Old style Preparations for Christmas 2010!!

Gettingtherequickly

When we were kids, we used to make the table decorations by simply sticking a couple of bit of polystyrene together, make a hole in the centre for a candle, stick pasta around the sides in a nice pattern and spray with silver or gold paint. Cheap, cheerful, effective, but then again 30 years ago, we didn't have to factor in Health & Safety, just used something very effective & cheap, common sense!

diluvsdiscounts

Home and bargain had square kilner jars the other day 99p and £1.49.

Red_Doe

I`m sure this kind of thing has already been said, sorry...haven`t read all the posts yet (over 400, too little time! ) but, I dry orange and apple slices then string them together (using old fashioned hemp twine) and add things like pine cones, fir sprigs or whatever`s handy and yule-like, to make garlands.
I have a clear glass vase which I fill with bundled up fairy lights..I only like the static ones though, the chaser lights and flashing ones make my eyes hurt! and I put the vase in the corner of the room to give a gentle glow.
I love real pine and fir garlands and centrepieces but hate it that they shed, so I spray them with hairspray and that sets the needles and stops them shedding so long as they aren`t knocked too hard.

mardatha

O magic, this si what i came in here to ask! Also, how do you preserve holly and stop it going all dried and the berries wrinkly ? Ywo fo my neighbours have huge holly bushes and I can see me donning the black balaclava and tiptoeing over there with my cammo snippers one dark night....
well its much more fun than asking them, innit !

Red_Doe

it is more fun, yes. You can dip holly leaves and berries in lightly whisked egg white, then coat in sugar (NOT for eating, of course!) and set to dry in the airing cupboard, makes them last a bit longer and makes them look frosted.

Cheapskate

Morning all

melvis - I just PM'd you from an earlier post, not realising you've very nicely posted your recipes - oops! Thanks very much! :j

Cash has suddenly become VERY tight this week, so I've got to have a serious search through my craft/sewing stash to see how much of Christmas can be made this year! I've got loads of baby food jars that I'd already planned to use for mini pots of jams/preserves, etc for 'a taste of..' hampers I'm doing. Been given loads of apples from school/SIL, so most will be cooked & frozen, but I'm going to dry a few, sliced up, with some oranges - I sprinkle them with a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg & other 'Christmassy' spices, add some star anise & mix it all up in a bowl for HM pot pourri - just lasts for Christmas. Years ago I used to make pot pourri a lot & remember (vaguely!) adding something powdered to make the smell last longer - anyone know what it might have been & where I could get some?

I'm lucky in that most of my & DH's family love HM things, & are real foodies, so appreciate the time gone into making & baking. It's the baby's 1st birthday next week, so all Christmas stuff on hold until after then, but must do lots after then.

DH taking 3 yr old for a walk/paper/choc bribe, so might get chance to make a few cards!

A xo

melvis

Cheapskate wrote: »

melvis - I just PM'd you from an earlier post, not realising you've very nicely posted your recipes - oops! Thanks very much! :j

That's ok I've emailed them to you anyway xx

Cheapskate

Just received them - thanks, hun! That's a chunk of my Christmas present ideas.

A xo

Red_Doe

adding something powdered to make the smell last longer - anyone know what it might have been & where I could get some?

Powdered orris root is what you mean, I think. Will scoot round online and see if I can find a link. It preserves the pot pourri so it lasts, also used to roll clove studded oranges in for the same reason.

Red_Doe

Here you go...
http://www.steenbergs.co.uk/product/512/orris-root-ground-powder-spice/1/51