HGTV Magazine December 2013

House numbers 4"-tall numbers in polished brass, $7.50 each, houseofantiquehardware.com lantern Red Harlequin 8"W x 8"D x 17 ½"H iron and glass lantern, $25, pier1.com Outdoor thermometer 8 ½"-diameter brasswall thermometer, $118, shopterrain.com Welcome mat Nordic Winter Estate 18" x 40" coir mat, $46, tag2u.com Sled Dash Runnered 38"-long wood sled, $109, llbean.com Door Exterior Traditional Shaker door, from $400, simpsondoor.com for stores; paint: Candy Cane by Kelly-Moore Paints; Baldwin Atlanta Mortise handleset in lifetime polished brass, $330, handlesets.com; wreath: Multicolor jewel-tone 24"-diameter shatterproof ornament wreath, $60, christmascentral.com Doorbell Radiant Design doorbell cover in polished brass, $11.50, houseofantiquehardware.com Porch light Silverton 16"-tall old brass sconce with frosted fluted shade, $260, rejuvenation.com Open to see eight more wreath and paint ideas! Pick your front door holiday style! Make a merry entrance…

WIN IT! See page 151 for details. Topper Iridescent Gold Glitter Star Disc 16"-diameter mesh ornament, $8, jamaligarden.com Gift wrap HGTV Magazine 6-point star custom matte gift wrap in pink, fuchsia, and purple, $15 per roll, spoonflower.com Pink ball ornaments Christmas Ball 3 ¼"-diameter glass ornaments in matte pale pink and pearl pale pink, $25 for a set of 8 (in one color), both christmascentral.com Vickerman Matte Glitter Stripes 4"-diameter plastic ornament in pink, $6, christmascentral.com Knit 5"-diameter ornament in pink, $5, jamaligarden.com Glittered and beaded 6"-diameter foam ornament in hot pink, $6, jamaligarden.com Gold star ornaments Gold Star 4 ½"-tall plastic ornament, $8 for a set of 4, bronners.com Stella 8"-tall glass and glitter ornament in gold, $12, zgallerie.com Gold Sequin Star 6"-tall paper ornament, $12.50, bloomingdales.com Galaxy Star…

I edit for a living, but I'll never edit down my ornament collection. Not gonna happen. That's because my felt gingerbread men, needlepoint Santas, and rhinestone reindeers have good stories attached to them. Don't yours? THE OLDEST OF THE PACK When I was a kid, my sisters and I got presents every Christmas fromnot one but two snowy, faraway places. Some came from the North Pole (Santa, of course), and others arrived in the mail from Sweden, where distant relatives would make traditional ornaments (like these!) to send us. The fragile crafts were not as fun to open as, say, an Easy-Bake Oven, but they stuck around longer. Swaddled in paper towels 11 months of the year, they've stayed intact for decades. Now, I can't imagine decorating my tree without…

In October's "The Most Embarrassing Kitchen in America!" Tiffany and Jeff did a phenomenal job transforming a dingy kitchen into a vibrant, functional work space. Thanks for the amazing inspiration. —Susie Stern, Missouri City, TX I just finished reading the October issue and thought it was great—especially Dave and Michelle Kohanzo's house tour ("Mom Decorated, Kid Approved"). The cute pink kitchen is exactly my style. —Tara Rodriguez, Pueblo, CO I'm having a new home constructed, so I'm planning to show my builder "The Do-It-All Addition" in your October issue. I want that whole screened-in porch! —Martha Franklin, Rustburg, VA "Yay!" was my response when I saw your article on composting in the October issue ("Compost Doesn't Have to Be Scary or Smelly!") because I had just started my own compost…

$4,500+ worth of giveaways! framed print, page 72 10 winners Peony Bottle by Betty Hatchett 8" x 10" framed print, minted.com fondue set, page 62 10 winners Retro enamel coated steel fondue set in aqua, worldmarket.com mug for dad, page 62 10 winners My Dad Is Fab porcelain mug, zazzle.com gold giraffe, page 61 10 winners Shiny 10"-tall electroplated ceramic giraffe, furbishstudio.com merry cake stand, page 62 10 winners Bird and Berries 11 ¾"-diameter porcelain cake stand, tag2u.com jewelry box, page 66 10 winners Manta 10 ½"W x 7 ½"D x 3 ¼"H faux-shagreen jewelry box in emerald, zgallerie.com play tent, page 66 10 winners Indoor Explorer 44"W x 32"D x 40"H cotton canvas pup tent in multicolor, landofnod.com festive spreaders, page 68 10 winners Jingle Bell spreaders set, pier1.com…

1. Before writing on chalkboard paint for the first time, you should lightly rub the entire surface with chalk, then wipe it clean. A. True B. False 2. Match the marker tip to its name. 1. Chisel 2. Ultra-fine 3. Brush 3. What is this type of paint applicator called? A. A pusher B. A dabber C. A pointer D. A pouncer 4. Which of the following is not traditionally considered a type of ribbon? A. Satin B. Grosgrain C. Rickrack D. Curling 5. Colorful Japanese masking tape is also known as: A. Gogi tape B. Washi tape C. Wasabi tape D. Super tape 6. Match the paint to the projects it's best suited for. 1. Wall art, stamping, and wood crafts 2. Finger painting with kids 3. Decorating fabric…