10 Best Christmas Holiday Hacks
These clever Farmers' Almanac hints and tips will make your Christmas days merry and bright!
These 10 clever ideas from Farmers’ Almanac will make your holidays merry and bright!
1. No Cookies Crumbling
When shipping or giving homemade cookies this season, use a clean, empty Pringles™ can. It’s the perfect size, shape, and sturdiness for your holiday treats to keep them from breaking in transit. Wrap the exterior (to cover the label) in festive paper and add a bow and gift tag.
2. Bright Idea!
Use inexpensive zip ties (you can purchase 100 count for less than $3) to secure Christmas lights or garland to indoor railings. They won’t damage wood finishes the way tape or tacks can.
3. Inexpensive Gift Tags
Reuse last year’s Christmas cards to make festive holiday gift tags (hang on to this year’s cards for next year!). Check out these ideas to make your own handmade holiday cards.
4. Festive Breakfast
Use metal holiday cookie cutters (Santa, snowman, etc.) as pancake molds to make fun shapes for the kids’ Christmas breakfast.
5. Perfect Christmas Cookies
Cookies baked on cookie sheets can get over-browned quickly and ruin your efforts. Invest in some inexpensive parchment paper for perfectly browned cookies every time. It makes all the difference! And the best part — no need to grease the cookie sheet ahead of time.
6. Easy Holiday Luminaries
For a quick, inexpensive luminary, fill any size Mason jar 1/4 of the way full with Epsom salts (looks like snow!) and add a white (size appropriate) candle. Tie the mouth of the jar with a festive ribbon. Put several in a row on your walkway or mantel for a real statement. The Epsom salt does not burn, but as with all candles, never leave them unattended.
7. No-Fuss Holiday Centerpiece
Fill a clear glass vase or trifle dish with any leftover ornaments not used on the tree. Then add festive bows or greenery from the tree.
8. A Gift Within a Gift!
Thread festive holiday-themed cookie cutters through the ribbons and bows of your holiday gifts for an extra special touch. The bakers on your list will love this!
9. Make Your Own Holiday Candles
Purchase inexpensive pillar candles in holiday colors. Brush them with a light coat of clear craft glue (such as Modge Podge™) and roll in Epsom salts. Let dry. Looks like a glittery, snowy candle! (Hint: do this in the summer too — the effect looks like sand!). The Epsom salt does not burn, but as with all candles, never leave them unattended.
10. Tangle-Free Lights
Keep Christmas lights from getting tangled in storage by wrapping them around a sturdy clothes hanger.
What’s your favorite holiday hack? Share with us in the comments below!
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Farmers' Almanac Staffhttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/author/fa-admin
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Farmers' Almanac Staffhttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/author/fa-admin
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Farmers' Almanac Staffhttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/author/fa-admin
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Farmers' Almanac Staffhttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/author/fa-admin
Save money from buying ‘one time use’ zip ties, reuse the large twist ties from leaf lettuce to tie up lights, wreaths, storing lights, and keep your cords together. So many uses for these ties!
I also attach the keys to the snowblower and lawn tractor to the equipment so they don’t get lost. My flash drives too, so when I go somewhere with them, I don’t forget them…then I twist them to my purse or pants belt loop.
These are great tips!
When you have guests over, hang a string of lights around the bathroom door, help newcomers find it easily. Also, for added flare, place a string of lights in hurricane vases or recycled candle jars for a mantle or table. I’ve combined ornaments and lights too.
Hi Gail, those are some great ideas. Thank you for sharing.
You can use battery operated candles instead of real candles. I have a cat so my tree is on top of an end table (more room for gifts underneath!) and place shatter proof ornaments on the bottom portion.
I hope my comment posted. I will resubmit if it doesn’t show up.
I’ve collected popcorn tins over the years and keep my ornaments and lights in them. They have Christmas photos on the outside and add to the fun of bringing them in the living room to decorate.
I use the fronts of old Christmas cards glued onto plain white, green or red paper bags for gift bags.
This year when getting my CHRISTmas tree out of my building, the top somehow broke off. My son decided to use zip ties to fix it. I was so depressed, but it actually worked!! It looks even more beautiful this year than it ever has!! I
I use the cardboard core from the center of wrapping paper (the sturdier ones) to wrap Christmas tree lights around. Beats trying to put them back the way they came out of the package, and the tubes store upright in the closet.
Perhaps they should specify *metal* cookie cutters as pancake molds.
Hi Diane, thank you! We’ve added that to the story.