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Christmas

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In the good year 2023, the year of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and The Barbie Movie, I say… lean in to the fun, the sparkle, the pink, and the friendship bracelets. Don’t just stop at the viral friendship bracelet Christmas tree garland (genius I say) but go ahead and keep on stringing the nostalgia to add fun sayings to other holiday essentials. Namely, the stemware.

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To say that this is a tutorial would be a stretch of the word to be sure. I simply found a friendship bracelet kit and used my stemware to estimate the sizing for each individual piece. I’ll give my best tips and links below, but this craft can be done with the simple kits found at your local craft store or more elaborate beads. You can use charms or words to make your bracelets unique. But, the key to this craft comes down to using stretchy string, tying a strong knot, and keeping each piece unique enough that it can identify a glass.

Wine Tag Friendship Bracelet Sizing

For my upcoming party I have two types of glasses that I want to help guests keep straight. One is a stemless champagne flute and the other a stemmed coupe glass. This required me to make two slightly different sized bracelets. I made a slightly larger bracelet (around 2.25 inches around) for the stemless glass so that it could go down far enough to not impede drinking but far enough up to not be annoying to the glass holder. The stemware had to be big enough to stretch over the bottom of the glass, but not large enough to get snagged or fall off. They ended up being more like 1.50 inches around.

TIP: When cutting your string go ahead and cut more than you need and measure to the glass often. It will make it easier to hold and to knot. You can then cut off the excess string.

Holiday Wine Tag Sayings

This was the most fun! Since these are much smaller than traditional friendship bracelets I had to stick with one holiday-centric word for each tag. Guests will be able to remember the word and keep track of their glass.

Suggested Holiday Tags: (This is not an exhaustive list– there are SO many options!)

  • Holly
  • Jolly
  • Santa
  • Elf
  • Joy
  • Merry
  • Bright
  • HoHoHo
  • Christmas
  • Noel
  • Star
  • Gift
  • Snow
  • Carol
  • Cheer
  • Bells

Holiday Friendship Bracelet Wine Tag Resources

I grabbed my beads on a holiday clearance rack while out shopping, but I’ve shared some resources below. I stuck to red and white for my colorscheme, because I want to use them throughout the years and tend to pull these two colors in most of my Christmas themes. However, you can mix it up to match your own holiday decor!

Dare I say that this would make for a fun gift as well? Or an added pizzazz to a cute gift of thrifted stemware? I’d find it charming!

May your drinks stay with their intended this holiday season and may this season of friendship bracelets, sparkling outfits, and powerful women live well into the new year!

Are you like me and are still finishing up some holiday shopping for neighbors, employees, clients, or business partners? While some are already finished for the holiday season… I am not! However, I am just a little bit closer after creating these fun pear themed holiday gifts for my husband’s team at work.

Holiday gift idea for employees free printable tags

We needed several holiday gifts that were fairly affordable and ran across these beautiful boxes of Harry and David pears from Trader Joe’s.The addition of some cute printable gift tags and these were personalized and made for a great employee gift.

You could absolutely do something similar with a gift box, tissue paper, and beautiful pears from your grocery store if your Trader Joe’s doesn’t have these in stock or you are not near a Trader Joe’s store.

I had made these with no intention of sharing on the blog simply because life has been busy and I was working at 10 PM getting these projects done. Not the best lighting for photos! However, after posting photos in a Facebook group several of the wonderful members of the group requested tags.

I created tags that will work for employees, neighbors, clients, teachers, and more. All are free for personal use. However, if you’d like to help my blog, please share this post by pinning it on Pinterest or sharing on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Instructions:

  • Download the design of your choice by clicking on the link below and saving the file to your computer. The 5 inch tags are the size that are pictured. I did make smaller tags as well so you could get more tags per page if needed.
  • For Tags: Print on 8.5X11 cardstock in full color. Cut out along black lines. Punch a hole in the corner and attach to your gift with ribbon or string.
  • For Labels: Print on 8.5X11 page-sized label paper in full color. Cut along black lines. Adhere to your package.

Pear Themed Gift Ideas Free Printables

I hope that these help make someone’s holiday just a little more pear-fect! 😉 Happy holidays to all! And, one last request to please share this post by pinning it on Pinterest or sharing on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. It really helps a gal out!

Want more?

It is party season! This year I am dealing with feeling overwhelmed and excited for what the holidays are going to bring. Due to the late Thanksgiving our normal routine for holiday decor, parties, and fun are being thrown up in the air a bit. I’m catching what I can and letting the rest fall aside. Okay, metaphor over… you get the idea though!

So, whether you are hosting a gift-wrapping get-together with friends or an elegant holiday party… you’re going to want something to feed your guests. Explore some of the blog’s most popular holiday appetizers below.

Ginger snap cookies make this appetizer even more delish!

Apricot & Honey Goat Cheese Balls

Goat cheese mixed with honey, apricots, and (optional) almonds is rolled into balls and served on top of ginger snap cookies with a drizzle of honey for this quick Apricot & Honey Goat Cheese Balls appetizer. You can also make this into a log or larger ball and serve on a platter with cookies for an even easier display!

This appetizer is ready to travel! Add in the final touches right before serving.

Caprese Wreath Appetizer

Appetizers for parties often end up being pretty rich and heavy. I always try to serve salad of some sort along with a crudites platter. This Caprese Wreath Appetizer is a good bridge for both and is a fantastic thing to bring to another person’s house!

You don’t have to bring serving utensils (or hope your guests have them) and it travels great! Simply prep everything and wrap in plastic. Add in olive oil and balsamic vinegar after you get to your location and you are done!

A little something for everyone!

Holiday Grazing Table

This picture is from one of my first forays into creating a grazing table rather than just a platter of meat, cheese, crudites, and fruit. I’ve improved since on the display, but I still love this because it was just as impressive in person as I hoped it would be. Our guests LOVED it.

So freaking decadent!

Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Caviar

I have a slight obsession with caviar during the holiday season. I love it so much. It feels so decadent! Often expensive, it is nice to use caviar as almost a garnish for your appetizers rather than the main event. Blinis with Creme Fraiche and Caviar is one way to wow your guests without entirely wiping out your bank. Another way is whipping up a batch of my favorite creme fraiche and chive dip with caviar and serving it with kettle chips!

Scallops and bacon with fig spread make for a festive appetizer or dinner option.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Fig Spread

Figs, bacon, and scallops are rich and wonderful each on there own, but even better together. Use this Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Fig Spread recipe as single bites of heaven or serve on skewers for a more hearty appetizer.

Oysters, ’nuff said.

Oysters with Tabasco Shaved Ice

I obviously like seafood over the holidays. My favorite recipes seem to have all types of delicacies from the sea. I know Oysters are not for everyone, but for those who this does appeal to… take your oysters to the next level with flavored granitas or shaved ices. Whether it is a Tabasco Shaved Ice or Champagne Granita your guests will be in awe.

More great appetizer ideas

If you love a good round-up of recipes then for sure jump on over to a previous post with some more delicious holiday appetizers. These were recipes created by friends of mine that are sure to make your holiday party extra special.

What is your favorite go-to appetizer for a holiday party? Share in the comments below!

Photo creds: Two amazing professional photographers are featured above: Mary Boyden (oysters and the featured image of the holiday party scene) and Macey Snelson (blinis). In addition the bloggers that contributed recipes to the holiday appetizer round up are linked within that post. Go check it out!