We have some great holidays coming up soon! Are you ready? Is your house ready, for that matter? Let's check out some decorating ideas.
A company called Placetile Designs (www.placetile.com) features a range of stylish, erasable, ceramic accent labels. They make great table place cards for your guests. Or you could use them to identify the various dishes you might have on a buffet. And they're reasonably priced at $35 for a set of six.
How about marking chairs with uniquely designed nametags instead of using place cards? You could attach a sprig of flowers or eucalyptus with a nametag artistically pinned to the back of each chair. Decorating the chairs themselves is always an option, as well. If you have interesting napkins, instead of setting them on the table, drape them over the backs of the chairs. You could even braid together sets of color-coordinated napkins for a more interesting look. Another idea is wrapping the backs of the chairs with ribbons and bows, making them look like presents.
While we're decking out, let's go beyond the dining table. Autumn colors and decorations can grace our homes in many ways. Silk garlands in fall colors are readily available in any craft store. They make especially nice decorations around windows and doors. Don't forget mirrors and mantels as well. Wreaths aren't only for Christmas, so give an autumn wreath a try. If you're creatively inclined, make one yourself.
Getting back to the dining table, those fall garlands can also be used to swirl around candles on the table. When the candles are lit, your table will be a holiday masterpiece!
If you want to try your hand at a cornucopia, here's a recipe created by Yelena Johnson.
You will need:
One large horn basket
2 yards of fall-colored ribbon
An assortment of about 20 different gourds, pumpkins and dried corn.
Brown Raffia-style packing straw
Here's how you make it:
Tie your ribbon around the widest part of the horn and make a large bow at the top. You might have to interweave the ribbon with the basket to keep it in place.
Create a good-sized "nest" at the bottom of the cornucopia basket using straw.
Arrange the gourds, pumpkins and corn so it appears to be overflowing.
Set the cornucopia down where it will be displayed, and then arrange a few more gourds on the table around the horn so it looks as though some of them have toppled out tastefully.
And here's an idea for an edible cornucopia. Start with a large waffle cone and fill it to overflowing with your favorite candies and chocolates. Delicious! I hope all of these little tips and ideas help get the holiday spirit started in your home.
(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color." For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest(at)aol.com.)
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