CRAFTconditioned

You know you’re a beer enthusiast when you get pine sap on your clothes and spend the rest of the evening craving an IPA.

As you might be able to guess, I decorated a tree this year. The housemate and I combined some of our traditional ornaments (such as my family’s Christmas chicken roosting at the top of the tree) and represented our shared interests (DC United ornaments). And yet, I realized there is a distinct lack of any beer-themed decorations. Naturally, I had to do a little research to correct this oversight.

I found a number of tips for do-it-yourself beer-themed ornaments ranging in skill from piercing a hole in a beer mat to chopping up an aluminum can into holiday shapes to creating beer-cap decorations with ribbon and a hot glue gun. 

If you’re not much of a DIY crafter, there are plenty of other people who would be happy to be paid for their creativity. Some of my favorites from Etsy this year are beer-can stars, hops-filled ornaments, and icicles made from recycled bottles.

Of course, there are also some commercial options, such as a beer stein, beer barrel, and a pilsner glass.

And if you want to be really practical, particularly in preparation for your holiday party, make sure to hang a handy bottle opener or two from the tree.

What’s your decorating tradition?