Search Results for: blog last minute holiday crafts

Last-Minute Halloween Ideas

Halloween is right around the corner. Does your house look haunted yet? Mountains of dirty dishes, piles of soiled laundry and black rings around the toilet don’t count. If you’ve waited until now to get into the Halloween spirit, don’t fret. There are a slew of simple ways you can create a spooktacular holiday display without breaking the bank: Sweet Treats on a Stick: With a little patience and a few cheap materials you can make a sweet treat on a stick. Halloween topiaries are a cinch to make. All you need are your favorite candies, such as gum drops, … Continue reading →

Last-Minute St. Patrick’s Day Fun

History is being made in Chicago right now. It’s the first time ever that the mercury has hit 84 degrees on St. Patrick’s Day. Talk about lucky. Who needs four-leaf clovers, rainbows and pots of gold when you’ve got record-breaking spring temperatures? What’s more, the Windy City is not the only place where Mother Nature is confusing March for June. Unusually high temperatures are being recorded from coast-to-coast. Forget about slaving over a hot stove making Corned Beef and Cabbage. Rather, break out the brats, heat up the grill and make this festive green pasta salad to dine al fresco: … Continue reading →

Sharing Holiday Laughs

Christmas is no fun when the laugh’s on you. Whether guests are giggling because your seasonal souffle took a nosedive on the kitchen floor or the dog dove into the Christmas Prime Rib before you got the chance to carve it, you never want the highlight of your holiday get-together to be a mishap. Instead of the laughs centering on an accident, let your guests make merry playing the following fun games with a seasonal twist: Gift Swap: This is not your traditional gift exchange with family members. Rather, the game features a candy bar (or other small item that … Continue reading →

Get Your Holiday Game On

It’s the most wonderful time of the year; time to make merry, rock around the Christmas tree and fa-la-la-la in perfect harmony with friends and family members. The holidays are known for festive get-togethers complete with music, laughter and fun. If you are hosting the clan this year for the holidays, now is the time to get your game plan in order. While you don’t have to construct an elaborate itinerary of activities, you should have at least a few games on hand, especially if you are hosting a party with young children. Keep the seasonal shindig joyful by having … Continue reading →

How to Spice Up Your Holiday Party

Tired of the same ol’, same ol’ Christmas parties that feature tone-deaf Uncle Jack singing karaoke in the corner and Aunt Lucy forcing you to try her latest tofu creation? Then, consider hosting your own holiday fiesta this season with a spicy theme. If you don’t want to go whole hog by hosting an extravagant costume night (think elves, reindeer and Christmas movie characters), then go simple by decorating in a single color and having guests dress in red and green. Other theme options include: Hawaiian Christmas I was born and raised in Hawaii, and while we don’t typically greet … Continue reading →

Candy Cane Crafts

It’s raining candy canes in our home. We attended a number of St. Nick’s Day parties and events in the last 48 hours where my daughter raked in quite a haul of candy canes. We are now the proud owners of more than two-dozen candy canes in a variety of sizes and flavors. (Who knew Jolly Rancher made candy canes?) Two-dozen seasonal sweet treats is way too much for a 6-year-old to consume, so I talked my daughter into using some of her candy canes to make Christmas crafts. Needless to say, my Martha Stewart wannabe jumped at the chance. … Continue reading →

Holiday Decoration Family Fun

Who says you have to spend a fortune creating festive holiday decorations for your home? With a little effort and some creativity you can make a variety of seasonal decorations without breaking the bank. Here’s how: Christmas Card Collage: During the holidays, most people receive dozens of Christmas greeting cards. Instead of stacking the cards in a pile or tossing them into a basket, consider cutting out your favorite images, and creating a collage. You can even add small embellishments such as buttons, ribbons or silk flowers for a one-of-a-kind piece of holiday artwork. Gift Stacks: Fake out your kids … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Holiday Decorations

If you are on a fixed income, but you still want your home to look festive during the holiday season, then consider making your own Christmas decorations. Doing so will help you save money, avoid chaotic shopping malls, and allow you to exercise your creative side. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a craft queen to piece together stunning seasonal decorations. There a thousands of simple projects that can be made with just a few materials and little if any skill. For example, last year my five-year-old helped me make a sensational centerpiece for our dining room table. All we … Continue reading →

Fun with Holiday Leftovers

I’m not talking turkey here. With Christmas just a few weeks away I am desperately trying to purge my home of leftover Halloween candy and remnants of our Thanksgiving feast, so I figured why not have a little fun in the process. If you have kids at home the following projects make for excellent boredom busters during the holiday break from school: CANDY SAND ART Materials: Pixy Stixs Clean baby food jars Gummy worms or fish Small plastic castle or scuba guy Directions: To make sweet sand art, layer the colored sugar from the Pixy Stix into a clean baby … Continue reading →

Simple Holiday Traditions

For most of us, the holidays are not always as relaxing as we’d like them to be. This is especially true if you are the one hosting the holiday meals and all of the out-of-town family members eating said meals. Stress is hard to avoid in the days leading up to holidays, such as Thanksgiving, but there are ways you can make the season fun… like having the meal catered. Kidding. Around here we embrace holiday traditions to reduce stress and infuse fun into the day. One of our favorite traditions is cooking together as a family. It’s not everyday … Continue reading →