Are you a holiday crafter? No? Me, neither. Still, I was encouraged by a recent poke around the Lowes site, where the holiday ideas look somewhat achievable by my low standards. These pillar candles have that oh-so-chic rustic look but just require a little sanding and staining (something I actually managed to achieve with a garden bench over the summer). Some of these wreath ideas look incredibly easy — check out the “Fresch Cut Snowflake” made of several scraps of fir, simply tied together. (Added bonus: the folks at tree lots will often let you take away scrap branches for free.) I like the Twinkling Christmas Ornament Tree, too, but can I tell you a secret for instant festivity? The bowl with the lights on their main page is the best idea they have. Just get a big glass bowl or a tall glass vase, and fill it with a string of lights or a bunch of shiny ornaments, or a combo of the two. Even sort of beat up round ornaments will look good grouped this way. Voila — you just brought the world’s easiest yet greatly effective holiday decor to your mantle or sideboard. I know; I do this every year. — Mary T.