‘Tis the Season for Poinsettias!
I’m doing my part for the US economy and I bet you are too, since more than 70 million poinsettias are sold annually within the six-week period between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
With less than 2 weeks until Christmas, {yikes!} I’m trying to Keep Calm and Merry On while scurrying to check off my to-do list.
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Did you know you can use poinsettias as cut flowers in arrangements or vases? The secret is searing the stems. Searing the stems prevents the flowers from drooping, stopping the sap from flowing out the flowers. The easiest way to sear the stems is over a candle flame since you want to sear it as soon as you cut it. The milky sap will boil or bubble under the candle flame, turning the ends black. If you’re removing any large leaves and you see the milky sap appear, you’ll also want to lightly sear the points where the leaves were attached.
Add your cut stems to tepid water with floral preservative. The poinsettia stems are hollow and will start drinking up water. I cut some stems of a Winter Rose variety of poinsettia to place in some green Ball Heritage Collection Jars for blooms in my Potting Shed.
I’m winging my way through December with inspiration and the help of my Birds of a Feather Advent Calendar, adding a little fun when possible to this busy season between my holiday tasks.
More shopping to go and I’m just starting to wrap a few gifts.
I found a fun gift wrap embellishment, a poinsettia in lieu of a bow, blooming from a cocktail napkin!
You can find the beautiful and complete tutorial for growing a poinsettia from a cocktail napkin, here.
In the spirit of Keep Calm and Merry On,
I have a Poinsettia Cocktail for you!
And I’m dressing warm for outdoor cocktails, (thanks Jain :) and enjoying some welcome December sunshine!
A Poinsettia Cocktail is festive and easy to mix and serve for a party, December brunch, or enjoy Christmas Eve! No shaking, stirring, or straining required, mixing right in your glass. The are numerous variations of a Poinsettia Cocktail, but they essentially start with the same ingredients: Champagne or sparkling wine, cranberry juice and a splash of orange liqueur.
This is the type of cocktail I don’t measure, but the basic measurements are 1/2 ounce orange liqueur, 3 ounces cranberry juice, and Champagne. Make sure your sparkling wine/Champagne and cranberry juice are chilled, and adjust the ratio of ingredients to your preference.
I used Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine which is drier than its Italian cousin, Prosecco, and has more bubbles. More Bubbles = More Merry :) Both Cava and Prosecco are more affordable than champagne, just use the sparkling wine of your choice.
For the orange liqueur, I added a splash of Grand Marnier or you can use triple sec.
Add some frozen cranberries to keep it cool and festive and toss in some orange peel if you like for a decorative garnish!
Just remember to Keep Calm and Merry On!
How adorable is the poinsettia flower from a napkin? Love it! Must also give the poinsettia cocktail a try. Thanks again for more inspiration, Mary. Have a great weekend!
Good morning Mary! This will be a perfect cocktail for my husband and me. This will be our first Christmas alone without the kids. Our plans are to lay low and sit in front of the fireplace and veg.
And of course with cocktail in hand! Lol🍸
Good morning Mary! I so love your style. You have given me so many enjoyable days reading your blog. The paper poinsettia is so nice and easy to make. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!
So lovely! Merry Christmas!….Christine
I had no idea you could use the poinsettias as cut flowers! Thanks for the tip on how to “sear” them to keep them from drooping. Your poinsettia from napkins looks so pretty on the package. I don’t drink much, but Champagne cocktails are my drink of choice for a celebration! I love how pretty and red these look for the holidays!
Love, love, love your blog and all your creative ideas! Have a blessed Holiday Season!
What a lovely display, & great to wake up to such holiday cheer! Love the tip on searing the stems…I had no idea!
I’ll be there at 6 Mary, my ratio preference is lots of champagne:@) Everything looks very festive and what a pretty way to present a gift-love it!
Thank you for much for your easy-to-follow tutorial about the poinsettia from a napkin, Mary! I absolutely love the idea and hope to find some time to do this. You are the best. Have a wonderful holiday! Rosie @ The Magic Hutch
Oh how FUN, Mary!! It is only 9 am here but that Christmas Cocktail sound very tempting. LOL
Love the napkin tutorial…thanks for the link. Cute pinecone initial for you, too.
Everything is always so beautifully coordinated in your world, Mary…mine looks like total chaos right now, with Girl Scouts sewing projects & cookie baking!!! But we’re MERRY, that’s for sure.
Hugs,
Rett
I follow so many crafty websites but I love yours the best. I love the colors and textures. I can smell the crisp fall air at the potting shed. So, I’ll be making cocktails and poinsettias today!
Thanks again for all you do and your lovely posts. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!
Thanks for the tips on searing the ends of the poinsettias, Mary. Also, the flowering gift embellishment is gorgeous! Yes, I’d love a glass of your special drink concoction! Cheers!
Mary…that looks SO MERRY!! Thanks!! franki
Beautiful as always! I Love pointsettias.
Thank You for all your tips, tricks, and how to’s.
Thinking about you and wondering if you have made some space for the beautiful Tree that you put up every year. The Cocktail looks refreshing, just wrap yourself up in that lovely plaid throw and drink it right there on the Potting Shed Porch. Merry Christmas, Mary and thanks for sharing your talents and pictures throughout the past year.
Well…. you have certainly opened my floodgates!
I had seen the poinsettias from cocktail napkins on Pinterest and they barely piqued my curiosity, but after seeing your gorgeous package decorations, I will have to try my hand at them…The Poinsettia Cocktail will be reproduced with Martinelli and orange flavored extract (my son can’t drink alcohol due to meds) for our Christmas Morning Breakfast…
Thank you, Mary…You inspire me!
I am going to a Christmas lunch at a friends house on Monday and am sure we will have some variation of this drink:) Love the poinsetta from a cocktail napkin!!! I am going to go see the tutorial and do some! Love your sparkly center!!! I am not finished shopping either and the days are ticking away!!! YIKES is right!
Merry and gorgeous paper poinsettias and and a festive libation just in time for holiday celebrating… you are THE best!
Loved your post. You are too funny. Enjoyed the amusing way you did this post. Everything is Beautiful as well
so fun to keep coming back for more and more fun! i wonder if you ever sleep, so much time for so much creativity, but i have a hunch living on level ground is half the battle! i waste sooooooooooo much time i won’t even bother explaining, but i relish the day when i too could just waltz over to a darling playhouse and just PLAY til my hearts content! meanwhile, you are playing exactly how i thought you would with the calendar, to the umpteenth degree! delights me seeing it being well used :-)
its all about those devilish details, and you are pitchfork hot, always on spot! i am trying to wrap up a few more days tomorrow, i am feeling defeated already, all those darn stairs make dreams not become a reality :-( i will keep hoping for more fly bys from you, i have been loving your flight behaviors, although i think they had a cruise in mind too ;-)
What a fabulous idea…they are just so gorgeous!
JP
hi Mary! You have given me a gift with this post, I had no idea you could use poinsettas as cut flowers! Thanks so much for the info, your winter rose bouquets in the green jars look so pretty~AND the napkins, are simply brilliant! Adorable package toppers~ I did enjoy some champagne cocktails yesterday with some of my favorite friends, which made us all calm and quite merry!! Have a great week~
Jenna
The gift embellishment is adorable! I’m eyeing those tartan throws and that wonderful urn with the birds. It’s always such fun to visit here. Makes me giggle with delight!
Merry Christmas, Merry Mary! Thank you for sharing all your creativity. I so enjoy your blog. I admire your energy. Oh my goodness, your energy is just terrific! BTW, love the ‘snowfall’. Merry Christmas!
I am leaving work and heading to the $ store for red napkins. These cuties will be at my Christmas table tonight! Thanks for the inspiration!!! Merry Christmas!
Vanessa
I never knew you could cut the stems of the poinsettias and use them as cut flowers….I have many in the house and still trying to figure out why some of them wilt…too much water…too little….love the napkins and the cocktail looks wonderful !…Beautiful vignette on the bench Mary!
Mary, I love Grand Ma in anything so I know I would love your cocktail! And your napkin poinsettias look so pretty on your gifts.
Mary, your cocktail may be on our TGIF celebration tomorrow:-) Your napkin poinsettias are awesome! Merry Christmas.