a collection of Christmas books on a side table.
16. Purchase an inexpensive mail box. Spray paint it red or green. Use
craft paints to add simple Christmas shapes (use our patterns), or attach
store-bought ornaments with a hot glue gun (make sure your ornaments will be
able to stand up to the elements).
17. If you have a large, bare outside wall, try this simple idea. Cut a
Christmas silhouette from a piece of plywood (a silhouette of santa, a
snowman, etc works well). Using screws, attach your silhouette to a short
post that you can drive into the ground. You'll want the silhouette to stand
right a ground level several feet away from the wall. Position a spot light
on the other side of the silhouette so that it will shine on the silhouette
and project a large shadow on the wall. We've seen this done with a
silhouette of Joseph leading Mary who is sitting on a donkey. It's beautiful.
18. Wrap indoor Christmas lights around a railing or banister. Secure
periodically with tape. Be careful to tape down the electrical cord so that
no one trips over it.
19. Add color to a room with vases of red and white flowers. Use roses,
carnations, mums, daisies, etc. Or, float the flowers in large crystal or
glass bowls.
20. Wrap an assortment of medium to large sized boxes with Christmas wrap.
Attach ribbons and/or bows. Pile the boxes in a corner from floor to ceiling.
21. Sew scraps of Christmas print fabric into a patchwork tablecloth.
Simply cut your fabric into square pieces and stitch together. Hem the entire
cloth. Sew ribbon the the edges, if you like. Make smaller cloths to cover
end tables, night tables, TV trays, shelving, etc.
22. Cover an end table or a shelf with white paper. Arrange cut evergreen
boughs on to cover the table top. Place tall tapered candles in glass
candleholders here and there on the table top. Before lighting candles, be
sure that the greenery is not close enough to catch fire.
23. Use pliers to bend coat hangers into a simple wire-frame tree shape
like this:. Wrap a string of outdoor Christmas light around the frame,
attaching with electrical tape or duct tape. Stick the decoration in a
flowerbed or on your front lawn.
24. Hang mistletoe everywhere. Use false or fresh mistletoe.
25. Wrap your doors in Christmas wrapping paper and attach large bows make
from fabric or purchased at your local craft store.
26. String a ribbon from one end of a wall to another. Attach the ribbon
to the wall (at each corner) with thumbtacks. Clip Christmas cards to the
ribbon with clothespins. If the ribbon is too long, the weight of the cards
will pull it off the wall, so tack it here and there with more thumbtacks.
27. Purchase a large glass plate. Paint the underside of the plate with
gold craft paint. Dry. Place the plate on a table and fill with several white
or off-white pillar candles of varying sizes.
28. Make basic sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies. Before baking, make a
hole toward the top of each cookie using a straw. Bake and cool. String a
ribbon through each cookie and hang them on your Christmas tree.
29. String popcorn, cranberries, cereal, beads, etc. and hang the garlands
everywhere.
30. Make some old-fashioned tree decorations. Wrap nuts with aluminum
foil; use a needle and thread to stitch a thread through the foil for
hanging. Glue ribbon to pine cones for hanging. String popcorn streamers.
Make paper chains. Cut snowflakes from white paper.
31. Add a few drops of food coloring to white glue. Put the glue into a
squeeze bottle or icing piping bag. Draw simple Christmas star outlines on
waxed paper. Pipe glue onto the paper, following your drawn outlines. Dry.
Peel glue ornaments off of the waxed paper and hang in windows with thread or
ribbon.
32. Cut pictures out of old Christmas cards and create a collage by gluing
them onto a piece of poster board. You can frame the posterboard if you like
or simply hang it on the wall.
33. Wrap a lampshade with translucent Christmas tissue paper. Put the
paper on the outside of the lampshape, overlapping the edges just a little
and tape the edges down on the inside. Be careful that the tissue paper
doesn't come too close to the light bulb or it may catch fire.
34. Replace your fish tank background mural with a piece of Christmas
wrapping paper or a collage made out of pictures cut from Christmas cards.
35. Twist garland or popcorn strings around railings or banisters and
secure here and there with tape.
36. Using a glue gun, glue candy canes, side-by-side (standing on end with
their hooks at the top) to the outside of a terra cotta pot. Tie a red ribbon
around the pot. Place a small pointsettia inside the pot or fill the pot with
wrapped candy.
37. Tape a doily to the outside of a glass canister or clean glass
mayonaise jar. Spray the outside of the container with artificial snow. Dry.
Remove the doily. Fill the container with cookies, candy, ornaments, etc.
38. Remove your favorite pictures from their frames. Wrap the frames with
Christmas wrap and replace the pictures.
39. Make a gingerbread house. They make wonderful centerpieces or
decorations for any table top.
40. Use scraps of Christmas print fabric to create quick sachets. Place
two pieces of fabric right sides together. Pin a paper pattern of a Christmas
shape to the fabric (use our basic patterns). Cut the shape out of both
layers of fabric. Stitch the fabric layers together all along the edge,
leaving a one inch gap. Turn the sachet right side out. Fill the sachet with
potpourri. Hand stitch the gap closed. Place your sachets in a basket by the
front door so you can hand them to departing guests (meanwhile, they'll fill
your entryway with wonderful scent).
41. Use a child's Christmas pop-up book as a centerpiece. Just open the
book up to a desirable picture and place the open book in the center of your
table.
42. Hang a large December wall calendar on your wall. Count down the days to
Christmas by gluing a brightly-colored bow on each passing day.
43. Tie five or six cinnamon sticks into a bundle using red ribbon. Create
a bunch of these bundles and display them in a bowl or on a plate. Or, tuck
bundles into nooks and crannies on shelves and table. They add a nice scent
to your room.
44. Pull out your old toy trains. Run the track around the perimeter of
the Christmas tree.
45. Paint the inside of a glass white to simulate milk. Display the glass
along with a plate full of cookies and a hand-written Santa's wish list. It
looks great if you take a bite or two out of one cookies.
46. For easy Christmas tableware, tie red, green, or gold ribbons to the
stems of wine glasses or the handles of cutlery.
47. To make a decorative cookie plate, glue cinnamon sticks and whole
cloves to the edges of a large plate.
48. Cut pictures from Christmas cards and Christmas wrap. Decopage the
pictures to the inside of a serving tray. Be sure to cover the entire surface
of the tray. Once all the pictures are in place, cover the entire inside
surface of the tray with one or two more layers of decopage medium.
49. Screw small hooks into the ceiling and hang indoor Christmas lights
from them.
50. Print your favorite cookie recipe on Christmas stationary (or print it
on a white piece of paper and have it photo copied onto Christmas
stationary). Roll each recipe up like a scroll. Tie the scroll with ribbon.
Place the scrolls in a basked by your front door so you can give them to
departing guests. You could also bake up a batch of cookies. Wrap each cookie
separately in plastic wrap and attach one cookie to each scroll with ribbon
(string the ribbon through a hole in the plastic wrap).
51. To add a lot of color to a room quickly, use red or green towels,
blankets or even scraps of fabric as throws for your chairs, couch, tables,
etc. Large pieces of polar fleece make great, cuddly throws.
52. Display colored glass ball ornaments or even beads in bowls instead of
hanging them on your tree.
53. Wash and dry half a dozen small jars (it's better if they're all
different sizes and shapes). Fill each jar 2/3 full of water and add a couple
of drops of red or green food coloring to each jar. Stir. Place one sprig of
evergreen in each jar and display the jars in a group on a table or line them
up in a row on a shelf or window sill.
54. Use children's bath crayons (for coloring in the bathtub) to draw
Christmas decorations on your mirrors and windows.
55. Spray paint the outside of large, clean coffee cans with gold, red or
green paint and use them as cookie cannisters. Once painted, you can decorate
further by using decopage medium to glue Christmas card cutouts to the cans,
or use a hot glue gun to attach small plastic or wooden ornaments, tinsel,
garland, whole spices etc.
56. Using a small brush, paint the tips of pine cones with gold craft
paint. Place on a rack or piece of waxed paper to dry. Display cones in bowls
or vases or attach a ribbon and hang them on your tree.
57. Spruce up plain red or green bath towels with Christmas ribbon
attached using a hot glue gun or ironed on with fusible web.
58. Create an easy wall hanging using a piece of sheet music for a
Christmas carol. Cut a piece of red poster board a few inches larger than the
sheet music and glue the music to the center of the poster board. Use a hot
glue gun to glue a small sprig of artificial holly to the top right-hand
corner of the sheet music.
59. Create an inexpensive set of Christmas glassware. Purchase a set of
glasses or mugs and paint holly leaves and berries on the outside of each
glass or mug using red and green glass paint.
60. Dress up your dinner table: cover the table with a plain red, green or
white tablecloth and sprinkle with red, green or gold cut-outs from your
party decorations store. Or, make your own cuts out with specially shaped
hole punches and solid colored wrapping paper.
61. Turn an old blanket chest into a treasure chest. Place the chest on
the floor against a wall and open the lid (prop the lid up securly if it's
prone to closing by itself). Line the inside of the chest with fiber fill to
create the illusion of snow. Drape strings of beads and white indoor
Christmas lights over the chest. Fill the chest with wrapped presents or
wrapped empty boxes. Sprinkle with gold-wrapped chocolate coins.
62. Create personalized gingerbread men as placecards for your dining
table. Use colored icing to decorate each gingerbread man with a guest's hair
color and usual clothing. Using icing to print each person's name across the
chest of the gingerbread man.
63. Paint a terra cotta flower pot gold using craft paint. Let paint dry.
Glue on plastic or glass "gems". Let glue dry. Pipe white glue in a circle
around the perimeter of each "gem". While the glue is still wet, sprinkle on
gold sparkles. Let glue dry. Fill pots with flowers, nuts or candy.
64. Create an eclectic centerpiece using a large glass plate. Place a
collection of containers on the plate. Use small bowls, vases, candle
holders, flower pots, clean ash trays, etc. Fill each container with a
different type of nut or candy.
65. Purchase inexpensive plain lampshades for your lamps. Use a hot glue
gun to attach fabric bows (in Christmas prints) to the shades.
66. Trim door frames, window frames and the edges of mirrors with
Christmas garland (secure with tape).
67. Place 1/2 cup of whole cloves on a plate. Apply white glue to the
outside of a small terra cotta flower pot. Roll the pot in the cloves so that
the outside of the pot is completely covered with cloves. You may have to
press more cloves onto the pot in places. Let the glue dry. Tie a red ribbon
around the outside of the pot - knot the ribbon. Tie three cinnamon sticks
into the ribbon (knot the ribbon around the sticks). Tie the ends of the
ribbon into a bow. Use the pot as a flower pot or fill it with potpourri.
68. Decorate with mittens, gloves, touques and scarves. String jute cord
from one end of a room to another and clip knit items to the cord with
clothespins.
69. Purchase small bells from your craft store. Tie each bell to a piece
of ribbon between 6" and 18" in length. Gather all of the ribbons together
and knot together at the top. Drape the bells over a door knob so that they
ring when someone enters or exits.
70. Pointsettias are a beautiful way to add Christmas color to a room. But
don't just stop at one. Create a stunning display using at least six plants -
all different sizes. Group them together, larger plants in the back. Tie a
large gold fabric ribbon around the whole group of pots. Sprinkle the plants
with gold glitter.
71. Wrap a large empty coffee can in Christmas wrapping paper (leave the
top open). Place and the floor, add some water and fill with evergreen
branches. This looks wonderful on its own, or you can hang ornaments from the
branches.
72. Replace your usual curtain valence with a large piece of Christmas
print fabric, draped over your curtain rod.
73. Tie bows around door knobs.
74. Create an easy wreath. Tear Christmas print fabric into strips (or use
ribbon, instead). Wrap a styrofoam wreath with the fabric or ribbon. Hang the
wreath as is, or hot glue Christmas picks, ornaments, nuts, candies, etc. to
it.
75. Wrap a table in Christmas wrapping paper.
76. Purchase cork placemats or coasters, Christmas print stamps and
red/green/gold stamp pads. Then, stamp shapes onto your coasters and
placemats. You can even stamp shapes onto your table cloths and napkins.
77. Cut pictures of people and objects from Christmas cards. Glue each
object to a magnet sheet. Cut the pictures out of the magnet sheet. Stick the
magnets to your fridge. Visitors can arrange your magnets into scenes.
78. Put some color into your bathroom. Display red and green glycerine
soaps, bath gels and oils.
79. Use florist wire to wire Christmas picks to railings, bannisters and
door knobs.
80. Make a snowman. Better yet, make a whole snow family or even a whole
snow village!
81. Wrap your front door in plain white paper and decorate with a large
bow. Place red and green pens by the front door and have guest sign the door
as they leave your home.
82. Cut pictures from Christmas cards and pin them to your curtains or
bedspread.
83. Purchase inexpensive white bathroom accessories (soap dish, toothbrush
holder, garbage can, etc.). Paint holly leaves and red berries on the
accessories using craft paints. Or, use a hot glue gun to attach bows,
sequins, beads, buttons, etc.
84. Create an red and green display in your kitchen using a collection
standard food items. Jars of olives, sun dried tomatoes, pickles, red
peppers, cans with red or green labels.
85. Quick wreath: Use a glue gun to attach nuts or wrapped candies to a
styrofoam wreath. Attach a large red ribbon.
86. Paint nuts gold with craft paint (use a variety of nuts of different
shape). Line a large bowl or basket with Christmas greenery (artificial or
real), fill the bowl wit oranges, apples and the gold nuts. Add a large red
bow.
87. Display a large collection of photos from Christmases past. This makes
a sensational conversation piece. Use a collection of odd frames or create
frames using colored cardboard or craft foam. Instead of displaying each
picture individually, you can create a collage. Use a large piece of red
craft foam. Cut photos into interesting shapes (just cut around what's
important in the photos). Glue the photos to the foam, overlapping them and
leaving a 1" - 2" border of red foam showing. Cut holly leaves from green
craft foam. Glue three leaves to each corner of the red foam frame. Cut small
circles from left-over red foam (these are the holly berries). Glue them next
to the holly leaves.
88. Make a Christmas bedspread. Trim the edges of a large piece of red
polar fleece with pinking shears. Stitch a collection of mittens to one side
of the fleece.
89. Put a Chrismtas sceen saver on your computer.
90. Paint Christmas stars or bells on the outside of your bathtub or on
your shower curtain using washable children's soap crayons.
91. Place a plate full of wrapped Christmas baking by the front door as
parting gifts for guests.
92. Remove your mugs from their cup hooks and hang Christmas ornaments in
their place. You can do the same thing with spoon racks or key racks.
93. Shred colored paper and use it to line a basket. Fill the basket with
red and green scented votive candles.
94. Make a fresh flower garland using red carnations. You'll need a few
dozen carnations. Cut the stems off just below the bud. String a length of
double thread on a needle (make the thread as long as the garland you want to
make). String the buds togther by pushing the needle through the bud and out
the top of the flower. Tie the ends of the garland together, if you wish.
This garland should be stored in the fridge.
95. Decorate with giant cookies. Mix up your favorite sugar cookie or
gingerbread cookie recipe. Roll out the dough. Instead of cutting into small
cookies, cut out one tree shaped cookie using a knife. Don't bother using a
pattern. A hand-cut shape has more charm. Transfer to a cookie sheet and
bake. Cool. Cover with icing made of confectioner's sugar, green food
coloring and water (no butter). While the icing is still wet, decorate your
tree with peppermint candies, M&M's, jujubes, etc. Let the icing set. Your
giant cookie can be displayed on a plate or you can wrap up a box in colored
foil wrap and glue your cookie to the front of the box with dollops of icing.
The box can be displayed lying down or standing on end.
96. Make simple Christmas puppets. Cut Santas, angels, snowmen, etc. from old
Christmas cards. Paint craft stick red or green. Attach one cut-out to each
stick using tape. The kids can play with these or, you can display them in a
vase or a bowl. Just fill the vase or bowl with beads, nuts, candies, etc.
and stick the puppets' sticks into the bowl.
97. Wrap your plant pots in red or green foil wrap. You don't even have to
remove the plants first.
98. Create a display by your front door with unused boots. Assemble a
group of boots and fill them with wrapped gifts or empty boxes.
99. Purchase an inexpensive glass vase (or better yet, three or four
vases). "Paint" the vase with white glue and roll in red or green sparkles.
Use the vase to display a large collection of white or red carnations.
100. To create an easy Christmas card diplay, purchase a large red bow
that has a vertical ribbon attached. Hang the bow and ribbon and pin
Christmas cards to the ribbon, starting near the top.
101. Paint fruit such as apples and pears with eggwhite and roll in gold
sparkles. Air dry on a rack and display in a basket along with nuts.
Festive tricks
No wonder Christmas is considered a stressful time of year.
According to a survey conducted by Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse
and Lightspeed Research, more than one-third of us don't plan ahead
for the festive season, decorating sporadically instead of scheduling
time to prepare our homes.
"The hustle and bustle of holiday life shouldn't have to lead to
stress," says Melissa Birdsong, director of trend forecasting and
design for Lowe's.
"Simple touches of warmth and relaxation around the house can be
welcome remedies for the inevitable onset of holiday stress," she
adds.
Aside from making a checklist to keep you ahead of your own holiday
deadlines, Birdsong suggests the following tips for creating gentle
distractions in your home:
Create soothing surroundings - add a tabletop fountain or indoor
waterfall to help you unwind with a Zen-like calm. Play soft holiday
or instrumental music to fill your home with tranquillity.
Set a peaceful mood - create mellow ambiance in any room by
installing dimmer switches to control key ceiling or wall-mounted
light fixtures.
Enhance the glow with the serene flicker of candlelight, adding tall
candlesticks or votives for soft, naturally elegant lighting for
dining.
Keep a fire burning or install gas logs in the fireplace when you're
at home to create a warm, cosy focal point for gathering that will
encourage family members to take time out and relax together.
Be fragrantly festive - just as the taste of certain foods can bring
back special memories, scents associated with the holidays can be
even more powerful.
If your home's air quality is not as fresh and clean as it could be,
first invest in a good air purifier. Then deck the halls with natural
pine or fir garland to fill the air with holiday fragrances and add
scented candles and naturally aromatic potpourris in cinnamon, spice
and dried fruit combinations.
Make your list early so you don't have to check twice - ensure your
next holiday is stress-free by organising early to alleviate anxiety.
When you take down holiday decorations, store them in clearly
labelled plastic bins so you are poised and ready for next year's
festivities.
Holiday Accents
Here are some more economical ways to make your home look more
festive during the holidays.
*Use toys you already have for display. If you have an electric
train set, working or not, set it around the Christmas tree. Some
other toys that look great under the tree are little wagons,
dolls and teddy bears (which you can place in the wagon),
building blocks, and stuffed animals.
I use to make Raggedy Ann dolls and sell them. If you make the
clothes with zippers, you can make outfits for each season to
display them in. I like to display a Raggedy Ann doll with her
arm around a teddy bear. Put a big red bow around the bear, and
you have a darling display, whether it is under the tree or
elsewhere. Use what you have.
*Make the gifts you display under the tree for family members
more decorative by using fabric ribbon. It costs more to buy, but
you can use it over and over. Just collect it after the presents
are opened and store away for the next year.
You also have the option of adding them to augment the look of
other Christmas accessories like wreaths, garland and candles.
You can use them on the tree, like a garland, or in big bows.
Watch for these ribbons to go on sale during and after the
Christmas season.
A lot of people decorate with garland, around their fireplaces
and up their stairs. It looks really pretty with lights added to
it, but if you don't have a strategically placed electrical
outlet, this may not be an option. Add shiny metallic ribbon to
decorate the garland and make it sparkle.
*Instead of spreading out magazines on your coffee table, lay out
colorful Christmas story books.
*Display Christmas Cards by laying on a table, covered with a
sheet of glass/plexiglass.
*Paint some Christmas artwork on a window. Kids love this. Use
stencils, or freehand Christmas designs. Finish by spraying
around the borders with spray snow. Your will find the stencils,
window paint and spray at your local craft store.
When I was in college, my roommate and I did our window up with a
list of 10 things (humorous) that we wanted for Christmas. We
were on the first floor of the dorm, so everyone saw it. It was a
lot of fun.
*Make sound part of your Season. Attach bells to your front door
that ring when it is opened. Again, these bells are versatile,
and can be added as decorations to all other accessories. Some
people with young children like to add bells to the bottom of
their Christmas tree as a safety measure so that if the kids
start playing with the tree, they can hear it.
Change your answering machine to reflect the holidays. Give a short
Christmas Greeting before your standard message. Personally answer
the phone with a holiday greeting.
Play those Christmas tapes and CDs! Music often sets the tone in
your home. Take the time to have it softly playing in the
background when your family is home.
*Add more Christmas patterns to your room with the use of fabric.
You don't have to buy large table clothes. Just use small square
pieces of fabric and drape them over tables or the back of
chairs.
You don't even have to sew to make these throws. Just buy the
fabric in a design you like, and use your iron to hem with
fuseable tape (stitch wizary). If you are unfamiliar with this
product, just ask at your local fabric store.
*Add as many Christmas smells to your home as you can afford.
Bake those cookies, or simmer those spices.
If you can afford them, nothing is as beautiful as fresh
Poinsettias. If you just want the color, buy them in silk. I've
had some I've displayed now for over a decade. They still look
as good as new.
If you have the time, and the money, add those special little touches!
Christmas Holiday Spice Potpourri
4 Oranges
4 Lemons
1/2 c Whole cloves
1/2 c Whole allspice
10 Cinnamon Sticks, broken
10 Bay leaves, crumbled
8 oz Decorated jelly jars with bands lids
Using a vegetable peeler, peel fruit carefully, removing only the peel,
not any of the white pith. Cut or tear into one inch pieces. Spread
peel on paper towel lined pan. Place in preheated oven to 175 degrees
F, or set oven to WARM. Dry in oven for 1-1/2 hours, tossing
occasionally. Peels should be leathery and/or slightly crunchy. Spread
peels on dry paper towels and let air dry for 24 hours. Combine with
remaining ingredients. Fill jars with mixture, place lids on and screw
bands on tightly. Yield: 3 or 4 half pint jars.
To use: Remove lid and leave band on for decoration to fragrance a
room. OR put one tablespoon into a jar and fill jar with boiling water
to release fragrance.
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