Red and White Holiday Home Decorations

The front door of a house can be as inviting as a cup of warm cocoa on a cold day. Outline your entry with a garland of fresh pine and adorn the door with a red basket filled with greenery.

Stylish glass vases hold candles for a centerpiece and look as festive as a candy cane. To make this centerpiece, tie the candles together with ribbon, leaving long ends. Hold the candles upright while pouring in enough layers of decorative red and white sugar to anchor them firmly.

Editor's Tip: Thread the ribbon ends through tiny Christmas balls for a touch of holiday sparkle.

Explore your local flea market or antiques store to find the makings for these festive food servers: You'll need antique plates and short candlesticks. Stack matching plates in different sizes to make a tiered cake stand that displays your best holiday goodies.

Join colorful yet inexpensive tea towels to create this cheerful table runner. Measure and mark 5 to 7 equally spaced spots along each of the narrow edges where two tea towels meet. At each marked spot, attach a metal eyelet according to the package instructions. Thread ribbon through the holes to join the towels and form a single runner.

Raid your scrap bag to find leftover pieces of red and white fabrics for festive Christmas stockings -- the more patterns, the merrier! Add classic ball fringe to the cuff for a fun, retro detail.

Send your guests home with something to enjoy at the end of holiday parties. Place an attractive container of candy canes by the door, so guests can take one as they say their good-byes.

Tuck a tiny gift box into a cup or bowl at each person's place setting. Colorful boxes that don't need rewrapping are sold at most crafts stores. Simply tie a ribbon onto the boxed gift, and dress it up with artificial berries or greenery.

For a quick decoration on the back of a dining-room chair, tie on a big red-ribbon bow. Wire on a sprig of greenery and a glittering white snowflake ornament that your guest can take home as a little gift.

Those vintage ornaments found in the attic have seen countless holiday celebrations. Bring them out and display them proudly, nicks and all, for an authentic touch of Christmas past.

Old ice skates from a secondhand store become charming decorations, especially on a tree. The pom-pom trimmings are easy and fun for older kids to make from bright red yarn.

Whip together a holiday purse, using thick white felt and accents of red yarn. No fancy sewing skills are needed -- simply cut one length of felt and fold it over (you may want to line it with sturdier fabric cut to the same shape). Secure the edges with a buttonhole stitch, using red yarn on a large darning needle. Add more color with a flower made from red felt scraps and a button.