For m any families, the w eeks
before Christmas include mul-
tiple— sometim es spur-of-the-
m oment— gatherings.
Friends
visit to deliver holiday greet-
ings, family comes from out of
town, and the neighbors stop
by
unannounced.
To
make
sure every gathering is special,
it helps to have good food on
hand and a houseful of cozy
decorations.
G et
the
w hole
family involved along the way,
and you’ll make memories to
last a lifetime.
To get started, designer Lori
Hellander suggests decorating
the Christmas tree w ith a bevy
of
balls
to
create
a
festive
backdrop
for
a
handful
of
special ornaments. O ne of her
favorite hom em ade decorations
ABOVE LEFT: Spruce up a sofa or chair for the season with a wintry burlap
pillow decorated with felt snowflakes. ABOVE RIGHT: To make a cone
ornament, cover both sides of a 6-inch square of card stock with
newspaper or scrapbooking paper. Hold the square by a point, twist into
a cone shape, and secure with staples. Cut off excess to make a rounded
top. Embellish with copies of photos, rickrack, and paper snowflakes. Glue
or staple a yarn hanger inside the top of the cone. RIGHT: This soft garland
gets its color from stacks of 1
Vi-inch felt squares and purchased felt balls.
Cut through multiple felt layers using a rotary cutter on a cutting board.
String garland together with a needle and fishing line.
Best of Christmas Ideas
55
