Some people can't stand Christmas carols or Christmas songs. We kind of understand - after all, many radio stations play holiday music - and nothing but - from the first week of November until New Years. That's a whole lot of "Jingle Bells."
Holidays are a time when you commune with friends and family and show how much you appreciate them, right? Though we take the time to put up with our (sometimes pesky) relatives and purchase personalized presents, we also mail out mass-produced boxes of cards all with the same smiling Santa in the front and "Happy Holidays" inside.
Peppermint is a great scent to have around during the holidays. It not only reminds us of Christmas, but taking a whiff of peppermint also awakens the senses and suppresses appetite (good for all that food you're going to be eating).
Guy Fawkes Day is one of the biggest holidays in the UK, functioning as sort of a combination of the 4th of July and Halloween. One of it's distinctive elements is traditional masks like the one Guy Fawkes supposedly wore (also worn by V in V For Vendetta). If you want to get into the spirit of the holiday for Halloween or actual Guy Fawkes Day (Nov. 5), watch this video to learn how to apply a sexy Guy Fawkes mask makeup look.
Fourth of July is, at its core, a foodie holiday. When you get together with friends and family to celebrate the occasion, it's almost impossible to avoid stuffing your face with grilled meats, excessive BBQ sauce, coleslaw, hot dogs, french fries, and more.
Christmas may not be until a few months from now, but it's never too early to start crafting for the holidays! If you're excited about the holiday season and can't wait to begin crafting gifts and cards for your loved ones, check out this video to learn how to make an accordian folded Christmas paper flower.
This holiday cookies are a favorite for many dessert lovers… or more accurately… rum lovers. They're basically a butter cookie, but with a delicious and fluffy rum filling in the middle. These delicious desserts are called "rum-filled thumb prints" and will not disappoint. The key is to encrust the cookie dough in walnuts, then bake! And the nutmeg goes perfectly with the rum.
Create holiday red, green, and gold wreath nails
This beautiful hairstyle would look good for any special occasion, but it especially fits the holidays, when you're hitting up cocktail party after cocktail party and need to look your absolute best (you never know when you may meet a hottie through your coworker!).
Christmas is The holiday of the year for many bakers, as the festive occasion offers more than enough excuses to bring out their best cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and yummy desserts. All red and green and Christmas-themed, of course. Christmas allows those creative juices to flow, but offers up very specific icons to work with.
So the first thing you're probably wondering is who the hell Curly Sue is. Well, Curly Sue is actually a cute homeless girl from John Hues' movie of the same name who has a heart of gold and a hair of curls.
We can't guarantee that these candy trees will still be there the next day if you happen to have a few candy-obsessed kids running around the house! As short or as long as they last, these candy trees are a gorgeous compliment to your holiday decor. When untouched, these trees can be brought out year after year to delight Christmas guests.
If I had to guess, I'd say your waffle maker is probably collecting dust on the highest shelf in your kitchen, or deep in some cabinet you haven't opened in years. And that's assuming you even have a waffle maker.
The holiday season wouldn't be the same without decorations. Ornaments and fancy lighting brightens up a neighborhood and helps spread the holiday cheer. While decorations and Christmas lights are fantastic, why not get a little more creative and some fun in the process?
If an athlete gets athlete's foot, what does an astronaut get? Mistletoe. Yup, that's about the only time I've ever really needed mistletoe for anything, but cheesy one-liners aside, mistletoe can be the greatest wingman (or wingwoman) ever, but only during the holiday season.
This gift will give the recipient a nice little zap when they open it! All you'll need is some basic electronics that you can find at any retailer like Radio Shack, and a soldering iron for a little bit of detail work.
Find which airlines Google is providing free Wi-Fi on this holiday season, fix shutter lag on digital cameras, wipe your hard drive for free, improve your Wi-Fi router performance, adjust your television and monitor for accuracy, choose the best 1080p projector, use a single server that can handle OS X, Windows & Linux simultaneously, and use the best audio encoding system for Windows Media Center and Zune.
Three disparate but useful indie filmmaking techniques, one video. One stop shopping just in time for the holidays. This video will teach you how to make day into night with editing, normal things giant with filming, and make actors fall from high places without hurting themselves unduly.
One of the reasons we love Halloween is because the spooktacular holiday lets us go all out and get crazy with our makeup without getting condescending, awkward looks on the street.
Cupcake decorating is fun no matter what season you're decorating for, from Christmas tree-shaped cupcakes for the holidays to these cheery sun cupcakes for the month of June.
Make a healthy food enjoyable this Thanksgiving or Christmas by mixing yourself a POMtini. Made of POM juice and several different liqueurs, the POMtini is the brainchild of POM founder Lynda Resnick.
Before you say, "ick, but veggies don't taste good," consider this: Spinach has lots of chromium, a nutrient that boosts metabolism and reduces hunger, two key things needed to stay lean and fit during the holiday feasting season.
Purchasing mass-produced sets of ornaments during the holidays does save you time, but why have your tree resemble those of every house on your block when you can make your own, personalized Christmas ornaments?
Get creative for your next holiday or birthday by giving your gift in a unique manner! This origami video shows how to make a box with a lid out of two sheets of paper. This project from Fold Something makes a great gift box for small presents.
If you like folding paper stars and think they're a cinch, this omega star should give you quite a challenge. This omega star is an intricate fold that looks beautiful when complete. Perfect atop that pine tree in your living room (during holidays hopefully). This step=by=step video takes you through each fold of the paper origami 3D omega star, so pay attention.
Nathan demonstrates how to easily make a button using the Badge A Minit hand press button maker. First, load the button back into the blue ring. Place the artwork, face side up on top of the button back. Add the clear plastic circle on top of the artwork and put the yellow ring on top. Next, flip the apparatus over and put the purple ring on top of it. Then, put the green ring on top of the purple ring. Place one hand on top of the other on top of the green ring and press down firmly until it...
Cinnamon Buns are made from scratch in this video (with the help of a bread maker and a vigorous soundtrack). In the bread maker's pan, combine 3/4 cup milk, 2 ounces of butter, 1 egg, 3 cups of flour to which 1 teaspoon of gluten has been added, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Make a well in dry ingredients, and pour in 1-1/2 teaspoons of yeast. Turn the bread maker onto the dough setting, to knead the dough and let it rise, but do not run the baking cycle. After the dough ...
Take the edge off the holidays and feel lit up like a Christmas tree inside and out by swigging one of these bad boys. This sweet and tart pomegranate martini is so very tangy and delicious while giving you that perfect alcoholic kick.
The holiday season rushes by so fast that it helps to keep track of touching holiday memories with an advent calendar. Advent calendars also allow you and your family to congregate together each day and spend some quality time together counting down the days to Christmas and sometimes getting a new small gift each day.
Hot buttered rum gives your taste buds that perfect jolt of warmth and spiciness that's great for warming up your spirits after a cold trek outdoors. Buttered rum is a great alternative to your usual martinis and cosmos at a cocktail party, and it's super festive, too.
Some people can't stand Christmas carols or Christmas songs. We kind of understand - after all, many radio stations play holiday music - and nothing but - from the first week of November until New Years.
If you want to indulge this holiday eating season without gaining a few inches in your waistline, check out this video to learn a recipe for sweet potato balls with Paula Deen. Sweet potatoes have less fat and fewer calories than regular potatoes, but are bursting with just as much flavor.
In this video the author describes how to design a centerpiece for your table with a holiday or winter type theme. The author uses different types of foliage including cedar, pine, sugar pine cones, roses, and twigs to accomplish this masterpiece. This is a step-by-step video and is easy to follow along with. The author starts with floral foam and explains the process from start to finish with enthusiasm and detail. The finished product would decorate a large table for a party or gathering an...
This is an instructional video on how to make a snowflake crochet, try and enjoy. Use a yarn and a size 8 crochet hook, follow the instructions on this video to make a snowflake crochet which you can use as gifts for holidays and personal use. The steps are in segments that are easy to follow. Be careful on counts to avoid mistake, just follow the video and you can have a personally made snowflake crochet. Follow these simple tips and you will no longer have to worry what gifts to buy on the ...
Swedish meatballs make every holiday gathering something even more special, because your guests will know that every bite is made by hand with love. And with this pan gravy, there is nothing that compares. Great for an appetizer!
Learn how to apply zombie makeup as a Halloween costume. Mike the How-To Guy shows you how to put on the makeup for that ghoulish holiday, or for any other reason, like a short, low-budget independent film.
The bias cut is when you cut a piece of fabric at a forty five degree angle from the direction it was woven on a loom. Bias tape, a strip of fabric cut on the bias, can be used to give any garment a professional looking finish, and here is how you can make your own.
Many action or crime dramas revolve around briefcases full of money. But you're just an indie film maker - you don't have that much money! How can you make a convincing briefcase full of money without having to take out a small loan? Indy Mogul is here to show you how!
Some film makers fall into a few pitfalls when working with a green screen. This video lists a few common problems, such as having your talent wear costumes in similar color keys or using uneven lighting, and how to avoid them completely.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, leaving holiday cookers scrambling for turkey recipes the whole family will love, without taking up the whole holiday in the kitchen. One thing's for sure though— a nice Butterball turkey is sure to be the main dish on everyone's table this feast-ive holiday season.
