Tuesday, 23rd December 2008
Christmas A – Z
A Angels, according to Islam, are “intangible, sentient entities made of light”. Pictures of angels from Christmas Cards and Holy Pictures, blown up to A4 size and then laminated, can be used to provide an eye-catching conversation-piece collage on a blank wall, or on widow panes where the sunlight will shine through them.
B Bead jewellery will require a new lease of life if re-designed and re-threaded. A specialist shop, an expert craft maker, or even some jewellery shops will do this, unless you have the equipment, time, and patience to do it yourself.
C China you no longer use may be turned into an attractive centrepiece; place mismatched sups on a large plate in the centre of the table, in a plate of sand, and place fresh flowers in some of them, held in place with oasis, and candles, steadied with blu-tac, in others.
D Design your own simple mobile; use biscuit-cutter stars as stencils, and cut out different sizes of stars from cardboard. Paint them gold and silver, and before the paint dries, sprinkle with glitter. Make a hole in one of the points and attach to a string anchored from one corner of the room to another.
E Evergreen branches give off their own scent; use wire to add a couple of fir cones and some dried flowers, for instant flower arrangements. Take cones inside the house and warm them slightly, so they will open slightly; dip the edges in glue and shake inside a plastic bag full of glitter.
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F Flowerpots – with plants or used as containers for gift-packs of toiletries or soft toys – are easy to decorate. Use stencils and spray inside them with silver or gold or bronze coloured paint from the auto parts shops; cover with cling-wrap and tie a strip of ribbon in the same metallic shade. |
G Gently heating a tiny, transparent, plastic bottle, filled with glass beads, in an oven, will make it pliable enough to be moulded around the beads. Before it cools, make a hole with a skewer at the top of the neck, for an unusual ornament to decorate the Christmas tree... or a necklace or key-ring.
H Hampers can be customised to the likes and needs of the recipient; wooden boxes may sometimes be had for a pittance from sweetshops. Spray them in festive colours and line with hay, and fill as necessary.
I Items that were “unwanted gifts” may be found cheaply at several outlets – some shops will even buy back wedding presents. You might be able to pick up extra crockery and cutlery for guests in this manner.
J Just because you don’t like – or don’t celebrate – Christmas, it does not mean that you have a licence to be Ms Grouch. Going along with others is your gift to them – not for Christmas, but for the gold, old-fashioned issue of being human.
K KISS principle – (keep it simple, stupid) applies just as well for Christmas preparations as for anything else. The more elaborate, convoluted, and complicated you make things, the less time and inclination you will have left to enjoy them.
L Let bygones be bygones – not only for the Yuletide Season, but for the coming year. If someone has wronged you, it will only make matters worse if you dwell on it, after having taken appropriate action, of course.
M Many people may be alone not through choice, but through force of circumstance. Even if you are on a tight budget, it may be possible to invite them over for a meal during the Season.
N Natty collages may be made by sticking illustrations, quotations, and also stencilling words between the lines of sheet music paper. Alternatively, cut out letters from magazines to spell names or greetings. Photocopy the result place in a frame with non-reflective glass for a personalised gift.
O is for orange; remove some flesh from the centre, and widen the hole so that a candle will fit inside it. Cut a slice from the bottom, and glue the fruit securely to a saucer, for an original candle-holder.
P Pomanders are very easy to make; remove narrow strips of peel from oranges, limes, lemons, or grapefruit, and stud the pith with cloves. Alternatively, simply pare off a guest’s initial and, after decorating with cloves, use the fruit as a pace-setting marker instead of a card.
Q Quotes or haiku, written on plain plates and then painted over with shellac, then decorated with wax fruits or dried flowers, make great side-plates that the guests can take away with them later. You may also write the guests’ names in script instead.
R Re-gifting may be a blessing to those who would otherwise have gone without. But make sure that you don’t re-gift anything to the original donor, or anyone in the same strict circle, because it will create hard feelings.
S Sweaters that are no longer wearable may be turned into all manner of things; if cut across the armpits and sewn, a drawstring at the hem will make them into overnight or gift-bags; alternatively, they can be stuffed and turned into cushions; sections of the sleeve will make pincushions or even leg warmers, with some nifty sewing.
T Tulle, cut into strips, or wired ribbon will hold their shape when made into bows; decorate mirrors, gifts, banister rails, and curtain-holders for a festive effect. Make the bows and then cut off the skein, rather than trying to make bows with fiddly small lengths.
U Understand that Christmas is more about giving than receiving. Moreover, the giving need not be tangible. People may appreciate the gift of time more than anything else, if they are in need of company, or someone to run their errands.
V Vases of greenery brighten up any room; they need not be filled with expensive, out-of-season blooms. Branches off pruned trees, colourful weeds, and maybe a silk bloom or two, will surely be conversation pieces. These do not need water; and consequently, should they tip over, you will not have a mess to clean up.
W Washing powder makes realistic (outdoor) snow; make a thick solution, and beat it at high speed in an electric mixer until the mixture is stiff; spoon onto a tree in the garden for a beautiful aura. Gradually, the mixture will wash and blow away with the rain and wind.
X XXX under the mistletoe are to come with a health warning – and only happen, even them, between consenting adults. There is almost nothing worse than being clutched by a worse-for-wear boozy, nicotine-reeking person and slobbered over in the name of false bonhomie. Kissing someone who does not want to be kissed – despite the fact that “it’s the Season to be jolly” – is a gross invasion of privacy. And the sooner everyone realises this, the better.
Y Yuletide cheer is similarly not to be foisted upon those who do not feel like it. Accept the fact that some people do not want to be included in the festivities, and that they are not simply playing hard to get. Ask, instead, if there is anything you can do for them – and make sure to make them a gift of something they will use (prepared food, non-perishable items, toiletries) before you start your own festivities and gift-giving rather than as a n afterthought.
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Z ZZZZZZ will be in short supply if you allow every detail to pile up on top of you. Delegate, procrastinate, and eliminate wherever you can. All you need is a decluttered house and enough food to feed the multitudes. The rest can be taken care of with a snazzy home-made head rest. Fill a pillowcase with foam or feathers, add the contents of lavender and chamomile teabags, blanket-stitch along the top, and use to induce sweet dreams. |
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Comments
Joseph Aquilina, CANADA
You've done a lot of work on your blog and it shows.
I enjoyed it.
pw