Debbie didit

1. Invite your guests by sending out coloful "creature" invitations. Create a fun party scene by setting your party table with a theme table cover, plates, cups, napkins and centerpiece. 2. Decorate your party room by using lavender, sun yellow, bright blue and white balloons to add color. Be sure to have a "Happy Birthday" Banner at the entryway to greet your guests. 3. For another great way to decorate, draw the pet shop village and shops on poster board or white butcher paper and hang the drawings on the wall to make the kids feel like they are really in the village! 4. Let the children decorate boxes and design houses for their own pets. Use foam flowers, stickers, markers,[..]

The religious aspects of the sacred Easter holiday have sprouted modern traditions like wearing Easter bonnets and creating Easter baskets for children. The Editors at FaveCrafts have put together some of our favorite Easter craft projects – to make celebrating with your family even easier - along with some tips and tricks, and a bit of religious history. How to make an Easter Bonnet: Craft Projects for Kids Simple Paper Plate Bonnet • Have kids decorate paper plates any way they wish. Use pastel paper, markers, stickers, glitter and construction paper to create an Easter design. Punch two holes in the sides of the plate and run a string through to tie around the child’s[..]

Have an Easter party for kids to celebrate the upcoming spring holiday! Kids love parties, holidays and having lots of fun. Your Easter party can include an Easter egg hunt, party games with an Easter theme, and yummy Easter treats that kids can make themselves! Let your children help plan and prepare for their Easter party. They can help plan what games to play and treats to make. As a fun craft project, have them make invitations to be given to their friends, family and neighbors. This is the time to decide how many children to invite. If you are going to include an Easter egg hunt, cut your invitations into an egg shape. Let the kids decorate the front of the invitation in[..]

Most of the Christmas home decorations we see in Christmas stores today have evolved from many other cultures. Charles D. Warner wrote about the Christmas holiday season in 1884. He quotes "We have saved out of the past nearly all that was good in it". There is no doubt that Christmas as we know it today is better than the holidays celebrated in the past. At the mere mention of ivy, mistletoe or holly the visions of the Christmas holidays with all its wonderful memories comes rushing back into our minds. We see visions of snow covered hills, Christmas tree decorations, carolers singing with ringing brass bells and lighted outdoor Christmas decorations, lighting up the night sky. In the[..]

An integral part of Christmas is the decoration of rooms or the party venues. Decoration contributes largely in enhancing the vibrancy and the festive spirit of Christmas. Christmas decoration dates back to as early as the 16th century and as time went by, people thought of new innovative and creative ideas for decorating. The traditional way of decorating is still in style and has not lost its charm despite the unveiling of the contemporary style of decorating. Today, decoration is done largely on the basis of themes. There are thousands of Christmas decoration ideas and it is indeed a fun way of dispersing an ambience of festivity all around. The most enthusiastic of the lot when it[..]

Christmas decorations hit the shelves of your local stores the moment that Thanksgiving is over, sometimes long before. At this time, Christmas decorations fill the malls and in the background you are sure to hear Christmas music playing. Santa is there, too. As you drive home, you see the Christmas decorations popping up on the homes surrounding your own. Some are overwhelming and tasteless while others are beautiful and elegant. You may think some people need to add a bit more, while some need a bit less. They Set The Mood Having Christmas decorations for these locations, as well as your own home will help to set the mood for the holiday season. There is something magical about[..]

While the majority of Americans spend their Christmas holiday in either their own home or the home of a close relative, there is a growing number of couples and families who are choosing to get a first hand experience of what Christmas is like in other countries. Choosing to spend the Christmas holiday in another country is a wonderful way to partake of the rich traditions that are found in other cultures. To learn about the history behind those traditions is a way that is much more meaningful and deep than what you can learn simply by reading a book or even viewing a television special. Of course, you don't have to travel abroad in order to experience some unique and wonderful Christmas[..]

Whether you are wealthy or not you probably want to decorate your home or office for the Christmas holiday. Decorations are a part of this festive time of year. But it is true that decorations can be very expensive. Not to worry though, you can have a beautifully decorated area while on a tight budget. Really, decorating for Christmas can be done inexpensively. Plus, by using your imagination and being creative your decorations will be uniquely yours. Consider fragrances as part of the Christmas fanfare. We associate particular smells with different activities and times of the year. An easy way to add a wonderful fragrance and a decorating touch is to use cloves and citrus fruit. This is[..]

opularity of Christmas tree decorating in America grew when import goods from Europe started to arrive in the 1870’s. In 1880 the popular department store owned by F.W. Woolworth was pleasantly surprised when the first import shipment of German Christmas ornaments was sold within a couple of days. The department store stocked chains of tiny Czechoslovakia beads, silver foil icicles and crinkly of wire tinsel which added sparkle to their Christmas trees. Tin metal Christmas ornaments, cardboard ornaments, and paper decor were popular in the Christmas department of the store until the 1900’s. In the middle of the 1900 hundreds Christmas stores were introducing a wider verity of[..]

The holidays often mean overcrowded rooms and short tempers. All those people crammed into the living room try to escape by offering so-called 'help' in the kitchen. It can fray even the calmest of hosts. When at all possible, consider taking your holiday event outside. It's easy to create a holiday-themed party in your own back yard. It's all about the tone you set, and the venue. Even a small yard can be ideal for holiday entertaining. Some outside holiday themes include celebration of summer, fall harvest, winter wonderland and springtime fun. Comfort & Safety If the weather is on the cool side, think comfort. Invest in any number of available outdoor fireplaces to warm the hands (and[..]

Whenever the months ending on -ber starts, it triggers the upcoming holiday season. People then starts on thinking some ways on how to decorate their homes, the streets or even on their offices. Since Christmas is a yearly occasion, it is not practical to buy Christmas decorations every year. So what can you do to complete the aura of this festivity without spending too much? All you need is to have bright holiday decorating ideas and recycle those old decorating stuffs you had last year. Easy and Affordable Holiday Decorating Ideas 1. Do you have old teddy bears hidden on your cabinets? Take them out because this is their time to shine. If you have three or more teddy bears, arrange[..]

The song says "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas," but we need to make it a Green Christmas this year. We need to keep in mind the need to have an eco-friendly Christmas to help our planet. This quote appeared in Time magazine, "Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find." So what does it take to have a Green Christmas? The good news is going green is very simple especially if you start with the things you can do something about. We cannot do anything about the Copenhagen Climate Treaty going on now. If you want to know more, go to cleanskies dot com or do a computer search for Copenhagen Climate Treaty. We can do things like reuse wrapping paper or bows. As presents are unwrapped[..]

This article outlines ten great ways to save money. Do you think you’re a smart shopper? How many of the following money-saving tips did you know? 1. Eat with the sales. We humans used to eat with the seasons out of necessity. Whatever food was in abundance, we ate. It pays to eat with the sales now because when produce is "in season", it usually is on sale. This means buying blueberries in July and apples and cranberries in autumn. The key is to plan meals with seasonal recipes. 2. Shop with the sales. Some items go on sale seasonally. Car dealers are motivated to sell this year’s models in the last months of the year. The week after Christmas is the time to buy[..]

It is that once a year, when good friends are dear, and if you wish to give more, why don't you go for a crochet Christmas stocking? One of the best things about making your own craft is that it gives you a sense of fulfillment. It gives you the kind of satisfaction that you have made a masterpiece at your own skill. And to give away crochet Christmas stockings is just one of the many great ideas that you can make out of crocheting. It has been a long tradition that since the concept of Christmas was established, Christmas stockings are one of the most visible emblems of this wonderful celebration. And after the Dutch have introduced this idea to America in the 16th century, it has lone[..]

Many contractors, painters and landscapers find the holiday season to be fairly slow. The late fall and winter months can seem like an eternity if you're not doing much work. Why not turn that around and start cashing in on one of the most lucrative holiday businesses? If you want to create a solid income during the holiday season a Christmas lighting business is definitely one to investigate. What many don't realize is that homeowners and businesses spend over $200 million a year on Christmas lighting installation. This was money spent on having someone else do their installation! This is the kind of business that landscapers, roofers, painters and others who work with residential and[..]

Looking for the newest trends in Christmas decorating? This year's trends involve playing with color. Christmas is not confined to red and green anymore. Here are some of the color trends for 2009 to consider when planning this year's holiday décor. Tone on Tone Decorating entire rooms or spaces with one color mixed with neutrals is one of 2009's biggest decorating trends. This applies to Christmas as well. If you already have a tone-on-tone room, make your Christmas decorations match! Purple is one of this year's most popular colors, according to Who says Christmas can't be purple? Go all out and spray paint your tree purple, hang purple and neutral ornaments, use purple-toned[..]

Rope lights, as the name suggests, refers to an assortment of lights, which are manufactured in long tubes that resemble ropes. This design is very different from individual light fixtures used in households. In most cases, a rope light is available in a transparent or colored flexible PVC tube. These tubes comprise of a number of 1/2-watt micro-bulbs, which are placed about an inch from each other. These minute bulbs usually do not require repair or maintenance. They are designed in a manner, wherein the tiny bulbs do not need replacement. This is attributed to the fact that a majority of these lights are guaranteed to last about 25,000 hours before they malfunction. The1/2-watt[..]

The perfect holiday - family, friends, holiday music, good food and drink. What about Fido? Holidays can be a dangerous time for your pets. House guests, decorations and foods can pose a serious danger to your pets. Xylitol a sweetener found in sugar free chewing gum and candies, and even chocolate can be poisonous dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause lack of coordination, depression, seizures and liver failure. Chocolate ingestion may include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity and increased thirst and urination, as well as abnormal heart rate/rhythm and seizures. Dark chocolate and bakers chocolate contain higher levels of theobromine than milk chocolate and are more toxic if[..]

When it comes to traveling to Hong Kong for winter vacations, it is more likely that traditional celebrations of this season run away with your mind, bringing images of the Chinese New Year's Parade, which is in fact, one of the main seasonal attractions in the city. However, Hong Kong became a British colony in 1842, and the Opium War of 1860 left the city as a British Protectorate until the year 2000, when Hong Kong returned to China's hands. History made this place a cosmopolitan city where visitors can enjoy a traditional Christmas pudding cake, or a New Year's dinner with a Cantonese touch. Many hotels in Hong Kong offer special packages from late November to mid-February to cover[..]

With the holiday season quickly approaching we start to see candy canes popping up in store windows, on people's clothing, and even on wrapping paper. But how exactly did the tradition of the candy cane get started? The old urban legend says a candy maker in Indiana wanted to symbolize the birth of Christ with the use of a piece of candy, so he took a hard candy stick which was pure white then shaped it into a letter "J" for Jesus and added some red stripes to represent God's love and the trinity. This legend has been disputed, unfortunately; although one could believe what one wants regarding the Christmas delicacy. The actual history of the candy cane goes more like this. At Cologne[..]

p>As legend has it, in Germany parents decorate their Tannenbaums on Christmas Eve. The last ornament hung is die Weinachtsgurke-a delicate glass ornament in the shape of a pickle. This is a significant ornament, for the next morning the children will rush in to open their gifts from St. Nicholas. But the festivities can not begin until one of the children locates the elusive gherkin. The one who finds it gets to open the first gift, and may even receive an extra treat for his or her effort. So the story is told here in America. Glass Christmas Pickles are a popular ornament, and usually come with the curious legend tucked or printed on the box. The oddest part about this legend is that[..]

Christmas is a time when the family wants to spend time together doing fun things. It's time to put the familial differences and anxieties away and let the joy, happiness and excitement of Christmas take over. It's time to bake cakes, prepare puddings, decorate Christmas trees, wrap gifts for family and friends and create your personal Christmas stockings to hang on the fireplace. Kids love to prepare their own unique holiday stockings and they also make an excellent gift for someone you love. Personalized stockings that are unique and special usually become a keepsake and are used for many years. Have your kids put their names, favorite animals or cartoons on it! The best thing about[..]

Kids grow up so quickly. This makes every moment spent with them absolutely precious. So, what's better than a fantastic movie night cuddled together with a big bowl of gourmet popcorn in the best flavor? And when it's for a great cause or non-profit organization, it makes it even better. Whether it's sweet but edgy cinnamon popcorn or savory caramel popcorn, movie nights are sure to be a hit with a few of these great tips. Themed Movie Nights Group family nights are a blast all on their own, but build them around a specific theme and the possibilities are endless. Imagine an evening safari with a mix of gourmet popcorn and calling it animal mix. Then, add fun games like hunting for[..]

cl For years artificial fruits have become a part of home décor. They are made using various materials and are arranged either in baskets, boxes, plates or domes. Earlier clay was the material used to make these fruits. But nowadays materials like wax, plastic, leather, wood and even glass are used. Reasons for the popularity of the artificial fruits: There are many reasons for which the artificial fruits have become popular. These are:i) They serve as wonderful showpieces for decorating your housesii) They can be used to decorate Christmas trees and any birthday partyiii) They are used in schools to teach the children colors and names of various fruits To make a wonderful home[..]

Winters bring along a range of sports and activities like skiing, snow skating etc. But the dreary weather of winter season in UK, leaves some of the residents of UK scared to walk out of that warm quilt. If you find that you are one of them, then here is what you can do to brave the chilly weather and have fun during winters. You can wear battery heated clothing and then you will find yourself not just walking out of your quilt but prancing out of your home too. It is not that only summers have all the activities stored up for you. There are plenty to do in winters as well. Christmas knocks our doors right in the middle of the season of snow. And amidst this snow, we celebrate the[..]

the key factors to a memorable Christmas party is giving it a cheerful feeling through attractive Christmas party theme. Not only will it create a fun and enjoyable party atmosphere, it can also spark the "party energy" right from the beginning, making your party to be one that shall be talked about among guests for days after. Creating a Christmas party theme is not that difficult, and one should never get too worried about overdoing it since achieving the right atmosphere is of great importance if you are planning a Christmas party that shall be an event to remember. Here are some cool tips that can help you spruce the sensational aspects of your Christmas party theme. If there is no[..]

Setting the mood is an important aspect to planning any party. Elaborate and well thought out decorations will add uniqueness to your party. A party need not be just a gathering of people; many times it is an occasion when a group of people may indulge in different activities to have fun. The party decorating ideas that you use will vary depending upon the theme of the party or the event. For example, if your party is to commemorate your wedding anniversary, you will want the décor to give an elegant and romantic feel. Formal or fun, stylish and chic, party decorating ideas can be categorized many ways. The basic criterion is that they should take into consideration the party[..]

Christmas is a festive occasion, which has been celebrated with great ceremony for many a year. It has always been associated with a feeling of rejuvenation and spiritual refinement; the time around this festive occasion is one where every heart is filled with the illuminating light of faith, hope and spirituality. The celebrations as well as the decoration which is universally seen during Christmas time also reflect this feeling. This is the reason why we use lights at Christmas; they are used to illuminate the whole world, doing away with the darkness and gloom of misery. The importance as well as use of Christmas lighting can be dated back to historical times. From as early as the[..]

We all have seen this particular shape of seasonal candy that looks like a cane with red stripes during Christmas season. People love to munch on these and use them to decorate all types of gifts. Its particular shape makes it a favorite among the many treats offered during this season even tough not everybody knows much about its origins or the work involved in producing such a delightful cane. This provocative sweet finds its origin in the last half of the 17th century when almost everybody in Europe were converted to christianianity and thus celebrated Christmas with almost the same traditions. At that time became very popular to celebrate decorating trees and many of the items used[..]

Christmas ornaments are a great way to show family and friends that you care, a great way to make all those close to your heart feel special and of course, loved. Besides Christmas, similar ornamental gift items can be gifted on the occasions of Halloween as well as Easter. What Are They? A Christmas ornament is a small decoration usually made of glass, ceramic metal or wood. These, along with decorating a Christmas tree, are used to decorate homes in the festival season. Available in a variety of designs, these ornaments can be found in the shapes of a simple round ball to other beautiful artistic designs such as stars and glow triangles and can become perfect gift items for your near[..]

The Elf on the Shelf Christmas and Elf Magic traditions are sweeping the nation -- for good reason. They offer a delightful way to build excitement for the holidays, and keep children on their best behavior. Here is how they work. The "official" Elf on the Shelf, Elf Magic Elf or a another elf, arrives at your home early in the Christmas season to spend the holidays with your family. Each night the Elf on a Shelf returns to the North Pole, while your children are sleeping, to report to Santa regarding their behavior. While the Elf on the Shelf Elves have a more staid reputation, the Elf Magic Elves are a mischievous bunch, and have a tendency to make a mess or pull a crazy stunt while[..]

arly Christmas trees were lighted with candles, then glass covers with candles inside or metal lanterns with small wicks hung on the Christmas tree branches like ornaments to brighten up the Christmas tree. The early Christmas candles were a fire hazard and buckets of water were usually kept nearby the Christmas tree just incase a fire did start up. Electric Christmas Lights Make Christmas Safer. With the invention of the electric Christmas lights, tree lighting became much safer and brighter. The electric Christmas Lights are one of America's unique contributions to the Christmas holidays that followed the invention of the incandescent electric light bulbs with a carbonized filament in[..]

Are you ready for the Christmas? If you are ready, it is a big chance to celebrate the Christmas with a tree. Ever year, most of Americans buy a tree for their houses. Whether that tree is a real or an official one, they will decorate it. Every one want to decorate Christmas trees in the way that gets it unique. Many choose to theme their trees. If you want to decorate yours, you should ask yourself if decorating the tree with a them is worth the time or not. Before the choice of decorate your tree with a theme, you should know that every person has a different view on the theme. Some individuals want to theme their tree with a particular color. For example, some persons choose to theme[..]

What is the Centerpiece of your Christmas decoration? The tree goes up and everyone is ready to make the tree beautiful. This is a sign that the holidays are ready to commence. What do you need after the tree is up is the lights if the tree didn't come with them. The ornaments and garland add the special personality to your tree. Ornaments are so varied and you can personalize them with your daughter,son, granddaughters name. Everyone likes different colors and now the trees come in multi hues you can change your bulbs to match the colors to coordinate. The personality of your home comes alive when the tree is in place for your special gatherings with friends and family. Don't forget if[..]

By taking your common indoor/outdoor light strand and combining it with some light colored plastic ornaments, you can make your house the envy of the neighborhood during the holidays with a unique and festive light garland that most folks wouldn't have even considered putting together. Supplies: Single plug indoor/outdoor clear Christmas lights (Make sure your single strand will be sufficient for your size tree) Solid color plastic ornaments (must be white or very light colored so light can shine through) Drill gun (Do not get scared-it is only a power tool) Drill bit (9/32 size) You will want to start out by prepping your ornaments first. If you do not have any that can be spared for[..]

From times immemorial, an ornament has been used as an item of personal beautification and has undergone numerous changes through ages. The trinkets used by men and women in different eras are quite vivid when it comes to the elements that they were made from or even the various designs and patterns they were created with. However, one thing that has remained constant across all the ages is the humankind's love for wearing accessories. It was this love that prompted people across various ages to look for newer and better materials for making ornaments. There is enough evidence to prove that even pre-historic humans adorned their body with jewelry. Then accessories were made from natural[..]

The Christmas holidays are once again upon us and everyone loves Christmas Ornaments. Ornaments are probably one of the most popular and easiest things to collect. Each year most large crystal, glass and silver companies issue new collectible ornaments. Collecting ornaments can be fun and very lucrative. There are many w3ays to collect ornaments and here are a few. First, collect ornaments that relate to other things you already collect. If you like crystal you can collect crystal ornaments. If china is your favorite collectible most of the larger china companies come out with a new ornament each holiday season. For those of you who love the shine of silver, why not adorn your tree with[..]