Creative Recycling of Christmas Cards and Gift Bags

It is almost into the third week of January and I am still receiving Christmas cards from friends and family overseas. I love to hear from people at this time of year (I don't mind if they are late sending out their greetings!) and I am always grateful to those who pop their newsletters into a lovely card - not only can I create an attractive display for lighting my window in the evening (the pegs incorporate LED lights) but they provide me with a resource for creative Christmas crafts. So before you toss your cards into the recycling bin here are a few different ideas (aside from making new cards or gift tags) for reusing cards that will save you money next Christmas!

All you need to create these items are your stash of cards, brown paper bags and/or gift bags - (another item I always recycle!) scissors, craft glue, ribbon or string and self adhesive gold or silver letters.

Idea No 1 . Unique Gift Bags

Jazz up a plain paper bag with an unusual design. This quirky Pukeko adds a real touch of 'Kiwiana' to a brown paper bag. (Pukeko is the name New Zealanders use for swamp hens!) Match the size, colours and design of the card to the bag you are using - choose more 'rustic' designs printed on matte paper for brown paper bags and glossy modern designs for the foil gift bags which are popular choices for Christmas presents.

Simply use the front of the card and glue into place - what could be easier? I will add a coordinating tag when it comes time to reuse the bag next Christmas.

Idea No 2. A CD/DVD Gift Envelope.

This square card was a perfect match in size for an unused silver envelope, ideal for enclosing a CD or DVD disc, i tunes card or gift voucher - why waste money purchasing a special card or envelope for the gift card for that hard to buy for person, when it only takes a few minutes to make your own?

Disguise a rough edge with narrow adhesive foil tape if you need to

Reuse any extra embellishments attached to cards - this silver star makes the ideal seal.

Idea No 3 . Menu Cards

For an extra finishing touch for your Christmas table create a menu card. This is quite useful if you are having lots of guests, it adds an 'eating out at a classy restaurant' feel or it can simply be a special momento of the lovely dinner you enjoyed that year! Choose a card which coordinates with your table decor and add 'Menu' to the front using self adhesive gold or silver letters.


Type out your menu, print, cut to size and attach inside your card. You may wish to add in the year, guests attending and venue. This was the Christmas meal we enjoyed a few years ago, it reminds me of how thrilled I was to find freshly dug organic baby potatoes at the farmers' markets on Christmas Eve! A menu card with the dessert recipe inside could also be a lovely little gift to give to guests - I would attach the recipe to the facing page.

Idea No 4. Christmas Candy Cones

This is the third time I have reused these particular cones. I made several paper cones at Easter to hold chocolates, small gifts and eggs for my children. (Instructions for Easter Cones are at my main blog archives in 'The Craft Cupboard' section.) The card I used for these came from a picture frame box. I recycled these cones and made a lot more from old Christmas cards to create an Advent Calendar for Christmas 2009. I added a Christmas sticker to the front and attached ribbon for hanging the cones. This is a wonderful craft activity to do with children - the cones are very simple to make but look very effective!

Next year we will create a different Advent calendar ( making our own unique Advent calendar is a family tradition!) but reuse the cones as tree decorations - you could also fill them with wrapped candy or popcorn and enclose in cellophane. They could also be used to hold special treats such as biscotti or truffles to give as gifts to neighbours and friends.

I always find I am sent a card which I love which will not be rolled up, folded or cut. This 'nostalgic' card from my sister in England is my absolute favourite for this year. I like it so much, I might even frame it! It will certainly not be placed in the recycling bin where some of the boring santa and snow scenes do end up! I hope you have found some ideas at this post to creatively reuse and recycle your Christmas cards. How do you creatively reuse and recycle your cards? - let me know if you have any ideas!



With Love and Joy,
Ann

My Christmas Table 2009

These are some of the pictures of my Christmas Table. The crackers I made for each family member were pulled and all the trims were saved to be recycled for more Christmas crafting next year. The younger children were delighted with their gifts and the older ones enjoyed the chocolates! We enjoyed a traditional lamb roast with a summer twist - it was marinated in a mango sauce overnight and served with a mango salsa rather than the traditional mint sauce. Plum pudding is not the best choice for a dessert on a hot summer day so we indulged in an ice cream pudding instead. I will post the recipe soon for those who want to try this when their summer comes around!

Two of my lovely daughters!

Meet the rest of my beautiful family at my family blog eightacresofeden

I have written about our very special Christmas at my main blog where you will also find these pictures of my Christmas table. What is missing from the pictures of just the Christmas table is what makes Christmas truly special - the people, especially family and friends. They are the reason why I put so much effort into making Christmas special - it is my way of not only expressing my God given creativity but also showing my family how much they mean to me. I want them to grow up and have beautiful memories of Christmas at home, when they pull a cracker or light a candle, wherever they are in the world, they will think of me, their mother but more than the gifts carefully chosen or the lovely details on the table, they will recall the laughter, the fun, the joyful atmosphere around our table and in our home - for this is what I truly desire to create, not only at Christmas but all year round - at every meal! On every occasion! Knowing that they grew up in a home where they were accepted, loved, cherished and where God was honoured and Jesus was the centre of every celebration but especially Christmas and Easter - this is the desire of my heart!




I will continue to upkeep this blog. I want it to be a comprehensive resource of ideas and inspiration for Christmas. There were many more posts I had planned but they can wait for next year! Do save those cards though, don't toss them away, not even into the 'Planet Ark' bin at the supermarket - I have a few ideas for creative recycling!



Something, or should I say someone, more important than blogging or preparing for Christmas, came into my life in the days before Christmas. A very special gift from God whom I brought home to my family on Christmas Eve. A baby boy, my seventh born and a beautiful reminder that the greatest gift of Christmas was a baby.

With love and Joy,
Ann

Inspirational Christmas Decorating, Craft and Cooking Books

I have quite a collection of Christmas books and lots of December issues of home interior magazines. In this post I would love to showcase my favourites.

I always buy the Christmas edition of New Zealand House and Garden magazine - the front cover is always a stunner! When I lived in NZ I always looked forward to this magazine arriving on the newsagents' stands. I own quite a collection from the 1990's and early 2000's including the first edition. Over the years, it became quite upmarket, featuring mainly affluent homes and too many minimalist homes for my liking - too much chrome, zany artworks and very expensive designer home wares, so I stopped buying it but the December issue always features at least one beautiful country home and tonnes of inspiration for Christmas decorating.

Such as this gorgeous home with the tree embellished with glorious silk flowers. I am in love! Notice the baby bump - still waiting for my baby to arrive, I was due yesterday, could this baby be waiting to come on Christmas Day? Oh, the anticipation!

I hope I get the chance to make my version of this ice cream pudding for our dessert on Christmas Day! Hope my family saves me a slice if I do go into labour on Friday!


Today I made the white chocolate truffles which feature in the 'White Christmas' cooking segment. There is also a recipe for white chocolate brownies which look very decadent indeed. I used Swiss organic, white chocolate for my truffles. I made a 'baker's dozen' and taste tested the 13Th one earlier - they are fantastic. You will have to buy the magazine if you want the recipe (I only publish my own recipes - sorry!) or check out their website to see if it features there! www.nzhouseandgarden.co.nz I also made a batch of my almond- free, coconut flavoured biscotti today. I hope to share the recipe at my main blog this week, unless I go into labour of course!

This is my absolute favourite, inspirational decorating book of all time. 'Home Living Life Beautifully' by Sandra Kaminski features gorgeous ideas for every season of the year and includes a special section for Christmas. There are lots of beautiful table settings that leave you gasping! Sandra's work as a stylist featured in NZ House and Garden for many years and it was always her sections I turned to first. When I found out she had published a book I was just beside myself and almost collapsed with excitement when I saw it on the shelf of a local bookshop. I have never loaned this book out and never will!

Here is just a peek inside - look at the tiny gift boxes tied with green, gingham ribbon sitting in a silver urn and posies of garden mint on a mirror base - rustic style meets glorious sophistication!

Green will always be my favourite colour but isn't this table beautiful in blue? Very suitable for a summer Christmas! For further inspiration from this talented designer you really do need to buy the book. She also has a website www.sandrakaminski.co.nz

My favourite cook Jo Seager also hails from NZ. I have quite a few of her cook books but I love the title of this one! Her recipes are simply the best! I have been using them for years and don't even need to look some of them up. Many are very suitable for Christmas baking sessions, especially her mini pecan pies! Her sticky date pudding recipe is to die for!


In 2001 Jo co-authored a book called 'Celebrations Stylish Food & Decorating Ideas' with renowned floral designer Fiona Hill. This book is packed with recipes and inspiration for tables at every kind of celebration. Christmas is given special treatment with ideas that will enthrall both those who love rustic style and those who prefer a more modern, stylish table.


An artificial garland, white lilies and a feather boa make for a stunning long table arrangement.

This year, I added another wonderful compendium of Christmas ideas for the home to my book collection. This is the American Better Homes and Gardens Best of Christmas Ideas Book. I love the scope and variety of design ideas for the home at Christmas and if you are a Christmas afficionado such as me, you will enjoy dipping into this book. It is available here in Australia and is very reasonably priced - around the $25 mark. I purchased mine at a local bookstore.


My favourite home featured in this book is in Michigan. This decorating scheme would work equally well for a Southern Hemisphere Christmas. This home sold me the book. I opened this book in the store at this very page and knew in an instant I would be buying it!


I hope you have enjoyed browsing my collection of favourite books and magazines for the Christmas season. If there is one you really like the look of, I hope you do buy it for yourself - there may be still time to shop online but beware of Australia Post strikes and adverse weather affecting deliveries in the Northern Hemisphere! I prefer the real deal - bricks and mortar bookstores. I just love perusing the shelves and I can become quite distracted! It is very dangerous thing to let me go inside a book shop at this time of year, especially if they stock lots of craft and decorating books!

I do hope I can put up some more posts before Christmas but can't promise - my baby could arrive any day now. If this is my final post before Christmas Day, may I wish you a blessed, beautiful Christmas. My next post may be typed one- handed with a babe in arms - what a wonderful reminder of another baby born 2000 years ago in Bethlehem and for me and so many people around the world, the true meaning of Christmas!

With Love and Joy,
Ann

'The Big Red Store' A Poem about the Commercialization of Christmas

'The Big Red Store' is a poem that I wrote in the year 2000 to share at my Christmas seminars. It is indeed about a 'Big Red Store' which those who live in New Zealand and some cities in Australia will be familiar with - the place 'Where Everyone gets a Bargain'. Most bigger towns and cities around the world have a 'Big Red Store' or maybe your big store is blue.

It is the type of store you do not want to visit the week before Christmas and especially not on Christmas Eve - the queues there are the longest and even if you carefully select the shortest queue, clutching your tin of Danish butter biscuits for Grandma and two giant rolls of 'economy wrap', I can guarantee you will wait just as long, for the guy in front of you will have a trolley piled high with the latest gadgets and toys for his two kids who they always spoil at Christmas because well 'It's Christmas!' and 'This is what the kids requested in their letter to Santa - can't let them down'. It would ruin Santa's image!



It is at these stores where you will observe the worst of the Christmas madness and I must explain the reference to the 'Teletubbies' which appears in my poem. It was at a branch of the big red store in New Zealand where two mothers were caught on camera fighting, tug of war style, over the last 'Teletubbie' toy left on the shelves! - Such had been the media and retail hype over a TV programme for young children which featured creatures with TV sets in their bellies and antennas on their heads who could only babble but toddlers became 'addicted' to the show and parents believed that their child would suffer serious deprivation if he or she did not own one of the toys!

I have left in the references to the toys of the time - to remind you that the latest 'must have' trendy toy will always be replaced by another more expensive gadget that will now appeal to mum and dad as well as the kids - you just need to buy some extra consoles for each family member!

Perhaps, like me, you despise the commercialization of Christmas and some choose to turn their backs completely on any celebration of what is only seen as a ' Silly Season of Spending'. So they choose to have a 'low key Christmas' and just have a barbecue (I'm referring to the Southern Hemisphere here!) but they have barbecues most weekends over summer, so there is nothing really special or significant about their celebration of Christmas.

My seminars were a reaction in a way, to both of these trends I observed when I came to live 'Down Under'. Christmas had always been the most wonderful time of the year when I lived in England. There were always traditional trees in the town square, the aroma of roasted chestnuts on the streets, Christmas carolers and at my house - decorations inside the home (not an OTT outdoor light display that blew the fuses and rocketed the power bill skywards) special foods on the table, Christmas crackers, 'satsumas in stockings' and my favourite treat because it was only given to me at Christmas - a 'Terry's Chocolate Orange'! Whenever I 'tap and unwrap' a chocolate orange, it always reminds me of my childhood Christmases at home! My dad knew this was my favourite gift - in many ways I looked forward to this more than anything else - in my eyes it was better than the 'big present'!



Down under, Christmas was different, much more casual and laid back, it was hot and although the turkey was still on the table with salads instead of potatoes for Christmas dinner and presents were distributed by an uncle in a Santa hat, that was basically it. I found some people never bothered with a tree or if they did it was a 'tinsel stick' showing where to pile up the new toys for the kids which was their only family tradition - along with a tin of Danish butter biscuits for grandma which they had stood in a queue for an hour to purchase when all the ingredients needed to make biscuits where actually in their pantry!

I wanted to tell people there was a better way, that they could celebrate Christmas in style without going into debt or joining the madness at the mall, 'creating' a Christmas for their family to enjoy, introducing simple traditions which would be remembered by the children in years to come and even passed on to future generations. Discovering the joys of creativity and blessing others in very personal and practical ways. And to encourage Christian families to give honour to Christ, making Him the focus of their Christmas rather than a fat guy in a red and white suit.

So without further ado, here it is my poem to challenge your thinking and attitudes towards Christmas. I hope you enjoy it!

THE BIG RED STORE

Christmas is coming, Retail 's doing okay
For I joined the horde of shoppers
In the big, red store today
As I grabbed a trolley and sped off down the aisle
The blow up Christmas reindeer couldn't make me smile
'DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY'
I had a sinful wish
'I'd really like to punch that singing rubber fish!'

'Dad I want a Pokemon, like all the kids at school'
Having lots of plastic cards
Makes him look so cool
'Mum I want a Barbie house, it simply isn't fair'
'Santa didn't bring that much to our house last year'

Oh, the sights and sounds of Christmas
You'll experience at the store
But it's all artificial, nothings real any more

The Christmas tree is PVC, it's made in Singapore
There's even a matching plastic wreath
To hang on your front door



Nowhere was a manger scene on prominent display
To remind us of the meaning of this very special day
There were lots of jolly santas stacked high on every row
The loudspeaker bellowed
'ONLY 10 DAYS TO GO!'

The enticement to spend and spend some more
'Don't have money?'
'That's what credit is for!'
People in debt and suffering stress
Was it really Christmas that caused their distress?

Christmas traditions are now used as a ploy
To get you to buy the latest toy


St Nicholas was a saint with a heart for the poor
People don't talk about him any more
He's now known as 'Santa'
He's been hijacked to sell
On the books at Apple
And loved by Mattel
Down at Harvey Norman he can really draw a crowd
He's good at selling Christmas spirit
Does Liquor King proud

A plastic man- made Christmas
Commercial through and through
But have you ever thought what Christmas means to you?

To me, it means a Saviour sent from God above
Into a dying, desperate world to show them of His Love
Hope, Joy and Peace can be ours to receive
All He asks is that we truly believe

And I believe in Jesus, the Son of God Most High
I think of how He's blessed me
As Christmas time draws nigh
Each Christmas, my gratitude to God I express...
By using my gifts and talents to bless

Opening my home, I fulfill my desire
To reach out to others and hopefully inspire!
So celebrate Christmas and show that you care
About this special time of the year

Take your children to choose a tree
Bake festive goodies for afternoon tea
Decorate your home - now here's my advice
Lose the tinsel, it isn't that nice!
The best decorations I'm sure you'll agree
Are those made by nature - what's more, they're free!


So if you home is looking stark
Collect some pine cones from your local park
And if you're feeling really bold
You could even spray them gold!

Resist the urge to buy gifts to impress
Instead look for ways in which you can bless
You family and friends, the people you meet
The elderly neighbours who live on your street

You could give them something - perhaps made by you
Something you baked, crafted or grew

Would you open your home on Christmas day?
Invite someone on their own to stay
To be part of your family and share your meal
These kind of gestures make Christmas real

In spreading goodwill, we can all play a part
For the actions of people reveal their true heart

But in the big, red store, the queue's to the door
Where they fought over Teletubbies, it was shown on TV
On the six o'clock news for the nation to see

But we can choose a better way and redeem Christmas Day
By rejecting the hype and pressure to spend
What kind of message could we send?
For the stores don't own Christmas
It's ours to enjoy!
And to remember the birth of a baby boy
Named JESUS and He's still the REASON why we celebrate the SEASON!


Penned in December 2000
by Ann at eightacresofeden and christmasateden



Please - if you want to share this poem with others or read it aloud at a Christmas function, feel free to do so, all I ask is that you direct them to my blog for the source and acknowledge me as the author - thank you!

A Christmas Table Centrepiece using Candles and Natural Materials

I am captivated by the glow of candle light at Christmas time and I love to create displays using candles. In previous posts I have shown you some of my elaborate wreaths which do take some time and effort to make but today I want to show you a simple, natural arrangement that took just minutes to create using items which I had to hand around my home. You do not need oasis, florists wire or any experience in floral arrangement! You could create a display like this for your Christmas table just before you sit down to dinner - it is that easy!

The perfect finishing touch - my favourite 'succulent' candles - I use these candles all year round and have only ever seen them in discount stores!

Here are the natural materials I gathered. I raided the fruit bowl for green Granny Smith apples. You could use red apples, pears, oranges, mandarins, cherries - just select fruit in uniform sizes. I snipped some greenery ( sprigs of cedar) from my garden. Darker green leaves are a lovely contrast to the lime green of the apples. If you do not have a garden, consider snipping a few cuttings from your Christmas tree - you do not need much greenery for this arrangement.
Nuts (not shelled) are the other item I raided from my pantry. Many households have nuts in their Christmas pantry. Macadamias or hazelnuts are ideal, you could use walnuts - again, whatever you have to hand.
My younger children gathered some small pine cones at the local park yesterday - just a small handful was all I needed. I already had cinnamon sticks in my craft cupboard but these are entirely optional and not integral to the arrangement.

You will need a large, shallow, round dish or bowl with a flat bottom in the centre. I bought this shimmery, gold bowl at a discount store for $15. It is perfect for this type of arrangement. It has a diameter of approximately 30 cm. If you have a square or rectangular platter, you could create a similar arrangement with smaller fruit such as cherries, strawberries or grapes.


Step 1. Place 3 or more church candles in the centre or you could use just one thicker candle. I like the effect of several candles flickering or more if you have a larger bowl or platter. Shorter candles are more suited to this type of arrangement than taller ones, especially if it is for a table where people will sit down to socialize and dine. Use whatever colour candles you wish and coordinate with your table linen or other decorations.



Step 2. Place the apples around the candles. I used seven apples for my bowl. Using apples or oranges means your arrangement will last for several days or longer.



Step 3. Next add the pine cones arranging evenly around the bowl. I love the contrast of the texture of rough pine cones next to the smooth, shiny skin of the apples.


Step 4. Pour nuts into the gaps between the apples and pine cones. Try to use nuts that are a lighter shade than the cones that you use.



Step 5. Tuck sprigs of greenery under the pine cones around the perimeter of the bowl. You may wish to replenish it, if it starts to wilt and it is so easy to do this when you do not have to pull it out of a block of oasis - just lift up the pine cones and replace!


Step 6. Finally, if you wish, arrange some cinnamon sticks on top of the apples. I have also used some extra candles - my succulents - use real or faux succulents if you do not have candles such as these. I just love how the texture of these candles 'mirrors' the texture of the pine cones.


And now the hardest part - deciding where to display the arrangement! It would be a perfect centrepiece for my Christmas table. It looks good on my kitchen island bench, particularly as it has fruit and nuts from the pantry. It would equally, be a good choice for a buffet table or dresser. A low arrangement such as this would also be ideal for a coffee table as it is a display you look down upon. I think it contrasts well with a timber table and therefore, I have chosen to place it at one end of my hall table.



I also wanted to give you a glimpse of the display I have created here. I have been searching for an ornate frame for my reproduction print of an old map of New Zealand for some time. Last weekend I found the frame - at a garage sale for $5! This is another reflection of my family's heritage.( I am married to a New Zealander of Maori descent!)



Another recent garage sale find - wooden letters that spell out PEACE. They were already painted gold and cost me $2.50! I think I may leave these out all year round for peace is something I truly want to experience in my home. Peace on earth is not just a message for the Christmas season but something we can also have in our hearts and in our homes when we meet and enter into a personal relationship with the one who brings real and everlasting peace - JESUS! The reason why I celebrate Christmas with such a passion!

I hope you have enjoyed visiting my home today and gained some inspiration for creative displays using candles and the gifts of nature. More ideas coming soon!

With Love and Joy,
Ann