Time To Get The Home Ready For Christmas
November 21st, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
It is always fun when the time of year comes around to start decorating for Christmas time. Years ago it seems that time did not roll around until right after Thanksgiving, but over the last several years it seems to have started even earlier. It is very noticeable in all the stores right after Halloween ends. Seems the very next time all the Christmas decorations are out lining the shelf’s.
Though most people probably start the actually decoration process until after Thanksgiving ends, there is more to it then that. Depending on how much effort you will put into the decorating of your house you may need to start months before mapping everything out.
Part of that is getting a list of all the indoor and outdoor decorations you would like to display. To get some ideas you can browse websites to look a products or view pictures of homes decorated for Christmas from years past. There are many unique thing people do to decorate for the holidays, but most people follow a similar theme.
They all typically put lights on the house and maybe some outdoor decorations get put out, and then there are those that go to the extreme with their holiday cheer and end up doing so much that people drive to their house from all over the place just to see it. Those people must really do some serious planning.
Where the average person falls is usually somewhere in between either doing nothing or going to the extreme. If you plan to do things outside in your front yard and want to go somewhat beyond doing nothing you may want to make sure to buy some commercial grade Christmas lights for the house. In addition if you do not want wires hanging out everywhere another good idea may be to look into using Mr. Christmas Wireless Lights and Sounds of Christmas as part of your display. Just make sure to have lots of fun and make it great for the kids and adults alike to enjoy your hard work and efforts.
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Urban Rebellion: Tips for a Rustic Christmas
November 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
An old fashioned country Christmas has a timeless appeal. No one knows that better than the folks at rustic-lodge-lifestyle.com so they’ve put together a few tips and ideas to share with you. Whether you live in the country or not, you can still put some rustic in your Christmas.
“Here are some ideas for a rustic Christmas that can be enjoyed by all ages,” says Sandra Thornton. “And you just might create some family traditions that you can enjoy for years.”
Do-it yourself table centerpiece
A simple but elegant way to dress up your dining room table is to create a striking rustic Christmas centerpiece using readily available, natural materials. It’s not difficult and can be done quite quickly.
If you have coniferous trees close by, cut a few boughs (pine, silver fir, and cypress retain their needles especially well), gather up some pine cones, and if you can find them, a couple of branches with red berries. I made a quick trip into the woods to find my supplies. Add a shiny Christmas ornament, perhaps some ribbon, and definitely some candles to round out your centerpiece. By artfully arranging these items you can create a visually appealing, fragrant, and very rustic looking centerpiece.
Note: be very cautious with candles. Make sure the flame is not close to the evergreen boughs or any other flammable materials. Never leave candles burning when everyone leaves the room! Your natural centerpiece should only be kept in the house for a few days…as the boughs dry out they will become very flammable and will start to lose their needles.
Pomander
Literally, apple of amber in French, a pomander is generally thought of as a mixture of aromatic substances. We use an orange and cloves to make our rustic Christmas ornament.
Children will enjoy this project. I made my first one when I was 12. Now I’m making them with my grandchildren. It’s an easy project and you’ll love the results.
All you do is stick whole cloves into an orange until it is evenly covered all over. Use a push pin to pierce the skin of the orange. At minimum there should be an equal amount of clove cover with orange showing through. As it dries, the cloves preserves the orange so it doesn’t rot and the aroma of the cloves and orange is wonderful! Garnish it with ribbon and you’re ready to hang it on the tree, over a window, or above a doorway. It even makes a nice gift. The pomander will last for years.
(Pomander photo courtesy of nickyfern)
Chistmas garlands
We love the look and feel of natural garlands. You can use a variety of natural materials – evergreen boughs, crab apples, dried flowers, cinnamon sticks, and pine cones.
Make a simple and rustic Christmas garland with popcorn and fresh cranberries. Again, this is a geat project for children!
Use a heavy thread. You can also use nylon line - it offers more durability - although that’s not really an issue as it’s only meant to last over the holidays. You’ll need a needle that can accommodate your thread or line. Then make your popcorn and let it cool. You might want to set aside a bowlful to snack on too! Young children will be able to thread the popcorn onto the line, but may have difficulty with the cranberries.
You may want to create a repeating pattern - such as three berries and one piece of popcom - or you can choose to create a random string.
Harvest your own tree
Cutting down your own Christmas tree is the stuff of romance and memories! If you have land with coniferous trees, you can harvest a tree from your own property. If not, you may know a landowner who will allow you to cut a tree on their property. You’ll need a small, but sharp, buck saw.
When heading out to get your tree, remember you have to come back the same distance, only you’ll be dragging a tree!
The first time we cut down our own Christmas tree was at a newly acquired family hobby farm. Our kids were about 5, 8, and 10 years old. It was a crisp winter day and the snow was knee-deep. We found our tree, cut it and hauled it back. It’s a mystery how much a tree can change size from when you first cut it to when you bring it into your home! So be sure to size up the tree carefully before you cut it. Our tree was perfect - once we took the top off so we could stand it in the house! Do you know we all still laugh and reminisce about that tree!
Real or artificial – which is better? Despite the convenience of an artificial tree, it may surprise you that a real tree is the “greener” choice. Fake trees are manufactured from non renewable petroleum products. It’s the impact on the environment caused by the manufacturing and ultimate disposal of the artificial tree that makes a real tree the better choice. Next spring, plant at least one tree (maybe more!) to replace the one you cut down.
Ready for your rustic Christmas? Maybe you aren’t the do-it-yourself type - or perhaps you just don’t have the time. If you find yourself running out of time, with just too much to do at this time of year, check out the rustic Christmas selection and ideas at Rustic-Lodge-Lifestyle.com.
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Edible and Easy Christmas Crafts
November 16th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
For many people, Christmas is about the family, the festivities, and of course, the food! There are different kinds of treats you can make during the holiday season. Candy canes, cookies, and apples are some easy Christmas crafts that you can make and give away as presents. You can also combine various food items and create lovely gift baskets to give to your family and friends.
The great thing about Christmas food is that it is not merely limited to being served on the dining table and consumed. Food can also be used to make other easy Christmas crafts that you can adorn your homes with. Edible ornaments are quite popular during the Christmas season.
An example of a food idea used as an easy Christmas craft is a miniature Christmas tree that you can make out of an ice cream cone. Just turn the cone upside down and place it on a paper plate. Next, use green frosting to color the cone. Spice up your mini Christmas tree with an assortment of candies, chocolates and sprinkles. Finally, shower the tree with confectioner’s sugar to make it appear covered in snow.
Aside from using an ice cream cone, you can also use green jell-o to shape anything into a Christmas tree. Just cook the jell-o until it dissolves, and shape it into a cone before you freeze it.
You can also make ornaments for your regular Christmas tree using food. Cookies are great for this purpose. Once you have the dough ready, use cookie cutters to shape the cookies into the design you want. Cookie cutters are available in various shapes, such as Christmas trees, balls, and angels. Don’t forget to make a hole at the top of the ornament before baking it. This is where you will pass the string or ribbon so that you can hang the ornament on the tree. After baking the cookies, you can design the ornaments with paint, stickers or glitters. To make the ornaments last longer, coat them with acrylic varnish once they are completely dry.
Another food idea that you can make into a Christmas craft is a Christmas ginger bread house. Once you have the basic ginger bread house, you can embellish it with candies and cookies. You can also add a mini cookie version of Santa Clause and his sleigh, and candy cane reindeer outside the house.
Food ideas are definitely easy Christmas crafts to make. With some effort, you can create amazing ornaments and gifts, and a great snack to boost!
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Make Your Tree “Antique” with Victorian Christmas Tree Ornaments
November 15th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Many people enjoy antiquing - searching out rare treasures often at bargain basement prices. At an antique store, you can find lots of different items in various states of repair. In antiquing, the old adage, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, is definitely true. Christmas tree ornaments, especially Victorian Christmas tree ornaments, are becoming increasingly popular among antiquers.
Christmas Tree ornaments from the Victorian Era
The Victorian era - the long period from 1837 to 1901 when Queen Victoria ruled England - is normally associated only with the UK, but the US was also affected by Victorian tastes and values. Victoria was famously rigid, yet her era also saw extremely fine decorations, and Victorian Christmas tree ornaments often reflect this.
Throughout most of the Victorian era, very few if any people had electricity available. So instead of strings of Christmas lights, candles were used to light up the tree. While very few candles survive from that time, the candles themselves were set in brass candle holders, and those candle holders are now prized as classic Victorian Christmas tree ornaments.
Those depicting Father Christmas are another example of classic Victorian Christmas tree ornaments. While Father Christmas and Santa Claus are essentially the same person (based on the real Saint Nicholas), they do not have similar appearances. Instead of the familiar red suit, Victorian era “Father Christmas” ornaments show a man with a long white beard and long robes, resulting in an appearance that people today might associate more with a philosopher or a wizard. And a decent number of Victorian Christmas tree ornaments based on this image of Father Christmas still survive and can be found by the determined antiquer.
One type of Victorian Christmas tree ornaments that are rather hard to come by these days are velvet ribbons. Crimson colored velvet ribbons were prized tree ornaments, and were placed decoratively throughout the Christmas tree. Velvet does not last well over time, so if you are lucky enough to find any examples of these antique Christmas tree ornaments in a shop, chances are they will need some restoration.
Thus, it might be easier just to visit a fabric supply shop and get some new velvet for your Christmas decorations and ornaments. In fact, if you or someone you know can sew, you can purchase a piece of velvet, cut some strips out of it, then just sew the sides, and you’ve just made your own velvet ribbons. Whichever method you choose, the key is to have fun decorating your Christmas tree! Remember the Internet always has websites available that can help you with any and all of your holiday decorating ideas.
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Christmas Crafts to Make as Gifts That People Will Actually Love!
November 13th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Want to give your friends and family something unique and special this Christmas? Try making your own Christmas crafts as gifts! Yes, some homemade gifts can seem cheesy more than anything else, but these well chosen and even practical crafts are personal AND functional—and who doesn’t like that?
CLOTHING
Clothing remains to be a popular gift during Christmas. If you have a lot of time on your hands, you can choose to make various kinds of Christmas clothing to give to your relatives and to your friends. Christmas crafts to make can range from mittens, to ties, to vests, and even to sweaters. For those who like to crochet or to knit, scarves are actually a good gift idea. There are many scarf patterns available in craft stores or online, and knitting a scarf only takes a few hours. You can also change the colors of the patterns to suit the personality of the person you’re giving the gift to. You can also make matching outfits or Christmas-themed attire that your family can wear at gatherings.
If you’re adept at sewing, you don’t have to limit yourself to making clothes. Another nice Christmas craft to make is a quilt. You can put together different patterns or materials and sew them together. You can also make quilted ornaments or pillow cases, and spice them up with scrap materials, such as ribbons or beads.
ornaments are quite easy Christmas crafts to make. For flat ornaments, you can trace designs on some simple construction paper and coat it with wax paper. If you want to make 3-dimensional ornaments, you can use Styrofoam in different shapes and sizes. Once you have the desired shape, cover the surface with glue and sprinkle it with glitter or other materials. Pin or tape a small ribbon or thread at the top of the ornament, so that it can be hanged on the Christmas tree. It’s that simple!
FOOD
Food is definitely a staple during Christmastime. There are numerous food Christmas crafts to make during this holiday season. Small treats are common, such as cookies and chocolates. You can shape these treats into different forms or place them into attractive, re-usable containers. Cakes are also very popular, and when designed meticulously, can appear professional. Another good thing about making food Christmas crafts is that you can sell them to other people. This way, you will be able to earn money during the holiday season!
CALENDAR
Since Christmas is celebrated at the end of the year, it is quite practical to give a calendar as a Christmas gift. You can use crayons and colored pens to design and bring life to the calendar. For techies, you can also design the calendar using your computer and have it printed afterwards. You can include the calendar in a notebook, or even print it on a bookmark. It is not only an easy Christmas craft to make, but it is also quite useful!
See, with a little guidance and a lot of love and imagination; you can easily create gifts that people will really love and appreciate.
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Cheap and Easy Christmas Craft Ideas
November 12th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
The Christmas season is one of the most fun times of the year. For most people, it is also one of the most expensive times. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to spend a lot to be able to celebrate the season.
Before you start making easy Christmas crafts, it would be a good idea to first gather the materials that are available to you. Look for scrap materials that are lying around your house, such as small pieces of cardboard, ribbons, buttons, glitters, stickers, labels, Styrofoam and wire. Be sure not to forget to include crayons, food coloring, pens, and glue.
Once you’ve compiled all the materials, you can decide on what craft to make. Here are some cheap and easy Christmas crafts that can help reduce the amount you have to spend during the holidays.
HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CARDS
If you have friends and relatives who live in other countries, making a homemade Christmas card is a cheap but special way to show that you remember them during the holiday season. First, get a piece construction paper and fold it in half. You can also cut it into a Christmas-themed shape, if you want. Next, paste pictures of Christmas-related things on the card, such as Santa Clause or Christmas trees. For a more personalized card, paste a picture of you and your family on it. Finally, write a personalized poem or letter inside.
CANDLES
Candles are actually very easy Christmas crafts to make, especially when you have to give gifts to a large number of people. All you really need is some wax and wick, and some coloring. Once the candle is ready, look for a small glass or candle holder at home where you can place the finished product. It takes only a little time to make candles to give away as gifts. Some molds for candles even allow you to produce several candles at once, making it even more convenient.
WIRE ornaments
If you have some loose bendable wire at home, consider making wire figurines. You can shape the wire into different forms, such as angels or Bible figures. Paint or add glitters to the wire to make it more festive. You can even take small pieces of fabric for clothing the figures. Don’t forget to add a ribbon or a thread at the top so you can hang the ornament.
POTPOURRI OR SCENTED PINECONES
Another cheap and easy Christmas craft to make is potpourri. You can use peels from fruits you have eaten, such as lemons and oranges. Dry these peels in the oven for several hours. Once they’re crisp and leathery, combine them with fragrant spices, such as bay leaves or cinnamon. Place it in a jar and then cover it tight. This can serve to decorate and give fragrance to a room. You can also use dried pinecones for this purpose. Just coat the pinecones with glue and cover it with a mixture of spices, such as nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. These pinecones can additionally be used as Christmas tree ornaments.
Making a Christmas gift from scratch doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Wow someone with one of these easy Christmas crafts and see for yourself!
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