Christmas Life Hacks

Want some easy ways to lighten up the holidays? Here are a few ideas you can try out!

Christmas Potpourri

You can simmer a few easy to find ingredients on the stove to fill your home with the smell of Christmas and create a cozy vibe.

Ingredients:

• Apple Cider
• Cinnamon
• Tangerines or Oranges
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Vanilla
• Cranberries
• Water

Directions:

1. Pour ½ cup of apple cider and two tablespoons of vanilla into a saucepan.
2. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
3. Include a peeled orange and ¼ cup of cranberries.
4. Add water until the saucepan is halfway full.
5. Put the saucepan with all of the ingredients on the stove on medium heat.
6. Once the Christmas scents fill the house, put the stove on low heat and feel the Christmas spirit.

Candy Cane Place Card

This candy cane place card is a cute and easy way to identify the dishes served on Christmas.

Materials:

• 3 Mini Candy Canes
• A hot glue gun
• One third of a 3×5 index card
• A marker

Directions:

1. Unwrap the candy canes.
2. Place the candy canes upside down and use the hot glue gun to glue together the length sides of the candy canes, with the hooks facing outwards to form a triangle.
3. Use the marker to write the name of a dish on the index card to make a label.
4. Place the label inside the hooks of the candy canes so you have a Christmas themed place card!

Paper Plate Gift Box

A cheap way to give a gift this season is to use a paper plate to make a gift box that can be used to deliver Christmas snacks.

Materials:

• A paper plate
• Scissors
• A pen or pencil
• Ribbon
• Tape or a hot glue gun

Directions:

1. Put the paper plate upside down and draw two parallel lines all the way down the plate. Turn the plate 90 degrees and draw another set of two parallel lines to make a rectangle in the middle of the plate.
2. The plate will be cut from the edge of the plate to the corner of the rectangle. Cut on one of the lines to the corner, then diagonal from where it was cut, cut to the corner again. Turn the plate 90 degrees to the second set of parallel lines. Cut from the edge to the corner again and do the same on the diagonal side.
3. Fold all of the lines drawn that were not cut upward so the outside of the plate starts to point upward.
4. Use tape or a hot glue gun to connect the corners of the plate to the inside of the side next to it.
5. Decorate the box with ribbon and put in some cookies or snacks!

Hand Warmers

One way to help you stay warm this winter is to make your own hand warmer!

Materials:

• Felt
• A marker
• Scissors
• A funnel (I made mine by rolling up binder paper.)
• A needle and thread or fabric glue
• Uncooked rice
• A microwave

Directions:

1. Use the marker to draw the shape of the hand warmer that you want on the felt.
2. Place another piece of felt underneath the one with the drawing, so when you cut out the shape the two parts will be the same size.
3. Use the scissors to cut through both pieces of felt to the shape that you want it.
4. Attach the two pieces of felt together using the needle and thread or the fabric glue, leaving a small space open, so the funnel can be put into the hand warmer.
5. Put the funnel inside the space left and use the funnel to fill the hand warmer with rice.
6. Seal the space for the funnel once the hand warmer is filled with rice.
7. Put the hand warmer in the microwave for about twenty seconds.