Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under $10

Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under

1. Berry Votive Holder-Dress up any plain glass votive holder with berries on wire at any Michael's craft store and wind around the holder. Once the circle is formed use some fine craft wire or picture hanging wire from any dollar store and tie the ends together. My favorite colors are gold, silver, burgundy wine, or red. For a fun flair use cream or baby blue. Use these in your own home or wrap them up as a set of four or six in a pretty box with a gorgeous bow for a great gift. The exact same items double as napkin holders too!

2. Festive Napkin Holders-Use plain wooden napkin holders and paint them any color such as red, gold, silver, or white and embellish them with a small bell, snowflake, beads, or simply another paint color with pattern of snowflake, polka dots, stripes etc.

3. Funky Centerpiece-Fill an inexpensive glass vase (tall cylindrical work best) with all sizes of the same color glass ornaments balls. I like red, green, gold, silver, or blue. Use one color but multiple designs such as stripes, swirls, frosted, shiny etc. With a large enough bowl this can make a great centerpiece. Try hot and spicy red for your dinner table. You can purchase inexpensive balls at dollar stores, discount stores like Ross, Walmart or Target or try the Salvation Army.

4. Traditional Wreath- Use a pre-made artificial greenery wreath, then buy 2 colors of berries on a wire. I used Gold with cream and Burgundy wine this year. Wrap the long end of the wire at the bottom of the berries around the round wire holding the wreath together. Do this for each set. Alternate colors so that it will go color one, color two, color one. The two colors will come to a point so the top of the wreath has wine color on one side and gold/cream on the other with the meeting point as the very top and bottom. Fluff the greenery so that the berries don't look like they're just floating on top. Once completed add a ribbon in the same colors you chose for the berries at the bottom. Wrap ribbon about 5 times at the bottom centre with centre of long piece of ribbon in middle. Eventually tie a large bow. The key is to find inexpensive ribbon that is a bout 3" wide and leave 2 long tails at the bottom of the bow that hang about 8" long. Mount to front door or above fireplace etc.

5. Create Cool Coasters- Use circular cut Plexiglas from Home Depot or Craft store about 3" wide in diameter and use festive holiday fabric to have cut same size. Use spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the Plexiglas. You can use wrapping paper or wallpaper also. Create these for yourself or give a set of four or six away. As a gift, remember they don't have to have a Christmas theme on them, use floral, contemporary stripes or even a photo.

6. Christmas Art Frame- Use pre-made frames that are fun and fit at least a 4"x6" picture for holiday words such as JOY, LOVE or PEACE. Use pretty wrapping paper or fonts from your computer printed out to slide behind the glass. Silver and Gold frames are my favorite for the season. Feel free to use barn board, wood, plastic, whatever you have around the house. These are cute décor gifts for friends and family also.

7. Mini Snow-covered tree- Collect a bunch of twigs long enough to pop out of a decent size vase. Use decoupage glue and white tissue paper to create a neat effect for the vase or leave as clear filled with glass ornaments or whatever you like. Spray paint the twigs white and use fishing wire to dangle tiny ornaments and vintage jewelry for fun effect. Use on a table, at an entry way, or in a bedroom. Feel free to add some basic white indoor lights for a nice evening glow.

8. Monogrammed Towels- To stay in the budget, buy some great basic kitchen towels with a simple stripe at the bottom in red, blue, green or even black. Use a lettered script stencil and some fabric paint to paint their surname initial on the towel. Feel free to make up a set of two with different colors if you can find the kitchen towels at a super discounted price.

9. Holiday Centerpiece- One of the simplest centerpieces is a glass vase filled with water and real cranberries (not frozen, not dried) and a white floating candle. Use an interesting vase with a large opening or a great glass dish. Either way the cranberries and candle will float and look wonderful. Ensure to use a non-scented candle if this will go on your dining table. We wouldn't want the scent to interfere with the wonderful aroma of your home-cooked meal.

10. Home-Made Snow Globe- Use old jam jars to create a winter snow globe. You'll need water, the jam jar, glitter of your choice, epoxy glue, ribbon and a small figurine or a few for the inside. Use the epoxy glue and secure the figurine(s) to the lid on the inside. Then pour some glitter or plastic mini snowflakes inside the jar. Now add distilled water without bacteria and close the jar tightly. Lastly add some ribbon around the bottom of the globe (the lid) to hide it and you are done. Again, gift or your own décor...you decide.

11. Holiday Dishware- Places such as Ikea and discount stores can provide for a set of 4 bowls and plates that you can paint up with glass paint. Be sure if you are going to eat off of them that the paint is used for that. You can use white ceramic or glass bowls and dishes. For the glass set, use glass etching cream and a stencil for a great effect. Wrap up the set and away you go.

12. Primp those Pillows-Take your existing pillows and make them holiday ready with some simple organza. Take square or rectangular pillows and wrap the sheet of organza around the back until the ties meet the front. Now make a bow. The idea here is to use colors that work. So, if you have red pillows, use some gold organza. If you have plain white pillows, use red or gold etc. If you are handy with the sewing machine you can make some simple square slipcovers for your existing ones so you can change them back when the holiday is over. Using an old knit sweater is another fun cover for them. A neat idea for slip covers is velvet. Use an iron and a stamper. Take the backside of the fabric and place the iron there. On the good side of the velvet is where you'll press the stamper into. After you are done the pattern will be revealed either as one large centered detail or several small ones all over. Use this for chair covers too!

Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under

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Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under

Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under
Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under

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Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under

Homemade Christmas Gifts and Decorations for Under

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The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)

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The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)
Subtitles available. Audio courtesy of LibriVox. Read by Debra Lynn CLICK HERE for MORE VIDEOS! www.youtube.com
The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)

The Mayor of Casterbridge (1 of 6)

An Ancient Roman Dinner Party Idea

Did you know one of the great Roman rituals was to have a dinner party?

If a Roman held status in the community it was the accepted rule for the family to host regular dinner parties. Just as the Romans went to Roman baths to network and influence their local dignitaries, dinner parties in the home were another means to help further the career of the host. The Romans were truly class conscious - remember learning about the Plebeians and the Patricians?

In the old Roman days things were very much separated into male and female roles - so it was the wife's role to prepare every aspect of the dinner party since the husband had been at work all day. But it was the servants who worked the hardest during the entire afternoon gathering and preparing everything for the meal.

O.K. - who is lucky enough to have home help with cooking these days? We may have to cut a few corners but you can still have fun with a Roman Dinner Party idea.

Invite your guests over by sending them a photocopy of a world map with an arrow to Rome and date it the 9th century B.C. or use a parchment scroll with your text painted in ink then sealed with wax and tied with an elegant ribbon.

Ask guests to come dressed Toga and all! Or as guests arrive you could adorn them with a white sheet each. Togas looked like a white sheet about nine yards long and were arranged very carefully, in a stylish way. Elaborate jewellery was also popular.

To create an atmosphere in your dining room display anything you have that is made of marble or mosaic or hang a mural as a back drop. Drape garlands of ivy or myrtle over tables or hanging overhead. Drape gold lame where it looks effective.

Imagine if you could create the appearance of columns. If you want to go all out you could arrange to hire some columns. These are sometimes used as props for weddings and the like.

The Romans ate at rectangular tables which were low to the ground and surrounded at three sides by low couches. The men would recline as they ate - the women would sit. But we can be equal these days! The tables would hold jugs of wine and bowls of fruit along with tepid water so the Romans could clean their hands between each course. One thing to keep in mind with a Roman dinner party is that the appearance and flavour of the food had to be just right - they were meticulous with their presentation.

The meals were often served in Samian pottery for their elegant appearance so earthenware or some rustic looking pottery serving bowls and urns would look effective. Imagine a crisp white table cloth scattered with red rose petals or a gold metal bird cage as a center piece.

The background music should be soft and gentle - the lyre was the most popular instrument as were flutes and harps. You get the drift.

The most widespread vegetables used to create meals of the day were made using broad beans, lentils and chick peas, lettuces, cabbages and leeks. The available fruits at first were apples, pears, wild cherries, plums, grapes, walnuts, almonds and chestnuts. Also dates that were imported from north Africa.

In the Roman days the dinner was made up of three main courses just is as the case today but there could be many more created to impress the guests.. which is what the Roman dinner party was all about.

The first course, the starter, could consist of eggs prepared in many different ways. Also available to guests would be a selection of salads, vegetables, shellfish, snails or the Roman delicacy - roasted, stuffed dormice which are small rodents! Usually the dormice were stuffed with minced pork, pepper, pine kernels, and liquamen which was a fish sauce.

As for the main course, this would invariably consist of some meat dish like beef, lamb and pork - or fish. The thing to remember is that you can try to cook an authentic meal (I will add some links to recipe sites in my blog where i will re post this article with links) but you can also create what you think would look great and work. Like a large roasted chicken or meat served on a lovely platter set in the middle of the table and surrounded by succulent roasted vegetables.

The dinner party would end with a dessert such as fruit, cake or pudding.

The Roman meal would take place over a few hours - they would take breaks between courses to allow each course to digest, to chat and to drink more wine.

Wine is a must - it was the beverage of the Roman world like it was with the Ancient Greeks. Mulsum was a very popular honeyed wine.

After the meal guests would assemble in a main room to listen to poetry being recited or for a reading from one the classics and then they would be given a tour of the mosaics and art works so as to further impress.

So there you have it. This is a fun idea and certainly something different for your next dinner party.

An Ancient Roman Dinner Party Idea

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An Ancient Roman Dinner Party Idea

An Ancient Roman Dinner Party Idea
An Ancient Roman Dinner Party Idea

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How To Make Enchiladas

How To Make Enchiladas

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How To Make Enchiladas
Watch more How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo videos: www.howcast.com Subscribe to Howcast's YouTube Channel - howc.st Learn to make enchiladas with this easy recipe. Howcast uploads the highest quality how-to videos daily! Be sure to check out our playlists for guides that interest you: howc.st Subscribe to Howcast's other YouTube Channels: Howcast Health Channel - howc.st Howcast Video Games Channel - howc.st Howcast Tech Channel - howc.st Howcast Food Channel - howc.st Howcast Arts & Recreation Channel - howc.st Howcast Sports & Fitness Channel - howc.st Howcast Personal Care & Style Channel - howc.st Howcast empowers people with engaging, useful how-to information wherever, whenever they need to know how. Emphasizing high-quality instructional videos, Howcast brings you experts who provide accurate information in easy-to-follow tutorials on everything from makeup, hairstyling, nail art design, and soccer to parkour, skateboarding, dancing, kissing, and much, much more. Step 1: Brown the meat Brown ground beef in a nonstick skillet, or cube the chicken and brown it in vegetable oil. Step 2: Mix the filling Drain the meat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Tip Add chiles and 1 cup sour cream if you're using these ingredients. Step 3: Prepare the tortillas Heat the tortillas in an oven or microwave. Step 4: Fill the enchiladas Spread enchilada sauce on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Spoon filling on the tortillas and ...
How To Make Enchiladas

How To Make Enchiladas

How To Make Enchiladas

How To Make Enchiladas

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