Home Decor5 Tips for a Simple and Handmade Christmas December 18, 2013My goal for our Christmas tour this year was to have a simple, cheap, and handmade Christmas with the style Anthro Christmas Lodge. That sounds like a lot to tackle and maybe even impossible, right? Well, here are the five main things I used for creating my simple and handmade Christmas. I put it everywhere. I grouped it in a vase above like a tree, which was my favorite. I also put it on every ledge, mantle, and surface I could find. The best part? It was free! My parents have a ton of cedar trees, so we cut away. You may have a tree in your own yard that with just a few clippings, you’d have greenery to spare! Or a friend might have one and be oh so kind to let you snip a few. The great thing about this is that with one of these trees, you can snip a good bit and the tree not look weird and sparse. And I love the festive, natural feel it brings in for Christmas. Because of the style I was going for, I threw these handmade, woven blankets (all found at thrift stores for a few dollars and washed), everywhere. But my favorite was using it as a tree skirt. It gives more personality and color to the tree and I love when you can re-use and re-purpose. Scatter them everywhere. It’s amazing how simple it is to toss out a few ornaments, but how it immediately brings on the Christmas. I wanted to make my own garlands this year, so I loaded up on wooden and colorful craft store beads. They come in huge bags (at Michael’s craft store) for $15 and are in the jewelry section. But there were so many other amazing bead choices that would’ve made fantastic Christmas garlands. I made this solid wood bead garland for the mantle. And paired it with cinnamon sticks for the tree garland. My favorite of all Christmas decorating tips: glitter letters. I bought packs of glitter stickers for a few dollars from Michael’s and have used them for everything: decorating gifts, a little happy “merry” thrown around, and my Joy to the World globe. I literally just stuck them onto our every day globe and they’ve stayed for weeks! I tried peeling them off and they came right off with no issues. So, take some everyday items and turn them festive just for the season with some lovely glittery words. I also wanted some large scale glittery words to really make a statement. I free-handed these on the back of glittered scrapbook paper and cut them out. Just make sure you draw the letters backwards so that when you flip them around, you will have a readable and not backwards word. And the best part of this simple, handmade Christmas? It was a blast to create!
Linda@Lime in the Coconut says December 18, 2013 at 2:06 am Nailed it! Love the Joy to the world…maybe the best! Merry Merry… Reply
Mandy Tirado says August 22, 2014 at 11:00 pm These are all absolutely beautiful! I love the globe, too. That’s the best. Such a lovely statement, especially during Christmas. Reply
Julia@Cuckoo4Design says December 18, 2013 at 12:53 pm Great tips. You can never go wrong with any of them. Well maybe in some cases the blankets but not you. Everything you have looks so stylish and pretty 😉 Reply
Gabbi @ Retro Ranch Reno says December 18, 2013 at 3:03 pm I used greenery, scattered ornaments and glittery stuff too! All your other tips make for a perfect little Christmas scene….you nailed your inspiration this year, my dear! 🙂 Reply
Meg says December 19, 2013 at 4:54 am New to your blog. Love. Your. Style. Love. Question… How do you keep the greenery fresh? Last year my bannister greenery dried out in a few days and I had to take the whole thing down. I spritzed it with water a couple times a day but that didn’t cut it.. Reply
Lydia says December 12, 2014 at 10:22 pm Try dipping the cut ends in melted wax to keep the sap from draining . Reply
erin @ house envy says December 19, 2013 at 5:22 pm great suggestions. I love the thrift store blanket idea! Reply
Anneke at This, That and Life says December 20, 2013 at 5:57 am Fresh greens and sparkle are right up my alley! Love it all! Not to mention I have found amazing blankets at the thrift store! 🙂 Reply