String a Christmas Popcorn Garland

Popcorn garland is a classic holiday decoration for your Christmas tree. Try these tips to make stringing your popcorn garland easier, and see alternative decorations to add sparkle to your garland.

Christmas: Make It Sparkle--225 Simple Crafts, Food & Decorating Ideas

Christmas Make it Sparkle is a wonderful book filled with 225 simple, crafts, food and decorating ideas for your holiday home. Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year. Colored lights shimmer in neighborhood windows, fresh evergreens are adorned with glittering ornaments, and snow glistens. You can see the excitement in the little eyes that twinkle throughout the season. Your holiday home becomes the focal point for all of this marvelous activity and you want to share your talents with the ones you love. In this gook you'll find ideas for beautiful ornaments and tree decorations, glorious wreaths and centerpieces, memorable handmade greeting cards, delicious recipes, stunningly simple decorations, clever gifts for everyone on your holiday list, and unique lighting ideas. All of the easy to make projects, recipes and ideas will help make your holiday just a little brighter. So as you reflect upon this most beautiful time of the year, take time to feel the warmth of the season in your home, and in your heart, as you make this Christmas one that sparkles.

Available at Amazon.com.

How to Make a Holiday Wreath

Make your holidays extra festive by creating your own wreath. At home on your front door or in a hallway, this cheerful decoration is a cinch to make.

Christmas Wreath Bow

Follow along with Nancy and learn how to attach a bow on your beautiful Christmas wreath.

Christmas Bow and Wreath

This video shows how to make a Christmas bow and wreath.

Decorating with pinecones

Add natural beauty to your home with pinecones! We'll show you how to make a beautiful garland and a front door swag.

Quick Centerpieces

A fast and fruity table decoration.

How to make a Wreath

We learn how to make a wreath and how to dress it up for any of the up-coming holidays.

HomeWorks Plus Offers Tips for Christmas Tree Decorating

Large, medium or small, with a thousand lights or a few prominent ornaments, down the hallway or in a corner of the family room … the Christmas tree is a must for American families, and -- finally -- the time to decorate a new one has come! HomeWorks Plus (SM), a leading membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC, reports that millions of Americans will keep the tradition alive by making their Christmas trees look like a work of art.

The Christmas tree has a long association with Christianity, tracing its roots back to the 16th century in Europe. Germany is the country where many customs, songs, images of Santa, pine trees adorned with ornaments and other Christmas traditions come from. In the hundreds of years since then, the Christmas tree has become more than a religious symbol, evolving into an emblem of a time of the year to celebrate love and family union. HomeWorksPlus members use their benefits to save on decorative purchases for the tree and all the areas of the home that need a touch of the holiday spirit.

From the ornaments to the lights to every branch of the tree, HomeWorks Plus has a few ideas about Christmas tree decoration:

Family decision. It's up to the family members to choose a specific theme or color, or simply to use their ornaments as family heirlooms and try to display them every year in a different, more creative way. No matter how the family approaches tree decorating, the goal is to achieve is a unique piece that reflects the family's personality.

The green trend. In this age of environmental awareness, many families are opting for an organic tree. To be part of this trend, the first step is to purchase the tree at a reputable farm (one that doesn't use pesticides and plants different types of trees). The second step is to purchase or make nature-friendly decorations. Use LED lights, which don't present the fire risk of conventional bulbs and also run on about a tenth of the energy. There's a great variety of colors and shapes in the market, all of which can be complemented with biodegradable ornaments made at home using recyclable paper and other materials.

The single-color tree. The key to a beautiful single-tone tree is to prepare beforehand. Once the color's been selected, the challenge is to get the ornaments in different shades, shapes and sizes. Begin with a single-tone string of lights as the base of the design, and build the rest from there. Pick only three or four kinds of ornaments, so the tree looks elegant and fun but not overstuffed.

A rainbow of colors. A multi-colored tree can easily look messy if ornaments and lights are not carefully selected, notes HomeWorksPlus. Follow a pattern, and pick at least one element that's going to bring unity to the design, like the same color ribbon to tie the items on the tree. Begin by wrapping the lights (all blue, red or green is a nice way to add color and break away from tradition) from top to bottom. Next, place larger ornaments first, evenly around all the branches, and continue randomly adding the others in decreasing size.

Ornaments. When it comes to Christmas tree ornaments, less is often more. Whatever the theme of the tree, be sure to keep some kind of pattern with the chosen ornaments. Beware of using too many garlands or too much tinsel, though; it's okay if the tree looks "snowy," but too much of it might create an "after a storm" look.

Top and bottom of the tree. This is the place where the originality of the family can really be showcased. Cap the tree off with a ceramic or a craft made by one of the kids, or pick something totally different from the traditional angel or star. You can use the same motif for the tree skirt, an item that's often forgotten but is equally important as the other decorative elements.

HomeWorks Plus members can access a variety of savings on home and Christmas decorating needs as well as gardening and entertainment interests. When it comes to finding elements for decorating, improving the house or creating a stunning look for a party or gathering, members can always count on HomeWorksPlus.

About HomeWorks Plus
HomeWorksPlus is a leading membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Adaptive Marketing is a category leader in membership programs, bringing value direct to consumers through an array of benefits in healthcare, discounts, security, personal property and personals. Members may access their benefits at HomeWorksPlus123.com. With broad online and offline distribution capabilities, Adaptive Marketing offers its corporate client partners effective tools to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value through programs such as HomeWorks Plus.

Source: PRWeb

How to make a Pine Cone Wreath

In this video, learn how to make a pine cone wreath for the holidays.

Holiday Door Decor Made Easy

When it comes to holiday door decor, ’tis the season to go all-natural.

Front doors greet guests and carolers during the holiday season, and natural elements found in one’s own backyard can be made into elegant holiday door decor that complements a home’s individual style.

JELD-WEN, a leading window and door manufacturer, reminds homeowners that, before they hang decor, they should inspect their doors to make sure they are in good working order.

“A home’s entrance sets the tone for the holidays more than any other time of year,” says Kevin Pine, product marketing manager for JELD-WEN. “Before they begin decorating, homeowners should inspect the door to make sure it is in good working order before the chilly winter months. Just a few quick touch-ups can add years of life to a door.”

“For example, if there’s a cold draft, replace the weatherstrip,” says Pine. “If the surface is chipped, dull or whitish, retouch it with the manufacturer’s recommended finish. If it’s dirty, clean the door with a gentle solution; avoid harsh or abrasive materials.”

Once a door has had proper maintenance and homeowners are ready to decorate, they should think about the wreath’s proportions and how it will work with the dimensions, shape and color of the door. Here are instructions on making a magnolia wreath. Other materials may be used depending on region and availability.

Choosing Materials

This season’s door decorations are not limited to what is at the local craft store. Instead, supplies found in the kitchen and backyard, such as dried fruits, wild grasses and leaves, can boost any home’s seasonal decor.

To enhance entryways, JELD-WEN suggests homeowners consider overall architectural style and the type of door to create unique and special designs that use regional elements. Whether decorating a traditional Eastern home, a beachfront bungalow or a Southwestern ranch, natural elements that grow locally can enhance and highlight a home’s entrance.

At-Home Project

This wreath is deceptively simple to create and is made with only a few materials. Two complementary, wide ribbons give the wreath a fuller and richer look, and balance the size of the magnolia leaf clusters. The ribbon also has glitter and felt detailing, which adds depth and texture.

Because this round wreath has such a traditional feel, it can work on many door styles from classic Colonial or Georgian homes to radius top Mediterranean or even Modern doors. When replicating this decor, keep in mind a door’s size, and scale the wreath appropriately so that it does not overpower or look too small on it. Placement is also important. Keeping the wreath in the top third of the door at eye level attracts people’s attention.

Materials:

Magnolia leaves or other broad evergreen leaves

14-inch wreath ring

22-gauge paddle wire

15 feet of four-inch wide ribbon in two complementary colors

Gold glitter spray


Directions:

Start with a wreath ring size of 14-inch and 22-gauge wire. Lay small clusters of cut magnolia, (three to five pieces in each cluster), next to the wreath ring and wire them on, overlapping them onto the wreath ring as you go (can be pre-wired together before starting).

Using 12-inch pieces of ribbon, fold each piece over to make six-inch loops. The ribbon loops are pinched together at the bottom and then wrapped with the wire. Tuck the ribbon loops into the wreath and wire them on.

Spray the wreath with gold glitter as desired. Use a doubled piece of ribbon to hang the wreath with a large bow on top. The bow should have four loops, two on each ribbon.

For more information on choosing door decor that matches popular architectural styles, visit www.jeld-wen.com/holiday.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Christmas Centerpiece

Watch Kevin Ray from Designing Dream Spaces show how to make a Christmas centerpiece.

Christmas Decorations

In this month's "In the Garden," Mark Viette talks about decorating our homes for the holidays using greenery from the back yard.

How to Bring Tradition Back to Your Holiday Decor

Somewhere between the recent explosion of blow-up lawn Santas and twinkling light displays choreographed to an orchestral rendition of “Joy to the World,” many traditional home décor elements have been siphoned out of the modern holiday season.

Not that long ago, preparing for holiday gatherings of family and friends meant physically changing the interior of your home to be warmer and more inviting. It meant creating an atmosphere where people would sit, talk and enjoy each other’s company.

But even though today’s holiday schedule can be a bit overwhelming at times, there are plenty of simple seasonal décor options that will restore tradition to your holiday, and create lasting memories for you and all of your holiday guests.

Color Away the Cold

In many parts of the country, the joy of the holidays is dampened by the cold, wet, snowy and rainy weather that accompanies this time of year. People take refuge inside their homes to keep safe and stay warm. One of the simplest ways to create a holiday atmosphere that is warm and inviting is to change the colors inside your home.

“It is astonishing how affective it can be to repaint a living room or dining room from a cool blue to a rich red or orange,” says Cindy Cragg, home stylist for Colonial Williamsburg. “In the 18th and 19th centuries, rich paint colors were a sign of prestige. Today, many paint companies are offering historically accurate palettes that mirror those colors.

“Williamsburg actually has more than 400 paint colors available through Pratt & Lambert Paints that capture the richness of traditional colonial décor, perfect for the holiday season,” Cragg says.

Table Setting with Style

Inevitably, holiday get-togethers seem to orbit around the dining room table. Whether your table is primarily used as a setting for the annual cookie buffet, or a more traditional location for a sit-down dinner, it has the potential to be a beautiful centerpiece for your home.

Cragg suggests choosing a tablescape that includes seasonal items that can complement your place settings.

“A red apple theme always makes a table setting really pop,” she notes. “This can be easily accomplished by taking some fresh evergreen branches and positioning a few brightly colored red apples throughout the arrangement.”

“If you really want to wow your guests, try stacking alternate layers of apples and greenery in a conical tree formation,” she says, adding that this centerpiece can then be paired with red or green table linen and basic white dishes. For an added jolt of color, place gold-colored chargers under the dinner plates.

Go for Green

Evergreen plants are holiday staples. During this time of year they have a beautiful green color and many of them have very clean, refreshing aromas. And though the traditional Christmas tree is a great first step, there are many other ways to bring these evergreen accents into your home.

One of the most beautiful evergreen plants is the holly. Holly comes in many different variations and can be shaped to fit your needs. Simply placing a few branches of holly on a mantle or fireplace adds a whole new dimension to your décor.

Or, to really add some seasonal sizzle, get a few small potted hollies and place them in a foyer or vestibule. The contrasting red berries and green leaves on the female holly provide a beautiful, and seasonal, color contrast.

Festive Fragrance

Complement your visible décor with an inviting nostalgic aroma. Try putting a little fresh cedar and a pine scented candle into a coffee table arrangement in your family or living room. The scents will fill your house, creating a very inviting atmosphere for everyone who stops over.

Another way to create an engaging scent for your house is by baking cookies. This simple task not only puts you one step closer to filling your cookie tray, but it creates a great aroma in your home. Try to bake two dozen cookies just before guests arrive. Cover any batter that you can’t get to and put it in the fridge. The dough will be fine for 24 hours and you can finish baking the next day.

Keep it Fun

No matter what you do, holiday decorating is an easy and fun way to rejuvenate your home and create a beautiful environment for friends and family alike. All the sights, sounds and smells of your house will make a lasting memory for all of your holiday guests.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Spruce Up Your Holiday Entertaining Decor

Looking for a little glitz to spruce up your holiday entertaining? You may already have all the trimmings you need right in your own home. This is one of the first places Annie Williamson looks when developing new decorating ideas to capture the magic of the holidays.

As a designer for Replacements, Ltd., the world’s largest supplier of old and new china, crystal, silver and collectibles, it’s not only her job to deck the showroom, but also to help customers come up with their own unique twists to add seasonal glow.

“You don’t have to spend a lot of money or be extraordinarily creative to give your holiday table that extra sparkle,” says Williamson. “You can do so much on a limited budget by starting with china or other items you already have and using them in ways you never imagined.”

Here are a few decorating tips to find items in your own home and turn them into dazzling decorating pieces:

Think Outside the Box

Are your serving pieces in the china cabinet gathering dust? Those could be the start of a perfect centerpiece. “A great idea that’s also really easy is to fill a soup tureen or large serving bowl with fresh flowers or even colorful holiday ornaments to complement your napkins or china,” says Replacements’ Dubravka Vujinovic. “You could do something similar with your sugar bowl, or even fill water goblets or tumblers with flowers to use at each place setting.”

Find Festive Flourishes

You don’t need to have several sets of china to impress your guests. Replacements experts say small flourishes can easily give your table a whole new look.

* Mix old and new china patterns, or even combine pieces of your formal dinnerware with a more casual pattern. For instance, use a colorful earthenware dinner plate such as Homer Laughlin Fiesta as a charger beneath a more delicate china pattern.

* Add a burst of pizzazz by using colored glass plates as accent pieces. For autumn entertaining, you could even place a bright fall leaf on a dinner plate, then place a see-through colored glass plate on top to create a layered effect.

* Look outdoors. Use seasonal greenery, including holly, running cedar or magnolia leaves on the table to add color. For Thanksgiving, decorate with fresh fall leaves and walnuts.

* Fill silver bowls with water and float candles for evening entertaining.

* Add feathers to festive floral arrangements to create a unique look, or use gold and silver bells as accents.

* Instead of flowers, fill clear vases with cranberries, lemons or greenery in water.

* Decorate with ornaments at each place setting. They not only add sparkle, but guests can take home these keepsakes as a reminder of your special evening.

“Chandelier trees are another way to dazzle your guests,” says Williamson. “Take down the chandelier or light fixture over your dining room table then hang a holiday tree upside down from the ceiling and decorate it with lights and ornaments. Not only does this create more space on the table, it’s a great conversation starter.”

Want to learn more inside advice to dazzle your guests? You can find additional decorating tips at www.replacements.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Deck the Halls Like a Pro

Without a doubt, Christmas is truly a magical time of year. Spending time with family, friends and loved ones is one of the reasons why Christmas is so special. Creating traditions, sharing fond memories and simply being together adds to the warmth and merriment of the holidays.

A fun holiday activity that practically every family enjoys is the tradition of decorating the house -- especially the Christmas tree! If you are like most families, you probably have a few boxes of favorite ornaments that you unpack and proudly display year after year. As you carefully hang every last Santa and snowman, you also make room for a couple of new ornaments that you knew would look fabulous among your old favorites.

According to a new survey by Unity Marketing, approximately 80 percent of American households will be “decking their halls” this holiday season. Most individuals will also be adding a few new pieces to their existing ornament and décor collections, just to keep up with what’s currently in style. “This year, that would be a return to old world charm with dynamic colors like sapphire, ruby red and citrine embellished with metallics. There will also be an emphasis on patterns and textures with glitter, beads and etchings; and such icons as birds, pine cones, winter foliage and berries,” says Susan Atchison, trend manager for Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores.

Whether you are hosting a large holiday party or a quiet gathering with close family and friends, here are some quick and easy decorating ideas that will surely add a festive feel to your home:

* Spray garland with white and silver glitter to give it a sugar-coated vintage look and hang it on your staircase rail or fireplace mantle.

* Repetition helps to highlight your holiday theme. Use poinsettias or hydrangea in your tree, garlands, large glass hurricanes or as accents to other centerpieces. You can also tuck them around photo frames, candles etc. Use your favorite item (holly, flowers, pinecones, ornaments) -- the key is to use these items throughout your home.

* Evoke the senses with the smell of home baking and a welcoming feel -- burn candles with scents like cinnamon, pumpkin pie.

* Decorate with beads. Wrap the lower portion of pillar candles with colorful strung beads for a glitzy look or create beautiful beaded ornaments (see instructions below) to coordinate with holiday colors.

* Use your favorite fabric to wrap around the base of your tree instead of using a traditional tree skirt.

* Make colorful, festive, placecards for your holiday dinner with sheets of festive scrapbook paper.

* Sew or wrap pillows in holiday fabrics to scatter on the sofa and chairs for quick holiday touches.

For more ideas and the latest trends in indoor and outdoor holiday decorating projects, visit your local Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store.

Here’s an easy-to-complete craft project you can make to bring the look of Christmas 2007 into your home:

Beaded Icicle Ornaments
Courtesy of Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

Supplies and Tools:

• 22-gauge floral stem wire
• Beads in assorted sizes
• Wire cutters
• Tacky glue

Directions:

1. Cut wire 6-1/2-inches to 8-1/2-inches long.
2. String small bead on wire, bend wire about 1/2-inch up.
3. String remaining beads on to desired length, covering wire at the end.
4. Bend wire to make hanging loop by placing wire end into last two beads.
5. Add a drop of glue at the top of last bead to secure.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How To Make A Christmas Centrepiece

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Florist, Trish Haunton demonstrates how to create a Christmas centrepiece using blue pine, red roses and berried ivy.

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Knowing how to make a Christmas wreath enables you to add a personlized touch to your Christmas decor. AsktheDecorator.com host Meghan Carter will show you how to make Christmas wreaths so your Christmas wreahts won't only be personalized but also beautiful and stylish. With just a few simple tips, you'll have no trouble making christmas wreaths that are one-of-a-kind for your home.

Christmas is in the Air

‘Tis the season to be jolly, right? Baking treats every night until after midnight for the kids’ schools, neighborhood parties, the office, etc.; adorning every square inch of your home with special homemade decorations; and spending 12 hours trapped in holiday traffic with an irritable spouse and three overly excited kids on the way to spend Christmas with the family. It’s enough to turn “Ho! Ho! Ho!” into “No! No! No!”

Maybe it’s time to rethink some of those Christmas traditions, especially if they’re getting in the way of actually enjoying the holiday. While traditions give us a sense of security in a changing world, experts agree that you can focus so hard on trying to make Christmas perfect and fun that it becomes a stressful chore instead of a celebration. According to Dr. Gail Saltz, a professor of psychiatry, you should “lower your expectations to what’s reasonable.”

“It’s all about setting priorities and understanding what’s really important,” says Rick Ruffolo, senior vice president of brand, marketing, and innovation at Yankee Candle Company. “Many of these traditions are how we relive and share special childhood memories of Christmas, like the aroma of your mom’s Christmas cookies in the oven, for instance. Fortunately, you can recreate that memory even if you don’t have time to bake yourself … simply light a Christmas Cookie candle and let the scent of buttery rich sugar cookies take you back home.”

There’s research to support this emotional relationship. A Brown University study shows that our experiences at the time determine our emotional response to a particular scent. Rachel Herz, the lead scientist of the study, says “when we like or don’t like a smell, that is learned.”

“Our sense of smell is intimately-linked to the brain’s emotion and memory functions, and it’s why scents can have such a strong impact on your state of mind and emotional well-being,” adds Ruffolo. “And that’s what we all really want during the holidays … that happy, warm feeling we call ‘the Christmas spirit.’”

Could it really be that simple?

“In some ways it can be,” Ruffolo explains. “For example, our Christmas Wreath scent is just like bringing in fresh pine boughs without the mess. Or, consider new Gingerbread … for some it’s a trip back in time to Grandma’s house. And, when you can’t physically go home for Christmas, warm spice scents like new Holiday Home Sweet Home and Home for the Holidays can still take you there … if only in your dreams. Even as traditions change because of changes in your life or work, these scents can help you balance these changes while still keeping you connected to the memories you hold dear.”

Whether you choose to bring fragrance home through candles, room sprays or electric home fragrance units, it sure seems like “scents-ible” advice. This year, why not rethink your holiday traditions and see if you can make them less frantic and more festive with fragrance, because Christmas really is in the air.

Merry Christmas!

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How To Make A Christmas Wreath

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Trish Haunton shows us how to make a Christmas wreath to welcome your guests with during the festive season.