With only gray skies surrounding it, a house in early winter can look stark. But hang a wreath or a swag on the front door, and your house will spring to life. Cuttings of evergreen are sweet compensation for the leaves that are missing...

If there’s one food that embodies Christmas to perfection, it’s gingerbread. Bake it, and your entire house smells like a holiday. Nibble it, and you’re transported to Christmas past. But what elevates gingerbread...

Considering a Tabletop Tree A small tree can be as memorable as an eight-footer. Whether you choose a live or cut tree, or an artificial one of goose feathers, it is easy and fun to decorate a little tree using a theme or a distinctive...

Whether gazing from a hilltop or guarding the front yard, snowmen announce that winter is here-and all is well. While their presence as symbols of the Christmas season may date back only to the early part of the nineteenth century,...

Dressing your house in the fabrics of Christmas is as satisfying as wrapping yourself in the sensuous silk scarf or velvet jacket you save for the holidays. Fabric brings richness, color, and depth to any shape it embraces-almost demanding...

Single glass beads can seem forlorn, as insignificant as grains of sand. But when strung together, beads become magical. They glisten like crystal, and when they harmonize, their dazzle can rival that of almost any jewel. Beads dress...

Evergreens are so natural and neutral, you can drape great swags of them anywhere-over mirrors, around banisters, from picture rails. They are not meant to be permanent, but that is part of their charm. Without nature’s prettiest...

Skinny Santa Using an electric drill equipped with a screwdriver bit, build wooden skeletons for Santa and his reindeer out of two-by-fours and two-by-twos. Affix each skeleton to its own plywood platform for stability. To make the...

Nature understands the importance of sparkle, particularly in winter, when the landscape is bewitchingly monochromatic. Think of the tiny rainbows glinting on an icicle or the sugary sparkles in snow, then imagine how flat everything...

What could be more glorious than a holiday table laden with fruit? Fruit is nature’s bounty and an eloquent symbol of its richness. The Dutch and Flemish masters immortalized fruit, as well as flowers, in their prettiest still...