Better Homes and Gardens December 2021

Ornaments of LIFE As a college student, I had an eccentric landlady who was right out of central casting. Miss P, as she was called, had been a nurse for LBJ’s children. I rented her garage apartment, which was behind her house in Austin’s Clarksville neighborhood. Every time I came home, she would invariably come loping out of her back door waving her arms with a loud whooping “Yoo-hoo!” to get my attention. She would make up an excuse to ask me a question before diving into a long list of neighborhood gossip and observations worthy of Gladys Kravitz from Bewitched. I remember her fondly, though sometimes her queries about why I got home at 1:27 a.m. were a little intrusive to a young student only recently away from his parents. The…

SEASON’S GREETINGS Make a festive first impression with our best decorating ideas for your front door. Line the steps with ice luminarias, fill tall outdoor lanterns with glitzy ornaments, or craft a star-studded garland, above. BHG.com/WinterDoor Farmhouse Christmas Can’t get enough of farmhouse style? Neither can we, so we collected a virtual Santa’s sack full of our favorite charmingly rustic craft projects. BHG.com/FarmhouseCrafts DIY POM-POM BOW Dress up any simple wrapping paper with a statement bow you can make in less than 5 minutes. Our video tutorial walks you through the quick five-step how-to. Click here to watch the tutorial. [SWEEPSTAKES] Win Prizes Every Day Enter our Daily Sweeps at BHG.com/WinDaily for a chance to win each day’s new prize, like tableware and smart tech. Details below. SWEEPSTAKES RULES DAILY SWEEPSTAKES No purchase necessary to enter or win. Subject to Official Rules…

KEY INGREDIENTS 1 Basket coffee filters: Make a dye bath with warm water and food coloring. Dunk a small stack of filters, then let dry. Cut out snowflakes. Attach them to a white paper-wrapped package using watered-down glue or Mod Podge. 2 Paper towel or TP roll: Start saving up now! Slide a small gift inside and wrap the roll with tissue paper. Tie off the twisted ends with ribbon. 3 Honeycomb tissue party balls: Open the balls halfway and glue the flat side down. 4 Kraft paper: Punch holes around the edges of a festive shape, then stitch between them using a plastic embroidery needle threaded with yarn. 5 White paint pen: Add quick-drying, opaque accents anywhere that needs a little zhuzh. Coffee Filter To make poinsettia bracts, flatten basket filters with…

Upgrade Your Bubbles Dressing up inexpensive sparkling wine feels fancy without too much fuss. Try adding a sugar cube soaked in aromatic bitters, a tiny scoop of berry sorbet, or a spoonful of ginger-infused simple syrup. Add a splash of St-Germain elderflower liqueur for a floral twist. PUFF PASTRY GOAT CHEESE BITES WITH HONEY AND PISTACHIOS Cut purchased puff pastry into squares and bake according to package directions. Split in half and top each square with a smear of fig-and-olive-flavor goat cheese. Drizzle with honey and scatter with chopped pistachios. Serve at room temperature. CROSTINI WITH BOURBON-SPICED PEARS AND CASHEW BUTTER Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a 2-qt. baking dish combine 2 cored and sliced red pears, ¼ cup bourbon, 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, and ½ tsp. ground cinnamon. Roast 20…

A chilling fact: All the leaks, holes, and gaps found around a typical home add up to the equivalent of leaving a window open every day of the year. “You want to seal off the leaks where you’re losing your hard-gained warm air to prevent your dollars from going out through the cracks,” says Paul Schollmeier, a home inspector, Home Energy Score Certified Assessor, and owner of Efficiency Detectives LLC in Winona, MN. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do yourself. EXTERIOR DOORS If you can see light or are able to slide a dollar bill around your door, it’s leaking air. Inspect the seals and sweeps at the bottom; if they’re worn, replace with ones that have pliable sealing gaskets that fit snugly against the threshold. Add weather stripping and…

1 THE TREE To create a botanical look inspired by her favorite tropical destinations, Stephanie tucked faux houseplant foliage among the branches of a prelit tree. Spider plants, philodendrons, ferns, and others provide a mix of leaf shapes and textures. A palm frond tops the tree instead of a star. 2 THE SKIRT Stephanie continues the tropical botanical theme with faux orchids in a collection of baskets around the base of the tree. 3 THE MANTEL She uses what she calls “organic asymmetry” on the mantel. Candles anchor one side; fir sprigs and a garland of fabric elephants that fit her global bohemian style adorn the other. BUYING INFORMATION: BHG.com/Resources BY: MALLORY ABREU; PHOTOS: STEPHANIE WATKINS…