With the holidays fast approaching, you may be feeling overwhelmed, not to mention strapped for cash as you make the rounds of the local malls. So if you’re looking for a quick, easy, and affordable way to spruce up your home for the Holidays, then look no further—divine.ca has your guide to homemade holiday touches.
*Turn your bare table-tops into a salute to the season. Put out serving dishes adorned with sprays of cedar boughs or holly, pine cones, or red and green candles.
*If you’re expecting guests this holiday season, leave out bowls of holiday potpourri you can make yourself: evergreen leaves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves look pretty.
*For the bathroom: mix Epsom salts with essential oils like cinnamon and peppermint, then put in mesh bags tied with ribbon, and keep on the bathroomshelf, for whenever you or your guests need to decompress.
*Make your own holiday soap. Follow our instructions for DIY bars of guest soap, substituting frankincense and myrrh essential oils for the ones we’ve suggested. These earthy scents have been shown to nourish the skin, fight bacteria, and uplift the spirit. For colour, choose the green tone, and wrap your bars in red and green cellophane wrappers tied with raffia ribbons. Give to friends or leave out for guests.
*Make your own ornaments using felt and cookie cutters for patterns. Cut two pieces of the same shape, stuff with cotton balls, then either stitch or glue together, first putting a ribbon hangerbetween the two pieces at the top. Hang from doorknobs, on indoor wreaths, or on your Christmas tree.
*Get your home smelling like the holidays by simmering a mixture of apple cider, cinnamon and nutmeg on the stove whenever guests come over.
*Turn candle holders into something more personal: start with round glass holders. Take a few favourite pictures and tape these to a piece of white paper. At the copier shop ask to have the collage put on a transparency. Then just roll them up and slip them inside. They will open automatically, snapping right into shape. Instead of candles, use battery operated lights for a “stained glass” effect. An original way to display your holiday photos.
*Personalize your Christmas wreath. First, shake it to get rid of any loose needles. Then attach whatever says “holiday” to you: small photos, scrapbook frames, ribbons, bows, ornaments, min-photos, gingerbread cookies, dried fruits and flowers, or whole spices like cinnamon sticks.
