How to Build a Department 56 Halloween Village
One lit house, a street, a sky and a few suspicious townsfolk. How to plan, light and grow a Department 56 Halloween village that looks like you meant it.
Fall Decorating from a Christmas Store
Nobody respects a season like the people who sell the next one. A Christmas store’s honest guide to fall decorating: harvest tables, woodland ornaments, mantels, and the base layers that make November effortless.
You Just Have To See It! Vicke Mahler-Helmer’s House of Collectibles
There are collectors and then there are collectors, people for whom adding pieces to an array of particular designer items is an irresistible pursuit. The latter perfectly describes Vicke Mahler-Helmer, a longtime customer of St. Nick’s. She laughs, “I decorate for Halloween and Christmas. Thanksgiving the lost holiday.” No doubt. Her home is currently festooned […]
Halloween Trees: Not Just for Christmas Anymore
A Halloween tree might sound like a novelty until you see one glowing in a front window: a black tree strung with orange lights, hung with grinning Jack O’Lanterns, holding court over the candy bowl. Trees stopped being a Christmas-only tradition a while ago, and October may be the month they have the most fun. […]
New Ways to Celebrate The Days of the Dead
Looking for new ways to celebrate the Days of the Dead this year? From October 31 through November 2, many cultures pause to celebrate the entire circle of life by remembering those who have gone before us: All Hallows’ Eve leads into All Saints’ Day on November 1, and Dia de los Muertos reaches its […]
From Fun to Frightening: The D56 Halloween Village
The D56 Halloween Village is what happens when the people behind America’s most beloved Christmas villages decide October deserves the same treatment. Haunted houses with glowing windows, whimsical shops with pun-heavy names, skeletons on swings: Department 56 builds an entire miniature world for the spooky season, and it runs the full range from fun to […]
Poe’s Perch Aviary Opts to Showcase the Work of a Young “Fan” — And You Can Find It at St. Nick’s!
Meet Sam, a ten-year old boy who is a remarkably devoted fan of Scott Enter’s work at Department 56. In fact, the young boy would appear at various events during which the artist made appearances, and even presented drawings inspired by Enter’s work. One sketch for a haunted birdhouse was chosen by D56 to be […]
