The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 3 Summer 2012 | Page 40

Christmas ideas

The lights

Twinkling lights add a soft glow at night
and can add atmosphere and a whole
new element to a room. Sarah has used
both plastic battery operated tea lights
and fairy lights in a variety of ways to
give a Christmas feel throughout the
home. She has used white lights as it
adds a classier look, so try to avoid the
multicoloured lights, which will create a
circus effect.
Besides using fairy lights on the
Christmas tree, drape them over your
dining room table and cover with
organza so the lights can shine through.
Plastic tea lights were also scattered on
the table and under pieces of organza
– what a glow it gives off in the evening
adding a sense of warmth. If you are
having an evening dinner, make sure
you have candles on the table too!

If you really want to create a show of
lights at night, you’ll need a large mirror,
a collection of crystal, silver and glass
items, white or blue fairy lights, a vase
fill of small twigs with crystal beads
threaded through them. On a table in a
dark area, place the mirror on the table
with the collection of crystal and glass
items and the vase filled with beaded
twigs. Drape the fairy lights on the
mirror and switch on. The mirror, beads
and glass will reflect the light all over
the room creating quite a dramatic look!

40

Make it
personal

Decorate with warm col
ours
that match your decor
–
Christmas doesn’t have
to
be all about reds and
greens.
You can create Christm
as with
lights, warmth and a tre
e of
your choice.
If you are looking for
personalised decorati
ons
on your table, ask the
street
vendors who make wir
e
animals to make the an
imal of
your choice using the
colours
in your theme.