Monday, November 28, 2011

holiday ideas continued part 4

If you read this post, you know i used to publish a zine called Mysterium. For your reading pleasure i have been sharing 100 holiday ideas from an issue published in 2002. The world has changed since then, and I have changed as well, but some of these are still good ideas!

Holiday Ideas by Megan Noel 2002, 2011

41) More cool stuff to make: tea blends, bath salts, lavender sachets.

42) Handmade stationary and envelopes would also be a cool idea. Or even just envelopes. You can take apart a purchased envelope and make a template then make your own envelopes out of wrapping paper, art paper, magazine ages, junk mail, sheet music, old maps, etc.

43) I am not a huge Martha Stewart junky but recently she had some votive candles sunk in the show, lining a walkway, that were super cool. And I think it was last year that she froze berries and leaves and stuff n ice and set it out as decorations -- fun and cheap, though not good if you live in Seattle like I do -- drip drip.

44) I think it would be ever so nice to just go for a drive on the holidays and ignore the stressful family stuff (unless it isn't). But if you do that make sure you have plenty of gas and snacks and stuff like that. You'll probably have the beach or the forest to yourself. Oh, bring something for he squirrels. I worry about them in winter.

45) Did you roll pine cones in peanut butter and birdseed and hang them out when you were a kid? Weren't you a Girl Scout? That was fun. For that matter bird baths and bird houses and bird feeders can be nice gifts for the homebound, it gives you something better to watch than CNN. You can get those bird feeders with suction cups that stick to the window. But if you get Aunt Mildred a birdhouse you may need to fill it for her.

[my stepfather set up a bird feeder so the cat would have something to watch. i am not sure if she found it enjoyable or just frustrating, but i am sure it made her kitty day fly by.]

46) Make your own books on tapes for gifts, especially for little kids learning to read. You can buy a bunch of kid's books and record them (maybe use a little bell with it is time to turn the page.) Add sound effects if desired. You can get the books from used bookstores too -- recycling books is cool! [i suppose now you'd make mp3s instead]

47) When I was growing up one of my girlfriends made a really cool gingerbread house out of graham crackers. It is not really cheating! Just add frosting and candy and look at all the time you saved.

[Ed note: after the last time i struggled to assemble a gingerbread house from a kit i have decided to use hot glue next time. no one wants to eat the house part anyway, it's probably rock hard and stale. slather the glue gunned house with icing and candy and who will know? you can still eat the candy.]

48) For that matter take the leftover graham crackers and put frosting or ice cream between them, mmm. Also, I have been known to make pie crust treats just for the heck of it when i was not even making a pie. Roll out piecrust and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up into little logs and bake. I used to love it when my mother made these.

49) I have a huge cookie cutter collection (er, like over 100 probably.) Weird shaped cookie cutters are a nice gift for bakers. Among my cookie cutters the VW bugs are always popular. If you can't find a good selection locally you can check on-line too.

50). This holiday season remember - recycle, reduce, reuse. I almost always reuse tissue paper!

more tomorrow!

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