Decorate for Christmas

For the Dinner Table

• Make a fragrant cinnamon stick trivet by gluing 3-inch cinnamon sticks onto a 6" x 6", 1/4-inch thick plywood base. Sticks may be arranged in any design. Cover the bottom of the plywood with self-adhesive flannel.
• Using a round pizza cardboard shape base coat with green paint. Let dry. Glue Magnolia leaves around the edges for a plate charger. Leave them green or, for a touch of glammer paint everything gold or silver.
• Sew large brass jingle bells to each corner of a tablecloth. Using medium and smaller size bells string them on wire and wrap for a napkin ring.
• Make Christmas Crackers for each place setting.
• Tie a Red ribbon around the napkin and tuck in a candy cane.
• Scatter old Christmas photographs across the table and cover with glass cut to fit.
• Make Miniature Stockings for each place setting to hold silverwear or a small gift.
• Decorate the dining-room chandelier with garlands and ornaments.
• Gift wrap a small ornament and use the to/from tags as place cards at each place setting.
• To each place setting place a floating candle in a wine glass filled with water.
• Add a fat taper to a bowl of fruit.
• Write and display the menu in a small frame.

The Christmas Tree

• To add scent for those with an artificial tree try a mixture of potpourri using pine needles, orange rinds, whole nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
• Candy Canes come in many colors and are a quick and inexpensive addition to any tree.
• Why should your tree have all the fun. If you have more ornaments than tree try adding a special collection to a wreath. If you have miniature cooking utensils, sweets, and add them to a kitchen wreath. If you have miniature tea cups, tea pots, and plates and add them to a Dining room tree. Red, white, and blue ornaments can be combined to make a Patriotic wreath and shella and nautical items can become a Beach wreath.

General Decorations

• To make luminaries from tin cans fill them with water first and freeze. Write on the cans with a marker to make it easier to punch out your design then nail holes in them for your design. Soak off the label, melt and drain the ice, fill with 2 inches of sand and add your candle.
• Fill a basket with Christmas prunings - greenery, holly, beries, evergreens - then add pinecones and lights. Finish with an oversized bow for drama.
• Swag the mantle, stairs, or front door.
  Materials:
  3 lengths of twine or jute cut to desired length plus 12 inches
  Green florist's wire
  Assorted Evergreens - (Pine, Holly, Mistletoe, Magnolia leaves, Spruce, Boxwood, Eucalyptus...) or assorted silk greenery
  Pruning shears
  Desired embellishments - (dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, seed pods, berries, ornaments, or silks)
  Wired picks
  Begin by looping and tying 3 lengths of jute with an overhand knot so that you have a loop on either end. Cut assorted greens into 10" lengths. Bundle pieces of greenery and attach with the floral wire. Overlap the next bundle and wrap in the same manner. Continue overlapping, adding and wrapping greenery to the end. Attach embellishments with wire or wired picks.
  Variations are as numerous as your imagination. Garlands can be added, lights, stuffed teddy bears, tea cups, cookies, and so on.
• If you don't want the mess and bother of a fire burning in the fireplace add an assortment of cream colored pillar candles of different sizes to the fire box. For added heights use bricks.
• Make a Candy Wreath
  Materials:
  wire hanger
  green & red curling ribbon
  2 1/2 lbs candy wrapped at both ends
  3-inch wide ribbon for bow
  childrens scissors (optional)
  1. Bend wire hanger into a circle using the hook for hanging.
  2. Cut ribbons into 12-inch pieces, one for each piece of candy, curling each. Then tie each candy onto the hanger until the entire hanger is covered.
  3. Finish with a bow tied to the top of the wreath.
  4. Attach scissors to wreath (optional)
  This would also be cute with dog bones for a canine friend

For Your Family

• Christmas Scrunchie:
  1. Yarn
  2. Ponytail Holder
  3. Jingle Bells
  4. Crochet Hook - H
  Start by stringing the bells onto the yarn.
  Rnd 1) Attach yarn to the ponytail holder sc around the holder until full.
  Rnd 2)Ch4, *skip st, dc in next st, ch 1. Repeat from * around. Join in 3rd ch of first ch4.
  Rnd 3) Ch3, pull up bell, ch3, sk ch space, sc in dc, *ch 3, pull up bell, ch3, sk ch sp, sc in dc, ch6, sk ch sp, sc in dc, ch6, sk ch sp,sc in dc. Repeat from * around. Join in base of first ch3.
  Finish off
• Glue 2 Candy Canes together so they form a heart and add a red ribbon for hanging on the Christmas tree.

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