Holiday Hacks!

Christmas is just a few days away, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite holiday “hacks” to make the season easier:

Hack #1: Avoid January patching and hang everything you can with Command Hooks!  These handy adhesive hooks come in a wide variety of styles for everything from brick to window glass, and they make it so quick and easy to hang décor absolutely anywhere.  PRO TIP: To make garlands and light strings extra simple, group them together with large binder clips and hang the clip from the Command Hooks.

Hack #2: Wow your friends with easy arch décor in any opening – just thumbtack up a strip of wire mesh!  Add in garland, ornaments, battery operated lights and bead strands for an arch that looks like it was hung by a pro.  And don’t forget to use your arch as a photo backdrop, too!  PRO TIP: To bump up the wow factor, hang ornaments from fishing line.  It will look like they are floating – so cool!

Hack #3: Make your home extra festive by wrapping wide ribbons around your kitchen cabinet doors.  Add bows and they will look like gifts!  Personalize them with large gift tags made from family photos and your kitchen will look magazine-ready.  PRO TIP: You can do the same with a sheet of wrapping paper over your art pieces for a fun, temporary holiday look.

BONUS TIP: This one has nothing to do with décor, but it’s from my paternal grandmother and it always works.  Just add a bit of soy sauce to your holiday gravy for a background umami flavor.  You’ll get asked for your secret time and time again!

EXTRA BONUS TIP: An extra just for Christmas!  If you replace some of the water in your pie crust recipe with vodka, you’ll have the flakiest pie crust in town.  I won’t tell on you!