THE #1 DOOR DECOR IDEA OF THE LAST 2.5 YEARS AS PROMISED!!!!

Here is the idea we know that you have been losing sleep over! Bigger than Black Friday some would say (namely Kathleen, Michael, and the office staff)!

THE OVER-SIZED GIFT TAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Step 1:  Take either 2 pieces of high quality (at least 1/4" or more) foam core glued together or 1 sheet of the pink foam insulation board found at your local hardware store.

Step 2:  Cut it out an over-sized, iconic gift tag (see picture below). If using the pink foam insulation this is when you will want to spray paint it white.  This may take a few coats.

Step 3:  Trace a circle using a drinking glass as your pattern.  Next, using a utility knife or craft knife carefully cut out a hole at the tapered end of the tag.

Step 4: Find a nice wide holiday ribbon or rope  and string it through the hole.  We suggest using a length long enough to drop over the top of your door and secure on the inside.  This will give the illusion that the tag is attached to the door as though it is on a package!

Step 5:  Next using either your free-handed penmanship, stenciled letters, or cut out paper letters (using a Cricut machine or clip art would be wonderful here) spell out "TO:" and "FROM:".  For example "TO: You FROM: The Thompsons"  or "TO: Our Friends FROM: Us".  You can even add a holiday message under this!

Step 6:  Since everyone has a different door type, you will have to decide for yourself how to hang this festive sign: Nails, magnets, double sided tape, suction cups, etc.

TADA!!!

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD, IT'S FUN!!!

Every now and again, the staff in the office get a little buck wild and come up with some rather unorthodox uses for common foods!  Here are two of the more holiday themed ideas to come out of this think tank!

1.) Bow Tie Pasta As  Present Decor-  Buy a box of your favor (or cheapest) bow tie pasta, we prefer Barilla!    Kathleen wants to mention NOT to cook the pasta (sorry she really doesn't think you kids are stupid).  Lay the dry pasta flat on a few sheets of newspaper in the garage (or bungalow or driveway or...well you get it) and spray paint them a festive color!  Next, glue them on your holiday packages!  One suggestion is to wrap your gift with a wide ribbon and then glue the bows along the ribbon path.  Michael loves a fire engine red bow tie pasta bow while Kathleen prefers a flashy, festive metallic gold!  Connie from our staff ( and from her infamous frame photo) is Jewish and loves a bright blue!

2.) Biscotti Place Cards-  Buy a nice quality biscotti, preferably dipped in chocolate or white chocolate.  Next use a tube of gel frosting found in the baking aisle of local grocer to write your guests names along the cookie.  Finally, resist the urge to eat them all and place them on each guests plate.  You could also put them on miniature easels which can be found at art stores, craft stores, and even $1 stores!

EARN YOUR AROMA DIPLOMA!!!

Keeping in tradition with our previous holiday scent related post (http://celebratethedate.blogspot.com/2010/11/instant-holiday-bliss-in-sauce-pan.html) we have a couple of fabulous and fun ideas to share.

1.)  Who says that you need to have boring, clove-pierced oranges? Not us!  We say pick any citrus fruit the calls your name at the supermarket.  Lemon, Limes, Grapefruit, and of course oranges.  Next, using a magic marker or Sharpie with a fine tip, draw a funky, free form, modern design on the fruit skin.  Finally, following the path of the marker, press whole cloves tightly together forming a 3D effect!  Not only will they look amazing, they will smell amazing!  Once your fruits have been cloved, you can place them in bowls or tie a ribbon around them and hang them from just about anywhere.

2.) This one is even easier!  Even Lindsay Lohan after a busy Friday night can do it (or as least we think she could especially with all that free time on house arrest)!  Buy bundles of whole cinnamon sticks at your local craft store (some supermarkets also carry them).  Next, gather a few together, tie with a festive ribbon, and place here and there around the house! 

(Lindsay, smitten by the "intoxicating" scent of cinnamon)

Between these two suggestions, your house will be an oasis of festive fragrances to come home to after your third shift working at the cat litter factory!

COMING 11-30-11

THE BEST HOLIDAY DOOR DECOR IDEA IN THE LAST 2.5 YEARS!!!!  STAY TUNED!!!

The office will be closed next week in observation of Thanksgiving!  We hope you all have a wonderful Turkey Day!

(Design Department hard at work before the big break!)

Holiday Frame of Mind

The design department here at Celebrate! has been experimenting with a multitude of alternate door decor.  Here are a few of their ideas for that pile of yard sale frames you have in the basement.

1) The Wreath-  Take an ornate frame and remove any glass and backing.  Next, spray paint it any color but we like a nice, rich green.  Finish the look with a voluptuous bow made of wired ribbon.  Hang on your door as you see fit!

2) The Holiday Package- Take yet another frame from your collection, remove the glass/backing, and this time spray paint it red (or any other festive color).  Wrap the frame using wide, wired ribbon exactly like you would a real present, leaving the BIG bow hovering in the center!

3) The Etched Initial, House Number, or Holiday Message- Take yet another from your endless (or seemingly endless) supply of spare frames. This time after you spray paint the frame, place only the glass back into position securely.  Using etching cream or paint to add your family initial, house number, or holiday message to the glass.  Hang and enjoy!

(Connie from our Design Department really getting into the project!)

Abnor Door Decor

Why stick with boring, old hoops of evergreen boughs?  This year think outside the ring and try one of these fabulous alternate materials!  Start with a standard styrofoam ring and try covering them in one of these...

1) Burlap Strips

2) Faux Fur

3) Ping Pong Balls

4) Cinnamon Sticks

5) Feathers

6) Jingle Bells

The idea is to use these new/interesting materials as a dynamic backdrop for an endless number of holiday possibilities!

::Uncle Joe You Are Sitting Next To Me::

Looking for place cards for your Thanksgiving table that don't involve tracing your hand to make a turkey or folding a Pilgrim out of a napkin? We found some great alternatives in our November issue of Real Simple Magazine (http://www.realsimple.com).

1.) Kumquat Kabob- Spear several (4 or 5) kumquats on a wooden skewer for a pretty pop of color. Next, decide where to place it and do so. Now take a long strip of paper approximately a 1/2 inch wide and write the guest's name on it. Finally, curl the paper strip by running it over the blade of a pair of scissors (be careful) and place it around the kumquats.

2.) Wrapped Apple- Wrap a luscious apple (green or red) with some thin gold cord a few times and tie a knot. Next, place a small slip of paper with the guest's name under the cord.

3.) Monogrammed Gilded Pear- Take a pear and place a alphabet sticker on it. Next, spray paint the fruit with gold paint (the shinier the better) and let dry. Finally, peel off the sticker. This idea has caused some controversy between Kathleen and me. Kathleen feels as thought this would be very wasteful since you are ruining a perfectly good pear. If you share the same feeling we have found a great (and expensive) alternative. A company called Esslack has created edible metallic spray paint! It can be purchased at The Deli Garage (http://www.the-deli-garage.com/FOOD-FINISH_detail_16.html). If you do decide to go non-biodegradable use a plastic or wooden pear in place of the real one.

4.) Fragrant Herb Bouquet- Tie together your favorite sprigs of herbs. Cut a piece of paper into the shape of a leaf and tuck into the herbs.