Tag Archives: Nativity

Parties & Tablescapes

Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Tablescape Décor Ideas Evoking Love’s Pure Light

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Celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with tablescape décor ideas evoking Love’s pure light. Placing a nativity as a Christmas dinner’s centerpiece places the message of Christ into the center of the Christmas celebration itself. It’s a beautiful way to remember the greatest gift of truest love.

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“Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon Virgin Mother and Child! Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace!”

The focal point of the centerpiece vignette is a gilded nativity sculpture ensconced within a sheltering angel’s wings inset with shimmering glass mosaic. A gilt cross is placed as a reminder of the resolution of the ultimate gift. Beaded tree forms stand in deference to the difficult journey made to Bethlehem.

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“Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heavenly Hosts sing Alleluia! Christ, the Saviour, is born! Christ, the Saviour, is born!”

A golden polyptych rising as the gates of Heaven reflects a glimmering mosaic Holy Family sculpture and presiding angel aglow with proclamation. Glories stream as jeweled fabric swirls from a beaded wreath representing He that is all seeing.

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“Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light Radiant beams from Thy Holy Face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth! Jesus, Lord, at Thy Birth!”

Radiant light reflects as the looming dawn from a large beaded ornament poised over the nativity. Reproductions of renaissance art featuring Madonna with child are exhibited with various gilded crosses in the background.

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“Silent Night, Holy Night Here at last, healing light From the heavenly kingdom sent, Abundant grace for our intent. Jesus, salvation for all. Jesus, salvation for all.”

Ornamental golden levels rise as the stairway to Heaven whose path may be traversed by means of the prayers of the faithful and Love’s pure light, symbolized by lit votive candles of golden beads and frosted glass.

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“Silent Night! Holy Night” Sleeps the world in peace tonight. God sends his Son to earth below A Child from whom all blessings flow Jesus, embraces mankind. Jesus, embraces mankind.”

Heavenly blessings as signified by vintage gold embroidered tulle envelop the earthen colored cloth. Gold-leafed chalices bear remembrance to Holy sacrament.

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“Silent Night, Holy Night Mindful of mankind’s plight The Lord in Heav’n on high decreed From earthly woes we would be freed Jesus, God’s promise for peace. Jesus, God’s promise for peace.”

Brass utensils with wooden handles echo tools suggesting earthly toil and mankind’s plight. A simple wooden plate hearkening to the apostles’ era is ringed by a halo of righteousness in the form of a golden charger. Christmas messages of “hope” and “joy” mark handcrafted napkin rings which encircle cloth napkins implying the fabric of humanity.

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“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:14 KJV

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. Though there are actually several versions of “Silent Night, Holy Night”, I have quoted the most complete translation of the original German Hymn (whose words were written by Rev. Joseph Mohr in 1816, and music composed by Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818).

P.P.S. Print free nativity Christmas cards and learn how to easily make the coordinating napkin rings here: Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Free Printable Nativity Cards and Easy Craft Tutorial for Hope & Joy Napkin Rings for Christmas Dinner

Arts & Crafts

Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Free Printable Nativity Cards & Easy Craft Tutorial for Hope & Joy Napkin Rings for Christmas Dinner

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Easily craft beautiful hope and joy napkin rings for Christmas dinner with this quick tutorial, and then send free printable nativity cards that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. In this way you may offer the message of abounding hope and joy for the Christmas season.

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In order to make the napkin rings, you will need a wired ribbon of 1.5 inch width. Choose any pattern of colors to coordinate with the table linens you plan on using. You will need to cut a 6 inch strip for each ring you plan to make, and then you can use the leftover ribbon for coordinating wreaths or packages. You’ll also need miniature word ornaments or scrapbooking embellishments. (This ribbon was 40% off at Hobby Lobby, as were the adornments which were available in various metals and words.) You can also go a step further by bending wire to form a cursive word… but on this day I was going for a quick and easy 5 minute project!

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Place a line of glue along the decorative side of the short end of the ribbon. Slightly overlap that edge over the other, and press firmly for lasting adherence. (Use a silicone finger guard to protect yourself from the heat while pressing.)

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Flatten the rings with the seam centered on the underside. Use a glue like E6000 to adhere the metal to the glittered ribbon, as it grips unlike surfaces well. Just use a dot of glue at the center of the word. Let them dry overnight.

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My free printable card is a great way to send Christmas blessings celebrating the true meaning of the holiday to everyone on your list. Print out the exact number you need, when you need them, without having to go back to the store for extra boxed sets. It’s much simpler and far less expensive to buy bulk boxes of envelopes for year round use. (Check my arts & crafts webpage or index webpage for my ever-growing selection of free printables… free for noncommercial personal use only!) To print the cards, simply right click on the image above and select print. One page equals one 5×7 card… so choose the number you want to make, and select color and photo quality settings.

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Cut along the colorized edge of the rectangle and fold in half. If you really want to make the card shine, spread opalescent glitter glue over the halos and stargazes, and then let them dry overnight before sending. (In person, the dramatic difference is worth the 10 seconds per card.) You can handwrite a line of scripture (like the one below), or use a dollar bin stamp as an easy way to add a special Christmas message of your choice to the inside of each card. (Le fidèLe Designs affiliate store Michaels offers these often.) This is a great project to involve the whole family with an assembly line of printing, cutting, folding, stamping, glittering, and then group signing. You spend less money, and the hand crafted card is appreciated more by the recipient (at least from what I’ve experienced.)

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“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13 KJV

Faithfully Yours,

Leigh

P.S. See the napkin rings within a Christmas dinner setting in my article here: Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Tablescape Décor Ideas Evoking Love’s Pure Light