Celebrate the season with these nine creative and festive things you can create and craft this Christmas.
Basket of Greens
Perfect arrangement for a holiday dining table or side table. Line the bottom of a vintage wicker basket with soaked oasis. Nestle four taper candles in the oasis and fill with assorted foraged greenery such as whistling pine (casuarina), juniper and other cedars, plus island pinecones and branches with lichen.
Nuts and Cedar
This festive piece will look appealing on a coffee table or perfect as a hostess gift. Fill a small glass fishbowl with a selection of holiday nuts. Place a plastic lid, about the size of the opening, over the bowl, tape a soaked oasis square on plastic lid. Fill with cedar greens with cedar berries (ripen October—December) all around. Place a pillar candle on top.
Snow Cones
Tape off sections of glass cylinders giving a stripe effect. Apply spray glue on un-taped parts and roll in artificial snow. Allow the snow to dry and remove tape for a clean line.
We’ve added red apples and firecracker plant (Bermuda heath) for holiday cheer. Alternatively, you could use green apples and assorted palms and ferns or croton leaves.
Gold Tip Leaves
Using painter’s tape for easy removal, tape down any turgid dark green leaves or dried leaves (we used magnolia leaves). Spray tips with gold paint and write your guests’ names in calligraphy for a perfect place card or tie with natural twine for napkin flourish.
Star of David
Allow agapanthus heads to dry for at least a month after the blue flowers have disappeared. They will be very dry and brownish. Spray with white paint first, let dry and then apply gold spray paint. Dry overnight. Apply spray glue and dust with glitter. Will look stunning down the centre of a dining room table with lots of votive candles. For Christmas or New Year’s Eve.
Pampas Grass Wreath
Weave pampas grass around a 10-inch grapevine wreath, gluing and/or tying on where necessary. Go around the entire wreath in the same direction. Tie off and add ribbon, dried plant material or other decorations. When completed, spray with hair spray to tame the pampas and to stop shedding. Not recommended for outdoors—a covered patio, indoor window or above a mantle would be perfect.
Antipasto Wreath
Using toothpicks, wrap a variety of medium-sized pieces of lettuce, kale, cherry tomatoes, red peppers and meats such as Genoa salami, prosciutto, mortadella, or sliced coppa. Continue with pickles and green olives and hard cheese chunks such as mozzarella, Parmesan or Bel Paese until you have a generous array. Decorate on a round platter creating a circle, mixing up the variety of foods to create a festive wreath shape.
Merry Mornings
Make your holiday breakfasts merry and bright with festive-shaped egg-in-a-hole. Cut a “hole” with a festive cookie cutter in the centre of a bread slice; lay in a hot, buttered skillet. When the side facing down is lightly toasted, about two minutes, flip and crack an egg into the hole; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the egg is cooked and mostly firm.
White Christmas Mojito
Make spirits bright with this festive mojito!
Ingredients:
1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white rum
1/4–1/2 cup coconut rum, dependent on your taste
1 cup canned coconut milk
Sparkling water for topping
Pomegranate arils for serving
Directions
In a glass, muddle the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until the leaves have broken down. Fill the glass halfway with ice. In a blender, combine the white rum, coconut rum and coconut milk and pulse until smooth. Pour over the ice and stir to combine. Top with sparkling water, mint and pomegranate.
