Our big Rubbermaid bin of holiday decorations is sitting in a storage facility, so I’ve been looking for a few ideas to make our boring temporary apartment sing “fa la la la la.” After spotting a 2,300-foot spool of red-and-white bakers twine at Crate & Barrel for $7.95, the light bulb in my head went off: DIY garland and bunting! Gifted Magazine’s holiday issue has a free template for reindeer paper bunting (p.83), while d.Sharp Journal offers a free template for snowman garland. I also love Katie Did’s idea of stringing up favorite holiday song lyrics — perfect for New Year’s Eve parties. And, since simplicity is key for me, I’m thinking I might buy this Martha Stewart snowflake paper punch and some red construction paper (cut in circles) for tree garland. Hooray for inexpensive holiday décor … and a great excuse to get crafty with my toddler! –Ginny F.

This appeared in the January 2010 issue and yes, I am just NOW getting around to trying it. First, it wasn’t spray-painting weather. Then when I tried to find the Krylon Looking Glass mirror spray, no luck. Anywhere. I finally ended up buying it on eBay. The project itself was easy and didn’t result in my usual Martha fail. Just paper or tape off the entire outside of a clean glass or vase. Mist the inside lightly with water, then carefully spray a light coat of mirror spray inside. Turn upside down to dry overnight on a rack that lets air circulate. In the end, it took me eight (!) coats to get a mirrored surface. (I skipped the overnight dry after the first coat. Not sure if it was user error or just the nature of the spray. Martha said nothing about several coats. Hmmph.) The finished tea light holders definitely look like mirrored glass when compared to the pewter candlesticks behind them and will make perfect “just because” gifts. — Sarah L.

While we were debating the merits of this minimalist Christmas tree, Rebecca chimed in, saying: “I got an elm clamp on Etsy that looks a lot like this. It holds my necklaces now but I think it will be holding ornaments soon.” She was referring to the ELM clamp, $75, which Etsy seller LAYERxlayer describes as “an organization tool, an aesthetic addition to your workspace or simply a tree.” The clamp (which is actually made of poplar and available in other designs like SPRUCE, $100) can be attached to a table or desk with the help of a nifty screw, and would lend your jewelry, headphones or, indeed, Christmas ornaments some minimalist appeal. See the whole LAYERxlayer shop here.

While it’s certainly up for debate, the only thing better than waiting in line in the freezing cold among the throng to catch the annual holiday windows in New York City may in fact be not waiting in line, ditching the hustle and viewing them from the comfort of your easy chair, hot toddy in hand. This year, Nymag.com takes the cake with their 54-slide virtual tour of New York City’s holiday window displays. From fantasy travel at Bergdorf Goodman to the “Foodie Holiday” at Barney’s the show offers a blissfully crowd-free glimpse at the holidays for everyone, native New Yorkers included. – Sarah C.

pictured above: a Bergdorf display. Photo by Melissa Hom

December is upon us, and the holidays are here again! As we prepare for another season of merrymaking and good cheer it’s fun to revisit décor of years past, so we’ve included some of our favorite holiday posts below. We dug deep in the archives for a few of them, so while the links may be stale, the inspiration is as fresh as ever. Bring on the holidays!

Trees:
A minimal Christmas tree
The Tannenboing
A recycled cardboard Christmas tree
Black Christmas trees
A real live Christmas tree
An untraditional Christmas tree
Aluminum Christmas trees
Which do you prefer: real or fake?

Cooking:
Adventures in Tom and Jerry making
Pizelle cookies
Bourbon balls
Chocolate mousse
Buche de noel
The BEST chocolate chip cookies
Mint chocolate brownies
Jamie Oliver’s apple pie
Healthy gingerbread truffles
…or get an idea from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book

Decorating:
DIY chalkboard ornaments
Decorating with cookie cutters
CB2 holiday hacks
A living wreath
Do you decorate outside?
Oh Deer art
Help! I need stocking holders!
Angelic mugs for toasty drinks

Etiquette & Correspondence:
What’s your holiday greeting style?
What’s the proper food gift etiquette?
How to make your bubble-ly go pop
More holiday card sources

Gift wrap:
Tags, tags and, yes, more tags!
Holiday touches from Anthropologie

Organizing:
Holiday prep: cleaning up and setting up

Giving:
Do you buy gifts for your pets?
Sites that will turn your jpgs into gifts

impeccable tree trimming by our very own Megan B.

1) Black Friday deals aren’t for everyone. Sarah C. skips the mall after Thanksgiving and she’s not the only one. Brianna says: “I’m so glad to know there is someone else out there that just doesn’t have the gumption for Black Friday. I worked retail for 5 years and after that I don’t care if they are GIVING away electronics, I can not make myself get in that mess. So my strategy? I’m gonna take advantage of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday instead.” What is your Black Friday strategy?

2) Dry-erase paint could be fun if applied correctly. Ginny F. is considering some dry-erase DIY projects for her new house, but wanted recommendations. Llyra says: “My husband’s office had this stuff, and while great in theory, it didn’t work all that well. The surface needs to be *smooth* in order to be erased cleanly, and it’s very very very difficult to paint it on that smoothly.” An interesting alternative? Dry-erase contact paper. Thanks for the idea, Daffodil!

3) Real grass on the wall? You’re intrigued. DesignGrass is the latest arrival to the green design party, and you like it. Rebecca says: “Wow, I LOVE this idea. It’s right up there with the Wooly Pockets and creating graffiti with moss. Green messages…lovely!”

4) The Messermeister serrated peeler is Shelterrific-approved. Megan B. recommends it and you have to agree. Katie says: “Isn’t it wonderful? I have one from OXO. It’s not as pretty as your red one, but it works beautifully!”

5) Moveable Type is a cause with supporters. Mary T. shared Kyle Durrie’s quest to take letterpress on the road, and in doing so, introduced us to the brilliance of Kickstarter. We’re fans of both! Sarah L. says: “How awesome is that? Someone needs to give me $250 to pledge so I can make sure she comes here.”

Baba ganoush. Fun to say, isn’t it? And after making my own, I can now say it’s almost as much fun to make. Prep is ridiculously simple — pierce a large eggplant and throw it in the oven. Including making my own tahini, the dish required only 15 minutes of total prep time. Several reviewers complained that at 1/4 cup, the lemon juice was overpowering, so I cut it back to 1/8 cup when making mine and the acidity level was perfect. Get the recipe, adapted from this one, after the jump. — Sarah L.

We’re taking the rest of the week off for the holiday – Have a wonderful one, and we’ll see you on Monday! But for now, click for quick & simple baba ganoush! (more…)

I know that the deals are the stuff of legend. I have friends that have plundered New England’s malls in the wee hours only to return with electronics they purchased at savings so absurd they’re barely comprehendable. Still, you couldn’t pay me to hit the sales the day after Thanksgiving. I just don’t have that kind of fight in me for a blue-ray player. But, for the wily and tireless among us, the toil of full contact shopping can pay out in stunning gifts at unbelievable prices, and I know you seasoned sale hunters have a technique, so, spill it: What’s your Black Friday strategy? Know of a great sale? Share those tips in comments! — Sarah C.

photo by Flickr user powerpig

Every year as summer fades, I regret not having taken full advantage of the summer’s Farmer’s Markets. I lament not eating enough ripe tomatoes, not going berry-picking like I’d planned, and missing the season’s sweet corn altogether. And then, I start to envision all of those domestic divas smugly mixing up batches of applesauce (with apples fresh from the u-pick orchard) at this very moment. And for just a moment, I think – hey, I could do that.

Fortunately, it only lasts a moment. I have such fond memories of helping my grandmother with canning projects as a kid. But, as nostalgic as it is, the idea of finding myself elbow-deep in a vat of tomatoes is, well, a little scary. Plus, short of Nana’s legendary apricot jam, most canned foods tend to taste more like survival food than serious cuisine. So, when Canning For A New Generation landed on my doorstep, I approached it with serious caution. But author Liana Krissoff has a way of making the whole process feel utterly do-able, with loads of tips and tricks, and recipes like Honeyed Fig Jam with Sesame Seeds, or Sweet Green Tomato Pickles to convince you it’s time to bring canning into the 21st century. If you’re mourning the end of summer’s bounty, you might want to pick up a copy just in time to whip up a few quarts of Pear Cider to get you through the winter. Can you feel the smug starting to set in? –Becki S.

Much akin to Ikea, the Container Store is a rabbit hole of a place that seemingly offers a million ingenious things you could use right at that moment. We’ve found our share of stocking stuffers there, but my most helpful discovery of late, their line of petite Amac Boxes, may include the smallest item they sell. Made of crystal clear, BPA-free plastic, the tiny containers are perfect for storing myriad items from crafting supplies to jewelry, but are easy to miss in the store. My roommate uses a few of the smaller, clear versions to store her rings, earring and other small jewels, and like many happy reviewers on the site, loves the ease with which she can see her collection and keep it all clean and safe. Starting at just $0.39, they’re an inexpensive way to bring order to an unruly jewelry box. Incidentally, the bamboo drawer organizers you see above come just as highly recommended from the same place! – Sarah C.