Because ... there's magic in colorful twinkling lights.

Spanish colonists gave tin to Mexicans, who over the years perfected the art of soldering and painting bright ornaments from the material. The Mexicans, in turn, gave us the idea of evoking that cheerful, sparkling look with something as simple as foil candy cups on pink mini lights, poinsettias made from metal sheets, and a tart-tin sconce. Decorating a mantel in these happy reds and pinks anchors a room -- and serves as an ample stand-in if your space (or holiday travel plans) doesn't allow for a large trimmed tree.

Tools and Materials

• Old scissors
• Metal sheets in copper, aluminum, and red
• Hot-glue gun
• 24-gauge craft wire
• Silver beads
• Metal-ball garland

Foil Poinsettia Garland How-To

1. Cut a strip of metal between 2 and 4 inches wide and 5 and 7 inches long. Fold metal strip in half lengthwise, and crease. Cut a long, narrow "B" shape, using the crease as the straight part of the B. Unfold, creating a dual-leaf piece. Repeat, making more leaves. Snip some in half, making 2 single leaves.
2. Create flowers with 2 dual-leaf pieces and 1 single-leaf piece by stacking pieces and gluing them at their centers.
3. Thread wire though 3 silver beads, twisting to keep them in place. Glue beads to center of flower and bend excess wire to the back.
4. Twist excess wire around garland. Repeat 2 more times until garland has flowers all along length.

Amaco Art emboss metal sheets, 9 1/4" by 12", in Copper, Aluminum, and Bright Red, dickblick.com. Darice craft wire, 24 gauge, 30 yd.; createforless.com. Metallic fuchsia foil, by Glue Foil; and seamless round sterling-silver beads, 7 mm; firemountaingems.com. Darice craft wire, 24 gauge, 30 yd.; createforless.com.

Make It Yourself

Pink mini lights, 14, by Christmas Lite, from 1000bulbs.com. Foil candy cups, in Fuchsia and Red, acupcakery.com. Krylon stained-glass color, in Red; createforless.com. 8" round fluted tart pan, broadwaypanhandler.com. Classic scalloped candle clip, blumchen.com.

Get the Look

Solid Lumiere votive holders, in Petit, bhldn.com. Antiqued tapered votive holders, 3 1/2"; 2 1/2"; and copper cylinder; jamaligarden.com. Tapered candles, in Red, 6" by 1/2"; creativecandles.com. Copper bowl, abchome.com. Antiqued gold wall mirror, larsbolander.com.