December.
The Holiday Season is officially here! Many of you are finding invites in your inboxes. I will shamelessly admit that each time I receive one, my first thought is…”oooh ….. wonder what the food will be like!”. C’mon, you know you’ve thought it too, at least once or twice.
Holiday gatherings exude this sense of needing to prepare the most beautiful food and drink for all those in your life… which is great! I love that people who normally don’t care to cook get out cookbooks and magazine clippings, searching for the perfect thing to serve at their upcoming party.
So what’s the first thing the guest sees at your Christmas gala?
Okay, besides the tree.
Yes! The lovely array of appetizers! From the proscuitto-wrapped asparagus that my friend Tracie loves to serve, to the bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos that my friend Mary whips up…the start of every good gathering begins with food. At my house, you can bet there will always be at least 5 different types of specialty cheeses, and many colorful fruit and/or vegetables from the local Farmers Market. But, with such pretty little morsels, it would just make sense that they would need something to give them that extra….sparkle. Right?
If you’re throwing the event, chances are you want your hors d’oeuvres to look like they popped out of a magazine. And by “magazine”, I mean “Martha Stewart Living”… not “Lumberjack Digest”.
And, if you’re the invited guest, you may want a little something to bring along as a hostess gift (also known as the “ohmygosh, thank goodness YOU are having this party instead of me, here you go, where’s the wine?” gift.)
Whether you’re the guest, the host, or hostess,
I think this DIY craft will be something you may want to try.
Sparkle.
Five years ago, I made a set of appetizer picks to brighten up my Thanksgiving appetizer table. They were certainly a hit, and I was quite pleased that they lasted through the whole day without any issues. That night, as I was loading the dishwasher, I put one of them in the basket to see what would happen. I figured that if it melted or fell apart, I had only lost one. Much to my surprise, it came out in one piece. Since Thanksgiving of 2007, these little picks have been through the dishwasher many times, and they’re still good as new =0)
Beaded Appetizer Picks
1 block of dense styrofoam
1 package Stainless Steel Turkey Lacing Pins
Assorted silver spacer beads (here’s an example)
Assorted glass beads with holes large enough for turkey picks (see picture below)
1. Using pliers, carefully squeeze circle on turkey pick until it nearly closes.
2. String beads and all but last spacer onto pick.
3. Using a toothpick, put a tiny drop of gorilla glue on the pick where the last bead ends.
4. Put the final spacer back on and press for a second.
5. Push the top end of the pick into styrofoam to dry (See picture below). This will take 24 hours.
Remember.
My mom always reminded us that when you put out a plate of food for others, presentation was a big part. It had to look pretty, besides tasting good. I agree wholeheartedly, and I think these little appetizer picks will put you on the right track to a superbly fabulous party.
What do you think?
PS: Keep the comments going. It makes the Sockmonkey happy =0)
By the way, the videos that you see below my posts, unless I’ve referred to them, are just “lovely” advertising and have nothing to do with me… just in case you’re wondering…
Sockmonkey's Kitchen 
Great idea – thanks for sharing! These would make a great gift, too.
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Glad you liked it! Once you make them, you end up wanting to throw more parties too, so that’s a plus 😉
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Pick Me! Pick me!!! Can I be your favorite holiday hostess?? (Just kidding!!) but I would love to borrow these Saturday. How beautiful! What an incredible idea! So sparkly and pretty. Thanks for sharing! If I had two more days I’d make them.
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You are definitely one of the best hostesses I’ve seen! Glad you like the idea.
And yes, I was going to bring you the Sea Glass set…since I made them specifically for you, as part of your Christmas present =0)
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Wow!!!!! Really?!! I’m sooooo excited! Thank you!
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That is one of the cutest ideas I have ever seen!
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Thanks, Barbara! I love beads, and made beaded silver jewelry for some time, so this was a good way to put my own personality into my food presentation.
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Do your talents ever end?…Great idea!!
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Awww this is sucha cute idea! I have a big family do coming up and we all bring a dish. this is such a fantastic way to brighten up appetisers! Thanks for the inspiration. xx
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I bet yours will look soooo pretty too!!! Gee, maybe you’ll blog about them.. 😉
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These picks are so cool- they look fun and easy and purrrdy! Thanks sockmonkey!!
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Why thank you so very much! If you make any, I’d love to see the finished product =0)
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I got to hang out with you! I have never been to or invited to a winter gala but I’m sure I would say yes to them ALL! Living vicariously through you!
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Awww – you are so kind! I love holiday parties…and I’ve had gatherings where other people brought most of the food, which in and of itself is great, because there’s virtually no mess or clean up! yay to that!
PS: I live vicariously through the sockmonkey 😉
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Well sock monkey is very lucky to have such a fun and engaging companion. I hope he treats you well! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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Your picks are lovely. Where do you find beads that have large enough holes for the skewer to go through. I looked at Hobby Lobby and didn’t see any with larger holes.
Could you please tell me where I can get them?
Thank you,
Laura
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Great question, and welcome to the blog, Laura =0)
I’m surprised you didn’t see any at Hobby Lobby (love that place!). I can generally find them at Michaels. They come in a half-circle plastic container that has lots of sections. They’re usually a mix of all different glass beads, and you can get them in different color schemes. Here’s a link to one I found online, so you can get the general idea: http://thmb.inkfrog.com/thumbn/CreativeXpressions/Cousin_-_Glass_Rainbow_Beads_001.jpg=450
I really hope this helps =0) Thanks for stopping by!
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Thank you so much. That really helps. I was worried that the size of the hole in the beads would be too small to fit the turkey lacing pins through. I just ordered the pins online so maybe I think they are bigger than what they really are. Once I see them I will understand better. I can hardly wait to try my hand at these. Thanks for being so willing to share your craft and knowledge with others.
Laura
Laura
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Of course! Sharing ideas is something I love to do! Here’s another tip – if the holes ever seem a bit too large, you’ll never know it, because the silver spacer beads and/or the silver bead caps will camouflage the glass bead holes. =0)
You’ll be crafting like a pro in no time! PS: if you’d like to show any photos of your work, I’d love to see them!
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Thanks so much for sharing!!! I absolutely love this idea….. so nice of you to show pictures of different color schemes too. My daughter & I are looking for ideas for a craft fair for fall & winter of this year & we need all the time we can get to prepare & make throughout the year. These would be a perfect addition if you don’t mind. First, I’ll make them for us…& when complete…they’ll be a nice addition to our parties…..always love having cheese!!! 😉 They will also be a nice reminder of the sweet, kind-hearted person that you are…. Thank you…thank you!!
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I hope that when you guys do make them, that you’ll share photos on the facebook page! I love to see other peoples’ work!! =0)
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Made them with a sparkle flair in “olive” colors for a friend that is over the moon when it comes to olives! Perfect idea for her! Such a fun and easy project. Thanks so much. I’d love to send a pic!
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