We at the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights love Pinterest because of the ways that we can find how to decorate our homes for the holidays. For me personally, I love to find interesting crafts that will make my home look professionally decorated but not break my budget.

One of the easy crafts I made via our Pinterest page was a snowflake made from popsicle sticks. These reminded me of the lit up snowflakes along the banks of the Cane River during the Christmas festival in Natchitoches. Here are a few of the crafts from our page that I want to try for the holidays.

Card Tree: No mantle? No problem! This card tree is an easy way that you can show off all of your holiday cards without taking up your entire table. All you need is washi tape, string, tinsel or garland, star to top and clips to hold the cards.

Ornament Tabletop Tree: Looking for a decoration for the table that is not the norm? Try this decorative tree made with beads from Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is a tradition in Louisiana where festive parades throw beads and other items that are highly collected. The beads can be bought from a local craft store if you haven’t made the trip to Mardi Gras yet.  All you need to make this tree is a Styrofoam cone, glass ornaments, Mardi Gras beads and hot glue.

Footprint Deer: If you have a child, this holiday craft will allow you to remember the holidays in a special way. All you need is canvas or white paper, paint in brown/gold, red, blue, black and a black marker. Just put your child’s bare foot into the paint and press them gently on the paper then let it dry. Once they are dry, you can add antlers, eyes, mouths, noses, and more that makes each print special to your child.

Mismatched Sock Snowmen: If you have a lot of socks lying around with no match, this may be the perfect way to use some of them. All you need is a few socks, a cup, rice, rubber bands, and cute decor. Fill the sock with the rice by placing the sock over the cup full of rice. Rubber band the end and use additional rubber bands to shape the snowman. Decorate the snowman to your liking with buttons, ribbon, yarn, and more. All of these crafts are easy and fun to do. For more craft ideas, check out our Pinterest page for more ideas.

If you are like me, I try to get all of my holiday shopping out of the way as soon as possible to beat the crowds. However, there are the occasions that I miss someone and need to run and get a last minute gift. Each of the cities on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights have wonderful shopping opportunities, but these are the few that I would recommend for the loved one who has it all.   Shreveport-Bossier - To find something distinctively Cajun, be sure to check out Tubbs Hardware, located at 615 Benton Road in Bossier. This shop has been in the area since 1922 and is still going strong, specializing in Cajun gifts and outdoor products. From hot sauce and seasonings to music and clothing, Tubbs has everything you need to give an authentic Louisiana gift this holiday season. Minden - If you are shopping for the special lady in your life, be sure to check out downtown Minden for Pink Pratique. Pink Pratique, located at 731 Main Street, sells lingerie and bath products for that romantic holiday gift. They also specialize in post breast surgery products, which can be rare to find. The ladies at the store are all certified in bra care and will make sure that even the novice shoppers come out with something perfect. Monroe-West Monroe - I love food gifts, especially tea. The Spice and Tea Exchange, located on Antique Alley at 211 Trenton Street in West Monroe, helps me get my fix. There are dozens of varieties. Looking for something that reminds you of the holidays? Look no further than the “Teas the Season” collection, only around for winter.   Natchitoches - For the kids, you need to explore The Rocking Horse Toy Store, located at 628 Front Street in downtown Natchitoches. Both boys and girls will love this small town toy shop with big selections of toys for toddlers and tweens. One thing that makes this toy store special is the focus on learning through play. All of the toys at the Rocking Horse Toy Store are both fun and educational, which makes for happy kids and parents, too.   Alexandria/Pineville - If you are looking for the perfect home interior and gift store, look no further than Terra Home, located at 1355 Peterman Drive in Alexandria. This quaint shop is locally owned and specializes in home décor, jewelry, stationary, and more. Along with clothing and shoes, Terra Home has plenty of gifts for the wine lover in your life ranging from wine related t-shirts to carrying bags with catchy phrases on them.   Shopping on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights is easy, but picking something to take home will be the hard part! For more information on each city, click on each city’s tab on our website.