L I F E Ñ G e t Fe s t iv e
OUR SWEET TRADITION
We Hang Our Stockings Without a Fireplace “We have a wall painted with chalkboard paint, and every year we draw a mantel with chalk. We attach adhesive hooks to it and hang our stockings,” says Diana Baumgarte, a mom of one in Norwalk, Connecticut. There are plenty of places where you can tack up those fancy socks (and we promise Santa will find them!).
You can ribbon-tie stockings to a banister, for instance. But with the magic of adhesive Command hooks, stockings can securely dangle from a bookshelf, a kitchen island, a side table, or a bar cart. Or display them on the inside of your front door so the kids get excited every time they see them on their way out of the house.
sealing where one string of lights meets another. Use outdoor-rated lights and extension cords, and plastic (not metal) ties.
with Christmas trees,” says Jenny Reimold (@jennyreimold), a mom of seven and a HomeGoods style expert in Nashville. Personalize a wreath.
Perk up the porch.
Big balloons can form a giant, multicolored garland that can be seen from the street. “When you add a cardboard collar to the base of each balloon and connect them with twine, they look like oversize string lights,” Green says. Choose a focal point.
You’re maybe not on the Clark Griswold level (yet). Rather than trying to spread what lights you have across your entire facade, pick something to highlight with twinkle
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lights, whether it’s one tree, a bush near the front door, or your mailbox. Add a giant red bow for daytime cheer. Safety first with outdoor lights.
If you’re hanging lights yourself, choose a day that’s not wet or icy, and stay off the roof altogether, says Scott Parrish, owner of Illuminight Holiday Lighting, in Highland Park, Illinois, a company that will hang lights for customers. Don’t forget the basic first step: Test your lights by plugging them in somewhere like the garage to be sure they work before you go through the effort of stringing them up. Parrish recommends a sturdy ladder, of course, and electrical tape for
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For next to no work and less than $50, you can place an animated projector in the yard to light up your house with what looks like falling snow or twinkling stars. Tap into traditional.
A battery-powered LED candle paired with a wreath in every window gives a colonial-chic effect, says Candis Meredith, who with her husband, Andy (plus their seven kids), stars in the Magnolia Network show Home Work. Their candles are each on a timer to glow only at night. “Simple beauty is cheaper too,” Andy Meredith says, adding that they set up a few halogen floodlights in the yard to illuminate their home. A final touch: They trade in the porch light’s rest-ofthe-year bulb for one that resembles a flickering flame.
GRETCHEN EASTON.
There are so many ways to jazz up a basic wreath (real or faux) for your front door. Purchase an inexpensive one and add 3-D letters wrapped in yarn or painted to spell out your family name. Try paper snowflakes or kid-made ornaments. Add cinnamon sticks for an inviting scent.
Create an illusion.
