Crafts add festive look to any holiday table
Associated Press
DISTINCTIVE TABLEAU: Holiday place settings like this one, created especially for a special occasion, are the little extras that capture the spirit of the season and make sitting down to a holiday dinner even more enjoyable.
Create one-of-a-kind articles to make your holiday table a festive centerpiece.
Associated Press
Sometimes the little things do make a difference. Take setting the holiday dinner table.
Part of the joy in sitting down to a holiday dinner involves the extras — the special plates, the cloth napkins — that signal a special meal.
The following holiday crafts — napkin holders, place cards and a simple, elegant centerpiece — were chosen for their ease. If you have wound-up children underfoot, you can put them to work (entrust a hot glue gun, however, only to experienced teens). The crafts were created for Christmas and Hanukkah, but can be adapted for other holidays.
Create an elegant foral centerpiece (reds and greens for Christmas; blues and silver for Hanukkah):
Supplies
•Three glass cylinder vases of different sizes.
•White or cream-colored vellum paper (quantity depends on vase sizes).
•Thin ribbon in holiday colors.
•Double-sided tape.
•Glue gun with glue stick.
•Scissors.
•Fresh flowers.
Assembly:
Wrap each vase with vellum paper, overlapping 1‚Ñ2 inch, and attach with double-sided tape.
Wrap ribbon around the vase, crisscrossing a few times, beginning and ending at the seam. Using the glue gun, attach the ribbon at the starting and ending points.
Carefully fill vases with water and fresh flowers appropriate to the respective holiday.
(Adapted from “Candy-Stripers” centerpiece at http://www.marthastewart.com )
It’s easy to add some unique napkin rings that add to the festive look:
Supplies
•11‚Ñ4-inch-wide wooden napkin rings (available at craft stores for less than $1 each).
•Holiday ribbon (3‚Ñ4-inch wide is ideal, but 1‚Ñ4-inch will do).
•Acrylic paint in holiday colors.
•Glue gun with glue stick.
•Optional: Small pieces of holiday candy, such as candy canes, one-inch Santas or gold coins.
Assembly:
Paint the wooden rings, including the sides.
Wrap the middle section of the ring with ribbon and attach with glue.
Attach holiday motif, such as a small piece of candy, if desired (it can be removed after the holidays).
Here are directions for making wrapped candy place cards:
Supplies
•Card stock in holiday colors.
•11‚Ñ2-inch ribbon in holiday colors (two color-coordinating patterns work well).
•Hole punch.
•Ruler or tape measure.
•Pencil.
•Pen.
Assembly:
Cut out 3-inch ovals from the card stock.
Using the hole punch, make a hole at each end of each oval.
Write guests’ names on the ovals.
Cut ribbon into pieces about 6 inches long. Thread a piece through the back of each place card and up through the hole punches. Notch the ribbon ends.
Adapted from “Candy-Cane Place Card” at http://www.marthastewart.com
Or opt for some attractive Star of David place cards made from craft-foam sheets:
Supplies
•Heavy card stock or craft-foam sheets, in blue shades.
•Silver or gold metallic paint marker.
•Scissors.
•Pencil.
Assembly
With the card stock or foam sheet, make a Star of David template, overlapping two triangles to create a six-pointed star approximately 3 inches in diameter.
Use template to cut out additional stars. You will need two stars for each place card.
For each star, cut one slit from the space between two points to the center. Join two stars by sliding them together along the slit.
Pick a spot for writing a guest’s name, carefully separate the two paper or foam forms, and, using the paint marker, write the name on one of the stars. Decorate both stars with dots, stripes or swirls, etc.
Reattach the two finished pieces to create a 3-D Star of David.
Adapted from “Christmas: 101 Wondrous Ideas,” 2001, Better Homes & Gardens Books. On the Web: http://www.bhg.com