In case there was ever any doubt, I LOVE fresh evergreens at Christmas. Did you purchase an evergreen wreath or two for your home and now, the week of Christmas it's crunchy? It happens. I wonder how far in advance commercial wreaths are made. Besides that, if you hang your wreath in a place where it receives the warm air currents and do not spray it regularly, it WILL dry out. One of my friends always buys a wreath on Black Friday to use on her coffee table. It looks amazing, but come Christmas it's pretty dry. If that's you... you can make a fresh evergreen wreath … [Read more...]
It's not too early to start making your own natural Christmas tree ornaments. May these fabulous ideas inspire you to get your craft on. My rustic nature-inspired Christmas decorations are my most popular posts. The best part of using the fruits of Mother Nature in your Christmas decor other than the beauty is that it is usually inexpensive. Take some time now to create without the pressure of the season and enjoy the process. We all have good intentions, I don't want you to get caught on Thanksgiving weekend wishing you'd had a bevy of handmade natural … [Read more...]
Create beautiful memories around a festive Christmas brunch table. Here are a few ideas to help you quickly and easily plan for a special morning gathering. Christmas can be a challenge on so many levels, but I hope you have moments of peace and joy amidst the celebration and quiet. My happiest Christmas memories as a child are those that were made around the table and sharing it with friends and family. Whether you have the whole family over on Christmas morning for breakfast or brunch, or it's just a few around the table, these ideas will help you make your table truly … [Read more...]
Ideas for Making a Warm and Cozy Black and White Buffalo Check Christmas Bedroom. It's Christmas Eve! My favorite night of the whole year! The snow is falling ever so gently outside my window. Yet, my heart is jumping inside with anticipation. My home is squeaky clean and festively decorated. Swedish meatballs are "marinating" in the fridge, there's a pie in the oven, and soon I'll be preparing our overnight French toast for brunch. And best of all, we'll soon be celebrating with hundreds of others at the 11 pm Christmas Eve service at … [Read more...]
This year my cozy apartment is living large with a stunning new blue and silver Christmas tree courtesy of Balsam Hill. Here are some tips for decorating a tree beautifully filled with sparkle, color, and a touch of the dramatic. Growing up, decorating for Christmas was a big deal in my home. My dad was all about hanging lights on our front porch and creating gorgeous swags filled with miniature lights. My mom always had a DIY Christmas decor project and could be counted on to cover our tree with lights and ornaments and garland until it looked like one huge sparkly Christmas … [Read more...]
Living on the edge of the woods with all that natural beauty inspires me in my Christmas decorating. This year I purchased a skinny tree and filled it with rustic farmhouse Christmas tree decorations I made. It's easy and inexpensive to create ornaments using the bounty of nature. Remember the 31 Days of Handmade Christmas Ornaments that we were so inspired by back in October? We enjoyed it so much that my friend, Mary Beth and I invited the group back for our First Annual Extraordinary Christmas Trees Tour. Not everyone could join us, but we have 13 gals for a fabulous 3-Day line … [Read more...]
Need a coffee table but don't have one? This DIY modern farmhouse tray is a cheap and easy solution with style. In my home, I'm the beneficiary of a nightly ritual that will make most wives jealous... My husband prepares a cup of cocoa or chai for me every evening before bedtime. He's been doing this for most of our married life and I love it. It's a very special way to end the evening. Since we've been living in this postage stamp of an apartment my choice is to sit at the table or on my little loveseat. Usually, I choose the loveseat. But, it's risky for … [Read more...]
Ideas and tips for decorating your apartment or small space with holiday style and charm. It's not the size or construction of your dwelling nor the location that makes it home... what makes a home is the love that lives there, the memories created, and the friends and family who belong. And that, my friend, is the heart behind decorating your small space with style and charm this Christmas. My small space happens to be a tiny apartment which we thought would just be temporary. Yours might be a humble home or a cozy corner in a large house. Whatever and wherever it is, I hope … [Read more...]
Is there anything better than Christmas decor that's free and natural? I think not! That's why I'm excited to share with you my simple rustic handmade Christmas ornaments made from birch logs and pine cones. But, before I do, if you’re here from The How To Home (Didn't Mary Beth create the cutest retro vintage ornament ever?), WELCOME! This is the 4th stop on our third annual 31 Day Handmade Christmas Ornaments Blog Hop. Just like each year past, you can expect to be inspired by all kinds of lovely Christmas ornaments created by 30 extraordinary bloggers, plus me. … [Read more...]
Do you love to decorate with gold at Christmas? I confess that I love a little glitter and a LOT of gold. That's why I'm so excited to share with you this super EASY project that YOU can make... A Stunning Gold Leaf Tabletop Christmas Tree It's really eye-catching and guaranteed to get lots of rave reviews. Plus, it's a super inexpensive project and fairly quick to do. If you make a gold oak leaf wreath like this, then it will be even quicker to complete your Christmas tree with the same supplies. This post contains affiliate links. If you're like me, you … [Read more...]
I love Christmas trees... They can be big and tall evergreens or they can be small table top trees of any kind and size. I love them all! And I'm always looking for creative ways to make more trees for the Christmas season. This week at Project Inspire{d} we were blessed with some pretty creative Christmas tree ideas, big and small. If you're like me, you'll want to check them all out. And even if you have your decorating done... well... there's always room for one more tree! When I saw this really creative idea for adding a natural element and a tree to Christmas home decor, I totally … [Read more...]
I absolutely LOVE using natural elements in my Christmas decorations. And the best part of using nature's gifts... they're usually free! That's a double win in my book. Before the leaves even started to fall this year, I knew I wanted to create something beautiful for Christmas with the plethora of oak leaves from the nearby woods and gold spray paint. But, what would that be? I finally settled on making an oak leaf Christmas wreath. Who knew the humble leaf from a stately oak could become so classy with just a few spritzes of gold spray paint? I had a pretty good … [Read more...]
It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of handmade... especially a handmade Christmas. This week at Project Inspire{d} we were blessed with some pretty creative Christmas ornament ideas! There's still time to get your DIY on, so check out these super cute ideas and make yourself a handmade Christmas! I have to say, I was more than a little smitten with this faux pine cone ornament. I think it would be a real treasure to give these as gifts to someone who really appreciates handmade items. Felt Ornament Craft A skiing family will LOVE these so sweet ski ornaments. And they … [Read more...]
Wouldn't you love to approach Christmas with a sense of peace and purpose and less craziness? In the midst of the festivities, busyness, and sensory overload, you really can discover peace and purpose this Christmas. I've discovered that when I plan to focus on Christ's coming and Advent... the season leading up to Christmas where we intentionally remember what it was like for people thousands of years ago to anticipate the coming of Christ... my joy and delight in Christmas and God's GIFT to us gives me much peace and purpose in spite of all the craziness of the world … [Read more...]
In a blink, our turkey dinners will be consumed and all that's Christmas will commence. Are you ready? If you'd like to give your Christmas decorating a DIY or homemade flair... NOW is the time to check out these charming Christmas crafts and get your glue gun warmed up! I am always noticing printables. There's just something about a cute graphic to frame, use to make a gift tag, or include in my Christmas decor in a fun way. This chalkboard style reindeer games Christmas printable from Jenn at Clean and Scentsible is fabulous and she shares some super cute ways … [Read more...]
What's your most favorite time of the year? Mine is Christmas. But not for all the reasons you might guess. The days leading to Christmas are when my creative juices are at an all-time high. You can usually find a mess somewhere in my home because I'm creating a storm of home decor and handmade Christmas ornaments and gifts. And when I'm creating... I couldn't be happier. Whether you're creative, crafty, or simply wannabe... you will want to grab your favorite drink, get your pinning finger ready, and get prepared to be inspired.... 31 times! 31 Easy Handmade Christmas Ornaments … [Read more...]
Would you like to give your Christmas tree a nautical look? Since purchased coastal ornaments can be expensive, I made my own driftwood sailboat Christmas ornaments, and you can too, it's really quite easy. But, first I want to say, "Welcome!" Today is Day 4 of the second year of 31 Days of Handmade Christmas Ornaments blog hop which features 30 extraordinary bloggers, plus me. Each day you can expect to be inspired with all kinds of lovely Christmas ornaments. Last year I returned to living on the Lake Michigan coastline after being away for … [Read more...]
