Welcome Mat: Celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas
Finding those stockings for the holidays
Anyone who looks forward to all those stocking stuffers knows that good things really do come in small packages. But it’s not just what’s inside that can surprise and delight. If your tired old stockings have seen better days, it might be time to buy some new ones that can hang in your home and make great holiday gifts filled with tiny treasures. Check out the Beekman 1802 Holiday Collection available exclusively at Bed Bath & Beyond that includes the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Holiday Cable Knit Stocking in Grey as well as the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Holiday Buffalo Plaid Stocking shown here ($24.99 each). Go to bedbathandbeyond.com.
Celebrate an old-fashioned holiday at the Alger House
Attend a Christmas Soiree from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the Alger House overlooking Lake St. Claire in Grosse Pointe Farms ($15). Take a tour of the grand old mansion, named one of the 50 most significant buildings in the state. Enjoy Christmas carolers along with a local artist, inspired by the final movement of Beethoven’s ninth symphony, Ode to Joy, who will share her Christmas cards made over the years. Make paper cranes with an origami master trained in Japan and take one home for your own Christmas tree. This is part of the Your Old Mansion lecture and tour series. 32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms. For information and registration go to grossepointeartcenter.org or call (313) 881-3454.
Laurie Eisenhardt hosting a Holiday Studio Show
Follow the yellow straw path to Laurie Eisenhardt's backyard studio where handmade treasures abound at her Holiday Studio Show that runs two weekends, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. this Saturday and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday The event continues from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Dec. 17. Eisenhardt, an established artist whose public installations include Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit among others, will exhibit her unique ceramics ranging from intricately glazed ornaments to tiles, mosaics, wall pockets and sculpture. Prices start at $12. The studio is located behind her pink house, 413 S. Pleasant, Royal Oak. For information, go to laurieeisenhardt.com or call (248) 544-1006.
Expand your creative knowledge at USArtQuest
Choose from a wide variety of creative classes offered at USArtQuest, a 3,500-square-foot warehouse and retail space in Chelsea owned by Susan Pickering Rothamel who has authored numerous books and appeared on HGTV, HSN and more. Coming up, Book Folding – Inner Heart with David Lawra from 9:30 a.m. – noon Dec. 15. The $35 fee includes materials. Learn how to transform a book into a work of art by reading the pattern, marking the pages and folding them. Bring one or two clean hardcover books. The inside paper should be about 9” in length and the book should be 350 pages or more. The edges must be flat. Check your local library for used books for sale. USArtQuest, 18650 W. Old US 12, will have a few extras for sale too. For information go to usartquest.com or call (734) 562-2662.
Chanukah Gift Wrap Workshop at Paper Source
Paper Source in Birmingham offers a Chanukah Gift Wrap Workshop from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 15. Learn gift-wrapping essentials and how to create festive tags and elegant accents. They’ll show you how to hide your seam, tie a bow, heat emboss and more. A 10 percent coupon provided with the class can go toward materials you need to finish the rest of your wrapping at home. Materials required: four boxed gifts (no bigger than a shirt box). Buy two seats at the same time and save 10 percent off each seat. Unless otherwise indicated, workshops are designed for adults. Please read Workshops Registration Policy before signing up for a class. Cost is $25; store is at 115 W. Maple. For details about other classes, go to papersource.com. For information about this class, call (248) 594-4954.
