Holidays Archives

Expert Holiday Gift Wrapping Tips with Festive Finds

The series “Unboxing the Holidays” is all about bringing you top-notch advice and creative ideas to make the most of the season’s special moments. In this article, we offer creative holiday gift wrapping ideas with pro tips.

A gift that’s creatively wrapped can be as delightful to the recipient for what’s on the outside as what’s inside the box. In fact, the notion that it’s the thought that counts not only applies to the gift but also to how it’s wrapped. And we’re not talking about the precision paper folds from a store’s gift-wrapping department. Gifts wrapped with personal handiwork will be remembered because it shows time spent, care, and creativity. For this year’s gifts, be inspired by everyday items and Christmas flair. You just may put an elf out of work.

Julie Mulligan, farmhouse Christmas

Julie Mulligan, 1-800-Flowers.com’s lifestyle and crafting expert, shares her current favorite holiday trend: farmhouse Christmas. The style goes hand in hand with the organic and sustainable trends — and nothing says farmhouse like a good buffalo check. Also called buffalo plaid, it’s everywhere right now. Just search Instagram or Pinterest, and you’ll be inspired.

A few ideas to get you started

You can’t go wrong with simple kraft paper and a red and black buffalo plaid ribbon.

Add a vintage beaded flower, some evergreens, and a chalkboard-style tag, and you’ve just entered the realm of “super gift wrapper.”

Mulligan saved two favorite ideas for last, which is what happens when you put out all your materials and just have fun with them.

This long, narrow box is ideal for a garland stretched from one tree to another. “I realized I had everything I needed right in my bag of reusable tricks,” says Mulligan. “I am in love with the way it turned out!”

Black gift wrapping style

Mulligan also loves the black wrapping paper trend. “You can do so much with it, and it makes whatever elements you embellish it with really pop.”

She downloaded a free clip-art image of a station wagon and printed it to the size needed for her gift box. Then, cut it out and glue it on the wrapping paper.

Chalkboard art is still very popular, and you can decorate and write messages right on paper using a white marker.

Picture of wagon clip art for gift wrapping

“I tied a sprig of boxwood to the top of the station wagon, wrapped some red and white twine around the package, and added a cute little holiday gift tag to complete this vintage-looking farmhouse holiday present,” she says.

Perfect farmhouse chic gifts

You can also find great gifts celebrating this trend, such as the Harry & David Personalized Holiday Bakery Basket or Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn Holiday Drum. These gifts check all the boxes: Not only do the containers embody the farmhouse décor motif but they can also be recycled.

Steve Doss, the candy wrapper

Picture of Steve Doss gift wrapping ideas

For Steve Doss, it’s not the music, food, or festivities he looks forward to the most during the holidays. “My favorite part of the holiday season is wrapping presents,” he says. Doss began his gift wrapping tradition with his mother as a child, a talent that has taken him into adulthood. “I like to pick a theme and roll with it in all of my package presentations.” One year, for example, he tied a bunch of candy canes to his nephew’s gift after learning about his passion for crunchy candies. “He was beyond excited. “

Beautiful gift-wrapping extends the recipient’s time with the present, perhaps prompting questions on the inspiration. It also elevates delight. Doss’s nephew didn’t even care what was inside the wrapped boxes. “Adorning your gifts with candy not only adds a bit of whimsy to your package but also provides the sweetest touch to the holiday season,” Doss says.

Doss’ pro tips:

Make sure you pick individually wrapped sweets so your adhesive doesn’t touch the candy itself.
You don’t have to pick holiday-specific candy for your gift wrapping. Form any of your favorite sweets into a wreath or candy cane.

Reusable chic

No need to break the budget with pricey holiday papers and bows that are destined to get marked down after Christmas. Use what you have. Everyday items can be the basis of your gift wrapping.

Here’s a list of items that can be used for gift wrapping:

Give shabby clothes a second life. The denim from torn jeans, dated dresses, and other remnants can be used for the wrapping. Cut into long strips for ribbons.
Handles from gift bags are handy gift ties.
Newspaper and shopping bags can be made into wrapping paper for an authentic look with a nod to practicing sustainable gift-giving.
Christmas tree clippings are not only seasonal, they smell pretty great too.
Cookies look and taste great. Assemble in a gossamer bag and latch on to the bow. It’s like two gifts in one.
Ever wonder what to do with vintage Christmas ornaments and bells? Slip ornaments through a ribbon for a unique gift.
Saved holiday cards can be cut and repurposed.
Tape vintage pictures on the wrapper for a hybrid photo album and clever wrapping.
Remnants of wallpaper are attractive, sturdy papers that will add designer style under the tree.

What Kind of Holiday Decorator Are You? Three Profiles

The series “Unboxing the Holidays” is all about bringing you top-notch advice and creative ideas to make the most of the season’s special moments. In this story, we identify the three holiday decorator profiles and offer ideas for their decorations this year.

Walk down any street in your neighborhood in December, and it’s clear why it’s is the most wonderful time of the year. When you see the colorful trees sparkling through the windows and inflatable Santa’s getting knocked about from wintry gusts, you’re likely to reflect on your own home’s holiday aesthetic. Is it decked out with a Dickensian theme with burning candles and an abundance of garland? Or does it have holiday music playing on a continual loop? Perhaps it’s more reminiscent of a scene from Charlie Brown’s Christmas, maybe updated with a yule log flickering on the flat screen?

To help you get started with your holiday decor, we’ve identified three personas that capture the range of styles and care that go into decorating a home for the season. Whether you’re an Enthusiast, Traditionalist, and Last-Minute Stylist, we’ve got the ideas and the products for everyone.

The Enthusiast

Fill the Thermos with hot cocoa and jam the family in the Wagoneer, The Enthusiast will chop down their own Christmas tree. Dressed in Fair Aisle sweaters and a lumberjack hat, this holiday decorator is in sync with the cottagecore aesthetic, bringing in the pleasures of seasonal pastoral living into the home. Their decorating begins before Thanksgiving and can stay up well into the New Year.

Decorations are often homemade, such as gingerbread, garland, and wreaths. Attention to lighting is seen on everything from the outdoor porch to candles illuminating from every window.

Holiday movies and music are the main forms of entertainment right up to Dec. 25. Every room can benefit from holiday adornment. Every task, like writing holiday cards and baking, becomes part of the routine.

Pro tip: When cutting your own Christmas tree, find the freshest tree and cut lowest to the ground to allow for another tree to grow.

Best gifts for the Enthusiast

Delight The Enthusiast with Christmas flare options for their home, such as colorful, show-stopping Christmas roses to a holiday birdfeeder that will keep the season in perpetuity all year long. Preserved roses are not only a creative take on the original flower, they can do double duty for Valentine’s Day decor. And you can never have too many wreaths, as they are more than front door decoration and can be used throughout the home as well, such as hung over cabinets or as a centerpiece for the table.

The Traditionalist

Christmas vignette with snowman pillow — Picture of a traditional vignette in Valerie Ghitelman’s holiday home.

Just how grandma used to decorate is the motto The Traditionalist lives by. They’re devoted to classic styles, revel in the customs of the holiday, like hanging wreaths and decorating with candy canes. They get out the tape measurer to strewn a garland and wreath on and above the mantle in the same place each season. Updates are added via natural, classic poinsettias and paperwhites. A few new decorative pieces may be bought that build on an established classic style. Shabby stockings will be updated in a similar red and white Santa style. Their holiday possessions emit nostalgia, unlocking memories they hope to build on.

Valerie Ghitelman, vice president of product development, sourcing, and design of 1-800-Flowers.com is a Traditionalist because of her love of holiday nostalgia. “My sense of style is born from being surrounded by items that have history and a story to tell,” she says. “I am inspired by old-world culture, workmanship, and repurposing beautiful things from the past that had a purpose. There is a romantic charm that surrounds such possessions.”

Best gifts for the Traditionalist

Build on the love of collecting, such as toys and Christmas bears, for presents that are certain to be kept. An ornament is another heirloom holiday token that will be linked to the gifter each year. Ornaments on a traditional Christmas tree are like a holiday table, you can never have too much.

Pro tip: Spruce up packaging that comes with poinsettia by draping the container in burlap and tying with a tartan bow or inserting the plant in a wooden crate. You can also buy a styled poinsettia and save the festive container for future holidays.

Last-minute Stylist

Until there is a version of the Grinch’s umbrella Christmas tree that snaps into form with ease, the Last-Minute Stylist will forego erecting a full-size tree for a low-maintenance option. The joy found in decorating a tree is lost to the constant sweeping of pine needles and watering. Small, tabletop versions are attractive options over artificial selections because they offer something natural to the home. You also still get that pine fragrance without the fuss.

To continue on the no-fuss decorating approach, the Last-Minute Stylist prefers to shop online with ready-to-install decorations. Holiday candles, throw pillows, and seasonal food that can be part of the decor are popular choices in a Last-Minute Stylist’s home.

Best gifts for the Last-Minute Stylist

Gifts to use, such as Holiday Cheer Dipped Strawberries, holiday centerpieces, and flowers, are appreciated by the Last-Minute Stylist.

Pro tip: A succulent tree not only adds a unique touch to your Christmas decor but will last long after the holidays are over.

Whatever holiday decorator direction you take, enjoy the process, along with the comfort found in a holiday home. Says Ghitelman, “There are many choices, and every year they pick and choose from our broad offerings that are relevant, versatile, and on-trend for the holidays!”

8 Popular Types of Christmas Greens to Spruce Up the Holidays

The holidays have arrived, so now is the perfect time to brush up on your knowledge of holiday-related topics, including Christmas greenery. How many different types can you name? Become acquainted with the different kinds of Christmas greens below. They are a beautiful way to add something natural to your holiday home.

Fir

There are seven different types of Christmas tree firs: noble fir, balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, grand fir, Canaan fir, and Concolor Fir. Each fir tree is unique. For example, Douglas firs range in height from 70 to 250 feet tall, while balsam firs are smaller in size and will grow to be about 40 to 60 feet.

Spruce

Spruce is another common variety you’ll see on the Christmas tree lot. Types of spruces include the Colorado blue spruce, Norway spruce, and white spruce. Similar to pines and firs, spruce trees have needles instead of leaves. The needles on spruce trees are attached individually to the branches rather than in clusters, which is the main difference between spruce and pine trees. Fir trees also have needles grown in this way, but spruce needles are sharp, whereas fir needles are not as pointy.

Pine

Another common holiday green is pine, which you’ll see on everything from Christmas trees to wreaths and fillers in Christmas flower arrangements. The varieties include white pine, Scotch pine, and Virginia pine. You can identify pine by its spindly needles and branches that appear to be bent upwards. It also tends to have fewer branches than other tree types.

Holly

Holly is another classic green plant with distinguishing red berries and prickly leaves. Prior to holly being used as a symbol of the Christmas season, the Druids viewed it as a sacred plant that symbolizes fertility and eternal life. While other plants die off during the winter, holly continues to thrive.

Juniper

Junipers are known for their short green foliage, blue berries, and sap. These hearty plants have a rugged, natural appeal, making them unique greenery to add to your Christmas decor.

Ivy

Ivy may be known for trademarking the top schools in the country, but it is also found in a number of Christmas arrangements. It adds texture and holiday green to arrangements, garland, or as a living wreath. Keep the cut ends in water to maintain their health.

Boxwood

Boxwood is great greenery for garland and wreaths because its fuller texture creates clean, modern arrangements. Its small leaves that closely resemble an olive tree are so attractive that you can use the clippings on their own for the holiday table or stuffed in a stocking.

Mountain laurel

For our readers in the South, you’re probably at least a little familiar with mountain laurel. This is because mountain laurel is traditionally seen in southern regions, and used in garlands and wreaths. It offers a simple spot of white, marked with pink etchings, and provides a refreshing alternative to more mainstay Christmas greenery. It’s best to use laurel outdoors to preserve its freshness.

A holiday home decorated with Christmas greens shows attention to personalization and classic style. Even branches clipped from your garden and strewn on the mantle or perimeter of the front door add instant merriness to the home. It’s especially festive to bring in something natural during the winter season.

Favorite Holiday Memories: Inspiration for Making Your Own Christmas Moments

Our series “Moments in the Making” shares stories of anticipation for the holidays and how to create memories during the season with those they love most. Here, noted holiday revelers share their favorite holiday memories.

Christmas has all the ingredients for creating memories we hold close to us all our lives. The excitement of trying to hear Santa’s sleigh arrive on the roof, that distinctive Christmas tree smell, ripping the colorful paper off presents, attending church services, and singing our favorite carols, sharing dinner with family, watching movies, or playing games into the evening.

Of course, we all have our own special Christmas memories, and it’s fun to share others’ experiences and traditions — and be inspired.

A stealthy surprise under the Christmas tree

Many Christmas memories go right back to childhood, that impressionable, innocent time.

Lifestyle host Steve Doss remembers being outwitted one Christmas when he was a kid: “I was a firm believer that shaking my Christmas presents would let me know what’s inside the package,” he explains.

His grandparents knew he’d be doing this, so one year they bought him exactly what he had been begging for — Super Mario Brothers 2. “To throw me for a loop, they attached a bell inside the box so I would be completely lost,” Doss says. “It worked! I was so disappointed since all I wanted was that video game and not something that jingled.

“When I went to open the box, the entire family gathered around at my expense to see my sad little face light up as soon as I opened the gift,” he says. “I’ll never forget that moment.”

Ex-pat holiday celebration

Christmas is a “home” holiday at its heart, and it can be bittersweet celebrating at a distance. Liz Young, her husband Colin, and their son, Isaac, relocated from England to the Netherlands three years ago, and last year they were stranded by COVID.

“We would normally go back to England for Christmas, but obviously last year with COVID restrictions, we couldn’t,” says Young. “Many of our friends couldn’t travel to their home countries either, so we spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year together.”

From our holiday collection

favorite holiday memories Holiday Sleigh Bakery Gift — Holiday Sleigh Bakery Gift

favorite holiday memories Holiday Flower Tree — Holiday Flower Tree

The Youngs have become fast friends with other ex-pats in Arnhem, and together they celebrated the holidays with both a cultural and a culinary smorgasbord.

“We had a real mix of nationalities for Christmas — Uruguayan, Turkish, Australian, Greek — so there were lots of different traditions coming together. We had margaritas and a pasta dish for Christmas lunch, and we managed to find a few Christmas crackers,” Young says. “We had some difficulties explaining why Santa was coming at different times — he would normally come on Christmas Eve for some but Christmas morning for others — but we settled this by having presents spread over both days.”

Young says that while everyone did miss their families, they were very grateful they could spend the day with friends. “Our children all go to school together, and having their best friends there definitely helped them enjoy the day. We played games together and ended the day with a Christmas movie… and maybe a few of us asleep on the sofa! Definitely a Christmas we will remember.”

New Christmas memories

Dzung Lewis is the host of Honeysuckle, a food, and lifestyle YouTube channel. “One of my favorite holiday memories was the first year we moved to L.A.,” she says. “We were new in town, with an 8-month-old baby, and wanted to experience the holidays in a new way.” It was certainly different: “We spent a lot of time exploring famous holiday spots and spent a day at Disneyland, shopped at The Grove, and even celebrated Christmas at the beach!” Lewis says. “Everything was new to us — living in a new town, being new parents — so we look back on this time as a new happy beginning for our little family.”

Favorite Christmas Memories on Broadway

Melissa Errico is an actress and singer you’ve probably seen on the hit television show Billions. But for a very special Christmas memory, she casts her mind back to a stage performance in which she wore a piece of Broadway history.

One of my theater favorite holidays memories was getting to wear the most famous Broadway dress in theater history when I starred in White Christmas on Broadway in 2010. It was such a thrill!

Holiday lights and knishes

Comedian Josh Hyman admits that his favorite holiday memory isn’t very classic or dramatic. But it’s personal and special.

“My wife and kids and I have started a tradition of late by driving through one of those Christmas holiday light shows way out by Jones Beach on Long Island, New York,” he says. “I let the kids sit on my lap and ‘drive,’ and we get to see millions of light displays, from blinking light tunnels to giant Santas and snowmen lit up, all while listening to the pop culture Christmas radio music (even though we’re Jewish — who doesn’t love all that music?!).”

Hyman also fondly remembers a special holiday time with his dad, Herb. “A handful of times he’d call me up and want me to hang out with him around Christmastime,” he explains. “We’d see the tree, watch the Today Show tape, and freeze our butts off. We’d do Rockefeller Center, see some midtown or Times Square sights, take some blurry pics on his point-and-shoot camera, ride the subway, have a street knish, and just hang.

“We didn’t get to spend a lot of time together as adults,” he says. “But that was always something I looked forward to, hoping he’d call to ask me to join him for that adventure.”

A heartfelt Christmas

For Jenny Wiley, spending Thanksgiving and Christmas in West Virginia with four other PV Program volunteers and the families they worked with still sums up the best of the holiday season.

These kids, their parents, and my fellow volunteers gave me a Christmas I will never forget.

Jenny Wiley

Family Center Director

Brighton Center Inc.

“We ran an after-school program for youth,” Wiley explains, “and for Christmas that year, we hosted two events. One was for the parents to come and “shop” (all the items were free) for their children — the gifts had been donated from my friend Anne’s church and from other friends and supporters. It was so nice to be able to provide these loving parents with this opportunity.”

The second event was a Christmas party the volunteers threw for the children. “Each child received a gift, and I cannot fully express the joy we felt as we celebrated with these children,” Wiley says. “These were kids we spent hours with each week, struggling to complete homework assignments, reading books, helping with school projects, and providing a safe place for them to just be kids. The Christmas party let us all just enjoy each other’s company.”

Wiley believes that the joy and connection she felt volunteering that Christmas is what started her career of working with people who are underserved. She became Co-Director of the PV Program and is now Family Center Director of the Brighton Center Inc. in Newport, Kentucky.

“What I took from that experience was that it was not the gift that mattered, it was the sharing,” she says. “These kids, their parents, and my fellow volunteers gave me a Christmas I will never forget.”

How to Flock a Christmas Tree

The series “Unboxing the Holidays” is all about bringing you top-notch advice and creative ideas to make the most of the season’s special moments. In this story, learn how to flock a Christmas tree and why it’s on trend.

If ornaments and twinkling lights aren’t enough to give your Christmas tree that wow factor, it may be time to try something new — like flocking. It’s a treatment that adds a snow-kissed look to the greenery that evokes a tree in its natural wintry setting.

“I’m not surprised to see flocked Christmas trees are making a comeback,” says 1-800-Flowers.com floral and crafting expert Julie Mulligan. “It has such a nostalgic feel and sets the stage for the perfect hygge Christmas. Even if you didn’t go out into the woods and chop down your own tree and bring it into the house with the freshly fallen snow still on it, a flocked tree makes it feel like you did.”

Throw on some holiday music, set some gingerbread out, and get your crafting clothes on because it’s time to transform your home into a true winter wonderland.

How does flocking work?

If you want to get technical, flocking is the process of creating texture by attaching tiny fibers to a material. But when talking about Christmas trees, flocking means to give it that natural, snow-covered look by applying a white, powdery mixture to the branches. We love flocking a Christmas tree because it gives it more dimension and achieves that alpine feel.

The origins of flocked Christmas trees

The idea to flock Christmas trees has been around for quite a while — since the 1800s, in fact. Back then, crafters tried to get the snowy effect by using cotton and flour mixed with glue or cornstarch. But flocking as we know it today became popular around the 1950s and 1960s (though we can’t imagine metallic trees of the time looked all that natural, even after being flocked). It was around then that flocking powder became mass produced and marketed, meaning people could now quickly and easily flock their trees at home.

How to make your own flocking spray

With flocked trees becoming more popular, most stores now carry pre-flocked trees for sale. But for all you DIY enthusiasts, you can really get into the Christmas spirit by flocking your tree with either pre-made flocking powder or creating your own from scratch.

Around the holidays, the flocking powder can be found at nearly any craft or convenience store. Most kits just require you to add water to the powder and mix it for a few minutes before you’re ready to go.

But for the most extreme DIYers, you can make the flocking powder yourself with a few household items. The only catch here is that this solution won’t last for next year, meaning it should only be done on a live tree that you’re planning on getting rid of after the holidays. All you’ll need to cover a traditional 5-foot tree is the following:

2 cups white soap shavings
2/3 cup liquid cornstarch or white glue
4 tablespoons warm water

Once all your ingredients are mixed, flock your tree outside, just as you would with traditional flocking powder.

Keep in mind…

For the best, most natural results, make sure to always flock your tree before decorating it with any lights, ornaments, or tinsel.
Leave roughly two days for this project, since flock can take anywhere from 20 to 48 hours to dry.
Never brush the underside of a branch with flocking powder.
Only flock the tips of branches.
Allow some of the mixture to fall onto branches below.
Dollop (don’t spread) the mixture onto needles.
If you used flocking powder to flock an artificial tree, all you have to do after the holiday is cover it with a cotton cloth and store the tree standing up. Live trees with our DIY flocking powder can typically be left on the curb (or better yet, recycled) with any flock still on it.

Pro tip: Add glitter to your mixture for a festive glimmer.

Once the Christmas tree is flocked, add lights and decorate to your taste. Or keep it natural! It’s easy to enjoy the look of a tree with freshly fallen snow in the warmth of your own home. Says Mulligan, “Just light the fire, make a cup of hot cocoa, put on your warm wooly socks, and curl up with a good book. Have a merry hygge Christmas!”

Get Organized With a Printable Holiday Checklist

Between Christmas gift purchasing, holiday party planning, and preparing for visitors, the busy holiday season is in full swing. To help keep everything — and everyone — organized, we’ve created this easy-to-follow printable holiday checklist. It’s broken into four categories: Prepare Your Home, Prepare for Parties, Prepare Your Gifts, Prepare for Guests.

download Holiday checklist

This holiday checklist will help you bring the holiday spirit into your home with wreaths and candles, and a signature cocktail, while calmly creating a welcoming setting for out-of-town guests. That even includes your mother-in-law.

We even have something to distract your children from looking in every nook and cranny of the house for presents — Christmas coloring pages! Hopefully, these printables will give you enough time to finish your gift wrapping. If not, well, there’s always that cocktail we mentioned.

How to Incorporate Flowers into Your Holiday Decor

No matter the style of your home — from modern to traditional — flowers add an instant boost of warmth, color, and festivity. This is especially true around the holidays, and no, you do not need a team of professionals to create stylish, lovely arrangements.

Hi! I’m Alice Lewis, floral expert and founder of Alice’s Table, and I’m thrilled to share my knowledge with you through my collaboration with 1-800-Flowers.com. We’ve joined forces to bring fun-filled virtual and live floral workshops to customers nationwide. Below, I share expert tips on incorporating flowers into your holiday decor.

10 tips for incorporating flowers into your holiday decor

1. Think outside the vase

While vases are the traditional vessels for flowers, you don’t need to limit yourself! Crates, baskets, pitchers, and milk bottles are just a few of the unique containers that can display your creations and add additional interest.

2. Go green

The holidays bring an abundance of greens: holly, juniper, pine, and spruce, to name a few. Instead of using them exclusively for filler, let them take center stage, with a dramatic lineup of evergreen “bouquets” along a table runner or mantel.

3. Spread the love

Don’t confine pretty arrangements to the dining room or entryway. A vintage pitcher of flowers by the kitchen sink or small vase filled with fragrant buds in a guest room or powder room are a festive and welcome touch.

Holiday decor with woman holding winter floral arrangement

4. Don’t just eat your fruits and vegetables

Decorate with them! Cranberries and citrus fruits are right at home during the holiday season and provide a pop of color in a floral display. Use cranberries at the bottom of a clear vessel to anchor an arrangement, and tuck small mandarin oranges, lemons, and limes along a table runner or in a basket of potted blooms.

5. Size doesn’t matter

Instead of one large display in the center of your table, try a cluster of shorter, mismatched vessels. Or a bud vase at everyone’s place as a unique “place card.” The key is to make up for the drama of height with quantity — so don’t be stingy!

White is a natural choice for the holidays, but reds and pinks are striking, too!

6. Things are looking up

Don’t limit yourself to flat surfaces to create vignettes of color and greenery. Pretty wreaths hanging in your windows can be enjoyed by you as well as passersby. And an abundance of roping wrapped around a banister bring fragrance and color right up the stairs!

7. I see your true color

If you get overwhelmed when it comes to figuring out color combinations, a display showcasing a single-color palette can be just as dramatic. White is a natural choice for holiday decor, but reds and pinks are striking, too!

Holiday decor with frosty looking pine cones

8. Oh my gourd!

Gourds and pinecones add more mellow tones and a rustic edge to traditional arrangements. They’re easily sourced and inexpensive, so use them generously in displays, in baskets, and along runners and mantels.

9. Raid the fridge

Herbs are a unique addition to your floral display — especially in the kitchen or dining room. Tiny potted herbs can be placed down the center of the table or at individual place settings. And tuck fragrant sprigs in wherever a pop of green is needed to complement your blooms. Sage, rosemary, and thyme are all lovely options.

Holiday decor with Mom and daughter on Christmas

10. Jingle bells (and ornaments, too)

The holiday season is no time to play it safe. Festoon your displays with tiny bells and inexpensive ornaments — they are unexpected and are also a great way to show off cherished or unique treasures that could get lost in your large holiday tree.

4 Ways to Make Holiday Floral Arrangements Last Longer

As wintry weather makes it difficult to enjoy the natural world, indoor floral arrangements are even more appreciated, especially around the holidays. After all, who doesn’t want to decorate their dining room table with a seasonally inspired bouquet?

However, your fragrant flowers may fade faster than expected, especially when you factor in chilly drafts and dry indoor air. Suddenly, your carefully crafted centerpiece has wilted long before New Year’s.

But there are many ways you can extend the life of your flowers to make holiday floral arrangements last longer. Let’s look at some strategies to help you maximize the life of your blooms.

Tips for extending the life of your holiday floral arrangements

holiday floral arrangements with Red and white holiday flowers

1. Keep things moisturized with a mister

I know you’re keeping your flower vase filled with water, but it’s also essential to keep the flower petals and leaves hydrated. I recommend misting your arrangement with a spray bottle whenever it seems a little tired. This is particularly helpful for delicate blooms like hydrangeas.

2. Consider location carefully

Where you put your floral arrangement will impact its lifespan. Keep your blooms away from heating vents, direct sunlight, open windows, and even fruit (it releases ethylene gas that can cause them to deteriorate faster).

The best place for fresh cut flowers? A slightly chilly room without strong airflow, which could cause them to dehydrate faster.

holiday floral arrangements with alice lewis pouring water in a vase

3. Change the vase water twice a week

One of the fastest ways to ruin is a bouquet is to encourage the growth of mold and rot. Keep things clean by removing any leaves that fall into the vase and changing out the water every three days. This will prevent undesirable microbes from getting established.

4. Add in…vodka?

Yes, your floral arrangement wants in on the holiday cheer this year. Give your blooms a taste of happy hour by adding a few drops of vodka, or another clear alcohol, to the water in the vase. This slows down ethylene gas production, which leads to fewer wilting flowers.

How to Safely Celebrate the Holidays This Year

Celebrating doesn’t have to stop while in quarantine! This new series shares the positives of celebrating virtually, tips on keeping your traditions alive, and creative decorating ideas from professional designers. Get ready to make this the best holiday season yet!

The holiday season is in full swing, and it’s only natural that friends and family want to get together to celebrate. Though this year’s festivities are going to be a bit different, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of this special season. Below, we’ve rounded up six ways you can keep your traditions alive while staying safe.

Be prepared to adapt

Holiday gathering with masks — *Make sure you account for each guest’s safety and comfort level.*

In today’s environment, make sure you’re prepared to adapt and shift your plans as needed pending changing guidelines.

Additionally, you should know how your family feels about celebrating this year. The pandemic has produced a wide variety of conflicting thoughts and opinions around the virus, so if you’re planning a small holiday gathering, make sure you account for each guest’s safety and comfort level.

Remember the basics

Perhaps the best way to celebrate the holidays this year is by remembering COVID-19 basics. After all, we’ve been practicing airtight sanitation and social distancing for over half the year now (hard to believe, right?).

Opt for a hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol.

Remember, COVID-19 protection is a global effort. All hands on deck. Speaking of said hands, make sure you wash them for at least 20 seconds with soap. If soap isn’t available, opt for a hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol.

Masks do make a difference! Make sure to wear one, and especially one that:

Has two or more layers of breathable fabric (and can be washed)
Completely covers your nose and mouth
Doesn’t allow for any gaps on the side

We’re in this together, and the easiest way to stay safe is to protect ourselves and each other. For more of the basics, see the CDC guidelines.

Understand the “red zones” of public traveling spaces

According to AAA, in a typical year, about 50 million Americans travel at least 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving. This season, the number of flyers during Thanksgiving and Christmas is expected to decrease by 50%.

If you do find yourself traveling, it helps to understand the “red zones.” That is, those areas that provide more opportunities for spreading the virus than others.

Interestingly enough, airplanes are not marquee red zones. “Airplanes have ventilation systems that help to recycle clean air, so the only risk that people have is if those sitting directly in the seats around them have tested positive for the coronavirus,” said Dr. Michael Barnish, an infectious diseases and travel medicine expert.

According to Dr. Barnish, there are a few areas where people should use more trepidation. These areas include the TSA, boarding areas, public restrooms, and public transportation. The CDC also offers a few tips for traveling safely:

Wear a mask (covering your mouth and nose) in public areas
Social distance, staying at least 6 feet apart from others whenever possible
Wash hands often
Avoid touching eyes, nose, and/or mouth
Avoid anyone who appears sick

The added challenge of this time of year is that our “normal” flu bug is bound to start showing up in droves. It’s best to play it safe and avoid any interaction with someone who is feeling under the weather.

Exercise due diligence

*There’s nothing wrong with being a little bit more cautious this year.*

There’s nothing wrong with being a little cautious this year. This is important no matter what, but especially so if you are hosting a family holiday gathering. While there’s bound to be a level of trust and comfort among family members, make sure you know where people are traveling from and who they’ve interacted with prior to attendance.

If you feel sick, don’t shrug it off.

There’s nothing wrong with being a little bit more cautious this year to help everyone stay safe. Similarly, if you feel sick, don’t shrug it off. Exercise your due diligence toward others and yourself. It’s better to be safe than risk spreading the virus to others.

Get creative when it comes to celebrating

If you’re staying home this season or reducing your typical holiday extravaganza to immediate family only, think about what you can do to still include everyone. With today’s tech, it’s more than feasible to arrange a virtual celebration.

Be it watching Thanksgiving football together on more screens than just the television, or that age-old family tradition of eggnog and cookies on Christmas Eve, there’s plenty of technology at our disposal to help us all stay connected. Even if we can’t connect in a more traditional sense right now.

Despite the year that has been 2020, celebrating the holidays doesn’t need to be a drag. Exercise caution, follow appropriate guidelines, and focus on keeping yourself and others safe. Happy holidays!

Give gifts to spread holiday cheer

Don’t forget to check out our best holiday gifts to spread some cheer! Make this season merry and bright with flowers, plants, centerpieces, wreaths, gift baskets, collectibles, and more.