Those are really pretty napkin rings, Kathleen. Great idea.

No photo, but thought this idea sounded real cute.....
Place a new roll of toilet paper in the center of a square of any kind of orange fabric. Bring the fabric loosely up over the roll and stuff it into the center hole. It will stay by itself. For the stem use a stick from the yard or a piece of brown paper bag rolled. Stick it into the hole and add silk or fabric leaves if you wish.

hugs, K

Here's one. Not very original.
One Halloween I was having a sit-down dinner for 12. Very casual, so place cards weren't really necessary. Still, I needed something to make sure all the women didn't sit at one end of the table and all the men at the other.
Not wanting to invest in 12 place card holders, I made these out of cardboard and sprayed them with some Krylon Stone Craft.
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That's cool, OA...great idea..I never used the Krylon stone..very good!

Karen yours sounds like it would be fun to do with kids too, not too complicated..

Here's one of the place cards I am making for the snowman table. I cut the face out of the ribbon, and glued it to a piece of oaktag, then made a slit in a strofoam ball..hope it looks like a snowball to go with the theme...50 yds of ribbon for less than 8 dollars...so I can do lots with it!

Now that I look at it I'll cut it to look like a snowman on the bottom...

Ooo. Those are great! A "cool" idea. How did you see that idea in your mind's eye? I would never have thought of it.
Did you print the name freehand?
P.S. Will have to see the snowman bottom, but I think I like the half snowball best.

I was in Michael's last week and with their display pumpkins they had a snowman made out of the white pumpkins. Three high with a top hat. Thought that was so cute and would be cheap when they are reduced 75% off. Would be pretty easy to store if you only put a slit in the bottom to attach the core inside it instead of glue.

Cute napkin rings Kathleen, I've never seen ready made tassels so inexpensive, great buy. Love the little snowmen faces on the ribbon too, and I see you are planning to try the soft version of the large snowflakes. I looked at those, thought they would actually work out better under plates than the slick plastic ones. My problem is that I often don't know what will look good and what won't until I see someone else do it! LOL

Here's a how to I ran across on filling a little dollar store frame with letters printed on newspaper to make a cute Halloween decoration. Be sure to look at how cute the pumpkins and candle holders are too.

Luvs

Here is a link that might be useful: Halloween framed words

Those are very cute, Luvs! Nice to see others find "good" stuff at the Dollar store!
I got several white pumpkins there last year..din't see so many this year..

Yes, the soft snowflakes are much better. The ones I got last year, were to stiff and the plates slipped on them...These should work better
I bought the 2008 version of the magazine the idea was in last year, but nothing struck me...the cover is almost exactly the same as last year's!!

DD, that is a good idea with the white pumpkins, use them for Halloween, then stack them for a snowman!

OA, I just loved the little faces on the snowmen. I swore I wasn't buying any more ribbon this year...I have way too much, and 50 yds lasts a long time. I just thought they would be cute with my bargain snowmen plates..
I showed them last year, but you weren't here...so here they are...

I have a better pic but for some reason Photobucket is acting up! Anyway, I got them a few days after Cmas and they came to 38 cents! I'll try again tomorrow, they are flashing some strange message at me!
I do calligraphy, OA, that was just a quick scribble to try it out. I have been doing it for years, since I was in 8th grade!!! I have done more envelopes for weddings than I care to remember!!

here is toilet paper pumpkins picture
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thanks joobee. It is nice to see a photo. I especially like how the one on the left turned out, very cute.

Kathleen, great idea for a thread! Lots of cool ideas and hopefully many more to come.

hugs, Karen

Here they are...couldn't get them last night.

joobee, thanks for that pic! They are cute!

Bumping this so it doesn't get lost...

Spray hydrangea with gold or silver paint..Use in center pieces, wreaths, or tucked into your tree...practically free deco...

Kathleen your pictures NEVER fail to put a smile on my face...cute cute ideas.

Two years ago at Christmas I decided to make little tiny stockings to hold the silverware and a candy cane along with a green or red (paper) dinner napkin. The idea was for my guests (all 24 of them) to take the stocking home, along with the candy cane, but NOOOOOOOOOO...they didn't get the idea even after I told them...but it looked cute on the table.

Kathleen, I love your hydrangas. I'd have to use faux ones since mine only had three little blooms this year! They are just the most wonderful flower, takes so few to make a nice full arrangement.

Catie, your little stocking idea sounds so cute. Bet they enjoyed the table even if they didn't get the message that they could take them home with them. Hey, that's okay, now you have some left for another dinner. Please remember to take pics, we loooove pics!

Isn't it fun to share all these great ideas? So many things we can do, but I sure usually don't think of them unless it gets mentioned on here or in Karen's inspiration album!

Luvs

If you need seating cards for your Thanksgiving table? One year I got tiny little pumpkins, added the small movable eyes, a piece of candy corn for the nose & painted on a small red mouth. I made Pilgrim Hats from black foam paper & placed them on the pumpkin heads. For a stand to place them in-I made a white heavy duty poster board 'table tent' if you would..cut a hole on the middle of the folded edge, to cradle the pumpkin, then wrote the guest's name on the 'pilgrim's white collar!

Another year-I used the small braided wooden twig wreaths, and glued on a few of the balls, berries, nuts & fruit from Harvest floral picks-added a raffia bow-made great napkin holders!

The pilgrim place cards sound adorable. Do you have a pic?
And welcome Sharon!

I showed these last year, terra cotta pot center-piece and little pot pilgrims to put by each plate. The hat brims are just posterboard, as is her collar. And with the many sizes of terra cotta pots to choose from, it looks like fun projects. (I didn't do these, just found them browsing the 'net as usual.)

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hugs, Karen

kathleen what fun..for everyone to share their ideas.
I love your napkin holders and floral centerpieces..
The other night I was on the Dollar Tree website and saw your snowman dishes.. You bought them for a fantastic price.

OA.. great idea for your tabletop tombstones..love how they came out. I made large ones for an outdoor display, two yrs ago...using styrafoam sheets, but used blk & grey spray paint...I wish I had seen yours before I made mine..that stone spray is awesome..TFS

joobee...those pumpkins are so cute..and look so easy to make. I taught Arts & Crafts with my kids at school, for 22 yrs..and Each year I would search for new ideas and things to make..Your pumpkins would have been a real hit!
I'm thinking of doing this with my GKids when I see them next week..I usually do a Thanksgiving project with them each year. (Can't get it out of my system)..lol

karen, yours is another project that looks fun to do..and different. I love them both.. TFS

One year, I had a Harvest Party..and made my own tiny little vine wreaths..and twisted sprigs of faux berries into them. I then bought some inexpensive glass candle holders in Fall colors (CTS) 3/$1 ..and put the little wreaths around them. Yankee candle was having a sale on their small votive candles and I put them in each holder...and gave them as favors.
Also...one year I bought about a dozen faux silk scarves as gifts for people at work...the small plastic rings that they hung from, on the store rack...I recycled and made napkin rings out of them. I wound holiday ribbon around them..and attached a floral..really cheap idea that looks great and can be changed for any look.
jane

Thanks Kathleen..no pics-I was entertainment chairman at our clubhouse & provided table decor, etc for all of our parties. One year for thanksgiving-I took old Qt size mayo jars & filled w/plaster of paris. Then made Pilgrim outfits & hats (hot glued them-I'm NOT a good seamstress!), and made men & women outfits..used a styro ball for the heads,yarn for hair, etc & placed a pair on each table. So cute! Great ideas here on this thread!

Jane I got mine at CVS the drug store chain, but I saw them on the Crate and Barrel web site for a lot!!!

Great ideas, ladies, keep them coming. So glad digi cams were invented, a pic IS worth a thousand words for me, I like to see it! All those years we made things and never took pics!

I made tassels for my tree last year from the bead garland you buy for the tree. I cut three different lengths of beads. Decide how long you want the finished tassel to be and double it. I then took a piece of wire and wired the beads together in the middle. I used floral wire cause that's what I had. Then just fold beads in half. I put the wire through a glass bead and then wrapped the remaining wire around a ornament hook. I then took a piece of ribbon and tied a bow around the beads to make it look like a tassel. They add lots of shine to the tree. I made 5 from one string of beads. I have bought some more beads to make some more this year as well as making some purple ones for my daughter. It sounds complicated but made them in one evening.
Just click on the pictures to enlarge...

That is a wonderful and BRIGHT idea on the bead tassels. I'm getting some bead garland next time I'm out, I love this.

What a super thread........
hugs, Karen

"I am currently trying to find myself. If I return before I come back, please ask me to wait."

Lots of cute ideas here. Bright I love your tassels, and I just bought a bag of clear and silver beads at the church rummage sale for 25 cents. I figured I could come up with some way to use them. I have some clear larger beads, so think I will try your idea. Am I right in thinking that the hook for the tree is part of the tassel? And where did you find such pretty hooks?

Karen, I saved that little pilgrim guy idea last year, but of course, I haven't gotten any made! He sure is cute.

Luvs

I love those Pilgrims too, but I don't have thanksgiving here...so cute..

Cute idea Bright! I always buy the bead garland after Cmas...good for Mardi Gras tables too!

Jane I looked for the plates on Dollar Tree. Those aren't mine. They just have snowflakes, mine are snowmen..

Bright...what a nice idea..I'll bet your tree must look beautiful with them.

Kathleen...lol...my DSIL calls my Christmas Tree...a Mardi Gras tree..because I use beads on them!! Doesn't matter to me...I love the look. I checked out the plates again too,
I must have been 'zoned' out thinking they were the same...sorry about that. Anyway, you got a 'killer' of a bargain..
jane

Luvs, I bought those hooks at either Hobby Lobby or Wally world last year. The wired the tassel right to the hook. I'm glad you all like them. I wana see pictures of your creations!!

I love to use glitter, but hate to have glitter residue covering everything else. I really didn't want to see glitter all over my black tablecloth. I had a can of Rustoleum Lacquer in "High Lustre" and tryed spraying it on the finished glittered item. It worked great! It keeps the glitter in place. I would think any high gloss spray sealer would work just as well.

Sandi,
That's great. I love glitter too, but shy away from it for the very same reason. I'm off to Lowe's to pick up some High Lustre so I'll have it on hand when the glitterbug bites me.
OA

Wow, can I misspell "tried" or what! Duh! LOL

Just wanted to share a little idea I saw in a Christmas decorating book--candy cane easels! Luvs

Luvs, I love those candy cane easels. They will make great place card holders also and I'm sure they will be on one of my Christmas tables.

That is VERY cute!
Thanks!
Let's keep them coming!

Sandi, they also showed the candy canes all the way around a pillar candle--that would be cute with it! I just "happened" to have some candy canes stashed away in a canister in the kitchen, so I made this one up real quick to share. I left the wrapper on mine, but it should be taken off. And if I make more, I think I will spray a sealer on them too.

Luvs

Luvs,
Can you store the candy canes for next year if you use a sealer? I love the look of candy canes but since they are edible, I am always afraid to make anything that I would want to keep for more than one season.

Mo

what a cute idea luvs..that would have been a nice project to do w/my kids at school ..I'm going to pass it on to friends who are still there and are always looking for new and simple projects. Thanks.
jane

Thanks Luvs. I've seen the candy canes around pillar candles before and love that idea also. I just came home from DT where I bought the plastic candy canes like Kathleen bought last year.

I went to Dollar Tree and only spent 4 dollars! I saw the plates, but mine with the snowmen are along the same theme, and much brighter, so I didn't buy any. No stems or tumblers at all.

I just bought some cards..
But I did stop at Michaels and helped the economy, and we can sure use it after the last 2 days with the stock market.

I also stopped at the Pfaltzgraff clearance, 60 off. Great buys! I was good...just bought 4 green stems for 1.50 each. They had some beau glasses for 50 each...but I have more clear stems than money! They are closing in Dec, so they will be marking down more ...

And I am saving for the CTS! I see some things I want! And my friend just said she was sending me a 20 off your whole order!!! Wohoo!

Mo, I've never tried this before, so don't know how they would store. I'm going to experiment to see if the sealer will "melt" them or not--if not, maybe it will preserve them. I will tell you that one year I accidentally left a canister full of the small candy canes and they survived a whole year in the outside storage area just fine.

Sandi, these were meant to be place card holders, I just popped the Christmas card on there since I didn't have a placecard to use! LOL

Luvs

Luvs, I think the little candy cane tripod is just the cutest idea. I liked it so much I'm trying to base a whole table around them. I can use more ideas, ladies. ;~)

Luvs, thanks for the info about the candy canes!

Sandi, I was also planning on doing a table based on candy canes. I saw this super easy idea on bhg.com - they had poured layers or white and red sand/sugar in a glass vase and stuck a bunch of candles in them. I am thinking of doing that - looks easy enough for me to handle. LOL. I cannot find the link but I copied the picture into my ideas folder. I dont know if its okay to link to a pic from a website instead of the website itself.

Mo

Mo, It will be fun having at least 2 candy cane tables. Maybe others will do one also. Luvs? And the colored sand/sugar idea sounds great. I don't know about posting a pic from a website. I would love to see it though. Maybe someone else can tell us if it would be ok to post the pic.

LOL, Sandi, I'm already "stressing" over having committed to the "Flakey" table!

Luvs

I was hunting Gingerbreadman ornaments to make tonight on line when I can across this video by accident but is Great! Cannot believe how good it looks with being made from an empty toilet paper roll! Courtney & I will be making some of these, not for our tree but for other places in the house! Here is the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCHQmOJuhk8

Wow there are a lot of wonderful ideas and things to see on this forum...I spend a lot of time on the garden junk and trash to treasure forums but just recently discovered this one...and I am addicted....I loved the candycane easel idea. I saw some plastic candy canes at the dollar store today and decided to try some with those...then I know they will be ok next year too...thanks for all the great ideas!

Smickerdoodle, welcome to the forum. I started on the GJ forum then found Painting, Crafts, and this one. I love them all and get so many hours of pleasure on them as well as great ideas.

I haven't seen the plastic candy canes, but that would be a perfect solution. No worries about them melting away. I may play with making the back one a bit shorter so the easel will not sit up quite so straight.

Please join in on any and all of the posts on here, and share your ideas and pics with us too.

Luvs

Luvs, these are the candy canes I got last year. They have them again though!

And that's the same candy canes I bought the other day. They are really cute. They were 6 for $1.

Those are really cute Kathleen, thanks for showing me a picture. I guess I NEED to go back to the Dollar Tree and maybe even the 99 cent store today--but I'm sort of afraid to--the temptations are just so great! LOL

Luvs

Go for it, Luvs!
I got the pearl ones too, for the dining room tree. Pretty for those doing white and silver, etc..
Did you see those, Sandi?

Kathleen, I saw the pearl candy canes at DT & they were pretty. I had to stop with the red & white ones though.

Check out this gal's handcrafted ribbon trees. I think they are so neat. Link for one here, but you can see her other things by browsing her sell items. Her ribbon angels are wonderful too. And I think her prices reasonable with her work involved.

hugs, Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Ribbon Tree