Sweet heart

Two candy canes form a heart. An old metal grater acts as the base for a simple decoration that can be either hung from a hook or left leaning against the wall.

I like the idea that christmas decorations are not completely separate from their surroundings, that somehow they thematically link to the room they're put in. Hence the grater greets breakfast munchers and dinner guests alike in our kitchen during the holiday season. An old rolling pin would also be a good starting point for a kitchen decorations. A selection of cookie cutters (old and new) is a nice alternative, or a bunch of fragrant cinnamon sticks tied together with twine.

Night wear

Although Christmas comes just once a year, I think christmas sleepwear is a lovely and a bit silly tradition. Christmas sleepwear meaning pj's and nightgowns that echo the colors and sentiments of christmas.

But then again after all the preparations and excitement it's soothing and joyous to switch into a red-and-white pj before slipping between the covers. And if the following day is spent lingering around in pj's or other leisurewear, one certainly matches the decorations, don't you think?!

Little people

I have a little wooden shelf in our living room and it's appropriate for displaying seasonal items.

I used a basic white display frame and glued unbleached linen on a cardboard to make the background. The white letters are made from children's modeling clay (the air-drying variety).



A pair of old decorations catch the eye on the bottom. The wooden dolls are tiny and charmingly chipped.

Oh, and many have asked why I've used the words "God Jul" (Swedish) and not the Finnish equivalent "Hyvää joulua". The reason is purely esthetic! The short words line up nicely and are visually pleasing. Since I love words, there are some scattered around the house. My christmas vocabulary includes English and French, as well. I'll show you more of these, don't worry.

Tying it all together

I quick and easy way to make your own ribbon.

Plain white cotton tape, red ink pad (I use VersaCraft which is suitable for fabric) and an appropriate rubber stamp. And there you go!

Oh, I realize my posts are getting shorter and shorter. But it's just because my ideas are so simple and easy. No need to elaborate.

Red and white

For me Christmas brings the color red into our home. The combination of cranberry red with white is festive, yet nicely fresh. I tried to reproduce the idea of a candy cane and made this rope, garland or whatever you call it. It could be hung on the tree, in front of a window or around a glass jar. (If it feels like I use the same glass jar over and over again in my blog posts, you're onto me! It's all about multi-functional!)



Here's a close up to give you the idea how I made this. Red felting wool lightly needle felted around a felted rope.

A sweet treat

A cheesecake with a christmas twist. The crust from crushed gingerbread cookies, the cream cheese flavored with cinnamon, cloves and ginger. A layer of gingerbread cookies in the middle adds texture and taste.



The recipe comes from a Swedish book, "Vinterns söta", a celebration of sweet treats by the Eisenman sisters. Recipes in this book suit me well, simple and no-fuss, but with delightful results. Lisa Eisenman Frisk and Monica Eisenman have written several cooking and baking books, all divinely beautiful.

Twiggy

While doing a booksigning at Hobboks yesterday I leafed through several interesting and inspiring books. One was about twig crafts; Tarja Heikkilä's Risuja ja rautalankaa. The book has lots of marvelous and modern ideas, one was creating words from twigs.



The result. Joulu, meaning Christmas in Finnish. Pretty neat, for a first time twigger. Or what do you call a person who creates stuff from twigs?

My C's

Christmas is a collection of scents and tastes. Three favorite spices begin with the letter C: cinnamon, cardamom and clove. I use all of these (one at a time though!) to spice up my morning coffee, they add warmth to the cold November days.

The first gingerbread cookies have been baked. The mushroom shaped cookie is this year's addition to my collection of cookie cutters. These cookies would look pretty iced with christmas red icing and some white dots...

Apple appeal

Today I want to show you a simple, quick to make decorative piece that looks good in the foyer, greeting comers ang goers. It has a bit of that french countryside appeal, I think. I used about 20 little plastic apples and glued them on a bed of sea grass stuffed into a rustic tin container. I like to keep it as simple as that, but you could add ribbon or other trimmings.

Fake apples and other decorations can usually be found in the after christmas sales for a very affordable price.

Light, why not

Oh, the nights can be dark and the days dreary. A little flicker of candle light strengthens the spirit, I think.

If venturing on a picnic, even if not farther than one's own backyard, why not bring a candle along? A cup of hot chocolate or coffee from the thermos becomes a wee bit more festive in candle light.

A sturdy jam jar with a metal lid is a handy container for a picnic candle.

Don't forget the matches, though.