12:52pm 11/02/2009
The holidays are a great time to indulge the senses. Get into the holiday spirit with these fun and easy ideas.
Spark up your table
Because the holiday focus is usually on the big meal, I consider any time thinking about and dressing my dining table time well-spent. This year, try a new colour scheme: rich rose red and dusky purple; white and maroon; or rustic neutrals highlighted with gold. A decorative runner in shimmering organza or beaded silk is striking, especially on a wood table.
Create a shimmery focus
For an easy but striking centrepiece, pile a dish high with frosted fruits (brushed with lightly beaten egg whites, then dredged with sugar in a Ziploc® brand Easy Zipper® Storage Bag and left to dry). Shiny red apples, crabapples, rosehips and berries from shrubs such as snowberry look spectacular with evergreens.
Pump up the glow
Nothing reflects the spirit of the holidays more than candles. Try a cluster of Homemade Gingerbread™ or Apple Cinnamon Glade® Scented Oil Candles to add some atmosphere to your rooms. Place these before a reflective surface such as a mirror, glass wall or window to enhance the effect. Surrounding the candles with large, chalky white pebbles adds textural interest.
Perfume the air
Not only do Glade® Scented Oil Candles cast a holiday glow, but the wax melts into a large pool of scented oil so that more fresh fragrance is released into the air. As the whole room fills with a refreshing scent, you can relax and enjoy the shimmering candlelight for the holidays.
Ring around a napkin
Creating your own napkin rings isn’t hard at all. Start with a white napkin and wrap sprigs of berries and a red ribbon around it. Or try substituting a small bunch of red grapes (plastic ones work) or even rosebuds instead of the berries.
Mingle the spices
The scent of citrus blended with the spicy aroma of cloves is a not-to-be-missed holiday smell. These orange pomanders are easy to make and are great gifts. Make extras and send guests home with samples. Ziploc® brand Snap ‘n Seal Containers are a great way to give them, and they’re available in festive holiday colours! (Tip: Orange peel can be tough to pierce, so prick your design first with a small skewer and then push the cloves into the holes.)
Think out of the box
If wrapping presents drives you crazy, here’s a solution: A simple white box can look elegant with just the addition of an extra-special bow. Tissue paper is easier to use than traditional wrapping paper (and is especially good for encasing around potted plants and wine bottles). And a tissue-paper flower can serve as a terrific bow. (One year, a friend loved the paper flower bow better than the gift I gave her and kept it all year! Sad but true.)
Another great wrapping tip I learned from a friend was to use a Ziploc® brand Sandwich Bag to keep my ribbons under control. I place the ribbon in the bag, cut a small hole in it and then pull the ribbon through. That way, I never have to worry about a big tangle of ribbon!
Tag it differently
For an edible gift tag, bake gingerbread stars or hearts (make a hole in each before baking), then ice names or initials on them and thread a ribbon through. Then just store in a Ziploc® brand Snap ‘n Seal Container. You could also copy photographs of holiday scenes or pictures of your own house and garden to tag presents with a personal touch.
Wreathe and breathe
I love to wreathe my front door with fragrant leaves that give my guests an aromatic welcome. Try a generous bunch of freeze-dried hops tied with a ribbon for a citrus-pine aroma. A eucalyptus wreath is also a very invigorating reminder of the season. I continue the aroma inside by using various Glade® fragrances such as Glade PlugIns® Scented Oil in Apple Cinnamon in the guest bedroom, Glade® Clean Linen™ Candles in the bathroom and Glade® Scented Oil Candles in Homemade Gingerbread™ in the living room.
Perk up your kitchen
Because you’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, make it beautiful—for you and your guests! Perk up a bland area with an earthy arrangement. Freshly picked berries with leaves intact look refreshing in a porcelain pitcher. (Now is the time to use all those decorative pitchers you own!)
Give the gift of home cooking
A gift that people always seem to appreciate is one of my many favourite recipes. For my friends that love to cook (and I’ve got lots!), I write the ingredients and directions on a nice piece of stationery and measure and package each of the ingredients. Ziploc® brand Snap ‘n Seal Containers in holiday colours are a great way to keep everything together, and for spices and powders, Ziploc® brand Sandwich Bags are great. For environmentally minded friends or family, try the Ziploc® brand evolve™ Bags, made with 25% less plastic* and manufactured with a combination of renewable wind energy as well as energy from traditional sources.
*When compared to regular Ziploc® brand Sandwich bags.
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