Christmas . . . By Design

Today we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The design of God’s plan of sending His Son to earth as a baby at the perfect time in world history continues to inspire and change the hearts of the people He came to save.

The right king had to be on the throne.  The right mom-to-be had to have the precise past.  The right man had to choose her for his wife despite the speculation.  The right government decrees had to be handed down at that specific time.  The right place had to be available for a humble birth to take place.  The right heavenly bodies had to align to be the ultimate guiding light. 

The design set in motion before time began culminated in God’s flawless timing for the modest start to the life on earth of our Savior.  That life on earth would end in the greatest sacrifice that ever had or ever would exist.  And yet, He lives.  Today, we celebrate love.  We remember the journey of a virgin birth to the growth of a young man to the message of salvation He spread that continues to pass from generation to generation.  He could have come with all the pageantry and grandeur of a king.  But instead, he was born in a stable and was laid in a trough for the animals, just as God designed. 

God chose a most unique entrance for Jesus.  And we are invited to choose Him as the Lord and Savior of our lives.  He offers the free gift of salvation every day of every year.  No boxes.  No wrapping.  No bows.  No tags.  No need to place it under our Christmas tree.  The greatest of gifts is extended to you today.  All you need to do is open your heart and receive it.  That is the ultimate message of Christmas . . . by design.      

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 25th.

Personalizing Your Christmas Party

Treat your Christmas guests to a little something special by adding some simple, personalized touches to place settings around the dinner table and unexpected extras along with your holiday party buffets.  Let your family and friends know you are happy to host them personally this Christmas season.

The standard fold-over place card can be upgraded by accessorizing.  The mission is the same: designate each chair with a name to suit your planned seating arrangement.  But a little flair can go a long way.  Print name cards and tie them on to Christmas tree ornaments, setting them alongside each place setting.  Use a ribbon strand in place of a name card, using sticker lettering to spell out the names of your guests.  Tie each on to your napkin rings or run each through a decoration at each place, like a pinecone or a small wrapped box.  Tie decorative flag-style pieces of paper with each name onto candy canes or Christmas straws standing in the glasses at each place.  Pierce a few cranberries or other pieces of fruit with wooden grilling skewers, topping each off with a name card on the top.  Stand each in a drinking glass or small glass filled with dried fruit or pebbles and place beside each charger. 

For a little takeaway gift for each party or dinner guest in a more casual setting, spread your monogrammed accents throughout your buffet serving area, drink station, or on a foyer or sofa table.  Use the flag-style name markers on the sticks in cake pops or sticks you place in the center of cupcakes.  Serve them up on a decorative cake stand.  Fill a short cylinder vase with coffee beans and use it as a base to stand other little labeled goodies in it like whimsical holiday lollipops, rock candy, or tall candy canes.  Fill small favor boxes with mini chocolates, and add each guest’s name on gift tags or sticker labels you print out. 

Whatever small token you choose, let all those who gather around your Christmas tree know that special attention went into your guest list this year with your own personalized touches. 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 18th. 

                

Christmas Cards on Display

Your kitchen counter, foyer table, or storage basket may runneth over at this point as a series of Christmas cards and holiday photo cards have arrived and will continue to be special deliveries in your mailbox over the next few weeks.  Families can go all out with attractive Christmas cards worthy of display that can compliment your Christmas décor.  As more guests parade through your home this season, share with them the holiday cheer that has been so graciously extended to you by putting your Christmas cards on display.

String some thin ribbon back-and-forth or around-and-around a hanging mirror or decorative picture frame, securing points along the sides.  Secure cards and photos to intermittent sections of the ribbon with clothes pins, tape, or even paper clips.  For a back-of-the-door display, cut three or four sections of 2½ inch Christmas ribbon that run about ¾ of the height of your front, back, hallway, or bedroom door.  Spread the ribbon out evenly and secure the top of each piece to the very top of the door using thumb tacks.  If the ribbon is curling up, attach the end of each piece to the door with some double sided tape.  Again, use clothes pins or paper clips to affix Christmas photo cards along each strand. 

If you have a staircase, you can punch a hole toward the top of each of your selected cards, run a piece of thin ribbon through the hole, and string each up, tying them to sections of your banister.  For a tabletop display, fan out a bundle of dried branches from the craft store in a cylinder vase and use them like branches of a Christmas tree fit for ornaments.  Use clothes pins or ribbon to hang your photos and cards from branch sections, thus decorating your dried natural arrangement. 

A stack in a pile or basket does not allow you to look over your growing collection of Christmas photo cards again and again.  Pick your favorites, and give them center stage instead.  By using some simple supplies and a wall hanging, door, banister, or arrangement, you create a gallery to show off seasonal snapshots of your family and friends and celebrate the passage of 2011 and all the warmth and happiness it has brought us. 

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 11th.

A Christmas Chandelier

Chandeliers do not always have to come straight off of a showroom floor.  At Christmas time, you can create your own to accent the places family gathers and add some sparkle and shine at the same time. 

Lighting fixtures over kitchen and dining tables and in high ceiling foyers can become anchor points for a homemade chandelier featuring beautiful Christmas ornaments.  Now, the tree is not the only place to showcase all those baubles and trinkets.  You need a few things to get you started on making your own chandelier: a plan, a collection of ornaments, thin ribbon, scissors, and potentially fishing line and hooks, an open picture frame, or even a decorative tree branch. 

First, pick the right lighting fixture in your home to build around.  If you have a longer fixture over your dining room table that runs with the length of your table, you may be able to construct using ribbon alone.  If your lighting fixture is more of a single pendant style over a table or in your entryway, fishing line and hooks can help you create your base using a suspended picture frame.  If the structure allows, string ribbon through the loops in the top of a series of ornaments and tie at varied heights directly to your lighting fixture structure.  Create an artful focal point in the way you string up each piece in your arrangement that produces a spiral, a traditional chandelier shape, or a “rollercoaster” of a silhouette. 

From a pendant style fixture, use fishing line and hooks to secure an open picture frame to hang below it to give you a surface to string ornaments from.  Always make sure the weight of what you intend to hang can be easily supported by your base.  To take it a step further, suspend a decorative branch directly from the ceiling using ceiling hooks and fishing line.  Hang your ornaments on ribbon strands along the branch, fashioning a real conversation piece for your guests throughout the season.  

Peruse some design inspiration online, and start building your own masterpiece to take your Christmas décor up, up, and away for a holiday that is even more merry and bright.       

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star December 4th.