Brücke 49 Hotel Pension, a modern-rustic guest house in the alpine spa town of Vals, is where we'd like to be right now. Located in a 1902 house with four guest rooms, the B & B is the work of Ruth Kramer and Thomas Schacht, a Swiss-Danish couple who traded careers in Denmark—she as a designer, he as a business developer—for mountain village living. They restored and designed the place themselves: It's not fancy," they say, "just very personal with a lot of thought going into what we think will give you a cozy feeling." For more information, go to Brücke 49 Hotel Pension.

Above: The century-old house is painted slate gray with white shutters. Vals is a historic Alpine village with a population of 950 (mostly farmers and craftspeople, say Ruth and Thomas). It's situated in the country's largest canton, Graubünden, not far from the borders of Austria and Italy, and has a five-lift ski resort and a thermal hot springs resort, Therme Vals, designed by architect Peter Zumthor (day visitors welcome). Read about the spa in the Remodelista post Poetry in Space: Vals Thermal Spa in Switzerland.

Above: We love a glossy black front door. (Trying to find the right shade for your front door? See Black Magic: Architects' 8 Top Paint Picks.)

Above: Vals is famous for its limestone, and the entrance of the house has its original stone floor and stairs. The couple painted the walls charcoal gray, a carryover from the exterior. The side chair was in the house when they bought it, and is emblematic of how Ruth and Thomas mix old and new: they upholstered the seat in a Paul Smith stripe from Kvadrat.

Above: All of the floors in the house, including the living room, are original wide-plank pine—"long, massive planks that came from the local woods." The couple added new panels to the walls in the old style. The rug-free room is furnished with Danish classics, including a 1940s armchair by Finn Juhl.

Above: Guests are not only welcome in the stainless-steel-appointed kitchen but encouraged to cook. Note the apples in a wooden crate on the floor.

Above: A guest room under the eaves. The B & B sleeps a maximum of 10 people.

Above L: A turn-of-the-century doorknob with its original key. Above R: A bentwood chair hung on a peg rack in a bedroom.

Above: A case for the (nearly) all-white bathroom. 

Above: Breakfast at Brücke 49 (served on Royal Copenhagen's hand-painted Multi-Colored Elements porcelain): homemade bread and muesli with yogurt and fruit. 

Above: An alpine arrangement that we plan to replicate.

Above: The 1902 knob on a bathroom window. The couple went to enormous trouble to restore the house's details—though this closure is original, "the rest is handmade new" to fit it, explains Thomas, and includes old handblown glass "which makes looking through the windows a little unsharp."

Above: Folding wooden chairs for taking in the mountain air year round. For rates and reservations, go to Brücke 49 Hotel Pension.

For more design and travel inspiration, browse our posts on standout lodgings around the world. And don't miss, For Rent: A Ski Cabin by Peter Zumthor, World-Renowned Swiss Architect.

Inspired by the natural and unruly beauty of our new, live Christmas tree, the kids and I decided to create a series of handmade ornaments that were equally organic. But we also felt that our elegant evergreen deserved a little holiday sparkle. So we created gilded adornments, fit for a queen.

Photographs by Justine Hand. Photography shot with the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 digital SLR camera. Small in size, enormous in performance.

Above: Supplies for gilding ornaments. (Well, most of them.)

At first the kids and I thought we were just going to give a few nuts a golden veneer. But from there the concept grew. 

Above: Solvi gets started, painting a walnut with Martha Stewart Metallic Craft Paint from Michael's.

Feel an urge to make your own? See more DIY Woodland Ornaments in our Photo Gallery.

Above: Solvi starts on another nut.

Above: Home from school, Oliver joins in. (By now we had added beechnuts.)

Above: Drying time—our walnut ornaments were completed with a small brass nail, a bit of glue, and Angela Liguori's Metallic, Cotton ribbon in 2/8 Inch; $9 per spool.

Above: Trimmed in gold, our giant thuja tree is simple, yet elegant.

Above: I contributed the reindeer garland, made with a template from Lilla A's Blog, an X-Acto knife, a paper bag, and some golden, silk thread.

Above: The lightest touch, simple leaf skeletons are adorned with golden glitter.

I actually bought these leaves while in New York City for the Remodelista book launch. Unfortunately, ABC Carpet and Home doesn't offer them on its website, but these delicate ornaments would be easy to make. Leaf Veins offers many exotic leaf skeletons including a Pack of 20 Rubber Leaves similar to the ones above; $1.95.

Above: Just the right touch, Angela Liguori's metallic cotton ribbon is also available in Silver; $9.

Above: With the golden beechnuts, we made a garland by wrapping brass wire from Michael's around each stem.

Above: Our live tree graced the corner of our dining room for a few days before planting. To read more about the process of picking, caring for and planting a live tree, see DIY: Plant Your Christmas Tree in the Garden.

Looking for more organic tree trimmings? See 5 Favorites: Ornaments for Nature Lovers.

Remember your first garden? And how exciting it was to plant your first tulip, prune your first shrub, and water your first tomato plant? Now imagine if you had been able to afford the proper tools—a good folding saw, a pair of pruners, a kink-free hose with a shiny brass nozzle—to tend that garden. This holiday season, you can encourage a young gardener with a dream starter gardener set.

We've partnered with The Home Depot to scour the store's aisles for everything you need. And we've wrapped it all up in a gilded window box:

Photographs by Michelle Slatalla. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

Above: We painted a wooden window box (with the aid of Martha Stewart's Vintage Gold Satin Metallic Paint, which is $5.48 for a 10-ounce jar) and stuffed it with gardening essentials: three kinds of jute and twine for different outdoor chores; a trowel; tulip bulbs to force indoors or plant in a garden bed; a hose with a brass nozzle, pruners; a folding hand saw, and a pair of buttery pigskin work gloves.

We also tucked a selection of Assorted Succulents (three for $15.96) into the window box so the beginner gardener on your holiday list can get started with indoor potted plants while waiting for the ground outdoors to thaw.

Above: Our gift comes in a box that is reusable in the nicest possible way: it's a 24-inch-long weather-resistant Pennington Wood Window Box ($16.97), gilded for the holidays.

The window box holds a selection of twines useful for gardening chores: a 200-foot roll (L) of green Jute Natural Twine is ideal for tying plants; and (Center) a 525-foot roll of biodegradable Natural Sisal Bundling Twine can support loads of up to 8 pounds ($4.21), and (R) a 190-foot roll of soft, easy-to-knot Jute Twine is $2.33.

Above: A pair of Firm Grip Grain Pigskin Medium Work Gloves is $8.87.

Above: A foldable Fiskars Pruning Saw with a 10-inch carbon steel blade has a wooden handle; $15.97.

Above: A trowel is an essential hand tool for planting, transplanting, weeding, moving, and smoothing soil. An Ames Ergo Gel-Grip Hand Trowel is $7.97.

Above: A pair of Fiskars Bypass Pruners suitable for both left- and right-handed use is $8.97.

Above: A 10-inch Estwing Sportman's Leather Grip Handle Axe comes with a leather storage case to protect the blade and is $34.97.

Above: A 25-foot-long WaterWorks Kink Free Heavy Duty Hose is $15.47 and an Orbit 5-In Adjustable Brass Nozzle can deliver a jet stream to clean siding—or a fine mist to water potted plants; $7.67.

Above: A bag of 25 Pink Impression Tulip Bulbs is $17.75.

Feeding a crowd this season? If you are at all nervous about it, seek out a copy of Margot Henderson's joyous book You're All Invited. As a caterer and chef (Margot is also married to Fergus Henderson of St John, one of London's most iconic restaurants) she is in a good position to urge: Don't take it too seriously.

"It's awful when your host is slaving away in the kitchen and not having a good time," writes Margot in the introduction. "I think that people are more relaxed if things aren't too formal."  Relaxed chaos is the goal. You can almost forget the food: "The most important thing about eating is being together and having a conversation."

For Margot's Lemon Possets recipe, see below.

Photographs by Joe Woodhouse.

Above: Lemon spinach soup. "For a canapé party serve in little cups."

Above: Roast quails. "Quails are a great crowd-pleaser: they're straightforward to cook, they have a robust nature, which makes them difficult to overcook, and everyone loves them, especially kids," writes Margot, sensibly. Then: "A large pile of quails with legs a-go-go make for a festive moment at any time of the year."

"Celebratory meals can be more nerve-racking than a usual supper party," muses Margot. Her ideas on making a special dinner even more special:

• The guests: bring "generous-spirited friends and family together."
• Make it festive with: flowers, tablecloths, and candles. And, "if it's an extra-special occasion, iron the napkins."
• Start with a cocktail: to lift the spirits.
• Serve piles of things: langoustines, asparagus, salads, birds.
• Save the music for dancing later: "I hate not being able to hear what is being said."
• End the meal with a digestif: "to get everyone going again."

Above: Caldo verde, or chorizo and potato stew. This comes under the Comforting Lunches category but could also come under the "casual cooking pot on table" category. And why not? "A one-pot wonder is always good for large groups," says Margot.

Above: Time for dessert. "Often I find that people want to move around after dinner, so little puddings that you can pick up work well."

Above: Pecan and chocolate tart. "Puddings that are kept in the freezer also work well for large groups, as they can be made a few days earlier and don't suffer along the way. I love a big central pudding like a tart; all it needs is good cream, so buy the best."

Above: Lemon Possets: "Fantastically easy and delicious, these give you that little sugar and lemon hit at the end of a meal, lifting you up for the last part. When blood oranges are in season you can use those instead, to make blood orange possets."

Lemon Possets

Ingredients:

• 8 unwaxed lemons
• 1.5 liters double cream
• 500 grams caster sugar

Instructions:

Remove the rind from four of the lemons, using a vegetable peeler. Squeeze the juice from all eight lemons (you should have around 350 milliliters of juice—rolling the lemons on your work surface before cutting them in half will yield more juice.

Put the cream into the pan with the strips of lemon rind and stir over a low heat until the mixture starts to steam. Add all the sugar and stir until dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then leave to settle for five minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large jug, discarding the lemon rind.

Pour into ten ramekins or small bowls, if you have them, or one medium-sized bowl. Cool to room temperature, then put them into the refrigerator to set for at least four hours or overnight.

Serve with shortbread and maybe a little cream.

You're All Invited by Margot Henderson; £25 from Penguin Fig Tree. Photograph by Kendra Wilson. For US readers, You're All Invited is available on Amazon for $26.50.

For more unflappable cookery writing, see Notes from the Larder by Nigel Slater.

Christmas came early in 1933. When the repeal of Prohibition became official 80 years ago yesterday, bartenders at the Vanderbilt Hotel in Manhattan promptly began to serve 25-cent cocktails and Bloomingdale's announced the immediate opening of its liquor department. It seems only appropriate to celebrate the anniversary with a holiday cocktail party.

We've rounded up seven of our favorite cocktails (each with ingredients from the garden). See below for the recipes:

Above: A spicy Mamani Gin & Tonic sports a South American kick (read: jalapeño peppers); the recipe comes from Drunken Botanist author Amy Stewart, who makes her version with high-quality tonic water (sans high-fructose corn syrup). Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Above: Nothing says "holiday" like a fizzy cocktail. Erin's recipe for a Sour Cherry Rickey has a secret ingredient: small-batch bitters from Brooklyn. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Above: The Apple Flip is "a refined descendent of the egg drinks that were a staple in America up until the middle of the 19th century," according to the Ethicurean Cookbook. "Early flips were a mixture of beer, rum, egg, and sugar, poured from container to aerate them." Photograph by Jason Ingram. 

Above: A Mint Julep in a silver cup strikes a festive note. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Above: Who doesn't love a pink drink? If you have a punch bowl, fill it with a big batch of Raspberry Sparklers. Photograph by Olivia Rae James.

Above: Mulled Apple Cider is a boozy, citrusy take on an old favorite. Photograph by Olivia Rae James.

Above: Brooklyn baker Hannah Kirshner's classic recipe for a lemony Tom Collins is the cornerstone of an instant party. Photograph courtesy of Sweets and Bitters.

Above: What kind of wine should you use for Sangria Soda? "Anything over $10 a bottle for this and you're just being excessive," says Luxirare. Photograph via Luxirare.

(Would you like us to send you a new recipe every Friday? Subscribe to our Gardenista Daily email.)

You can't put a price tag on luxury. It's like porn; you know it when you see it. 

Is there someone on your holiday shopping list who deserves something very, very special?

Above: Photograph by John Merkl.

If the brown sofa in the photo looks familiar, that's because it's mine. And so is this fringed mohair throw, so incredibly soft that people in my family fight over whose turn it is to sit under it to watch Homeland. Luckily, it's generously sized, as well. As for the color? You want to drown in it.

Buy this for someone you love a lot. Woven by hand at a family-run mill in Spain, the Magenta Mohair Throw measures 51 by 75 inches and is $250 from Serena and Lily. 

Above: Photograph by John Merkl.

What is the ultimate luxury in the garden? A helper. Perhaps it is stretching the definition of the word to say that tiny dogs prone to furious digging qualify for the position. But Papillons are the sort of companions who will sit patiently by your side while you weed (no matter how long it takes), and they will alert you immediately if their enemy the squirrel tries to come onto the property. This is a breed of dog you should give only to people who like to have silky little creatures sitting on their laps and staring up at them adoringly all day long. For more information and to find a breeder, see Papillon Club of America.

Above: I saw this three-piece vase the other day, sitting on a side table at March in San Francisco. The photo doesn't do it justice. It is of a height and diameter that bespeak importance. The creamy white marble chosen by Belgian-based housewares designer Michael Verheyden begs to be stroked. (Verheyden also works with such tactile materials as bronze, soapstone, and leather.) Disassembled into its three parts, the Michael Verheyden Potte Vase can hold a single stem, a small bouquet, and a larger arrangement—all at once. It is $1,550.  

Above: I have been coveting this canvas and leather tote bag for a long time. If I owned it, I would keep my most special tools in it and never leave it outside to get ruined in the rain. That's how unforgettably great this bag is. The side patch pockets (waxed leather!) are just the right size to hold pruners or a folding saw. The Union Tote Bag by S. Stein is $325 from Heath Ceramics. It's also available in three other color combinations (including navy-and-black) from S. Stein Design.

Are you in the throes of holiday shopping? See the rest of our Gift Guides, with suggestions for the Flower Lover, the Fledgling Gardener, and the Urban Gardener.

I've been noticing delicate Scandinavian holiday wreaths floating around lately; last week I said to myself, "Enough is enough, I'm making one."

All you need for this wreath are a few materials from the hardware store (see our sources below) and a few sprigs of greenery. You might even consider adding a clip-on taper candle holder in the center, and if you do, I suggest these traditional Silver Candle Holders (10 for $12.99 from Bestemors).

Want to give it a try? See my DIY video below for step-by-step instructions (you'll need to source the materials outlined below).

Above: The finished wreath, hanging on the wall of my SF apartment.

Above: The bay leaves are punctuated with deep blue privet berries.

Above: Wrapping small bunches of bay leaves with thin silver wire.

Here's What You'll Need:

• 1 bunch of greenery (I chose bay laurel since I had it on hand).
• 2 to 3 stems of privet berries or other accent foliage.
• Thick silver wire like 16-Gauge Silver Plated Wire; $3.81 for 9.8 feet from Amazon.
• Dark Green Floral Tape; $5.17 from Amazon.
• Thin, bendable silver wire; 6 Yards of Tarnish-Resistant Silver Wire is $5.85 from Amazon.

Looking for a garland to go with that wreath? Find it along with 18 other Gardening and DIY Videos.

For more holiday DIY videos, see "DIY Video: Easy Holiday Garland."

N.B. This is an update of a post that originally published on December 10, 2012.

Virginia Woolf was too busy being a genius writer to devote much time to gardening. She had garden-y friends, being a frequent guest at Charleston Farmhouse, Garsington Manor, and Sissinghurst Castle. She wrote unforgettably about gardens and houses (see the middle passage "Time Passes" in To the Lighthouse) but practical gardening—no, not really.

The meadows and flower gardens around Monk's House in Sussex are brought to life by Caroline Zoob in Virginia Woolf's Garden. Having lived at Monk's House for a decade as a tenant of the National Trust, Zoob discovered much about Mr. and Mrs. Woolf. The picture we have is of their happy, peaceful retreat, a place that was conducive to Virginia's writing. Its loveliness was due to Leonard, a keen gardener bordering on the fanatical.

Photographs by Caroline Arber.

Above: The famous writing hut, tucked beneath an enormous horse chestnut tree on the edge of the orchard. In Virginia's lifetime only the part of the building to the left of the tree trunk existed. The other half is an addition, housing a small exhibition space.

Above: Part of the attraction of Monk's House was the orchard, the pruning of which became an obsession for Leonard. Virginia was not above showing off about it: to Vita Sackville-West she wrote that there was "the orchard to sit in—which you have not got—not with pears and apples everywhere."

Above: Monk's House is a few miles from Charleston in Sussex, the more well-known gathering place for Bloomsberries, hosted by Virginia's sister Vanessa. True to the local vernacular, part of the house is white weatherboard. This rendered (and shady) side is clad with Rosa 'Felicité et Perpetué.'

Above: Sunrise from Leonard's study, which was carved out of the attic space. The Clematis montana covers a tree where once stood a laundry and outdoor WC. Leonard removed these and created the planted area in the foreground. The Norman church is about a thousand years old.

Above: The vegetable garden as it is today, with allotments in the background still used by the village horticultural association, co-founded by Leonard. Though the rest of the garden was romantic and "blowing," the vegetables were grown and dispatched in a very orderly fashion, the excess being sold to the Women's Institute market.

Above: The Woolfs moved into Monk's House a year afer the end of the First World War. When war came again, an unexploded bomb landed in the garden of the Woolfs' house in Mecklenburgh Square, Bloomsbury. The house was declared uninhabitable and they were forced to live full-time in Sussex, partaking in village life rather more than they were used to. Virginia joined the WI and urged Vanessa Bell and Vita Sackville-West to follow suit.

"L. is doing the rhododendrons." This was Virginia Woolf's last entry in her diary before jumping to her death in the River Ouse.

Virginia Woolf's Garden by Caroline Zoob with photographs by Caroline Arber, is £30 from Jacqui Small. For US readers, Virginia Woolf's Garden is $34.12 on Amazon.

Are you social media savvy? Can you converse on multiple channels and engage in lively repartée? Do you live in the SF Bay Area or in NYC and are you available to freelance for 20 to 30 hours per week for us (both Gardenista and Remodelista)? If so, we want to hear from you. Please email the following to edit(at)remodelista(dot)com:

• Your résumé
• A short note about yourself and why you should be part of our team
• A link to a Pinterest board of at least 20 images that will give us a sense of your aesthetic (please select images from sites beyond Remodelista.com and Gardenista.com)
• Include "Social Media Manager: <your name>" as the subject heading

N.B.: Please note that while we will not be able to respond to every applicant, we are reading and have received your information.

Above: A typical Remodelista's desk tends to be more of a makeshift workspace. Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker's camera.

This week Remodelista's editors found surprising ways to add a snowy look to interiors. They told a winter's tale with chandeliers, an austere dinner party tabletop, and ideas from Erin's blog.

You could spend $19,800 for a chandelier like this... or $249.

Replicate the look of a dinner party on a frozen lake (cinder blocks are involved).

Jackie Ashton put out extra blankets for house guests.

Remodelista's editors raided Erin's blog for gift wrap ideas.

Snowglobe sconces.

I know you don't want to think about this—it's cold outside, after all—but now would be a good time to start pruning your fruit trees. They're dormant. They're waiting. You might as well bundle up and get it over with.

What are we trying to accomplish here, you may grumble. Well, since you asked, pruning will shape a tree into something beautiful with a structure that has integrity to better withstand the effects of wind, snow, and other weather conditions that damage branches. And by removing dead or diseased wood, you will make a tree healthier. Don't forget your gloves, by the way.

Above: Tools of the trade: use loppers and a pruning knife or saw (for thicker branches). For years, I've used a pair of Swiss made Felco 22 Loppers similar to the ones pictured above. Capable of easily cutting branches with a diameter of up to 1.8 inches, a pair of loppers is $170.04 from Felco Store. Photograph via The Little Ragamuffin.

Above: The first step is to get rid of the clutter. Suckers are thin branches that sprout haphazardly from a trunk or larger support branches; they make a tree look like it has a Sideshow Bob haircut. Use loppers to remove them at their base. Photograph via The Little Ragamuffin.

Above: Remove water sprouts, common on many varieties of fruit trees, by clipping them off close to the trunk. Photograph by Menudujour via Flickr.

Above: Prune older trees first and wait until winter is nearly over before you prune younger, more fragile trees. The harder you prune a tree, the less fruit it will produce next season. Prune older trees lightly and reserve your greater enthusiasm for shaping younger, more malleable trees. Photograph via Eat Well Farm.

Above: There are two general shaping techniques: creating a central leader system and or an open center system. For step-by-step instructions for both, see Happy Gardens.

Above: You can prune older, thicker pear and apple tree branches with a pruning knife or saw, as at Organic Garden in Ryton, UK. In my garden, I use an all-purpose Silky New Mebae Pruning Saw with a wooden handle and sheath, available for $50.90 from Hida Tools. Photograph by Charles Budd via Flickr. (N.B.: Looking for a pruning knife? See "5 Favorites: The Best Pruning Knives."

Above: A well-pruned apple tree via Barbolian.

For more pruning tips, see 5 Favorites: Elegant Espalier in the Winter Garden.

This is an update of a post originally published January 2, 2013.

This year I realized that I have one shot— and one shot only—at buying the right Christmas tree. First of all, they are expensive, and second, they take up a lot of space. You simply can't go to the effort of picking a tree, bungee-roping it to the top of your car like the world's most cumbersome dead body, hauling the thing inside, setting it up in your (dreidel-patterned) Christmas-tree stand, and sloshing it with water only to turn to your beloveds and say, "Looks like we've got a shedder. Let's send 'er back." To be honest, I can barely convince myself to return shoes that don't fit to the Internet from whence they came, let alone a big hulking conifer. So this year I decided to turn up the pressure and find the perfect Christmas tree, once and for all.

Photographs by Michelle Slatalla. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

Above: An Alberta spruce.

Now there are three genera (the plural of genus—I know) of evergreen conifers that are popular Christmas tree options: spruces, pines, and firs. Let's say you "find" a tree in a dark alley. Not going to ask. How do you tell which kind it is? It turns out that the answer is in the needles. If the needles are attached to the twig in clusters of two or more, you probably have a pine. Detecting the difference between firs and spruces is a subtler science. Spruce needles are rounded and can be rolled around in your fingers, while pine needles have two flattened-out sides and won't roll. But don't let the simplicity fool you when it comes to choosing the perfect tree. Within each genus is a variety of species, each with its own personal quirks. Fortunately for our purposes, the Christmas tree tradition has been around since the Renaissance so growers of spruces, pines, and firs have had time to home in on a "best of breed" to sell for the holidays.

Above: A blue spruce.

Among spruce trees, the Colorado blue spruce is the favorite Christmas tree. Like its siblings in the spruce family, Colorado blue spruces are basically the trees that you pictured inhabiting your living room since you were a kid: enormous, cone-shaped, and with branches sturdy enough to bear the weight of even the heaviest ornaments, if not a couple of children playing Tarzan. The species is famous for its strikingly silver-blue needles. In a certain light, it is nearly the same shade as the sky, and even on warm days, the Colorado blue spruce appears delicately iced with frost. One hardly wonders why the 70-something-foot Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, arguably the celebrity of the holiday season, is almost always a spruce.

Above: Blue spruce, redux.

But let's take a moment to think before we go spruce. The tree-purchasing crew at Rockefeller Center (consider this my application) probably has a pretty large budget, and that's fortunate for them, because the spruce is the most expensive genus. An 8-foot Colorado blue spruce can cost $300 or more. Plus, spruces' ornament-friendly branches have a tendency to lose their needles easily; a big blue spruce is perfect for a one-time show, but since they stay fresh for an average of two weeks, it wouldn't be the best long-term investment for a New York apartment-dweller like me who, admittedly, will try to hold onto said tree until well past New Year's. When I need to see a blue spruce the size of a small skyscraper—sometimes we all do—I'm content to settle for a subway ride uptown.

Above: An Italian stone pine.

Do you smell something in the living room? If you do, it's probably not because you chose the Eastern white pine. Personally, I am quite attached to that classic, old-school Christmas tree scent. So attached that when the apartment building where I grew up switched to an artificial tree in the lobby (despite the peaceful protests of my 10-year-old self) I made it my business to spray that impostor with Christmas tree fragrance every day so at least its smell would be convincing. On the other hand, there are a few good reasons to go scent-free, and the best of them is having an allergy. Pines are practically hypoallergenic. The Eastern white pine is the tallest sibling in the pine family—again, wonderful, but not quite suited to life in my apartment, or at least not if I'm in it also—and can grow 80 feet tall or higher. For me, the real draw of the Eastern white pine is the price (around $150 for an 8-footer is comparably affordable) and its amazing needle retention. That's right, folks: pine Christmas trees will hardly shed a needle, even after weeks. Unfortunately, the paranormally needle-retaining branches aren't strong enough to support heavier ornaments, and since I need a place to hang my Revolutionary War memorabilia and Jewish holiday themed ornaments, I have to pass on pine.

Above: A Fraser fir.

I am close to settling for a poinsettia plant—and trying to pass it off as some sort of leafy, red, dwarfish Christmas tree—when I begin to consider the fir. Each of us has different needs when it comes to Christmas trees, but for me, the fir was Goldilocks. Firs hold onto their needles (the last thing I need is more crud on the floor) not as stringently as pines, but better than spruces. Firs rate decently in ornament-hangability; their branches are stronger than pines' and weaker than spruces'. It is reasonable when it comes to price (around $150 to $175 for an 8-foot tree) and also has that classic Christmas tree fragrance I can't live without—perhaps not as powerfully as the spruce, but if push comes to shove, I can always dig out the spray bottle.

Above: An apartment-size Fraser fir.

The most popular firs are the Noble fir and the Fraser fir. Both come in petite sizes that would suit my apartment, and are neck-and-neck as far as our other metrics. In the end, I'm sold on the Fraser fir, not only because of the way its branches stick out at angles that are adorably awkward, especially on the smaller trees, but also because it was once dubbed the "she-balsam" because its bark leaks a kind of milky resin. I like a good story above all—as long as I don't end up with resin goo stuck to my walls!

What is the story of your search for the perfect Christmas tree? Have you found it yet? The die is cast for my tree this holiday season, but there is always next year ...

N.B.: Do you find it hard to separate from your Christmas tree after the holidays? What if we told said you don't have to? See DIY: Plant Your Christmas Tree in the Garden.

Every year I admire the simple warmth of my clever friend's advent wreath; so much so that this year I was inspired to make my own. Of course, being an avid forager, I had to experiment.

Above: To make the wreath, I simply bent the branches, secured them with floral wire, tied a ribbon around the branches, and clipped on the candle holders. Once I had collected all the materials, the whole thing took about 10 minutes to make!

Above: I used rose hips, larch, grape vine, and a little bit of hemlock from my yard.

Above: Advent candles and clip-on holders are readily available online. I got mine in very good time from Ingebretsen; $9.50 for a pack of ten in either gold or silver.

Above: I knew when I started this project that I wanted to use grape vines. All those curlicues add a touch of unexpected whimsy.

Above: For a contemporary look, I chose an Italian cotton ribbon in chartreuse from Angela Liguori; $10 for five yards or $36 for 44 yards.

Above: Just a bit of greenery on the grape vine wreath adds to the holiday feel.

Above: The warm tones of the larch wreath add a nice contrast to my Gustavian Gray walls (actually Farrow and Ball's Cornforth White.)

Above: Here, instead of ribbon, I chose silver wire, which complements the delicate tendrils of the grape vine.

Above: A detail of the lovely larch. Despite the lithe silhouette, my wreaths were surprisingly sturdy. I like the wonky effect of the natural boughs, but for extra security, you can also use an Advent Wreath Frame such as the ones at Wilson Evergreens; $8.

Above: My rose hip wreath adds the finishing touch to the holiday table.

N.B. This is an update of a post that originally was published on December 14, 2012.

For more of Justine's DIY holiday projects, see DIY: Gilded Holiday Decor, DIY: Plant Your Christmas Tree in the Garden, Gilded Tree Inspired by Nature, and DIY: A Succulent Wreath to Display All Year.

Looking for even more holiday inspiration? See these DIY videos to learn how to make your own garland and holiday wreath.

For a child who grumbled at the idea of an 18th century Christmas, I spent much of my childhood bemoaning the fact that I hadn't been born a century or two earlier. Malcontent? Not really. Just a romantic. I wanted my world lit up by candles so badly that I once nearly burned the house down by covering my bedroom lamp with a blanket to make it look like I was reading by lamplight. Oh, the romance of burning whale oil.

My parents eventually figured that the family would be safer if they entrusted with me with an actual candle, and I received one Christmas a brass-handled candle holder of the variety I imagine was carried by Wee Willie Winkie. Except instead of running upstairs and downstairs and all throughout the town, I mostly carried my prized candle holder back and forth from bedroom to bathroom on nightly tooth brushing adventures.

It's no surprise then, that I have a particular soft spot for the clip on candle-holders that commonly bedecked Christmas trees until electric string lights began to be widely marketed in the 1920s (more on the history of electric Christmas lights, here). The fact that adding fire to cut evergreens might be considered hazardous, bordering on lunatic, is not lost on me. But for the very brave and vigilant among us, it's still kind of lovely to create such beautiful wintry displays of light and greenery. Here, a few of my favorite examples from around the Internet and a source or two for the clips themselves. Just in case. 

Above: Justine's larch and berry advent wreath.

Above: An advent wreath nestled in a galvanized tin bowl. Photograph by Marion Beijnink, BasicHus. 

Above: A single clip-on candle holder perched onto a wreath similar to Alexa's own Scandi-Inspired Wreath. Photograph by Marie Delice, Min Lilla Veranda.

Above: The world's most adorable Christmas tree festooned with wonky candles. Photograph by Susanne Schanz, La Petite Cuisine.

Above: Four candles on a hanging advent candelabra. Photography by An-Magritt Moen.

So where do you find them? Justine found new Silver and Gold Candle Clips at Ingebretsen; $9.50 for a pack of ten.

If you prefer a true vintage specimen, Etsy has a robust supply of vintage clips in a range of designs and price points. Above: A set of Vintage Tin Candle Holder Clips is $25 for 15 from Lazy Day Relics.

For a patinaed variation, a set of ten Antique Christmas Tree Candle Holders is $16 from Meanglean on Etsy.

And now the question: would you dare?

For worry-free wintry lighting see: DIY: A Starry Night Holiday Light Display.

While we can't compete with the mind-altering light displays found in Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, we decided to lend our own bit of holiday cheer to the East Village with a lighted fire escape. Supplied with fresh garlands and white lights from our sponsor The Home Depot, we brought a little bit of the country to the uniquely urban streetscape. 

Photographs by Erin Boyle. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

Above: Bags full of greenery purchased at The Home Depot on Hamilton Avenue in Brooklyn and ready to make the trip across the bridge back to Manhattan.

Above: Among the supplies: Fresh Boxwood-Pine Holiday Garland, 25 feet for $39.95, white Christmas lights, juniper berries, and white pine.

Above: In addition to the boxwood-pine garland, we started our decorating by layering a 25-foot garland of Fresh White Pine ($34.95) and a 20-foot Red Cedar Garland, also found at The Home Depot in Brooklyn for $16.98. 

Above: We used 11-inch Black Double-Locking Cable Ties ($10.48) to tie the garland to the top railing of the metal fire escape.

Above: We're partial to the vintage-looking extra large lights. A 25-Light Clear Light Set is $8.95.

Above: To power the lights, we used a heavy-duty 15-foot Husky 3-Outlet Extension Cord; $12.98.

Above: After lights and garlands were all secured, we trimmed the ends of our cable ties. Gloves were an essential part of this very chilly process: Firm Grip Grain Pigskin Gloves ($8.87). 

Above: A view out the window.

Above: Below, we added another layer of greenery and lights. Here, 15-Foot White Pine Roping that we found at The Home Depot in Brooklyn for $6.98 and more of that red cedar roping.

Above: On the lower level we opted for tiny 100-Light Clear String-to-String Lights ($17.96 for a set of two). EcoSmart Warm White LED Lights are also available, $26.38 for a string of 100 lights.

Above: For good measure, we also picked up several juniper bouquets from The Home Depot ($6.98 per bunch) to make tiny swags.

Above: We tied Natural Sisal Twine ($2.57), around the ends of the juniper bunches to hang from the fire escape.

Above: The juniper berry swags all strung up.

Above: When we were finally finished, a very speedy cup of hot cocoa on the very chilly fire escape to celebrate all of our hard work.

Above: The view from the street.

Looking for more tips to design an outdoor holiday lighting display? See DIY: A Starry Night Holiday Light Display.

Love the look of holiday greenery indoors, but looking to go beyond the usual evergreen decor? Make your own easy and inexpensive garland using whatever foliage you'd like: forage it outdoors, collect it from your garden, or pick up a few sprigs of greenery at the farmers' market.

Want to give it a try? See my DIY video for step-by-step instructions (you'll need to source the materials outlined below).

Above: The finished privet berry garland now lives on my kitchen countertop and adds a Christmasy note.

Above: Use thin silver wire so you can wrap it around and through the berry stems; twist the wires together to create a strong hold when tying it off.

Here's What You Need:

• 2 bunches of Privet Berry (I live in a small apartment, so I only required a 3-foot-long garland; for longer garlands you'll need more foliage).
• Thin, bendable silver wire; 6 Yards of Tarnish-Resistant Silver Wire is $4.99 from Amazon.
• Garden scissors like these: Ikebana Scissors for $31.95 from Amazon.

N.B.: Looking for more how-to DIY garland ideas? See DIY: Holiday Decor for Small Spaces and DIY: A Dried Fruit Garland for the Holidays.

This is an update of a post originally published December 4, 2012.

Over the past week, I've slowly revealed my love of fire (here, here, and here in case you're curious). I thought it would be best to let out the secret slowly. I wouldn't call myself a pyromaniac exactly, but I've never turned down an opportunity to sit around a campfire and I've never pooh-poohed the gift of a sweetly scented candle. Last week after I wrote about the best kinds of firewood for a blazing fire, someone asked for tips for starting said fire. In an effort to persuade our earth-minded readers away from dousing perfectly seasoned logs with petrochemicals, or wrestling too much with newspaper and matches, we've made a set of eco-friendly fire starters to use all winter—or to give as gifts during this solstice season. The concept is simple: fill an egg carton with good-smelling and flammable botanicals, and cover them with beeswax.

Here's what you need:

• An empty egg carton
• Wood shavings
• Beeswax candle nubs or beeswax cakes for melting
• A tin can 
• A small saucepan
• Cotton wicking
• Pine cones, cinnamon sticks, or any other dried herbs 

Photographs by Erin Boyle. Photography shot with the Canon EOS 70D digital SLR camera, with Dual Pixel AF technology and built-in Wi-Fi.

Above: An old egg carton makes the perfect combustible base for DIY fire starters. 

Above: Other things to gather include wood shavings of any kind you can get your hands on (5 Cups of Organic Red Cedar Shavings is $5.99 from Stress Tamer Spa, and the shavings smell delicious).

You also need beeswax: I used a combination of old candle nubs and beeswax cakes from my local health store; a 3-Pack of Beeswax Cakes is $8 from Make A Basket.

From your spice cabinet, you'll need several cinnamon sticks, cut into 3/4-inch pieces. From your yard (or florist): pine cones, preferably with a few sweet-smelling needles still attached.

From the craft store: Cotton Square Braid Wicking, sold for $.50 per yard at Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. (For one-stop shopping, you can also get 1 pound of Raw Settled Beeswax for $5.95 from Brushy Mountain).

Above: I'm not 100 percent sure on the ID on these tiny cones, but I found branches full of them at the Flower Market and lugged them home with me. 

Above: Now that you have your materials, fill the base of each empty egg slot with a bedding of wood shavings. Because we're using beeswax and not the more flammable paraffin wax, I included a short length of wick to make sure the fire starters light without trouble.

Above: Clean out a 28-ounce aluminum can to use to melt your candle nubs or beeswax cakes. Add your hardened beeswax to the tin can and place inside a larger saucepan that's filled with an inch or two of water (the idea is to create a makeshift double boiler, without having to sacrifice a kitchen pan). Bring the water to a boil and keep an eye on your wax as it begins to melt. I ended up melting more wax than I needed: to make a dozen fire starters you'll need just enough melted wax to fill the 28-ounce can about one-third of the way.

Above: After the wax is melted, pour it into each egg cup. I recommend pouring each cup one by one and pressing a pine cone and a piece or two of cinnamon stick into each as you pour. The wax hardens fairly quickly, so you'll want to make sure that you stick the botanicals in fast so they'll stick. Make sure your wick stays above the surface of the wax so you can light it when the time comes.

Above: After the wax has hardened, use a pair of garden scissors to cut apart each cup.

Above: Fireplace-less as I am, I'm planning to give away my dozen, so I nestled them into the egg carton lid and tied them up with ribbon and bit of cedar.

Looking to have more fun with beeswax? See Justine's The Romance of the Homemade Candle.

There are some really gorgeous wrapping papers out there. But I'd rather save them for crafts than watch them be mindlessly ripped off the gifts on Christmas morning—especially when the nicer ones cost a dollar plus per foot! Instead, for the past few years I've put one of my mother's favorite craft projects to good use: employing potato stamps to make custom wrapping paper. A twofer, it not only engages my kids for an hour or two, it also provides me with reams of holiday paper at a fraction of the cost.

For a list of materials and step-by-step instructions, see below.

Photographs by Justine Hand.

Above: The supplies for making potato print wrapping paper are pretty simple and economical. By using inexpensive brown Kraft Paper from my local hardware store, I was able to make beautiful, custom paper for an average of 16 cents per foot.

Above: If you use a cookie cutter, potato stamps are easy to make; with younger kids, adults will want to handle the knife.

Above: One gingerbread stamp, ready for paint.

Above: My daughter, Solvi, dabs her tree-shaped potato stamp into some silver paint.

Above: Oliver opted for gold for his oak leaf.

Above: The first stamp!

Above: Many more followed.

Above: A row of white gingerbread men (symmetry achieved by Mama).

Above: You can tell from her face that Solvi is having a ball banging out her trees. Fortunately, the wonky application is part of homemade wallpaper's appeal.

Above: A sweet presentation: a gift wrapped in gingerbread men is finished with some Cotton Candy Stripe Ribbon from Shop Fog Linen; $14 for a set of three in red, blue and brown.

Above: Simply lovely, our silver tree paper needs little more than white pine and privet berries from my yard tied with Cotton Metallic Ribbon from Studio Carta; $9.

Above: You can even dress up your homemade kraft paper packages. Wrapped with a larch bow and blue velvet ribbon from Anthropologie, our gilded oak leaf paper looks fit for a king (a woodsy royal at least).

DIY Potato Print Wrapping Paper

Materials:

• kraft paper - This can be bought in bulk at varying lengths and widths. I used several 15"x2.5" rolls, available at Create For Less for $2.29/roll. (Note: If you can find it, less heavy kraft paper makes wrapping a tad easier.)
• large potatoes
• small cookie cutters - From Country Kitchen Sweetart, I bought a mini oak leaf cutter; $1.25, a small tree; $1.25 and a wee gingerbread man; $1.25.
• craft paint - I used Martha Stewart in gold, silver and white from Michael's.
• paper plates for the paint
• pointed knife

Instructions:

First make your stamps. (See the second set of photos above for a visual aid.) Taking one half of a potato, insert your cookie cutter into the center until the side is half way in. With a parring knife cut into the potato and around the whole cookie cutter, using the knife's tip to get into the narrow spots. Gently lift the cutting away and remove the cookie cutter from the potato.

Lay your kraft paper across a long surface such as a dining table or the floor. Tape or weigh the ends. Then squeeze a small amount of paint onto a plate and use your potato to spread it thinly. Dab your potato stamp into the paint lifting it to make sure the stamp is evenly covered with a thin layer of paint. (Too much will cause a smudge.) Then stamp it onto the paper. Repeat until the surface is covered to your satisfaction.

Once your paper in dry, it's ready for wrapping. I choose bits of nature as the finishing touches on mine. And since I saved so much on paper and supplies, I may have indulged a little more on ribbon. But these I find easier to salvage from the unwrapping wreckage and reuse.

N.B. Looking for more economic holiday crafts inspired by nature? See our Gilded Tree.

When he was still a boy, my grandfather built a car from parts, and it ran. This was in 1928, and the start of his lifelong love of tools.  He could make pretty much anything you needed—a wooden bookshelf, electric wiring, a curved staircase—and his tools were so much a part of him that when he held one in his hands it seemed a physical extension of an idea in his head. 

To love tools like that is a kind of religion. I adhere to it too, every time my hand closes around my favorite pruners. So do the folks at Garrett Wade, sellers of fine tools since 1975. To celebrate the holiday season, they're giving away a $224 selection of the company's best diggers, along with supplies for sharpening and cleaning them.

Garrett Wade, which sells 1,700 high-quality products—including garden tools, outdoor equipment, and shop tools—was founded by Gary Chinn, who felt nostalgic for the well-made woodworking tools he remembered from childhood. "The last 38 years we've spent combing the world for really well made, interesting tools that will last a lifetime," says Craig Winer, Garrett Wade vice president.

Garrett Wade will be giving away the $224 digging collection (accompanied here by tips from Garrett Wade product development expert Anthony Francis for sharpening and caring for them) to a randomly selected reader. Here's how to enter:

• Subscribe to our Gardenista Newsletter and leave a comment below describing the biggest digging challenge you've faced (perhaps you've tried to dig up an old stump? If so, please accept our condolences). If you are already a Gardenista Newsletter subscriber, mention that in your comment below.
• The deadline is noon Pacific time Monday, December 16 and the winner will be announced on December 18. Be sure to check back to see if you've won.

 Photographs by John Merkl.

Above: The $224 giveaway collection of digging tools and supplies includea two sharp-edged digging tools—a shovel with an detachable non-slip foot rest and a hand trowel-weeder with a serrated edge—plus everything you need to keep them sharp and clean: aerosol spray lubricant, hand blocks for cleaning off rust, and a mill file.

Here's how to keep digging tools sharp, year after year:

Above: Made in the US, an all-steel Super Penetration Shovel that comes with an optional, adjustable rubber foot rest is sharp enough to break up clay and heavily compacted soil; $117.60.

To keep it sharp during the season, you can re-sharpen your bevel-edged shovel after every four or five times you use it to dig or chop roots in the garden. "If you spend most of the season using it to move dirt and compost instead, you may only need to re-sharpen it once at the beginning of the season," says Garrett Wade's Anthony Francis.

Step 1: Put on a pair of heavy gloves; when you work with sharp-edged tools, you should protect your hands.

Step 2: Clamp the shovel to a work surface. Francis recommends using two clamps: one to hold the blade and a second on the handle.

Step 3: On the front of the shovel, File in one direction along the leading edge to remove accumulated rust and nicks in the metal. If the edge has curled over into a small tip from use, file this away too.

Above: Manufactured in Germany, a versatile Pferd 10-Inch Flat Mill File has a relatively coarse grit and is $16.50.

Step 4: After the edge is smooth and sharp, flip over the shovel to file away nicks on the back side. "You'll probably spend 90 percent of your time on the front bevel and 10 percent working on the back," says Francis.

Above: A 6-ounce can of aerosol spray Ballistol Garden Tool Oil is $11.50.

Step 5: Spray on the lubricant and then wipe it away with a clean cloth. "It's important to do this step, because when you file a shovel, you expose the metal, which needs to be protected from rust," says Anthony.

Above: A Professional Gardener's Digging Tool made in the US has a 7-inch curved and serrated blade and is $59.80. A set of three Wonderbar Rust Eraser hand blocks (with rough, medium, and fine grits) work on metal the way an eraser works on paper: $18.50.

The hand digger has a serrated edge that's good for weeding, breaking up roots in a compacted root ball, and sawing through tangled roots.

The process of sharpening it is the same as with the shovel. In addition, you can remove sap and rust by using flexible hand blocks. The blocks, made of a special rubber compound with an imbedded grit of silicone carbide, feel like springy sandpaper in your hands. 

Rub the blocks in a circular motion over the blade, as if you were cleaning pots and pans, to clean away rust or buildup of sap or pitch from cut roots.

Above: The sanding blocks come in three grades; start with the roughest grit and finish with the fine grit after nicks and curls have been removed from both sides of the blade.

Above: The aggressive serrated edge of the blade excels at breaking up compacted roots when you are transplanting.

Looking for more advice for cleaning and maintaining tools? See Expert Advice: How to Make Your Pruners and Loppers Last a Lifetime.

Looking for an original stocking stuffer? Hostess gift? Or do you, like me, like to keep a few extra gifts around just in case? To fit all these bills this holiday season, I'm stocking up on these beautifully packaged recycled newspaper pencils by Social Goods Co. 

Above: A former art director from Philly, Sara Lorenz makes each pouch from eco-friendly cotton, embellished with vintage gold buttons and an original design, such as this Copper Fox Pencil Pouch; $15.

Above: Inside each pouch are five pencils made from recycled newspaper, which when sharpened reveal a lovely marbled pattern.

Above: Another festive holiday option is Sara's Snowflake Pencil Pouch; $15. Other designs include a shimmery Bronze, Gold or Blue pouches; $15 each.

Above: As a finishing touch to these or any other gift, I think I might keep a few of Social Goods'  Kraft paper Brown Bear Gift Tags on hand as well; $4 for set of eight.

N.B. Not quite finished with your holiday shopping? Check out all our Hand-Selected Gift Guides for the nature lovers in your life.