Decorate the ready-made, empty christmas balls in our unique style
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Edible decoration 2.
Edible decorations for Christmas
Real or artificial Christmas tree?
Before every Christmas, there is a question: shall we buy a real or an artificial Christmas tree? Here are some thoughts which might help to decide.
Real pine tree: unlike common misbelieves, forests are not destroyed because of Christmas trees. Hungarian producers deal with breeding of pine trees, dedicated to this purpose. Just like in the case of wheat or carrot. New trees are planted in the place of those that were sold, this way the circulation remains. Since it is grown and transported locally, max. 200-250 kilometers far, its ecological footprint is low. Cut trees thrown out in January are taken away for firewood or chopped. Of course, it decomposes. If there is place for it, potted pine tree could be a good option: it can decorate the garden for many years. There are some markets, to where the trees can be brought back after the holidays.
Artificial pine tree: It is made of PVC, mostly in China. Transportation can be measured in thousands of kilometers, so its ecological footprint is significant. PVC is environmentally harmful, though it is reusable with a large energy expenditure (this happens very rarely). It has no fragrance of course. Its advantage: the question of Christmas tree is solved with one-time payment for years. It is quite durable with proper storage, doesn’t shed its needles and doesn’t need watering. It is always perfectly neat and can be purchased in several colors, sizes and finishes.
Ask for help of an interior designer for festive decoration of your home also.
Animal christmas
Don’t forget the christmas presents for our pets
My project 24.
In christmas mood with classic colors
Built christmas tree
„Built” christmas trees for DIY fans
Santa Claus anno
The clothes of Santa Claus is not always red on antique portrayals. This color came to stay since 1931, thanks to the adverts of Coca Cola.
Faux snow
The winter decoration will be complete if snow covers everything outside. Unfortunately, the weather can’t be affected, snowing might frequently missing. There are more possibilities for faux snow decoration in our home. It’s true, this will be inside but it creates perfect mood for the festive decor.
Faux snow is available in shops. It looks like a pile of small plastic splinters. It is shiny, reflects light almost as a prism. Instant faux snow is a much better version than this. This is a dry material which rises hundredfold connecting with water but it isn’t wet to feel. Sometimes water has to be sprinkled on it keeping the faux snowy look. At the end of the season it just has to be dried and can be stored for the next year.
More natural materials can be used for the proper sight also. The simplest solution is the large grain salt and granulated sugar. Although it is not practical to disperse them on the floor but they look good in varied storages with decorations. They shouldn’t be connected with water.
The 1:1 mix of shaving foam and baking soda produces a well-formable and cool-to-touch material from which even a mini snowman can be built. It can be a great fun for kids.
Cotton wool and wad are frequently used as faux snow. If the weather is dry, they can be placed outdoor also. The patio can be covered with it, potted plants can be put around or „snowballs” can be formed from it as well.
Let’s put some torn white textile coffee filters or paper hand towels in the blender and cut them up. The result will be a medium long fibred, light and spreadable material. Maybe it’s a bit harder to clean it up after the feasts but it’s worth the look.
Real snow can be replaced with many more materials (e.g. bath salt, faux snow spray, tiny polystyrene balls, soap gratings). All of them look different, will have different effect on the decoration, but the winter mood can be achieved this way also.
Ask for help of an interior designer for seasonal decoration of your home.
Instead of christmas tree
Some ideas for those who can’t or doesn’t want to buy a christmas tree
Saloon fondant
The Christmas candy called saloon fondant (szaloncukor in Hungarian) is a common Christmas tree ornament and candy in Hungary. It is a real Hungaricum, but it is less or not known at all other countries.
Its origin is a fondant which was a soft dollop made of supersaturated sugar solution. It was produced in France already in the 14th century. It arrived to Hungary only at the first half of the 19th century but became popular very soon. Saloon fondant was first produced by hand and wrapped in tissue and tinfoil paper. Aphorisms were printed on the inner side of the paper.
The first fondant production machines appeared at the end of the 19th century. These were working in Stühmer chocolate factory and made saloon fondants for Gerbeaud confectionery. Only the thrumming of the paper remained manual operation but later it was mechanized also. There are already 17 types of saloon fondant recipes could be found in the Kugler confectionary book published in 1891. The candy was produced for custom orders of the customers also. In this case, the customer could define the flavoring and the color of the wrapping also.
Although it is a glittering ornament of Christmas trees nowadays also, hanging it on the tree is not favored by everybody, because of the remaining empty papers hanging there when „somehow” chocolates „disappear” from them. They will be showy accessories as well put on a nice tray or in a bowl under the tree.
Countless flavored and colored saloon fondants are available in shops today, we can choose among many companies’ products. It is a matter of taste which one you prefer, however it’s worth to pay attention of quality.
