
EVERY HOLIDAY SEASON, WENDY LAU'S LOVE OF CRAFTS AND DECORATIONS KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR.
She's up and down ladders, dangling paper snowflakes and stars from ceilings and draping garlands across doorways. As much as she tries to show restraint, a little always turns into a lot, and soon she's decorating her Toronto home with abandon. "There's a lot of cardio for me at Christmas," she says.
Her decorating aerobics can be traced in large part to the snowflakes she snips from brown and white lunch bags. They now number in the hundreds and are her creative strategy for a high-impact look. "I'm the paper-bag princess," she says. Earthy flourishes such as dried moss (Wendy's reusable and easy-to-store alternative to fresh greenery) and handcrafted papiermâché mushroom ornaments supplement those statement makers.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

Museum Shops Worth the Trip
If great shopping gives you as much of a dopamine hit as great art, you just may want to build your next vacation around one of these museum stores.

PANSIES
Think you know this classic bedding plant? Start exploring the dramatic range of pansies you can grow from seed and you'll discover the flower is full of surprises.

Pistachio Shamrocks
Make your own luck this St. Patrick's Day with these nutty, cream-filled sandwich cookies.

Center STAGE
Edible plants are often pushed to a garden's edges. Landscape designer Christian Douglas shares his strategies for pulling them into the spotlight.

WORK OF ART
A couple live large in their small South Carolina cottage, where every square inch is outfitted with art, pattern, and colorproving that tight spaces can benefit from big personality.

the MVPS of Umami
Often playing a supporting role to salty, sour, sweet, and bitter, UMAMI, also known as the FIFTH TASTE, infuses dishes with SAVORY, meaty flavor. We cast a few SUPERSTAR ingredients to give rich umami flavor top billing in this ensemble of mains, sides, and even (SURPRISE!) a dessert.

Purples In Bloom
\"There's something childish about the word purple,\" muses designer Zoë Feldman, perhaps thinking of a certain cartoon dinosaur.

Budget Reno Tricks
Rein in the cost of your kitchen makeover-without compromising style.

5 ingredient Favorite Twists
We've reimagined the flavors of three popular dishes as creative, low-lift ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

On DISPLAY
With today's generation not afraid to use the \"good\" dishes any day, china cabinets are enjoying a revival. Turns out they're as fun to style as they are functional.