Back to Basics for Christmas: Some Easy-to-Do Ideas
November 19th, 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. Even if you don’t live in the country, you can still enjoy a rustic Christmas.
“Each of the activities described below can be enjoyed by young and old,” says Sandra Thornton. “And the joy and memories in creating them will last 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 really quite easy and doesn’t take long to do.
If you have evergreen trees or shrubs, you can cut some boughs. Look for some pinecones, berries on branches, and other natural materials. I made a quick trip into the woods to find my supplies. Add a Christmas trinket or two and some candles and voila - you have a custom Christmas centerpiece. Arrange these items decoratively on your table to create an appealing, fragrant, and very rustic Christmas 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 unattended - always extinguish candles before leaving 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 make our pomander - our rustic Christmas ornament - from an orange and cloves.
Children will enjoy this project. I made my first pomander when I was about 12. Today I’m still making them - now with my grandchidren. It’s an easy project and you’ll love the results.
Simply take an orange and stick whole cloves into it until it is evenly covered all over. To avoid breaking the stem of the clove, use a pin or needle to pierce the orange skin. At minimum there should be an equal amount of clove cover with orange showing through. The cloves preserve the orange as it dries - and the aroma of the two is delicious! Garnish it with ribbon and you’re ready to hang it on the tree, over a window, or above a doorway. You might even want to give it as a gift. The pomander will last for years.
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.
A simple and rustic Christmas garland can be made from popcorn and fresh cranberries. Again, this is a geat project for children!
Use strong thread. You can use nylon line for durabilty - although it’s not necessary as it’s only meant to last for the Christmas season. You will need a needle large enough for heavy thread or line. Make a batch of popcorn and let it cool. Make enough to snack on too! Even young children should be able to thread the popcorn successfuly (watch out for the needle) but they may find the cranberries too difficult.
You can string your popcorn and berries randomly or set up a pattern such as five pieces of popcorn, one cranberry, or whatever design you find visually pleasing.
Harvest your own tree
Cutting down your own Christmas tree is the stuff of romance and memories! If you have property out in the country, you may be able to harvest a tree from your own land. If not, you may be able to obtain permission from a nearby landowner, or find a location that allows tree cutting. You’ll need a small, but sharp, buck saw.
Think about the distance when you head out to cut your tree - you’ll have the same distance to walk back - and you’ll be dragging your 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 chilly day and there was a fair amount of snow. We found our tree, cut it and hauled it back. It’s surprising how much a tree can change size from the time you first find it outdoors to when you bring it into the house! So make sure your tree is the right size before you cut it down. 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. We encourage you to plant a tree (or several) to replace the one you cut down.
Ready for your rustic Christmas? Not everyone has the time or inclination to pursue the type of projects outlined above. 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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Victorian Christmas Tree Ornaments: Antique Delights
November 18th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Many people enjoy antiquing - looking for rare treasures that often can be had for next to nothing. A good antique store will have lots of different items, some probably in better condition than others. In antiquing, the old adage, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, is definitely true. One item that has been becoming increasingly popular among antiquers is Christmas tree ornaments, especially Victorian Christmas tree ornaments.
Christmas Tree Ornaments from the Victorian Era
The long period (1837-1901) during which Queen Victoria ruled England - known simply as the Victorian era - is normally associated only with England, but the United States was also hugely affected by Victorian tastes and morals. Victoria was famously rigid, yet her era also saw extremely fine decorations, and Victorian Christmas tree ornaments often reflect this.
During most of the Victorian era, electricity was simply not available or at best, it was a luxury for the rich. 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.
“Father Christmas” was another common theme on 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. Rather than the familiar red and white suit with a black belt, Victorian era “Father Christmas” ornaments show figures of a man with an ample white beard and flowing robes, more reminiscent of a wizard or old sage than what we think of as Santa Claus. A fairly large number of Victorian Christmas ornaments that depict this image of Father Christmas are still out there, and you can find them — if you’re willing to look.
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 keep for a very long time, so if you do find any examples of these antique Christmas tree ornaments, they will probably need to be restored.
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 can use a needle and thread (or a sewing machine!), you could just buy a yard or two of velvet at a local shop, cut it up into strips, sew the sides, and make your own velvet ribbons that way. Whichever method you choose, the key is to have fun decorating your Christmas tree! Don’t forget that the Internet always has plenty of sites that will help you with all of your holiday decorating needs.
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How to Save Money on Holiday Gifts
November 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you need some ideas to make your holiday dollars stretch, you’re not alone this year. Many people are faced with tough decisions regarding their spending and gift-giving habits. Look to the following tips to reduce your spending this year and make this holiday season enjoyable for everyone.
1. Try to limit gift exchanges.
Most people are in the same boat this season and could do without the extra expense of yet another gift exchange. If you feel comfortable with doing so, pitch the idea to your group of friends or family members. Plan a potluck holiday party so that you can all spend time together, without the pressure of buying gifts. Many families have reduced their expenses by having an exchange just for the children, or by drawing names so that each family group exchanges with one other small family group. Groups of friends can exchange Christmas cookies instead of spending money on separate presents. You might be surprised by how many people want to skip the gift exchanges (or limit them) this year.
2. Make your own gifts.
If you’re a crafty person, there are tons of presents that you can make that can reduce your costs this holiday season. Crocheted blankets, scrapbooks, personalized note cards and beaded bracelets are just a few of the craft items that you can give as gifts. Visit your local library to look for craft books to get even more ideas. Buy your supplies at a wholesale or craft discount store so you’ll save even more. Try to bundle gifts together. For example, make bracelets for all the women in your family so that you can make them all at once, which saves you time and money.
3. Bake your gifts.
Everyone will enjoy baked goods this time of year! Scour the Internet for new cookie and sweet treats recipes. In addition to cookies, you can bake fudge, bread or biscotti. Decide on three to four recipes. Plan to spend a Saturday before the holidays baking your gifts, and, before your baking date, start stockpiling ingredients by watching the sales. Many grocery stores will put holiday baking supplies on sale in the winter months. Purchase inexpensive decorative plates at a discount store and then use colored cellophane to cover the plates. You can also buy jars and layer the goodies in them.
4. Shop online with coupon codes.
Look for particularly deep discounts and coupon codes on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) as well as Cyber Monday (the Monday following Thanksgiving.) Make sure to shop as early as possible so you don’t end up with extra shipping charges for expedited delivery.
The best way to save money on holiday gifts is to purchase items throughout the year when you have find them on sale. So, once the holidays are over, keep a running list of gift ideas and shop the clearance sections. That way, you’ll have more time and energy left over for all of the holiday merriment.
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