Design tips and instruction brought to you by Trifecta Design, a Salt Lake Lake City, Utah based floral, design, and gift company. As featured on Homes Today Utah!
Every December, the Chicago Botanic Garden invites area florists, plant designers and its own horticulture staff to design distinctive holiday wreaths for display on the greenhouse-facing walls of the Regenstein Center. Featured in conjunction with the Garden’s annual “Wonderland Express” model railroad exhibition, these wreaths have become a major holiday attraction for our family.
Jenn Spencer from www.LearnHowToMakeHolidayBows.com shows you bows on wreaths for the holidays. All photos are from photobucket.com but if you want to learn how to make bows like these and many more, please visit http
Ideas for Holiday Decorating with Ribbon.
One of the things I like most about the Christmas Holiday is decorating. There are so many products on the market these days that make Holiday Decorating both fun and easy. One of these is Ribbon. There are thousands of colors, styles and widths of ribbon in as many different fabrics and even plastic. Ribbon can be used for all the extra festive decorating touches a home needs to reflect the holiday spirit.
Here are just a few ideas.
Roll the individual place setting of silverware in either a festive paper or fabric napkin and tie it with a narrow strand of Grosgrain ribbon in a whimsical holiday pattern or with a more elegant strand of shimmery, sheer Chiffon or Organza ribbon.
Place an elegant Taffeta or Moire Bow in the center of a side table and let the streamers act as table runners, extending down each end of the table. Place random lengths of ribbon, cut from several types of ribbon, on a mirror and arrange some of your heirloom glass ornaments among the strands, even add a battery candle or votive to add a more elegant effect. Invite family and friends over for a special holiday gathering by printing your invitation on parchment paper, roll it like a scroll and tie it with a beautiful ribbon bow.
Types of Ribbon.
Ribbon is woven in various ways and with similar fabrics for different effects and uses.
Acetate satin ribbon is a stiff satin that is shiny on one side and matte on the other. It can be used for tying favors to gifts and making bows to decorate your Christmas tree, wreaths and garlands.
Chiffon ribbon is a sheer ribbon that can elegantly attach special ornaments to a Christmas present. Chiffon ribbon also makes very elegant bows that can be used to decorate your home for the holidays.
Organza or Organdy ribbon is a sheer ribbon that comes in a variety of widths and styles. It can have satin on the edges or in the center and also comes with wire edges. Organza ribbon makes very elegant decorations for gifts and your home.
Jacquard ribbon has unique and distinctive design styles. Jacquard ribbon is beautiful for use as a ribbon garland for Christmas trees and bows for your Christmas Tree Topper, Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Garlands.
Moire ribbon has a touch of sating with a watermark pattern and comes with wired and unwired edges. Moire ribbon makes beautiful bows for Christmas Tree Toppers and Christmas Wreaths and decorating your home for the Holidays. It also is very elegant when used to decorate your holiday gifts.
Ombre ribbon is a very simple but tasteful ribbon that has very unique coloring that transitions from one hue to another. Its colorful design and lavish look make it perfect for any holiday decorating project.
Poly ribbon comes in several styles including waterproof satin, plastic, iridescent and metallic which makes it perfect for all your holiday home decorating projects, including outdoor projects where durability is a must.
Satin ribbons come in many colors, widths and styles for everything from decorating your Christmas Gifts to Decorating your home.
Taffeta ribbon is luxurious, soft, shiny satin on both sides and very easy to tie into a bow. It is perfect for any Holiday Decorating projects.
Velvet ribbon adds a touch of elegance to any Holiday decorating project.
WhereCreativityHappens.com Let Michaels creative expert, Jo Pearson, show you how to turn a plain wreath into an amazing holiday wreath. It’s the perfect way to welcome guests.
Dressing up your table for your mealtime holiday guests is tricky. Centerpieces are challenging because they are viewed from all angles, so you have to choose an item that is beautiful from all 360 degrees. When you have a stunning centerpiece, your dining experience is festive and full of Christmas spirit. Is your centerpiece lackluster and losing life? Try something different to surprise your guests this year. These creative ideas can transform your table and create a joyful setting for your feast.
Glass canisters and containers
We grow tired of centerpieces quickly. They are not like Christmas tree ornaments we treasure year after year. After a year or two, we retire them and find replacements. The reusability of this idea makes it sensible as well as stylish. You can easily change out your centerpiece each year by filling clear canisters and containers. When you pitch one “filler”, just swap it out for another. There are so many inexpensive items that pop when grouped together in your clear container, so you can feel less guilty about changing it out each year. Any small, festive items grouped together look great displayed inside your glass containers. Here are just some ideas:
Christmas ornaments
Peppermints/candy
Garland
Artificial poinsettia blossoms
Jingle bells
Gift bows
Glitter
Fake snow
Let your imagination guide you and fill your glass containers with the item of your choice. Use one container, or cluster multiple for a larger table. When you have multiple containers, try to find some that vary in height and width to add visual interest. With so many possibilities, you can have a centerpiece that is distinctly you.
Candles
Candles are standard centerpieces, but with a little creativity you can make a candle centerpiece that’s original. Weave garland amongst your candlesticks to dress them up for the holidays. Or, try putting candle rings or wrap short pieces of garland around the base of candlesticks. To create a theme, use the same material as napkin rings. Your table setting will be cohesive and have a custom feel.
If you have larger candles, cluster them together and nestle them inside a wreath, almost as if you are “framing” the candles with the wreath. Add as much or as little décor on your tabletop wreath as you wish. It’s an unexpected use of two very traditional Christmas decorations.
Tabletop tree
Small, tabletop trees are very customizable centerpieces. You can trim your small tree to match your dinnerware. If your dinnerware has a design on it, try to mimic that design on your tree by making your own ornaments. Or, use a food or wine themed tree to appease your guests’ appetite (and distract from the real food if your culinary skills are sub par). Here’s another fun idea: write the names of your guests on inexpensive glass ornaments with a metallic permanent marker. Your guests will feel honored with a tree made just for them. You can use one tree to showcase its brilliance, or make your own mini forest with several very small trees. A strand of lights adds extra sparkle to one or multiple trees, but be sure you get battery-operated lights. A cord dangling from the table is not only unattractive, but can trip you or your guests.
Gifts, already?
Treat your guests extra special with a small, wrapped present adorning each of their plates. Then, place larger, fake gifts in the middle of the table as your centerpiece. Mix up the sizes and shapes of the boxes and use various coordinating patterns of wrapping paper. To really make it look like Santa was in, buy or make a velvet sack, just like Santa’s. Fill it with toys and gifts that spill onto the table. (The only problem is keeping your guests out of Santa’s sack.)
The key with successful centerpieces is creativity. Don’t look for items that are meant to be centerpieces. Those are the kinds of things you will get tired of quickly, because they are so boringly expected. Instead, brainstorm new ways to use items as centerpieces. The more creative your design, the more spectacular your table will be.
Turn your fireplace into the focal point of your holiday home with easy and inexpensive fireplace arrangements.
The fireplace often becomes a focal point during the winter months as days become shorter and nights become chilly. Decorate yours for Christmas with these simple ideas.
Get back to nature with a outdoor inspired theme for holidays. Obtain the look of more space by hanging a large mirror on top of the fireplace}. To achieve this natural design, cover the mantel with different types of artificial moss. Add two redvases hold arrangements of artificial berry stems to create a holiday feel, incorporate potted artificial evergreens that are decorated with colorful string lights.
It’s easy toobtain the appearance of luxury by using a little imagination. Celebrate the {season|holiday|holiday by draping your mantel with season cheer. Create a beautiful display with a decorative garland that drapes over the snow globes. Now place a display of gifts in seasonal wrapping.
For something less traditional create a round wreath with artificial roses in shades of purple to give the fireplace a refreshing modern look. For a orinal fireplace of your own, add a pine garland and add different-sized glass ball ornaments. To carry the idea further, add a pair of large candles for those cozy holiday evenings by the hearth.
A large mirror is the perfect focal point for a holiday fireplace. In addition to providing a perfect backdrop for the decorations, mirrors open up the space. To make a alluring mantel display, hang a gold wreath with a red ribbon in the center of the mirror, and drape evergreen garland across the fireplace. A pair of large silver vases on either side of the mantel provide balance. Fill the vases with tall Christmas silk flowers for added impact.
A seasonal favorite is a country theme. It is not hard to do by highlighting the mantel with a pre-lit evergreen garland that is accented with silk mini roses. Hang a big wreath in the center above the mantel, adding a few large pinecones for a holiday look. A wicker basket full of small log gives the mantel a quaint, homey appearance, while a couple wrapped gifts of assorted sizes placed on either side of the hearth make it all the more impressive.
Enjoy the holiday season and have a happy New Year!
There are a number of characters and symbols associated with Christmas holiday. Do you know the meaning of every symbol of Xmas? For your quick reference, here we outline a list of typical Christmas symbols with vivid icons.
1. Santa Claus Santa Claus, also Father Christmas, is a merry old man of Dutch origin, in red and white clothes, with eight flying reindeer, and came down the chimney.
2. Advent Wreath Four candles placed on a wreath. One candle is lit each Sunday before Christmas in anticipation of Christ’s birthday. Christmas wreath can be themed in fresh flower, holly, white, candy coat and etc.
3. Christmas Tree Xmas Tree in short, Christmas Tree refers to the Evergreen trees and tree branches have been used for decorating homes for Christmas. The decorated tree originated in Germany where a fir tree was decorated with apples and candles. Prince Albert brought the custom to England. Decorating a Christmas tree is a popular trend in the West.
4. Christmas Stockings A legend tells the origin of Christmas stockings. St. Nick, who wanted to remain anonymous and help a poor family, threw gold coins down their chimney. They fell into a stocking that was hanging there to dry.
5. Yule Log The word “yule” means “wheel”, a symbol representing the sun. Before Jesus was born, pagans thought the sun stood still for 12 days of Christmas at the end of the year. A log was cut large enough to burn for this time period to burn away last year’s evil.
6. Mistletoe A sprig of evergreen plant hung at Christmas time. Custom is that people can kiss each other standing under it.
7. Christmas Bells Church bells rang to announce the birth of Jesus. They still ring today.
8. Christmas Camels Camels are the animals the Wisemen rode following the star to where Jesus was born.
9. Candles Candles represent the light that Jesus brought to earth. Pagans who converted to Christianity used candles on the sacred evergreen tree.
10. Christmas Star The Star of Bethlehem guided the Three Wisemen to Baby Jesus. The Christmas star announced the birth of Christ. Many songs were written about it. The star appeared on many of the first Christmas cards in the 1840s. Stars were placed on the tops of Christmas Trees.
11. Christmas Gifts The first Christmas gifts were given by the Wisemen to Baby Jesus.
12. Christmas Holly Holly is a shrub with spiny leaves and red berries. The leaves remain green throughout the year. Pagans thought its greenness was a promise that the sun would return. Early French and English families hung holly over their doors to symbolize a home in which Christ’s birth is celebrated.
13. Christmas Carols Caroling is a medieval custom of singing and dancing around a Christmas tree. Most of the early carols were about Mary, the shepherds, the Magi and the birth of Jesus. Later carols were sung by groups of people who would go to homes and sing in harmony. Early carols weren’t holy enough for singing inside a church, so caroling was done outside.
14. Christmas Manger A cow’s manger is the place where Baby Jesus slept. It is part of the Creche. St. Francis of Assisi made the first manger scene on Christmas Eve in 1224 outside his church in Italy . He used real people and animals to recreate the scene. Some countries use wood carvings for the manger scene.
15. Typical Christianity Features
Angel An angel told the shepherds of the birth of Jesus. Angels come in many forms for Christmas decorations including the tree topper.
Jesus Christ Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Christians believe Jesus is the son of God.
Joseph Joseph is the husband of Mary.
Mary Mary is the mother of Jesus.
Every December, the Chicago Botanic Garden invites area florists, plant designers and its own horticulture staff to design distinctive holiday wreaths for display on the greenhouse-facing walls of the Regenstein Center. Featured in conjunction with the Garden’s annual “Wonderland Express” model railroad exhibition, these wreaths have become a major holiday attraction for our family.
Beautiful Holiday Wreaths made using Vintage Holiday Ornaments – A Charming way to enjoy recycled Christmas Memories. Alanda’s wreaths have been featured on Celebrations.com.
