christmas decor
Tips for Storing Glass Ornaments
Beautiful and iridescent as the first frost of Christmas snow, glass Christmas ornaments hold a unique and magnificent allure that other ornaments simply don’t have. Glistening and reflecting an array of lights, they make beautiful keepsakes, wonderful gifts, and look splendid whether adorned on a Christmas tree or displayed on a stand. There are many creative decorating ideas that can be used to showcase these beautiful Christmas embellishments making them a great addition for all Christmas collections. However, storing glass Christmas ornaments may prove to be a bit of a challenge. Chips and breaks can ruin your beautiful heirloom pieces and can cause a great source of disappointment when the next season arrives. No one wants to open their stored Christmas items, only to find an array of crushed and broken ornaments. Since most people prefer that their decorations last longer than one season, it is a good idea to ensure that your glass Christmas ornaments are stored carefully.
Worthy of being the centerpiece of any Christmas arrangement, glass Christmas ornaments should be stored carefully when not in use. One of the best ways to ensure that your delicate and fragile ornaments are protected is to purchase individual boxes (you can buy these in home department stores). These boxes may be individualized or have compartments for holding more than one ornament. You can also create your own storage boxes by using boxes such as old wine boxes with compartments, shoe boxes, plastic cups, or even by saving the original boxes that the ornaments first came in. Many people often discard the original boxes when they open up their ornaments for the first time. Always open the boxes carefully and set them aside for later storage use.
One important fact to remember is that using newspaper or regular tissue paper to store your glass Christmas ornaments is not recommended. Dyes from these papers may run and over a period of time, they can have a disastrous effect on your ornaments. It is better to use bubble wrap, or acid free tissue paper (available in specialty stores) for storing your ornaments.
Before you store your glass Christmas ornaments, be sure to wipe them clean of any debris. Remove them carefully from the tree or display stand and dust them off with a piece of chamois. You can never wrap your ornaments in enough layers, so be generous with the tissue paper before storing. Label your storage boxes accordingly and make sure that you never store delicate ornaments on the bottom. Finally, you should be certain that there is no movement within the box after you have placed the ornament inside. If the ornaments have room to move, they are at risk of breaking and will need to be repacked. By taking the time to carefully pack your fragile glass ornaments, you can ensure that they will bring you plenty of enjoyment for years to come.
Making Gingerbread Houses
Gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, and just good old fashioned Gingerbread bring the taste of Christmas to life. From Hansel and Gretel to gingerbread fashioned ornaments, gingerbread is associated with Christmas and is a favorite during the holiday season. Whether it is eating it or admiring a beautifully constructed gingerbread house, this delectable delight is sure to please in any fashion. Here are some recipes so that you too can enjoy the wonders of Gingerbread this holiday season.
Gingerbread Dough Perfect for Creating Gingerbread Houses
1-cup butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
6 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars; beat in the molasses and eggs.
In another large bowl, sift dry ingredients. Combine mixtures and knead into a smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Roll out dough until it’s 1/4 inch thick, on a well-floured surface. You will use this dough to create your house pieces. You can also use this dough to create Gingerbread Men. For Gingerbread Men, simply draw out your pattern piece on cardboard, or if you have cookie cutters, use them. Embellish your Gingerbread Men with raisins, frosting, M&Ms and other candies.
Icing/Glue for Construction
The icing is simple to make, but it dries quickly. Therefore it is best to make up a small batch at a time.
3 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
3 - 3 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to foam. Add the cream of tartar and beat until the whites are stiff but not dry. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, beating for about 5 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency. Keep it covered and refrigerated until needed.
Patterns and Assembly
Use cardboard pieces for the basic pattern of your gingerbread house and lay Gingerbread dough on pattern pieces. You will basically cut out your gingerbread shapes from the cardboard patterns, and then bake them on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet that has been greased and lightly floured at 320’ for 25 minutes. Remove all traces of foil from Gingerbread shapes once pieces are cool enough to touch. Let all pieces remain at room temperature overnight before assembling your house.
You will need 2 rectangular shapes for the roof- 7’by 11’. Two rectangles for the walls, 5” by 8”. Two bases for the front and back of the house measuring 5” by 9”. Cut a door in one of the bases (for the front). You can make a chimney for your house by fashioning a pattern that is 2 ½ inches tall for the front, and 1-½ inches tall for the back. Let your creativity run wild as you find various candies to embellish your gingerbread house.
You will also need a base for the house, plywood works great. Line it with aluminum foil and begin assembly. You should begin by adding the side walls first, then the front and back. You may need to hold them steady as the icing/glue dries. It should take approximately 15 minutes for the walls to stand on their own. Once all of the walls have been assembled, let stand for at least 30 minutes, to ensure its stability.
Next, you will want to assemble the roof pieces. Make sure that you are not sparing with the icing/glue. Create more batches as you work. You will find that the icing will glue to near cement like quality. After all pieces have been assembled, let the house dry overnight. In the morning, decorate with your choice of candy.
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