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The Art Of The Hostess Gift | Countdown To Christmas

December 1, 2018

A few years ago, during the holiday season, I started a series called 30 Days Of Holidays on the blog. Each year, starting late November up to Christmas Eve I share holiday decorating, entertaining, gifting and craft ideas. This year I’m bringing the series back with a new name, Countdown To Christmas! And I’m kicking the season off with The Art Of The Hostess Gifts.

Holiday party season is in full swing and selecting a unique hostess gift can be challenging. If you’re heading to a party this season, here are some dos and don’ts on buying and giving the perfect hostess gift.

Rule number one for being the party or house guest possible: Never show up empty-handed! A thoughtful gift doesn’t have to be expensive or over-the-top; nor does it have to be something typical like flowers or a bottle of wine. A hostess gift should be a personal reflection of the person you are giving it to.

Creativity Over Cost

Depending on the occasion and your relationship to the hosts, a good gift budget is between $15 and $25 dollars. To come up with a creative gift, think about the hosts hobbies and the things they like to do in their down time. Buy a gift that makes a personal connection to the things they love.

Some of my favorite hostess gifts this year are these votive candle holders, this monogrammed mug and this silver plated picture frame.

Hostess Gift Ideas Everyone Will Love and Use:

Monogrammed Matchbooks–this has become my go-to hostess gift because it’s unique and is great for every occasion.
Scented Candles–pick a traditional holiday scent or a mild everyday scent and then pair the candle with a DIY decorative jar filled with matches.
Confetti Decanter--wine drinkers will love this and non-wine drinkers can use it to serve punch or juices from.
Marble Salt Cellar + Pink Himalayan Salt–for the hosts that love to cook
Cookie Mix In A Jar–a fun gift for a family to make together and then enjoy.
Monogram Letter Wall Hanging–a unique gift for the front door, gallery wall grouping or over the mantel.
Personalized Playing Cards–this gift is outside the box and has fun written all over it.
Gourmet coffee and a bag of biscotti–for coffee drinkers, this is a treat the hosts can enjoy long after the party. Substitute tea and a set of Christmas tea-spoon for tea drinker.

DIY decorative mason jar matches

diy gift tag jar

Let the Gift Match the Occasion

Not every party or hostess gift occasion is created equal. Your hostess gift should reflect the occasion or party theme. Choose a specialty bottle of liquor over a housewares item for a cocktail party. Consider a beautiful tray instead of a plant for a formal dinner party. Keep the tone and nature of the party in mind, and gift accordingly.

DIY gift wrap tray liner

Christmas cone turned holiday door arrangement

No Gift Should Go Unwrapped

While I know wrapping gifts isn’t for everyone, it is important to wrap your gift so you can present it in style. A store bought gift bag with tissue paper is totally acceptable but if you have more time, wrap your gift to make it extra special. My gift bag tutorial shows you how to make your own bags from wrapping paper. Or you use this gift wrap inspiration to inspire a special gift wrap for the hosts.

Faux flower gift wrap embellishment

Party hosts don’t always have time to unwrap your gift during the party so make sure and finish off the wrapping with a gift like these ease DIY fabric tags.

Gifts To Avoid

An important rule to remember when gifting is never bring anything that makes more work for your hosts. If you’re buying flowers, include the cost of a vase so the flowers are ready to be set out when you arrive at the party.
Avoid overly personal gifts, such as perfume, bath products, or articles of clothing. And resist taking a pre-made food gift unless the host ask for it specifically.
Shy away from Christmas ornaments unless it’s a classic crystal or glass ornaments, or if you’re familiar with the hosts decorating style.
Books usually don’t make a great hostess gift unless it’s a little too personal and everyone has their own taste in what they read.
Although practical, gift cards can come off a bit impersonal when giving them as a hostess gift. Buy a gift and include a gift receipt so that the hosts can exchange it if it’s something they won’t use.

diy monogram stir sticks // diy mug wraps

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Hostess gifts are meant to express your appreciation to the hosts for including you in the festivities. There are a variety of easy and affordable ways to show your gratitude for all the time and effort they put into the occasion. Select a meaningful gift, wrap it with style and show up ready to enjoy the event
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It’s A Blue Christmas | Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour – Part 1

November 28, 2018

Happy Holidays and welcome to the 4th Annual Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour. This year I’m joining 6 of my blogging friends to share lots of holiday decor and entertaining inspiration with you. There’s a list of all the participating bloggers at the end of this post.

Before we get this party started, I want to give a shout out to Boho Luxe Home who is sponsoring the holiday home tour again this year. Kellie and Melanie have an amazing company with some of most personality packed home decor items I’ve ever seen. This year, each of the participating bloggers received products from Boho Luxe Home to include in their decor. I know you’re going to love the pieces I picked out and I hope you’ll pop over to their shop to see their full product offering.

If you’re coming over from Positively Southern, welcome. I always love seeing Tamyra’s holiday decor and this year she’s really outdone herself. She has a beautiful home and come Christmas time it’s even more gorgeous.

Every year I start my holiday home tour by sharing the inspiration for my decor. This year the jumping off point for my theme was all of the blue & white accessories I have in my home. I love blue & white and have curated quite the collection ever since I started decorating with it about 5 years ago. The color theme is now the foundation of my decor and I don’t see getting tired of it anytime soon.

I also wanted to add some vibrant color to my holiday mix so I chose green and pink as accents. I’m so happy with how everything looks and can’t wait to share all the details. But before we do that, let’s take a look back at the inspiration boards I created earlier this year. I think I executed the plan pretty well.

THE INSPIRATION

***

A Blue & White Christmas

Decorating my Christmas tree is a labor of love and it’s all about the details. I kept things pretty simple this year and decorated with just ornaments and ribbon. The tree 7 1/2′ tall and there are close to 250 ornaments on it. The blue & white ginger jar ornaments are my absolute favorite and set the tone for the tree. I also used different shapes of solid colored ornaments along with crystal and glass ornaments that I’ve had for over 20 years. It was so fun pulling them out of the box and remembering where and when I bought them.

Every year I use two or three different styles of ribbon on my tree. This I combined a gorgeous velvet and a shiny satin. The navy velvet is from Frontgate and the emerald green satin I found at a discount store for just $3.00 a spool. The ribbons billow in and out of the tree adding softness and visual movement. And you can’t tell in these photos but there are twinkle lights on the tree which make it magical at night.

Most of my blue ornaments came from Hobby Lobby and the white ornaments are from Ikea. If you didn’t know that they carry Christmas decor, they do and it’s great.

CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAP

I’ll be sharing my DIY Holiday Wrapping Crate and more gift wrap inspiration later this week, but here’s a sneak peek.

Now let’s move over to the fireplace. We have a mantel sitting in our garage and I had planned to get it installed this year but it just didn’t happen. So without a mantel, I draped my garland around the fireplace using Command Hooks to hold it in place. I wove the satin ribbon throughout garland and added clusters of ornaments throughout. And I made a big bow to highlight the center of the garland.

I shared this holiday decorating tip last year but it’s worth sharing again. Clustering ornaments in groups of three or four is a great way to add impact on a tree or garland.

The only decor I added to the bookshelves flanking the fireplace was to hang a wreath at the center, on each side. And I hung a Boho Luxe Home Christmas stocking above each cabinet. Aren’t these stockings just gorgeous? The bottom fabric is the Neela Blue fabric and the top collar is a navy velvet. The finishing touch is the long handmade tassels that’s wrapped around the hanging loop. These stockings have definitely become some of my most treasured holiday decor!

green wrapping paper // holly leaf from Hobby Lobby

The stocking were hung…

mini Christmas tree from Target dollar spot

The wood rocking horse that I found at HomeGoods last year is all dressed up for Christmas too. This little horse just puts a smile on my face.

I replicated the mantel garland along the stair rails which run from the 2nd floor of our townhouse to the third floor (aka–lots of garland and ornaments)! I’ll share more of my stair decor next week in the holiday home tour finale.

With my mom now living in Atlanta and my house fully decorated for the season, I’m planning on sitting back and enjoy every bit of this Christmas season. I hope you enjoyed the tour. Be sure to come back next Wednesday for the final of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home tour and more decorating inspiration.

Next up is Love Your Abode. Yuni is an absolute sweetheart with design talent oozing out of every pore. I love following her on IG stories and love her style. Don’t delay, head over to Yuni’s blog and check out our holiday home. And be sure to stop by the other bloggers on the tour and show them some love.

Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour Participants:

Tamyra @Positively Southern

Me @ConfettiStyle

Yuni @ Love Your Abode

Wendy @Farmhouse Therapy

Meg @ Green With Decor (blow kisses to her new baby)

Kate @Chic On A Shoestring Decorating

Marsha @M. Jones Style

disclosure: I received products from Boho Luxe Home to use in my Christmas decor. I am a big fan of this company and only share products and brands that I love and think you’ll like too. All opinions are my own.

HO, HO Happy Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags

November 27, 2018

Don’t you just love the Christmas season? I sure do. As I was driving today, listening to Christmas music, I noticed the tension I’ve been feeling this year was lifted. I pondered why and it dawned on me that instead of watching the news, I’ve been watching Christmas movies. They have been a great distraction to all the strife and turmoil that’s going on across the world and they’ve lifted my spirits. I just might have to make Christmas movies a part of my normal routine?

Anyway, back to our regular scheduled programming.

Over the next week, I’ll be sharing my gift wrap theme and lots of gift wrap inspiration with you. But today, I’m sharing some fun and FREE printable gift tags that I made just for you. I designed these tags with a sense of whimsy and personality in mind, kinda of how my spirits are these days. Once you print your gift tags (on 8 1/2″ X 11″ paper), just punch a hole in the top and tie them onto a gift with ribbon.

Tip: for best results, print the tags on mid-weight cardstock or photo paper.

For those of you that want more colorful tags, you can download my Merry & Bright tags here.

Click Here To Download Your Christmas Gift Tags

If you use these gift tags on any of your holiday gifts, please share a photo on Instagram and use the hashtag #confettistylegiftwrap

Happy Wrapping!

My Essentials For Christmas Decorating

November 17, 2018

Hi friends. I hope everyone had an amazing week. I was running in overdrive all week and still didn’t get everything checked off my to-do list. Needless to say, I’m so happy the weekend is here. Other than decorating for a client on Sunday, I’m hoping of a low-key weekend at home.

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I’ve already started decorating my home for Christmas. I’ve got a few more things to do and then I’m calling it done. I’ll be sharing sneak peeks of my decor next week and then the big reveal will be on November 28th as part of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour.

As I’ve been decking the halls, I’ve gotten a few questions about what elements I think are key when decorating for Christmas. In today’s post I’m sharing my decorating essentials plus giving you a look at some of my holiday decor from past years. I hope my tips help make your home extra festive this year!

Christmas 2016

If you ask me, the most important element when decorating for Christmas is CREATING A THEME FOR YOUR DECOR. The theme can be based on anything–colors, a pattern or a specific design element. In 2016 my theme was A Bright & Bold Christmas and I used a mixed of colorful ornaments as the foundation to my decor. And last year I used my favorite colors, red and hot pink as my theme. Whatever inspires you, use that as your theme.

Christmas 2017–Pink Satin Ribbon // Red Stripe Ribbon (similar here)

***

The second most important element when decorating for Christmas is beautiful RIBBON. Ribbon is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to add color, pattern and texture in your holiday decor. And there are so many ways you can decorate with ribbon. I typically use ribbon on my tree and love adding it to my mantel decor as well. And beautiful ribbon is always part of my Christmas gift wrap.

2017– Gold Ribbon // Holly Leaf Ribbon // Wrapping Paper from HomeGoods

Tips For Decorating With Ribbon

Wired ribbon is best on Christmas trees because it’s easier to control the movement and positioning between the branches.
Non-wired, satin ribbon is great for making soft, single loop bows to hang on garland or a wreath. If you want a full, multi-loop bow, use a 1 1/2″ to 3″ wide wired-edge ribbon.
For added dimension combine two different styles of ribbon and tie a double bow or hang them together on your tree. To create visual impact, combine two different patterned ribbons together like a plaid and geometric.

Christmas 2017 // Pink Ornaments–Amara Living

2016

Christmas 2014–Harlequin Ribbon // Tartan Ribbon–Hobby Lobby

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Next on my essential holiday decor list is ornaments and not just one specific type of ornament but a VARIETY OF ORNAMENTS. If you look at Christmas tree decor on Pinterest, you’ll see that the most beautiful trees all have one thing in common, variety. Decorate your tree with ornaments in different sizes, shape, material and finishes to create a dynamic tree.

Christmas 2011

I also like to decorate with ornaments around my house, placing them in bowls or under glass cloches. It’s a simple decorative touch that’s perfect for a coffee or console table.

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2017

Tips For Decorating With Ornaments:

Your Christmas tree will really sparkle if you incorporate shiny gold, silver or glass ornaments that reflect the lights on the tree.
Wire small ornaments together in clusters of three so they stand out on your tree.
Incorporate ornaments into your bookshelf displays as a fun holiday touch.
Anything that can hang securely on your tree can be considered an ornament. In 2015 I hung framed photos and decorative cardboard coasters on our tree as ornaments.

***

Whether real or faux, GARLAND is definitely an essential decorative element that you want to use when decorating for Christmas. In addition to hanging garland on the mantle and stair banisters, I like to drape it around mirrors, on the sideboard and over the headboard in our bedroom.

Christmas 2015

2017–Red/White Pillows–Ikea // Wreath Pillow-HomeGoods

2017

Tips For Decorating With Garland:

If you use faux garland but want the scent of real, add a few fresh greenery pieces into your garland. Fresh sprigs will also add texture.
Add embellishments like ornaments, decorative pics or magnolia leaves to enhance your garland.
Instead of running garland straight along the mantle, swag it to create visual movement and softness. Place ribbon or bows at the scallop points to highlight the lines of the garland.
When using fresh garland on a tabletop, always place a tablecloth, runner or piece of fabric underneath to protect the table surface.

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Another element that I like to add to my holiday decor are UNEXPECTED TOUCHES like framed holiday prints and holiday decor in the kitchen. Small touches here and there will make your entire home feel festive.

Christmas 2016

2017

Christmas 2014

Christmas 2017

Tips For Adding Unexpected Touches In Your Christmas Decor:

Decorate the areas that have the most visibility in your house. If you have family or company coming for the holidays, add festive touches to the guest bedroom.
UpStyle pillar or jar candles by wrapping them in holiday themed craft paper.
Tie a simple bow to the lid of ginger jars, on lanterns or tall candle holders.
Replace a few pieces of artwork around your home with a Christmas printable or holiday patterned gift wrap.

***

The last item on my decorating essentials list is PRETTY WRAPPING PAPER. I like to coordinate my paper and ribbon with my theme so the gifts look extra pretty under the tree. I use a variety of paper designs and ribbon styles that tie back to the colors and patterns on my tree. And I add embellishments like a small ornaments, vintage jewelry or craft supplies to make each gift unique.

2017

2017

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2014

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For creative gift wrap ideas and tips, check out my Gift Wrap 101 Guide. And if you’re in Atlanta, join me on Dec. 1st for my Gift Wrap Workshop with Steve McKenzie’s and Verde Home. You’ll find all the details below.

‘Tis the season and happy decorating!

Unique Christmas Decor Finds To Make Your Decor Extra Special

November 5, 2018

Happy November friends! Can you believe that there are only two months left in the year and only 50 days until Christmas? Boy has this year flown by. When it comes to Christmas decorating, I know there are two camps–put it up early or wait until after Thanksgiving. No matter where you are with decorating, I wanted to share a few awesome holiday decor items that I’ve come across recently. From tree decor and gift giving, to entertaining and mantel decor, I’m sure you’ll find and item or you that you’ll love. And while you’re shopping my picks, have your gift list handy because many of these items make great gifts too!

Favorite Christmas Decor Finds

Monogram Ornaments–I think these monogram ornaments are so darn cute! I bought a handful to use as gift tags on presents but think they would also be fun napkin rings. If you like these, you’ll want to get them soon because I think they are going to sell out fast.

Flat Stocking Holder–Finally a stocking holder that won’t compete with your holiday mantel decor. And if you don’t have a mantel you can use them to hang stockings from a console table or bookshelf.

Buffalo Check Tree Skirt–This black and white check tree skirt is an easy way to add a fun twist to your Christmas decor no matter what your holiday color theme.

Aerin Heart Ornaments–I would buy this set of heart ornaments and break them up into individual gifts for special friends or clients. The set would also look great in a pretty bowl as everyday decor.

Piles Of Patches Christmas Stocking–This stocking took my breath way. It’s so pretty and unique! I love the 3-d elements, fabric mix and the vintage feel that it has.

Ornaments Salad Plates–Every few years I buy a new set of holiday salad plates as an easy way to pair with my classic china. I love the fun vide and colorful pattern on these ornament plates.

Letter To Santa Christmas Mailbox Ornament–Whenever I teach a gift wrap workshop, people ask me for creative wrapping ideas for money gifts. This mailbox ornament from the Hearth & Hand collection at Target would be great to hold folded up bills or a check. Just add a gift tag and hang it on the tree and no one will suspect there’s a treasure inside.

Holiday Wreath Christmas Pillow–It’s really had to find a holiday pillow that not all red and green but still feels like Christmas. I love the embroidered wreath on this velvet pillow.

Joy Napkin Wrap–A few months ago I shared a JOY napkin ring from Frontgate on the blog and so many of you loved it. Unfortunately it’s no longer available but I found this option that’s just as fun. It’s available in a gold and silver finish.

Mercury Glass Trees–Just add a string of lights or flameless candles inside these mercury glass trees for an instant centerpiece on a side board or mantel.

Felt Ball Garland–This felt garland would be so cute on a kids tree or draped along a staircase. I’d also use the garland nestled into a plain glass vase or candle hurricane.

Velvet Ribbon–This velvet ribbon would make great bows to hang on a tree, garland or to use for gift wrapping.

And speaking of ribbon and gift wrap, do you want to take your gift wrap game to the next level this holiday? If so, I’d love for you to join me for my Creative Gift Wrap Workshop on Dec. 1st, hosted by Steve McKenzie’s and Verde Home. Full workshop detail below. Space is limited so get your tickets today on Eventbirte.

Be sure to tune in all week as I’ll be sharing more holiday inspiration and decorating ideas with you.

Christmas Gift Wrap | Creative Ideas & Tips

December 24, 2017

Hi friends. The last few days have been a struggle. I’ve been working on this gift wrap post up for days but my photos weren’t loading so I haven’t been able to publish this post. I think I’ve got the bugs fixed now so here’s the long-awaited post, just in time for a weekend gift wrapping marathon.

**disclaimer: Reliant Ribbon sent me some amazing ribbons to use for my holiday gift wrap post, but all words, opinions and gift wrap inspiration is mine.

I’ve had a passion for wrapping gifts for years and love to go the extra mile when creating beautiful packages. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I have somewhat of an obsession with pretty wrapping paper and ribbon. And a fun embellishment is usually part of my gift wrap formula too.

Today I’m going to share a few Christmas gifts that I wrapped along with some tips to help you give your holiday wrap a little extra pizzazz!

May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive,
which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love. ~ L.O. Baird

When I started planning my Christmas theme earlier this year, I knew I wanted to keep my holiday gift wrap simple. This year it was going to be all about the ribbon, paper and fun accents.

FYI–I use my DIY Gift Wrap Crate to keep all of my holiday wrapping supplies organized and in one place. And after the holidays I’ll switch out the paper and ribbon for spring and summer gift giving. ***Need a last minute Christmas gift? The gift wrap crate is a simple project that would be great for someone who loves to wraps.

Ok, let’s get into the details of my wrap…

All of the wrapping paper that I used this year is from HomeGoods. They have an awesome selection of holiday wrapping paper and you can’t beat the price. When I’m shopping for gift wrap, especially at Christmas, I like to buy patterns and colors that can be used year-round. Polka Dots, stripes, plaids and subtle patterns are what I shop for. With non-seasonal wrapping paper, I use inexpensive embellishments to reflect the season or gift-giving occasion.

My ribbon this year is from one of my favorite ribbon sources, Reliant Ribbon. Reliant Ribbon is a family owned wholesale ribbon company that sells a wide range of craft and floral ribbon. They have over 15,000 different ribbon styles so there is literally something for every gift wrap and decorating need.

♦ CREATIVE HOLIDAY GIFT WRAP INSPIRATION ♦

One of my favorite gift wrapping tricks is to combine two or more ribbons to create a layered look. Here I layered a narrow red and white striped ribbon on top of a wide solid red ribbon. The embellishments are mini red and green mercury glass ornaments I bought at Steve McKenzie’s. These ornaments are great as a package topper but can also be used to decorate a small tree or wreath. p.s. all holiday product at Steve McKenzie’s is 50% off through 12/31 with code: MERRY50 so it’s a great time to stock up for next year!

free printable gift tags

Another fun way I like to jazz up my holiday gift wrap is by tying a double bow with pretty satin ribbon. To do this you will want to cut the ribbon extra long. Wrap the ribbon around your box, tie the first bow then know the ribbon on top of that bow to secure it. Now you can tie a second bow and add an embellishment.

I love using unexpected materials to wrap gifts. This year I had the idea of using faux fur as a ribbon substitute. I headed to JoAnn Fabric and found this gorgeous white faux fur trim which was sold by the yard. I cut a piece long enough to wrap around my box and secured it with a satin ribbon bow. tip: a brown or black faux fur is a great ribbon alternative for a men’s gift.

Did you know that a lot of woven ribbons can be curled using the blade of your scissors. #oldschooltrick Curls are a great way to make your gift wrap more festive. And don’t be afraid to combine and curl multiple ribbons together which can create a really fun topper.

faux boxwood garland from Target Dollar Spot // Merry Christmas gift tags

When it comes to holiday gift tags, I use traditional Christmas tags as well as items I find in the craft aisle at Michaels. The JOY tag below is part of a 60 piece Holiday Chipboard Quote Set used for scrapbooking. The tiny tags are perfect for adding a little whimsy to your gift wrap.

holly leaf embellishment from Hobby Lobby

Using ornaments as an embellishment is not a new idea but how you use them can be. Instead of tying this wreath ornament to the ribbon, I tied a knot in the ribbon and bunched the ends in the center of the wreath. I love the way this looks on a round gift box.

free printable gift tags

One of the tips I share when I teach my gift wrap workshops is to to never throw away scrap pieces of wrapping paper or ribbon. Scrap ribbon can be used to wrap a small box or combined with another ribbon for layering. On the box below, I used a piece of scrap ribbon along with a left over Christmas card to decorate the box.

Creative gift wrapping is equal parts the items you wrap with and how you use those items. All it takes to create beautifully wrapped gifts is thinking outside the box (pun intended).

I hope you found these wrapping tips and my Christmas gift wrap inspirational. Be sure to stop by my Instagram feed tomorrow because I’ll be sharing a few last-minute wrapping ideas.

Ornaments On A Stick | An Easy Christmas Craft

December 14, 2017

Happy Thursday friends. I’ve got a super easy Christmas craft to share with you today and I think you’re going to love it. These are what I call Ornaments On A Stick!

Years ago when my home decor store was open, I carried a similar item and they were a top seller. Since I haven’t at market in the last 5 or 6 years, I decided I was going to make my own.

I’m almost embarrassed to share the easy DIY steps to make these but here goes. You only need a few supplies:

Shatter Proof Ornaments–Wal-Mart, At Home and Hobby Lobby are my go to sources for shatter-proof ornaments in different color, shapes and sizes. I used an assortment of mini and large styles from At Home to make mine. (note: this craft will also work with glass ornaments)

Wood Skewers–you can find these at Hobby Lobby and even at the grocery store. I used long skewers for my ornaments but you can also use short cocktail size sticks as well.

Hot Glue Gun–a glue gun is a great tool for everyone to own even if you’re not a crafter. I have this cordless glue gun on my Christmas wish list.

And now the hard part….

Using your skewer, punch a hole into the cap of the ornament and insert the skewer into the hole a couple of inches. Add a few dots of hot glue around the hole and skewer to secure it in place and let it dry. Ta da, you’ve got a fun holiday decor piece to decorate with.

Ornaments On A Stick are great to add to a Christmas tree or mantel garland. And if you use a short skewer, they will also work on a wreath.

Another fun idea is to add them to a flower bouquet or plant that you’re giving as a holiday hostess gift.

Or you can make a holiday door cone like I did and insert a few sticks to dress it up.

And if you really want to go all out, make a super sized version of Ornaments On A Stick to use in your outdoor planters. Just use oversized ornaments and replace the skewers with wood dowels.

P.S. This is a fun craft to do with kids.

♦ Ornaments On A Stick ♦

Happy holiday crafting!

Christmas At Queen Of Hearts Antiques & Interiors

November 17, 2017

Last Thursday I attended a special event at Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors in Alpharetta. The store invited interior designers and bloggers to an early morning shopping event before they opened their doors for their holiday open house. We had the full run of the store so I was able to browse (and shop) the wonderful selection of antiques, vintage decor and holiday items.

If you live in the Atlanta area but aren’t familiar with Queen of Hearts, let me tell you a little about the store and business. Queen of Hearts opened it first store in 1998 and today there are three stores in the Atlanta area–Alpharetta, Marietta and Buford. Each store is made up hundreds of dealer-merchants with individual booths to sell their goods. You’ll find a wide range of products ranging from furniture, housewares and decor to fashion and personal accessories.

While each location has the Queen of Hearts signature set up – wide, easy-to-navigate aisles named after streets in Charleston, S.C. – each also has its own personality. Dealers in Alpharetta feature products targeted to designers and decorators. Marietta is more of a traditional antiques store, while Buford has a lot of dealers who are creatively repurposing old items for new uses.

Queen of Hearts has been branded to be a one-stop shop for antiques and home interiors merchandise which you’ll quickly recognize the minute you enter the store.

I arrived at the store around 8:45 am and was immediately taken in by the beautiful holiday displays and merchandising vignettes. I knew I had to whip out my phone and snap a few pictures so I could share it all with you. Enjoy my tour through Queen of Hearts and take note of the creative holiday decorating ideas I’m pointing out along the way. ***Warning, this is photo heavy post, guaranteed to make you want to go shopping!

Queen Of Hearts Antiques & Interiors

If you have a love for antique and vintage china, the store is choke full of ironstone, milk glass and transferware.

Everyday Decor…

Once I stopped drooling over all the beautiful china I focused in on the everyday decor.

These marble bookends were just stunning!

I almost bought this bell for those occasion when I want to summon the butler (not)!

This bamboo bench was a beauty. I really wanted it but there’s just one problem…I don’t have a place to put it.

I loved this arrangement of frames and antique mirrors on a mantel. Talk about a super budget-friendly and dynamic mantel decorating idea.

Collectibles of all kinds filled the shelves.

These pretty decanters were also something I thought about purchasing. I loved everything about them except the price 🙁

And then there was the Christmas decor…

Hold your horses because this is going to be good.

New and vintage ornaments displayed in bowls and containers. This is one of the easiest holiday decorating ideas ever. Look around your house, I’m sure you have a spot or two that could use an ornament arrangement.

I bought a few small vintage ornaments to use in my holiday decor. There were a lot of dealers with vintage ornament collections and most ornaments were priced between $3 and $6 each.

One of the things I enjoyed seeing was all of the unique wreath decorating ideas.

This was a small wreath that had an oversized candy cane ornaments attached to it. The wreath was used as a place setting on a holiday tablescape.

For more rustic themed holiday decor, this grapevine wreath was beautifully decorated with a big linen bow, faux magnolia leaves and pinecones.

One trend I’m seeing everywhere right now are wreaths with just the upper or lower area decorated, similar to a Laurel Wreath.

Christmas Inspiration…

In addition to wreaths, there were beautiful decor pieces using greenery stems and swags.

Greenery stems nestled around holiday decor in a large metal tray.

I love the idea of placing greenery picks under a glass dome.

I’m so stealing this idea of using a ceramic swan vase to hold holiday greens.

There were lots of these wood star decor pieces. I see the stars at flea markets and antique stores all the time and love how they can be transformed using greenery, pinecones and a bow.

Or for a more traditional look, holiday ornaments.

Here’s a quick and easy DIY you can do for your own home. Tie a greenery pick and leaf stem to a vintage silver-plated tray. Then add a big bow to finish it off. An arrangement like this can be hung on a front door or any wall space in your home.

Just about every aisle in the store had Christmas decor of some kind. There were lots of pillows, tabletop items and unique gifts.

This vintage sled was not cheap but boy was it cool. It would look great hung on a wall in a kids room.

And last but not least were the pretty holiday dinner napkins that I loved.

Wasn’t that shopping tour fun?! You can only image how I felt shopping the store in person.

Queen of Hearts is a treasure trove of goodies so plan on spending some time when you decide to go shopping. And for those of you that can’t make it to the store, they also showcase a lot of the items for sale on Craigslist. You can shop from the comforts of home and then contact the store to make your purchase.

Follow Queen of Hearts on Facebook for regular photo updates from all the stores. And sign up for their newsletter here to be notified of store events.