Getting Festive With Pine Cones, Cranberries and Sea Glass

A mixture of natural and painted pine cones, lit up inside a glass canister, is my quick and easy way to add instant holiday cheer to my kitchen. And it serves double duty by holding a few of my cookie cutters that I may use during the holidays.

I feel festive already!

This was easy too. I just used cranberries, with pine cones and moss that I gathered from outside. Then, I added a whimsical piece of driftwood right through that piece of leftover velvet ribbon that I couldn't figure out how to make a bow with.

The cardinal doesn't seem to mind either.

I only wish I could photograph this one a little better, just so you could see that each white light is covered with a piece of sea glass, courtesy of my hot glue gun.

But at least I can show you a closeup of the cherub.

Anyway, I hope you can envision how beautiful the lights are when I tell you they look all frosty and pitted, each one, like a tiny illuminated, salty treasure from the sea.

We Interrupt This Post

My post tonight was going to be centered around cranberries and the reason why I like to have them on hand this time of year.

Like this cranberry topped gift box I made tonight to pair with the monogrammed gift I was getting ready to box up.

It was inevitable, the wind had been howling all day. And now right in the middle of my cranberry themed night of wrapping and decorating, our power went out. Thank goodness for rechargeable lanterns.

and candlelit candelabras and wall sconces

And most of all, for battery powered laptops.

Tiny Gift Boxes Ready To Fill

I started out with these tiny little cardboard gift boxes you can pick up at any craft store.

And collected some "moose" moss. That's the pretty moss you can always find hanging from the limbs of dead tree branches here on the coast.

Cranberries, pinecones and a sea shell get laid on a bed of moss.

This moss has a wonderful wispy trait and is such a pretty shade of green.

A few years ago I decorated some of these tiny gift boxes with some family photos.

with some ribbon glued on for trim.

with pine cones, cranberries and some glitter.

To make the glitter stick, I used spray adhesive on the cranberries.

The final touch is just some colorful tissue paper for the inside.

And it's always nice to have a few of these on hand to hold a handmade gift.