Dear Readers:
My best friend jokingly asked me to create holiday decorations for her, knowing full well the limitations of my craft abilities. I’m not Martha, nor one of those decorators who can whip up a masterpiece from odds and ends lying around the house and yard. Luckily I excel at assessing the quality of work by true craftsmen. (And purchasing same.) In fact, I typically break out in a cold sweat when faced with a hot glue gun. In one horrible year alone I had to create both holiday decorations (shudder) for a large bookstore and stainless steel window treatments for a showhouse. I glued my fingers together for the former – which doesn’t hurt as much as you might think – and gave myself a third degree burn with the latter. FYI, stainless steel is a tremendous heat conductor.
Needless to say, I prefer to approach decorating for the holidays differently than crafters, or even traditionalists for that matter. The most beautiful Christmas tree we ever had was a perfectly shaped white pine with nothing on it but tiny white lights. At night the wispy branches cast sort of a halo of light around the tree. We called it our Zen tree, and it was truly magical. A grouping of small trees can also be sensational and different. I can guarantee you that your guests will be fascinated.
I trust that like the inevitable fruitcake, at least one poinsettia will show up. If so, go out and get some more of the same color, so that you can at least mass them together into something special. I actually like the coral double blooms when grouped in large quantities.
What a great time of year to display a collection and intersperse it with greens and tiny lights. I know it sounds Christmas-y, but tiny lights make everything look better. Try them on a bookcase. Among your houseplants. Around your headboard. Jumbled in a clear bowl. (Especially if you can’t untangle them from last year.) There is something enchanting about light. That’s one of the reasons I’m addicted to menorahs; if I had the space, I’d have an enormous menorah collection. I love the story; and like most religious artifacts, menorahs are magnificent pieces of art.
Why not set a monochromatic table this year? This can have a tremendous impact in candlelight. Table settings can be stunning when done in all red, all green, all blue, silver/white, or gold/white. Tie an ornament or small gift around each napkin.
I also love irreverent ornaments. An amusing flying pig ornament hung all year from my last dining room chandelier. And every winter I hang the same oversized ornament on my front door instead of a wreath. It’s a rubber chicken, wearing a silver lame jumpsuit with ankle boots. It could use a white feathered headdress, but you know how I feel about hot glue guns. Have a great holiday! M.A.K.
