Bruce Littlefield is back on Today and this time he’s showing us how to make our houses FABULOUS for the holdays. Find out more in his new book MERRY CHRISTMAS AMERICA! … arts crafts holidays NBC Today Bruce Littlefield Merry Christmas America

In this free video clip series, our expert shows you how to make beautiful Christmas decorations, gingerbread men, Stars of David and much more. In this clip learn how to make a Star of David ornament. Expert: Cynthia Glover Bio: Cynthia Glover holds a BA and MA in Psychology with a minor in Child Psychology. Filmmaker: Dana Glover

Looking for fun Christmas crafts? Learn about making Star of David ornaments in this free video clip. Expert: Cynthia Glover Bio: Cynthia Glover holds a BA and MA in Psychology with a minor in Child Psychology. Filmmaker: Dana Glover

A video featuring the Christmas decorations in my living room, and our beautiful Christmas tree! For Gisela Graham Decorations: stores.ebay.com

The Christmas Table serves up comfort and joy with helpful hints and recipes to plan an unforgettable holiday feast. Award-winning author Diane Morgan fills the book with festive recipes and decorating ideas that are sure to become favorites. On Christmas Morning, opening presents will be even sweeter with a breakfast of Cinnamon-Scented Bread Custard and delightful recipes like Juniper Brined Roast Turkey and Whipped Yams topped with a Crunchy Praline Crust – which are sure to be instant …

This holiday season, Anna Getty—environmental advocate, writer, television personality, chef, mother, and organic living expert—helps families reduce their carbon footprint and save money without sacrificing style or tradition. Anna advises how to best choose a tree (real or fake?), mitigate the negative effects of necessary travel, recycle post-holiday, and more. She shares favorite holiday recipes for organic appetizers and homemade craft ideas such as pinecone wreaths and recycled sweater …

Christmas is about family. Here is a collection of five crafts that you can make as a family to teach the true meaning and symbols of Christmas. Children will learn to identify Christmas using their five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Pick and choose the activities you think your family will best enjoy, and spread them throughout the season. Start new traditions. Most importantly, use the activities to talk as a family.

Sight Activities

Take a Christmas Lights Drive: Pile everyone in the van after dark and tour your city or a nicely decorated neighborhood. Some cities will have a town center that will be lit up. Ask your children which decorations are their favorites and why. Talk about how the twinkling lights resemble the stars. Remind them that on the night Jesus was born a new star shone in the sky, announcing his birth to the whole world. Even people in different countries knew the Christ-child was born, and some wise men traveled to find him.

Sound Activities

Christmas Caroling: Delight your neighbors by singing on their doorsteps, or just gather around the piano and sing as a family. You may even attend a community “sing-in,” or another recital, or watch one on TV. Christmas carols and caroling have a somewhat obscure history. Indeed, in many countries any jovial celebrating of the holiday was outlawed until the 1700s! Caroling can be traced back to England around this period, and it was a community event. Groups would go house to house, singing in exchange for eggnog or wassail. Caroling fosters a feeling of community as we reach out to others and spread joy. Some of the most popular carols to sing are Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas.

Smell Activities

Trim the tree: Like holly, the evergreen reminds us that life will come again. The pine aroma fills our heart and mind with hopes of the year to come. If you use an artificial tree in your home, you can take your children on a walk through a Christmas tree lot. You can hang a swag, or even a branch with a fragrant pinecone.

Taste Activities

Peppermint Candy Canes: As you enjoy a candy cane with your family, point out the symbols of the shepherd’s crook, and the colors. Red represents Jesus’ sacrifice, and white is for his purity. When turned upside-down, the shape also becomes a “J,” which can also be a reminder that Christmas is a time to remember Jesus. The mint flavoring also has seasonal significance. Hyssop, a plant in the mint family, was used in Old Testament times to purify (or cleanse) oneself. Peppermint might now remind us of Jesus’ purity.

Touch Activities

Snow Angels: After a good snowfall, bundle everyone up and walk to the park or your own backyard. Demonstrate how to make snow angels by falling backward into a fresh bank. Sweep straightened arms and legs back and forth to create the wings and gown of the angel. Stand up carefully and admire everyone’s work. When the family is back indoors talk about the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, when she found out she would soon give birth to the baby Jesus. Also talk about the angel who visited the shepherds on the night Jesus was born. He said to them, “Fear not, for I bring good tidings of great joy!” Although Christ was not really born in December, it is the time chosen to celebrate his birth. During the winter all the plants seem dead, but after Christmas the world gets closer to spring when all the flowers come back to life. Jesus’ birth was a promise that everyone who followed him would also live after death.

Children are innocent and they love the Christmas holidays very much, especially they like helping their parents decorate for Christmas. Children are fond of making their own handmade Christmas decorations, and there is a lot of exciting Christmas decorations that they can easily make.

For small children or those who may be making their own Christmas decorations for the first time, you can buy some ornament cutouts or guides shaped like star or cross from your local craft store, and then the child can paint according to these shapes. Besides this, Christmas ornaments can be made from regular paper or any other type of material.

For children of any age, it is very easy for your children to make their own Christmas paintings or drawings with the supplies found inside your home. Parents can put the paintings on your refrigerator or you could even frame the picture and hang it up somewhere else. Children can draw paintings on a large sheet of paper. After drawing, parents can use it as wrapping paper. This makes a double gift and a ideal way to save money.

Children will be excited if you use centerpiece for your dining room table. With artificial flowers, a large bowl or vase, some Christmas balls, as well as other decorative items, the children can create a somewhat elegant centerpiece. It is easy for them to arrange these items to create their own unique centerpieces for your dining room table. They may be able to create a centerpiece in the shape of an Angel, a Santa or a Christmas tree by using construction paper if your children are a little older.

Children will enjoy the experience no matter what kinds of Christmas decorations you allow your child or children to make, especially if you participate as well. For a child, the favorite thing they want to happen is seeing their Christmas drawings hanging on the walls or their Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree.

That’s it. I had to have it. If I had to go to 10 different stores, line up at 4 AM on “Black Friday” or go online and bid far more than my pocketbook would allow, the hot toy of the season was going to be mine. I pictured my daughter’s face opening it up. It would be the picture-perfect moment when at last she would tear open the toy she had begged for all season. A year has now passed. Now what was that toy? I honestly can’t remember… and I’m sure she can’t either.
Now rewind to that same Christmas. I also made her a pillow with her own name on it. I do remember carefully selecting the fabrics. I remember feeling so “gitty” when I found just the right color choices that would coordinate with her bedroom so perfectly. Everything that made her room hers, I found! I remember the night I put her to bed and ran to my sewing room so excited to get started on my project. I would hope she’d love it as much as I loved making it for her. Watching her elation as she opened that gift was 10 times more enchanting than seeing her set aside the “had-to-have” toy a few short hours later. She was captivated by the pillow, and happy to ask, “Mommy! Mommy! Did you make this for ME?”
The “D-I-Y” phenomenon is here and more and more people are choosing to give handmade gifts to those on their gift-giving lists! So why give handmade this holiday season?
1.Because It’s Cost-Effective
More often th@gmail.coman not, you can make something for less. Of course there are exceptions, but this works well when you have a holiday budget to stick to. I recently made some chalk-board mats for my nieces and nephews. Can you believe I was able to make 9 of them out of 1 yard of fabric? Talk about a bargain! Another friend of mine made purses for all of her girlfriends for their gift exchange. I also like to write down my gift-giving list early, and then think of how I can make several of the same gifts for a group of people- such as favorite teachers. In assembly-line fashion, I can purchase all I need at once, lay out my materials, and thrust into the project at hand. Before you know it, I’m finished with something that was not only enjoyable for me to do, but cost very little in relation to purchasing something at a store.
2.Because It Can Be Personalized
When I make a gift for someone, I always keep in mind what is important to them or about them. Whether it’s a name on the gift, remembering their favorite colors, or making something of a sentimental nature, a handmade gift is one way of showing you care. Handmade gifts can be very unique and different. Countless times I’ve been so impressed with those who can create the same project, yet individualize each one to make them special to the one they are giving it to. Whether it’s something that has been knit, sewn, painted, or glued, you can make the right gift for just the right person.
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3.Because It Can Become a Treasure
I still have a crocheted blanket my grandmother made for me when I was a child. Seeing this reminds me of her love and dedication to our family. I can imagine the excitement she must have felt while making it. In retrospect, I don’t know if I ever showed my full extent of gratitude when that gift was given. Oftentimes, that may be the case. But looking back, my heart is filled with thanksgiving as I recognize the hours that must have gone into something so extraordinary.
Do I still purchase gifts for family and friends from the stores? Of course I do. But while acknowledging that making handmade gifts does take more time, for me giving a gift that is handmade is very fulfilling to both the giver and receiver.

Personalized Christmas Party Invitations, Christmas Invitations Cards & Christmas Photo Party Cards

You may decide to opt for traditional Christmas Invitations Cards. You can find it with all the trimmings of ribbons, bows and wrapped presents under the decorated Christmas tree. Recreate the Christmas pleasures of old with these classic offerings. Add a simple verse and you have a beautiful traditional card or invitation to send off. There are also modern designs and colorful creations to suit everyone’s imagination. In fact, the simple ordering process encourages your own input. You can create your own personalized card within minutes. Simply select your card, prepare the message, background, font style and color, among other things, submit and wait. Consider these advantages for shopping online:

· Unique and Exclusive Invitations for Christmas party and Christmas celebrations; Will create a Design just for you with minimum order

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You can also choose to fashion your own product online. The process put in place by makes this task both painless and effortless. You simply select the appropriate design from any of the original and unique offerings. The exclusive cards and invitations provide you with an ample selection. The products cover a wide range of themes and styles. Be sure to take advantage of special holiday rates for large orders.

Mistletoe, Silver Bells, a tall pine covered in tinsel and ornaments, stretching towards the ceiling – these are symbols of the traditional Christmas. It is a vision you want to share with your family and friends. Perhaps, you are planning a Christmas party, or maybe you host a Christmas open house for all to attend. However you choose to celebrate this occasion, plan the event with care. Start with just the right Christmas Party Invitations selected from the wide variety.

The content of your invitations is important to you. Whatever the wording you choose, be it a simple verse or succinct saying, the dedicated staff can help you place it in the ideal setting. The creative abilities of the in house artists can help ease the burden of this busy season. They can craft a design to your specifications, provide you with a totally unique invitation or help you with such things as wording and placement. After you have selected just the right design, the patented technology allows you to insert your custom text, choose the desired ink color, typestyle and then Instantly Preview your Christmas invitations Before you buy! No other place on the internet provides these features!! Plus, you can receive Free shipping, 10 Free cards, with a minimum quantity, same day printing and shipping and your proof within 1 hour during the business day.

You will not wait for long. The card you create appears within minutes. You can view what it looks like almost instantly. This is one of the many advantages of choosing to shop online. If you do not like what you see, simply reenter the information, make the changes and send it off again. You can even add a photo without increasing the complexity of the production process.

Due to the patented process, you can continue to work on your card or Invitations Christmas Party Celebrations. You can add photos, rearrange words and alter the overall look, until it becomes ideal. Once you have finalized the design, complete your order. Within an hour, you will be able to approve the final proof. Then it is up to shipping and handling to send it off to you. Same day printing and shipping is offered. This makes the process even easier for you. It is a wonderful way to simplify your holiday card giving. By lessening the load, you get more time to enjoy the wonders of the holiday season.

You can create lasting memories. The Christmas invitations are on paper stock meant to last through the ages. Like your remembrance of Xmas, your cards and announcements are preserved in acid-free 80 pound, Avon Crest card stock. This attention to each and every detail will help make your Christmas card or party announcement a memorable keepsake. Even a simple Christmas thank you card receives complete attention to every facet. From material to content to delivery, you will receive the best services to make your holiday a joyful and happy one.