The day after Thanksgiving I like to start slowly pulling out my Christmas décor. Although I have been gradually introducing more natural elements into my décor there are some old favorites that I wouldn’t dream of leaving out each year.
These vintage bottle brush wreaths are a perfect example. Each of the wreaths on this stack was gathered from a different place over the past 20+ years and each has a story.
Three of them were picked up at yard sales, the one on the bottom was found in my mother’s attic among some forgotten Christmas items and my favorite, the one in the middle is one I picked up for 10 cents at a church rummage sale.
The back of the wreath is a darker pink than the front which has faded to a soft peachy pink. The faded colors and crumpled bow just make me love it more.
Yep, I’m a sucker for vintage Christmas. I think it brings out the kid in me. How about you? Do you have any treasured old decorations or ornaments?
Now that the temps are dropping, I have a good cold weather tip for you.
With Halloween just a few days away and the holidays approaching there will be many opportunities for goodies and gift giving. Today I have a tutorial that will show you a creative way to present a gift. It’s a twist on using a gift bag and tissue.
I chose plain brown paper bags but you could use any solid color. My love for baby boo pumpkins inspired me to use tissue in an aged beige color. The pumpkin would be very cute in orange too.
For the star I used a smaller bag. My plan was to use a matte gold tissue paper but the store I went to didn’t have it. They did have this beige and gold glitter paper so I decided to give it a try.
Now for the very simple instructions and supply list.
1) Gift Bag
2) Tissue Paper
3) Scissors
4) Glue
5) Pencil
Right click to save the above template to your computer and print it in the desired size
Trace around the star onto the bag
Cut tissue paper into 1 1/2 inch squares. You will need 35-50 depending on the size of your bag, etc. Crumple each square up into a ball and then open back up enough to pinch from the middle and create a sort of pointed blossom.
Begin gluing blossoms in the center of the star, dotting the pointed end with glue and pressing onto bag. It won’t have defined edges during this part of the process but keep the bottom (glued portion) of each blossom within and against the pencil border.
Once the glue has dried, define the star shape by pinching, pressing and scrunching the outer edges.
Any simple shape will work and the design could be adapted to fit any occasion.
Here’s the template I used to create the pumpkin bag.
Feel free to use, pin and share!
Happy creating!
This week’s tip for A Little Bird Told Me is on a subject I loathe ~ cleaning.
This is how I clean my oven door and it works beautifully!
I decided to show you the dining room reveal while it’s arrayed in its fall glory. Along with all the other rooms downstairs, the dining room got a couple of coats of Benjamin Moore Crystalline to brighten it up and bring more cohesion between rooms.
It was previously (and for several years) this pumpkin color.
A little bit different now, huh?
The change I was most eager to make was to move the chippy old hutch off the top of the corner buffet…
and place it on top of the longer, more suitable white buffet.
I love it in its new home. Along with moving it, I purged the brown transferware, leaving only shades of white ironstone.
The architectural header made the perfect topper and a day at the orchard last week yielded my ever favorite bittersweet.
I flanked the hutch with a pair of Italian sconces. I love their elegance in juxtaposition with the rustic farmhouse hutch. The sconces are each located right next to a window so their dripping prisms really sparkle on sunny days. When I show you my entry hall you will see where the sconces previously hung.
I love how much lighter everything feels now. One of the things I still want to do is make over the dark trestle table and chairs. That will have to be a 2016 project.
At the opposite end of the room sits my desk. I will show you what I did to make that area so much more appealing in part 2.
This week in “A Little Bird Told Me” I am sharing a tiny tip that made a huge difference in my life.
Anyone who suffers from debilitating migraines should really give this a try!
As I sit at my desk and write this post, I’m watching yellow leaves float by the window. George Winston Autumn is playing on the cd player and the most wonderful smelling fall candle is burning next to me. I want to hold onto this feeling.
I have been bringing fall to many areas of my home. I’ve concentrated mainly on the kitchen and dining areas because we spend so much of our time there.
I love repurposing frames in unique ways. With that as my inspiration for the breakfast nook table I started with a very old chippy green frame. Using it as a tray, I placed the items I gathered inside the frame.
You may recognize the tall skinny birdcage that was a recent flea market find. It adds some rustic texture and height.
This set of dishes belonged to my mom. We ate every Thanksgiving and Christmas meal on them as far back as I can remember. The color was perfect with the frame and the wonderfully gnarly green pumpkin.
The flourishes in the frame are echoed in the vines of the dishes and the raised squiggly veins on the pumpkin. I have to confess, that was a happy accident. Don’t you love it when it works out that way?!
I added the faux berries for a pop of color and a baby boo pumpkin tucked in a berry bowl with a little Spanish moss for a bed.
Switching gears now, I would like to share my weekly segment that I call “A Little Bird Told Me.”
In case you were thinking that I’m ready to start talking about Christmas, I’m so not! I do however want to let you know about an event that I’ll be selling at. Sugarplum Festival is St. Joseph, Missouri’s annual kick off to the holiday season held at the Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art.
Great shopping, a “Deck the Halls” auction, wine tasting and a lunch café will get shoppers going on their lists for gifts and décor. I will be selling my jewelry and a few other goodies including these wood slice ornaments.
I may be back later with a tutorial on these ornaments.
And now it’s time for A Little Bird Told Me where I share a weekly tip from my own bag of tricks.
Ahhh fall. Such a bittersweet season with its glorious beauty and wonderful traditions only to be followed by the harsh reality of winter. But today I’m all about the visual appeal of my very favorite time of year.
There is an open area between my breakfast nook and my desk and dining room. On the wall that is shared by both rooms sits one of two buffets that provide the settings for me to decorate whenever the season or the whim dictates a change.
In the above photo, the breakfast nook is to the left and my desk / dining room is to the right. I’ll show you more of that area in a future post.
This candelabra is a piece I created by marrying a lamp base, a metal cherub from another piece and an old chandelier. I gave the whole thing a verdigris patina using a paste wax.
For balance, on the other side of the buffet I placed a silver candelabra. I didn’t have five of the same color candle so mix and match came to the rescue.
I tucked dried cockscomb from last year’s harvest between the pumpkins for another pop of color.
I was lucky enough to find the green pumpkin for $3 at Walmart and I spent $8 on the delicious smelling candle for a grand total of $11. Using things I already had, things we grew and a couple of faux pumpkins meant I didn’t have to spend a lot to achieve a new look.
I have one more Baby Boo vignette to show you next week. It’s a table centerpiece styled with softer colors. And now for my weekly tip.