Christmas stocking door hanging
If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional wreath then you’re going to like this new twist on a holiday door hanging.  By using chicken wire, burlap, sheet moss, and berries gathered from nature you can hot glue yourself a brand new Christmas Stocking for your front door. 

I started by cutting a pattern out of a piece of brown paper and then I cut 2 pieces from some 1-inch mesh chicken wire. I cut these pieces about an inch larger than the pattern.

And when I cut the wire, I leave long tines on the edges to tie the two pieces together.

You’ll want to wear gloves when you make the form.  Start by folding down two or three inches of the top of the wire to create a cuff.  And then “sew,” if you will, the edges all the way around the stocking by criss-crossing the wires back and forth. 

To give the form body I just gave it an outward pull and now I am ready to wrap the form with pieces of burlap, securing them with hot glue.  The fabric serves as a smooth surface for attaching the sheet moss.

For little contrast, glue a row of glossy green holly leaves along the cuff of the stocking and for the perfect accent, a cluster of berries on the toe.  This year I’m trying something new- using scissors I cut slits into the burlap and sheet moss and run battery powered red LED lights through the holes to give the moss a polka dot look.  Secure the batter pack at the top of the opening for easy access. 

The deep cavity of the door hanging will hold a range of greenery. I like to fill it with deciduous holly that's loaded with red berries and then put a bow on it. This is a simple alternative to the classic holiday wreath. And the wire form for this decoration will last for years.

What you'll need

• Brown wrapping paper for drawing out form
• Scissors
• Pencil
• 1” mesh chicken wire (2’ x 2’ section seems to work well)
• Wire cutters
• Gloves (heavy leather)
• 1 yard burlap
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Sheet moss (1 box)
• Holly berries
• Red ribbon (non wired)
• Red berries to come out top of “stocking” (deciduous tree or shrub with red berries)
• Red LED Lights (4 battery pack lights)

Holiday lights
Light is an important part of this season and here are four ways to bring light into your garden.  First, you can make simple jam-jar votives using items you probably have tucked into the drawers and cabinets of your kitchen.  And if you’re planning to string lights onto a Christmas tree then be sure to give yourself plenty of time to wrap each limb like a pro.  If time is an issue then look into net lighting which is especially good for covering shrubs and best of all, more and more manufacturers are thinking “green” or are thinking about the environment when it comes to holiday lighting.  LED lights are popping up everywhere even on the big Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza.  The traditional luminary just got easier thanks to LED “candles.”  Since these run off battery power and there are no flames lighting a walkway with paper sacks just got safer.  

What you'll need

• Assorted sizes and styles of glass jars with a lip
• Fine gage metal wire
• Wire cutters
• Needle nose pliers
• Votive candles

Directions

• Collect small jam jar sized glass jars with a lip just below the top.
• Next, take a long piece of wire (about 24 inches is good) and bend it around the jar just under the lip so that a ring is formed.
• With the needle nose pliers twist the wire together close to the jar to secure the ring.
• When tightening the wire be sure to leave a little give so that you can attach the handle.
• Once the ring is created you will have two approximately 8-inch long wires originating from the point where the circle is twisted closed.
• Bend the excess wires over the top of the jar and attach them to the wire ring to create a handle.
• Place a LED battery powered votive candle inside the jar.
• Hang it in a tree with sturdy branches, far enough from the end of the branch, so the jar won't slip off in the wind.

Safety note: If you use candles with flames do not leave candles burning unsupervised.

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