NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK

homemade and crafty.

The Jack-O-Lanterns have made their way to the compost pile.  You know what to do with the leftover leftovers, make soup, of course.   Now it's time to have some fun planning holiday decorations.

Last year I turned my tomato cage into a Christmas tree.  The directions have been in my file for many years.  It was either time to create the tree or throw the directions in the recycle bin. 

In tomato culture, the largest rim of the cage is at the top.  In creativity culture, the largest rim is the bottom.  The photo indicated a red metal cage had been used.  My cage had many years of faithful tomato support.  I decided it was time to give it a new life by wrapping all the rims in green yarn.  When all the rims are covered, you pull the legs together to form the top of the tree.

Wide wired ribbon is used to enhance the shape and give your tree a personality.  I did learn one thing.  The material I used was too stiff, and I couldn't create the draping effect that I wanted.  A better choice would have been a wired ribbon that was softer, like a taffeta ribbon.  I decorated the tree with favorite ornaments. You could also add some miniature lights; stores were all sold out last year.

The tomato tree inspiration I had was for a container porch or patio setting.  If you plan on using it outdoors in a container attach a bungee cord to the bottom ring from one side to the other.  Weight the cord down with bricks, pavers or rocks.

Holiday time can be an exciting time to recast your garden in new roles.  Pinecones can be dipped in wax or glue and sprinkled with glitter, then added to a basket of greens.  

Styrofoam balls from the craft store can turn into magical spheres with the help of Elmer's glue or a glue gun and a little imagination.  Maybe you have some garden seeds that you meant to plant a few years ago but are now expired.  Use the seeds to cover a ball, add some decorative rickrack or trimand you will have a one-of-a-kind treasure.  A moss-covered sphere doesn't mean you have to collect from the forest floor, craft stores have all you need.

Think of the grey branches of our rabbitbrush with just a touch of silver glitter and arranged in a burgundy, or other rich color container, can be an eyecatcher.   A bundle of small twigs wrapped together with a decorative trim can be just as attractive as a spendy bundle of cinnamon sticks. 

Gardeners can incorporate the love of gardening into holiday decorations.  Our resources are somewhat limited but with the spritz of some gold paint or a dab of glitter, the weeds we hate in the summer could possibly be the star of the winter.

Look outside and be appreciative of what we do have.