Supplies Three jumbo-size marshmallows Chocolate peanut butter cup for the hat Mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth Two pretzel sticks for the arms Thick string for the scarf Orange sprinkles for the nose Clear plastic bag (mine is 3 by 5 inches and from the local craft store) Label (optional) Canvas drawstring bag (mine is 7 by 9 inches; a 5-by-7-inch bag is fine too) Pencil and orange and black markers
Design-Your-Own Winter Scene You’ll have to do a bit of advance preparation for this project, but once you have the basics, the rest is simple for the kids — and fairly mess-free. Pick up a two-by-six (or more than one, depending on the number of budding artists) at your local lumberyard or home improvement store. You can have the wood cut to your desired shapes at the store or do it yourself once you get home. Sand the edges with a fine-grit sanding block to eliminate all possibility of splinters. Tape off the edges with painter’s tape, then cover the front and back of the blocks with chalk paint. Let the pieces dry according to paint instructions.
Join the tiny-tree movement. My mother has five (yes, five) tiny trees in her house. Now, to be fair, she also has one large tree in the living room and another on the front patio, but my point is this: You don’t have to go big or go home. Small is cute — and it totally works, whether you have one, five or 20.
Get crafty. If you can round up five sticks (six if you want to make a Star of David), some raffia twine to fasten them with and a string of holiday lights, you can achieve holiday cheer. When January comes around and you’re so sick of holiday decor that you can hardly stand it, you can pack up the lights and literally throw the star out the window. Just try not to hit your neighbor.
Look at your holiday decor. Unpack your holiday decorations — tree lights, ornaments, wreaths, garlands, Advent calendar, crèche, stockings, door decor, exterior lights, yard scenes — and see what needs to be replaced and where you have gaps to fill. If you like to get your decorations up early, you can start putting them up now or hire a contractor, lighting specialist or other home pro to do it for you. Buy replacements or schedule time to make decorations.
Bonus points if you include some Advil or a snack,” Martin says. Add something festive, like bottle brush trees, and provide some reading material or an image-heavy coffee table book to flip through. Chalkboard labels will allow your overnight guests to mark their own drinking cups.
Personalize Towels Create personalized clothespins to help differentiate towels for your guests. This small and simple detail will make your friends and family feel welcome in a practical way.
Mini potted tree. Tabletop trees, whether potted, as shown here, or cut, bring a fragrant, woodsy element to the house that just can’t be beat. Decorate your mini tree with ornaments or lights, or leave it plain: It’s lovely either way.
Nutcrackers. Whether functional or purely decorative, nutcrackers are charming reminders of that holiday classic ballet and its tale of young Clara and the dashing Nutcracker come to life. Place a pair on the mantel or, if you plan to use them, on the coffee table alongside a bowl of nuts in the shell.
Chalk art. Have a chalkboard or a wall coated in chalkboard paint? Transform it into a holiday prop by drawing your own Christmas tree or a wintery scene. You could even pile up the presents beneath your chalkboard tree.
Branch in a vase. Take a fresh cutting from a tree outdoors, plunk it in a jar of fresh, cold water and then surround it with white candles. Simple, beautiful and so Scandinavian.
Pine cone garland. Foraged pine cones are elevated with brush-on gold leaf and attached to rustic rope for this nature-inspired DIY. Drape your finished garland across the mantel, wall or entry.
Wooden tabletop tree. This fun DIY project is one you can make this year and keep for many more holiday seasons to come. The sturdy base is made from wood, and the greenery is removable, so you can replace it with fresh, fragrant greens each year.
Mini wreaths in the windows. Suspended from slender red ribbons, this assortment of small wreaths looks stunning from indoors and out. Hang your wreaths at different lengths to get a similar effect.
Prettily wrapped gifts. Having your holiday gifts (or at least some of them!) bought and wrapped ahead of time can give you great peace of mind during this busy season. Plus, wrapped gifts make great decor. Just pile up a few on the floor, a bench or a crate and embellish them with sprigs of greenery.
Christmas tree made of lights and branches.
Strategic holiday book placement. Vintage children’s holiday books with sweet illustrations make a fun addition to holiday decor. Try setting a few picture books — or classic titles like Little Women and A Christmas Carol — beneath a glass-top coffee table or propped up between bookends on a console table.
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