(NAPSI)—‘Tis the season for family, friends and a whole lot of food. Preparing for holiday parties and family visits doesn’t need to take up all your precious time; Below are five tips to help you make the most of your time this holiday season.

1. Hot idea. Instead of hiring a babysitter so you can battle the mall parking lot, spend time with your family and make holiday gifts together. The Rowenta Design Studio—www.designstudio.rowentausa.com—offers free online tutorials for stylish and unique DIY gifts such as a recycled T-shirt necklace, patchwork coasters or an iron-on applique pillow.

2. Wrap it up. Purchase large rolls of solid-color or striped wrapping paper, which can work for any holiday, birthdays or other occasions throughout the year. If you run out of paper, improvise with comics pages, maps or aluminum foil.

3. Sew smart. Everyone wants to look their best during the holidays, but with all the rushing around, fabric rips and snags are bound to happen. For last-minute sewing repairs, save time threading the needle by dipping the thread end in nail polish. It should dry in seconds and then you can quickly thread the needle.

4. Flat-out time-saver. Invest in a high-quality steam station to take care of your garments.

A steam station saves you time, money and effort. The water boils in the separate tank and flows to the iron through the steam hose. The constant flow of high-powered steam makes this the perfect household tool for big pressing jobs such as table and bed linens. With the ability for vertical steam, it can even be used for hanging garments such as drapes, so you save even more time by not having to take them down to have them pressed. It will also save you money over time on your dry-cleaning bills, given that you can achieve the same professional results at home with minimal effort.

Althea Harper, fashion designer and “Project Runway” finalist, prefers the unrivaled steam performance of a Rowenta Steam Station because it offers:

• An extra-large 33-ounce water tank for up to 90 minutes of continuous steaming—ideal for shorter batch ironing sessions;

• Three times more steam than a regular iron to instantly remove deep-set wrinkles and create sharp creases;

• A stainless steel soleplate for high-performance glide with high scratch resistance.

5. Make sending cards easy. Instead of signing, addressing, stamping and mailing all your holiday greetings, send friends and family e-cards. You can create your own, perhaps with your favorite photos, or select from a variety of predesigned options online.

For more time-saving tips and additional information about Rowenta irons, visit www.designstudio.rowentausa.com or call (800) ROWENTA.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate(NAPSI)