apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I grew up in Northern New Mexico so luminarias (or farolitos as Santa Feans insist on calling them) played a prominant part in Christmas decorating. Luminarias are brown paper bags, partially filled with sand to anchor them, with a votive candle placed in the sand. The candles are lit on Christmas eve to light the Christ Child to your door. Nothing is more beautiful than the sight of luminarias outlining an old adobe house. Unfortunately, there are now electric (horrors!) luminarias which are often lit the entire holiday season like ordinary Christmas lights. I understand that luminarias are labor intensive, but they are so beautiful it's worth it. Since we are more likely to face rain than a powder snow, and our wooden houses are not exactly fire proof, I've found a way to get the look, including real candles without the intense labor and which can be used by apartment dwellers as well.

Simply, place votive candles in empty jelly jars, place the jars in the paper bags (lunch size). When lighted they look like real luminarias and because of the glass they can be used in windows or on tables or mantlepieces. I generally save jelly jars during the year and I have a box of them to use at Christmas.

I'd like a home -- we'll start with that.

I'd like a home -- we'll start with that.

After that: A Web Designer who'd be interested in helping me establishing my digital "home".

Hiya e! I grew up in Tucson, and luminarias are "Christmas" to me as well - wonderful idea! I think I'm going to do that in my top floor apartment in the windows when I'm home.

While I live in SF now, I adore the southwest. My least fave southwest Christmas touch was wrapping saguaro cacti to within an inch of their lives with lights.

My *most* fave Christmas touch was what Tucson Medical Center (great hospital) did with their mature, native saguaros in the parking lot. The parking lot was created around the saguaros which were already sitting there. And during the holiday season, each one was topped with a simple santa hat!