Martha_Stewart_Living_November_2016

EASY ENTERTAINING

Do a Plank

Having a bunch of people over? Keep appetizers stress-free and minimize

the number of dishes piling up in the sink with this genius trick: Simply arrange

charcuterie, cheeses, fruits, nuts, olives—you get the picture—on a board

cut to the length of your buffet or coffee table. Add votives and sprigs of fresh

herbs to jazz it up. To create the board, have your lumberyard cut a slab,

then sand it and treat it with a food-safe oil. Rub it before each use with a wood-

treatment cream to prevent stains.

John Boos Block board cream, $8 for 5 oz., amazon.com.

PREP
Set leaves
upside down on a
work surface,
with their midribs
and veins
facing up. Write
guests’ names
(in simple block
letters) on
the leaves in
gold marker.

MAKE & GIVE

Hot Knots

Shorter days

often lead to longer

gatherings over

hearty roasts and

pots of chili.

Wow any host with

this stylish woven

trivet, which we

crafted out of wire

and metallic

knotting rope. With

a basic cow hitch

(one of the easiest

techniques in

making-a-come-

back macramé),

you can bring the

kitchen staple

full circle in min-

utes. For the how-to,

see page 148.

HOW-TO

Leaf Place

Cards

The thick thread

and plastic

needle used in this

project make it

great for kids; with

a little parental

guidance, they’ll

sew like pros.

1

SEW
Thread a
plastic needle,
and go over
the names in a
basic back-
stitch (with the
stitches overlap-
ping slightly).
Let the leaves dry
for a few days
so they get crisp.

2

DMC Light Effects

floss, in Golden

Oak, $2.50 for 8.7

yd.; and Susan

Bates plastic yarn

needles, $2 for 2,

michaels.com.

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GOOD THINGS

November