TOP 10 WAYS TO DECORATE AT THE HOLIDAYS
The holidays are our favorite time of the year at Crane. We love to decorate our homes and offices with great holiday style. So, we decided to come together to give you our Top 10 Ways to Decorate At The Holidays!
- Paper Snowflakes: Not all decorations have to cost a lot of money. A great way to winterize your home is to cut out paper snowflakes and hang them around the house. It also makes for a fun indoor activity with your kids!
- Homemade Wreaths: Something that is very trendy right now is making homemade wreaths out of pool noodles and ornaments. This project is very simple. First, you take the pool noodle and make into the shape of a circle and hot glue the two ends together. Then, you hot glue ornaments all around the pool noodle. This type of homemade wreath can be a great focal point in your home and your guests will be very impressed by how creative your holiday decorations look!
- Crane Fireplace Heater: One of the best things about winter and the holidays is getting to have a fire in a fireplace! Well, Crane realized that not everyone has a fireplace in their home so we created one that anyone could enjoy. A Crane Fireplace Heater comes in red, white, or black and it does a great job of setting the mood and warming the room.
- Sparkly or Beaded Placemats: Presentation is everything at the holidays, which is why we love sparkly or beaded placemats. A sparkly placemat makes everything look more regal and put-together. You can place a poinsettia plant or a candle in the center of the placemat, making it look instantly dressier and holiday-party ready!
- Twinkle Lights: We know, we know…this one seems obvious! However, we recommend that you not only put twinkle lights up outside, but more importantly inside! Using twinkle lights inside is a great way to set the mood and change up the normal lighting inside your home.
- Ornaments in Bowls: Ever visit a nice resort and fall in love with the décor? One trick we picked up from our favorite resorts is to place ornaments in clear glass bowls. This style of décor is very classy and it is an easy way to add a certain holiday color to any room.
- Ornaments on the Tree: Most people hang ornaments on their Christmas tree at the holidays. However, a fun way to spice up your normal décor is to skip your heirloom ornaments and go for a specific color scheme for your tree. A tree with all gold ornaments and tinsel can be a great way to update your holiday style.
- Garland on the Stairs: A classic look never goes out of style. We love green garland wrapped around the banister of a staircase. Also, adding red or gold bows is a great finishing touch. This type of holiday style reminds us fondly of the 1942 American film, Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
- A Scented Home: When we think of the holidays, there are definitely a few scents that come to mind. In order to make your home smell like the holidays, we have gathered a fantastic recipe.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3 tangerines, halved
• 3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise (optional) gives a strong black licorice smell.
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger
• 1 vanilla bean + 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 small branch fresh pine
• 1 cup apple cider, pomegranate or cranberry juice
• Water
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a medium size sauce pot. Fill the pot with water until it reaches 3/4 the way full. Bring it to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, adding more water as needed. Let simmer for close to 4 hours and then let it cool overnight and simmer again the next day. Just be sure to keep adding more water.