| The holidays always bring to mind family, fun, | | | | even suggest some easy projects. Make it a |
| festive decorations and food. We want our | | | | family project; the kids will enjoy it as well. You |
| homes to look nice, but we don't want to spend a | | | | may be surprised at how well they will do. |
| small fortune on things we only use once a year. | | | | Dishes - if you don't care about using the good |
| With a little creativity, and bargain shopping, you | | | | china, there are always pretty paper plates and |
| can have a nice setting for your family | | | | napkins that can add a touch of color to the meal. |
| celebration. | | | | Many of them are fairly sturdy and can hold up to |
| Fall place mats - An old stand-by, you can use the | | | | the amounts of food we tend to eat over the |
| leaves from your own yard. Gather some that | | | | holidays. The best part? No dishes to wash, |
| have a nice shape and color, clean them and | | | | except some utensils and the pots and pans, so |
| press them flat under heavy books. Instead of | | | | you have more time to enjoy relaxing after |
| the waxed paper that we used in grade school, | | | | dinner. |
| get a roll of clear contact paper. Lay one of your | | | | Other decorations - Check your local party supply |
| placemats on the paper for a pattern, cutting it | | | | store, many times there are discount ones |
| out twice as wide, so it can be folded over to | | | | around. They may have nice wall decorations you |
| seal in the leaves. Crease the contact paper in the | | | | can buy, and they sometimes have things you |
| middle, open it, and pull only half the paper backing | | | | can rent as well. They may have garlands of fake |
| away, arrange the leaves anyway you like (the | | | | leaves, or center pieces. |
| kids would love to help). If you want more color, | | | | Wreaths - Making a fall wreath is fairly easy. Get |
| place a piece of construction paper under the | | | | some floral foam from the local craft store (they |
| leaves. After you have the leaves in place, pull | | | | usually have pre-cut pieces ready to be used for |
| back a little of the paper at a time, smoothing the | | | | wreaths). Look through their silk flowers and |
| top piece of contact paper as you go, removing | | | | leaves. Gather some in fall colors (quite often you |
| air bubbles and sealing around the leaves. For an | | | | can get a bargain on these, if you shop around a |
| extra touch, get some ribbon and glue some | | | | bit). You don't have to be an expert in floral |
| around the edges, like a frame. | | | | arranging to get a nice look. Follow a simple |
| Wooden decorations - Most craft stores have | | | | pattern, placing the largest flower every so many |
| simple wood cutouts of all sorts of holiday items. | | | | inches around (depending on the sizes), then |
| Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, there | | | | move to the next smaller item, once you are |
| are simple paint techniques, using sponges, rubber | | | | down to the "filler" pieces, like leaves or greenery, |
| stamps or stencils, which will produce a nice look | | | | just fill in the empty places. Put a bow at the |
| with very little work. The store staff can probably | | | | bottom, and you're done. |