Stock Your Party Closet NOW

Take advantage of your spring yard clean-up by adding to your Party Closet.

With the warm weather just about upon us, we're all itching to get outside and do some yard clean up. Rather than recycling or composting or tossing (egads!) the yard waste, you can incorporate it into your party closet. Here are some tips for great additions.

Dried grasses, reeds, and long stalks can be used for visual height in many party decorating applications. Floral displays with these materials can be used on buffets or to fill empty corners.

Attractive branches and twigs can be saved and coated in clear polyurethane or white paint for a dramatic addition to your holiday decorating. Make sure the branches are dried and pest-free before your paint them. After painting, these can be stored indoors, although you may still prefer to keep them in the garage.

Dried flower heads, like hydrangea and other large blooms, are lovely for party use. However, since they are so delicate, you may not find a good specimen at this point in the year.