Make A House A Home

The hustle and bustle of Christmas can be exhilarating. Let the joy of the holidays inspire you this Christmas. Enjoy the many customs and traditions of Christmas. Make those special memories by starting your own traditions specifically for you and your home. Enjoy the simple yet elegant ways to bring warmth and joy to your home.

Countdown Calendar

Decorate the mantel with a countdown calendar garland. Place twenty-four stocking ornaments, filled with holiday candies along a fresh garland. A star ornament hangs at the end of the garland for Christmas day.

Candle Displays

Place a pillar candle on a metal pedestal. Surround the candle with mirrored circles in a variety of sizes. Exaggerate the reflective possibilities by scattering more circles along the tabletop.

Embellish the table arrangement with small candles atop square mirrors.

Set Pillars atop mirrored accessories to enhance the shimmer of flames by shining the light back into the room. Remember to never leave burning candles attended.

Candles offer many options for festive holiday decorating. Nestle pillars inside the hearth, and place a mirrored tray behind the display to capture the glow.

Pinecone Kindlers

As a befitting gift or seasonal accessory that is both useful and decorative, fill a basket with these paraffin-dipped pinecone kindlers. They burn for up to twenty minutes, while kindling logs for the fire. Paraffin for the pinecone kindlers can be colored red and scented with cinnamon, or colored green and scented with pine, if desired. To light a fire, center a pinecone kindler under stacked firewood and light the wick.

For instructions and materials needed to make your own pinecone kindlers, click here.

Ice Luminarias

Ice luminarias add a warm glow to dark winter nights. To create this lighting effect, simply place a candle into a well in a large block of ice. Use ice luminarias to line driveways and walkways. Or add interest to a backyard view by clustering several on a patio or deck. Ice luminarias can be used as long as the temperature remains below the freezing point. Brush the snow off the candles periodically and spray the ice formation with water to return the ice to its clear state. For long-burning luminarias, use pillar candles.

For instructions on how to make your own Ice Luminarias, or to make Paper Luminarias, click here.

Take the Spirit of Christmas Outdoors

Decorate those outdoor garden ornaments and take the spirit of the holiday season outdoors. These geese are ready to party for the holidays. With appropriate party clothes - a child's red-plaid necktie, a Santa cap intended for a teddy bear, a little girl's holiday hair bow, and strands of sparkly plastic Mardi Gras beads this foursome is decked for the holiday spirit.

Tomato Cage Topiary

Retain the original finish of the cages, or spray paint them the desired color.

1. Invert and stack 12 to 15 tomato cages. Join cages by using duct tape. Place joined cages in urn.

2. Cut 10" lengths of floral wire. Wire one end of garland to top of stacked cages. Wind garland down topiary, and drape along top edge of urn; secure, using floral wire.

3. Wire greenery to garland. Working from top to bottom of topiary, weave tree lights into greenery. Using floral wire, attach dried pomegranates and artichokes to greenery as desired. (Ornamental features may be adjusted for personal preference.)

4. Cut and tuck in 15" lengths of ribbon as desired.

Candle Bouquet

Instead of standing candles solo in soldier-straight rows, casually group them like fresh-cut flowers in a vase. Fill the bottom one-third of a wide-mouth glass container or vase with sand or aquarium gravel to serve as the anchor. Arrange a grouping of dripless taper candles in the sand, allowing the candles to fall to the side, resting on the container edge.

Holiday Welcome Greenery Bouquets

To make the planter display, place gravel in the bottom of the pot for weight. Cut two pieces of foam. One should fit the top rim exactly. Secure the two pieces together with floral picks, then glue the foam into the pot keeping top piece even with top of rim. Insert birch twigs in the center of the pot. Place tall branches of evergreens around the birch twigs and work toward the edges with progressively short branches. Fill in the middle of the design with greenery. Add the berried branches such as winterberry and rose hips and pinecones last, being careful to repeat the lines of the evergreens.

Let it Glow!!!! Soft, sparkling light enhances the holiday mood. Lower the wattage in table lamps and supplement them with small decorative lamps, picture lights over artwork, and candles. Create a centerpiece for a table by wrapping lights around a small wreath. A glass bowl placed inside the wreath can include more lights.

Stocking Stuffers for

The Spirit of St. Nicholas

Assorted greeting cards ▪ Disposable camera ▪ Travel mug ▪ Mini calculator ▪Movie or theater tickets ▪ Jewelry ▪ Cuff links ▪ Ice-cream parlor coupons ▪Paperback books ▪ Music CD's ▪ Small journal ▪ Kaleidoscope ▪ Playing cards ▪ Festive pens and markers ▪ Key Ring ▪ Personalized note cards ▪Mini picture frames ▪ Coffeehouse gift cards ▪ Sewing kit ▪ Pet treats ▪Personalized luggage tag

Winter Gazing Ball

This holiday season, put your empty birdbath to work. Rest a fresh wreath on the rim of the bowl, and place a vine ball in the center. To add some sparkle, thread a strand of battery-operated tiny white lights into the ball through one of the openings. Use green floral wire to attach the light cord to the vines around the ball; otherwise all the lights will fall to the bottom.

Vine Ball Accents

Swag a balcony or deck railing with purchased evergreen garland, and accent each swag with a trio of vine balls. Use sturdy crafts wire to attach two vine balls to the railing, then wire the third ball to the first two