Holiday Hostess Party Tips + Kirklands Giveaway!
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Now that the Thanksgiving dishes have been cleared it’s time to pull out the Christmas decorations that I’ve been waiting a year to see again. And thanks to the thrift store score of the century (that 6 foot long lacquer buffet!) I now have space on which to place all kinds of fun holiday items for the upcoming get-togethers and festive dinners that fill December’s calendar.
It was begging for some holiday cheer, and thankfully Kirklands sent over three fantastic items for me to use in a Holiday Hostess challenge (along with a few of my fellow blogging buds, as you’ll soon see.) I’ve been flipping out over the first item– a set of three HUGE mason jar canisters— and just CAN NOT wait to share with you how I used them! Are you ready to see?
BAM! Aren’t they gorgeous?
These HUGE heavy mason jars are great for storage, so after the holidays I’ll either use them in my kitchen or to store craft supplies like twine and washi tape. But they were begging to be illuminated so I placed some cool LED fairy lights inside each jar. I taped the top of the light string to the lid with washi tape, carefully dropped the battery box to the bottom of the jar, and covered it with burlap. I also added in a mini mirrored garland I’ve had for years but that’s totally optional.
Let there be light.
These jars bring such illumination and light into our dining room that we’ve been dining with them on for days. The kids think they look like fireflies, so this idea could easily carry into summer as well.
Next up was the ivory ceramic chip and dip bowl. It’s actually very pretty alone…
… but filled with food it’s magical.
Isn’t that such a beautiful dip set? So versatile. When not in use, it would look gorgeous filled with seasonal items like pinecones or even plants.
The third item is perfection– a galvanized beverage dispenser. I even matches the mason jar lights, and it works beautifully.
Keeping it on the tray keeps spills from getting on your linens.
It’s filled with a punch I like to call ‘Santa’s Little Helper’. Recipe coming soon. 😉
A few other holiday entertaining tips:
- Use a cable knit blanket as the backdrop for your holiday decor. It screams warm and cozy (like this, in my best Oprah voice: “WARM AND COZZZZZZYYYYY!”)
- Since I have little kids around (and am generally super clumsy), I use battery operated flameless candles in my decor. No mess and they’re worry free.
- A simple greenery garland looks gorgeous and makes a great backdrop for your party food.
- As per my norm, I kept the color palette neutral (white, gold, silver) and had a pop of color with a fuschia tray (and red punch!)
- A few glittered pinecones go a long way.
- Varying the heights of your decor and accessories makes the spread look even more enticing. Topiaries and tall candlesticks achieve this look, and placing some of the party food on cake stands or towers to also varies the height.
I’m ready for holiday guests to arrive! But hey, I wouldn’t wave a bunch of cool products in front of you and not give you a chance to WIN some of your own. Enter for your chance to win one of TWO $100 Kirklands gift cards! If you’re a fan of Kirklands, you’ll also want to join their Kirklands Rewards Program- K Club. Enter the giveaway below:
Join us on December 2nd at 8PM EST for a Twitter chat where we’ll be giving away several gift cards as prizes. Simply follow the #holidayhostess hashtag. It’s gonna be fun, here’s who’s co-hosting it with me (these links lead to their holiday hostess ideas, too!):
Did you like any of these holiday decor ideas? Pin them so you don’t forget!
Hope you enjoyed these holiday decor ideas and tips for festive and easy holiday decorating. Hope to “see” you tonight at the Twitter party and be sure to enter the giveaway, too!
Disclosure: I received product compensation for the “Holiday Hostess” campaign blog post. Kirkland’s partnered with several bloggers like me to raise brand awareness and share holiday decor ideas. All purchases and content are on my own accord and reflect my personal opinion and style. Kirkland’s blogger outreach policies abide by the WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. For official Kirkland’s giveaway rules, visit http://www.kirklands.com/content.jsp?pageName=blogger_rules-03.
Fairy Light Jars is linking up with:
{ Remodelaholic | Liz Marie Blog |Serenity Now | Made in a Day | The Party Bunch |Work it Wednesday | Catch as Catch Can | Songbird | Fabulously Frugal Thursday}