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How to create a happy homemade holiday One of the best ways to kick off the holiday season is to decorate. And while it's easy to load your cart with beautiful décor fromt your favounite store, Christmas is more personal when decorations are homemade. No time you say? Between planning dinners for the family and throwing cocktail parties for friends, it can be overwhelm- mng. But it is possible to survive it (and enjoy it!) by keeping everything simple. This season, let your creative instincts shine ffirough as you watch your mantels, stairwells, and tables come to holiday life, with ideas like these: Creus a inagical nuantle For most famulies, the living moom. is the place where every- one convenes. lt's where gifts are exchanged, holiday movies are enjoyed and stories are shared gathered by the fireplace-a major focal point in the room. Give this cozy centrepic a warmn new look by creating a decorative display for your man- tel. Draping a festive garland is one way to achieve a distinctive display Do-it-yourself banners and garland have become increasingly popular as a great way to personalize your décor Start with a heavy fabric, like burlap or the kind used for upholstery, and cut enough pennants for your favourite holiday saying, like "Let it Snow." Then using a snowflake stencil, spray paint the pattern with a silver colour. Krylon 'metallic brilliant silver, for example, works very well on fabric. Spray paint chip- board letters in a bright white. Once everything dries, spell out your message, one letter per pennant, and adhere the letters. Adomn the banner with plastic snowflakes and holly spnigs to finalize the festive look. Trust a toee lute a Pmo The Christmas tree is another major focal point in your liv- ing room. duning the holidays. If you're tired of the same old display year after year, give the tree a fresh look by changing up the omnamrents; and adding a theme. Start by choosing a specific colour scheme, such as red and gold. Don't have enough decorations to match your new theme? lt's easy and affordable to create your own by using items already around the house. For example, use bulbs [rom an old string of lights to create a whimsical decoration. Remove two bulbs from the strand and spritz the inside of the bulb with Krylons ColorMaster spray paint in 'cherry red'. Roll the bulb around to distribute the paint for a beautiful translucent look. Add a little glitz with 'glitter spray' to the outside of the bulb for a festive look, and top off with your favourite embellishments like ribbon or belks. You can even spray paint old omraments s0 they fit into your new colour scheme. Once your new décor is complete, hang omnaments and lights on your tree before displaying it for the whole family to enjoy Add egans "lbf tpper If you are hosting get-togethers for family and friends t, add a sparkle to your table. Not sure where to start? First, choose two or three colours. Select a table cloth, table runner or place- mats in your colour scheme and consider the arrangement for the middle of the table. Try replacing the traditional red and green with gold and silver accessories--candes, napkin rings, small figures in the plates and other decorative accents. Include candles soi the flickering flames can create a warm atmosphere. Event casually scattered pine cones, fir branches, red roses or poinsettias will add a special touch on thet table. lts easy to make your fine china the highlight of the dinner; but this time, try making your placemats the conversation starter by utilizing antique sheet music - which can be found at old book stores or simply printed at home. These sheets will make for a chic and unconventionai base for any place setting. Remnember, it doesn't have to be a stressful time of year, with a little effort and creativîty you can turu take your holiday décor from ho-hum to homey in no time. More informiation and additional project ideas can be found at wwwkrylon.ca. wwwnewscanada.com How to throw a party stress free Few things are as taxing; as hostmg a large group and with the added pressure of the holidays, things can derail fairly quickly Stop, take a deep breath, and follow this simple guide- line to holiday entertaining that is certain to be merry and bright: * Set a buoget. là~ easy to get spendy when everyone will be scruuinizmng the details of your event, but make sure to set a realistic limait. If you plan èarly enough, there are many DIY projects to spruce up the décor in your house and to inject a holiday spirit without breaking the bank. Head to Pinterest for inspiration and your local dollar store for supplies. Whatever your budget, you can throw a great part>'. e Malt a-sgas has and dane* lit twloe- Who you invite to break bread with is pretty essential to a successful event. Don't feel that you have to invite everyone and their friends in order to be a good host. lt's harder not to invite your crazy Aunt Evelyn, but you can probably skip the gossîpy co-worker. e Fiff "her plates: Whether you're having it catered or tackling the job yourself, the holidays are really a time for old favourites, but don't be afraid to throw in a contemporary spin. Just don't try a new recipe the day of the panty Test the food out on your family to avoid serving 50 collapsed soufflés. And make it easy on yourself by only serving nibbles. People love to graze, it's easier to make the dishes ahead of time and this gives you the opportunity to offer a lot of variety to a group of diverse eaters. e Set thse iuoogt Don't forget an essential element to holiday entertaining: music. The tunes at any eyent really help to set the ambience, but with everything else that you're domng, don't add the time-consuming task of building a perfect mix. "Make it easy on yourself," says Sirius;XM Canada. They advise to simply use your computer or mobile device to access commercial-free holiday music to suit every taste tbrough SiriusXM Intemnet Radio. From Christmas classics to Hanukkah favourites, keep the party going with hits fromn the past, current club anthems, or traditional holiday tunes. You can listen free for a limited timne ait wwwsiriusxm.ca. - VWlsn ts ail lo. Make sure ail your guests have a safe ride home by having a few cabs pre-ordered. Surprise them with an -adult "goodie bag" to take along, which may include water bottles, ibuprofen, a recipe for a "hair of the dog" cock- tail, and anything that shows you care. Get creative. 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