Brooklyn Thanksgiving
Written on November 24, 2009 at 3:42 pm, by East Coast Style (Sarah Goldschadt)
Over the past few years, my friend Emily has been the gracious host to the 20 or so “orphans” who stay home over Thanksgiving. We pile into her homey apartment, watch The Muppet Christmas Carol, stuff ourselves on the array of dishes everyone brings, and give thanks. This year Emily hosted an early Thanksgiving, because she was heading out of town for the holiday. My attempt at making a new dessert failed, but who knew apple-cake-that-won’t-come-out-of-the-Bundt-pan could be turned into apple stuffing? And when paired with Emily’s homemade chestnut ice cream, it was pretty darn good.
This year, I also added a classic elementary school craft to the mix: pilgrim hats! All you need are a few basic supplies to cardstock paper into something fun, festive, and wearable.
Download the patterns here: ThanksgivingHats
Categories: Projects, entertaining | Tags: DIY thanksgiving, entertaining, hostess, party, pilgrim crafts, thanksgiving orphan, thanksgiving party, thanksgiving recipes | No Comments
DIY’s Thanksgiving Tabletop Tips
Written on November 18, 2009 at 1:34 pm, by Team DIY
There’s a fine balance between impressing the socks off of your friends and fam with your mad dinner-party decor skills…and having enough in your checking account to score some super Black Friday deals the day after. DIY to the rescue! Here are six simple and inexpensive ways to add drama to your dinner table on T-Day without sacrificing your wallet. Look for six more fun and frugal ideas tomorrow.
Think Outside the Gourd. Sure pumpkins are pretty, but we think you can do better. Find interesting shapes and colors in the produce aisle or farmer’s market. Garlic, nuts, pears with stems intact—even a pile of multicolored fingerling potatoes. Best of all, today’s centerpiece is tomorrow’s dinner menu.
Duly Noted. Tuck a personalized note into the napkin at each placesetting. Jot down a few reasons you’re thankful for that particular person or a memory of the two of you that makes you smile. It’ll keep them warm long after post-dinner hot toddies.
Bright Lights. Fill inexpensive glass candleholders or hurricanes with golden corn kernels from an ear of decorative corn. Find a pillar candle in the same color to set inside.
Berry Good. Use raffia to tie a stem of berries with a sprig of greenery. Add a handwritten note on parchment paper to indicate each guest’s place at the table. Look for bright colors that match your tableware. So festive!
Pumpkin Recycling. Jazz up pumpkins leftover from Halloween. Drill tiny holes through the pumpkin and tuck a mum into each hole until the pumpkin is covered in blooms.
Yard Sale. Pick up an inexpensive wreath frame from your local crafts store. The morning of your Thanksgiving soiree, head out to the backyard and collect flowers, pinecones, ornamental grasses, and other garden goodies to decorate the wreath. You can hang this one on the wall or your front door. Or, lay it on the dinner table for an impressive centerpiece.
Categories: Misc | Tags: autumn decorating, DIY thanksgiving, tabletop crafts, thanksgiving, thanksgiving crafts, thanksgiving decorating | 3 Comments
