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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

*****

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.

The Best Christmas Tree Scented Candles

November 14, 2018

When we lived in Seattle I was all about natural Christmas decor. Every year we’d go to a Christmas tree farm to cut down a tree. And I would drape fresh garland on the mantel, along the staircase and around the front door. Despite all the needles I had to sweep up, I loved the smell of fresh greenery at Christmas.

When we moved to Atlanta, we decorated with a fresh tree for a few years but it wasn’t the same. The tree dried out faster and the fragrance was never as good. Fifteen years ago we made the switch from real to faux decor and I found other ways to bring a Christmas scent into our home. Candles were the answer!

Here’s a round up of my favorite Christmas Tree scented candles that will make your home smell like a fresh cut tree. And in case you’re wondering, I’ve burned every candle on my list so they are all ConfettiStyle approved!

My Favorite Christmas Candles

Williams Sonoma Winter Forest ($19.95)–Like all of the products from Williams Sonoma, this Winter Forest candle has a long-lasting scent and burns clean (none of that soot build-up). And at $19.95 this candle is a great gift basket item.

Bath and Body Works Fresh Balsam ($24.50, sale $14.50)–There are so many great candle scents from Bath and Body Works and the Fresh Balsam is definitely at the top of my list. The smell is amazing and the price (currently on sale for $14.50) makes it a great value for the size. I buy this candle in multiples and burn it all the way through February when it’s still cold out.

Thymes Fraiser Fir ($50.00)–When it comes to Christmas Tree scents, this candle is pretty legendary. It’s a little more expensive than the others but the quality and fragrance make it well worth the price. And if candles aren’t your thing, I also recommend their fragrance mist and diffuser.

Illume Balsam and Cedar($28.00)–I love the collection of Balsam and Cedar candles from Illume. The scent is wonderful and they sell classic jar and tin candles as well as decorative containers like mercury glass.

Nest Birchwood Pine ($41.96-affiliate link)–Nest candles are one of my go-to luxury gift items. The jars are beautiful and the Birchwood Pine fragrance is soft but strong at the same time.

Aunt Sadie’s Tree In A Candle($21.00-–affiliate link)–I discovered this candle when I had my home decor store. The retro packaging is what initially drew me to the line but once I burned a candle, I was totally sold. The scent is awesome and the candle burns really clean.

DIY Mason Jar Matches

Now that you know what my favorite holidays candles are, be sure to read my post on How To Burn Candles The Right Way so you get the best burn from your candles.

My 2018 Christmas Theme | Chinoiserie Inspired

October 26, 2018

Happy, Happy Friday! Today’s blog post is one of my favorites to share each year. It’s my annual Christmas theme post where I show you my decorating plans for the holidays. If you’re a new follower, let me fill you in on my obsession with Christmas decorating.

Ever since I was little, I’ve loved decorating Christmas trees, hanging stockings and wrapping gifts. I remember making ornaments with my dad and sitting in front of the silver tinsel tree in awe. Once I graduated from college and got my first apartment, I couldn’t wait to put up my own tree. And when I got married I started creating a theme for my decor and 27 years later, the tradition continues.

Last year I shared the details on exactly how I develop my holiday decorating theme. And if you missed it, you can see how I decorated using my favorite colors in 2017 and how my 2016 Christmas theme was inspired by wrapping paper.

This year my holiday theme is inspired by my love for blue and white and my collection of ginger jars. I’m calling my theme…

Chinoiserie Christmas With A Pop Of Pink!

…

Read the Post

Home Decor Deals {End of Summer Clearance Sales}

August 9, 2018

Hi friends. I hope everyone is having a great week. I’ve been struggling this week trying to stay on top of my to-do and it hasn’t been easy. I was up early today and needed to take a break from the computer so I did some online shopping. Man-oh-man there some great end of season sales going on right now. There are lots of great home and outdoor decor items on sale. If you haven’t had a chance to do a little retail therapy lately, here’s your chance. Today I’m sharing eight really amazing clearance finds I spotted online. If you see something you like, you’ll want to add to cart quick because I don’t think any of these items will be around for long. Happy shopping!

POTTERY BARN TEEN–While most people think the product are Pottery Barn Teen and just for youth, it’s one of my favorite places to shop of unexpected home decor finds. I recently spotted this preppy personalized tapestry on clearance for just $16.99. The minute I saw it, all kinds of creative ways to use it started popping into my head. I ordered one and am planning to use it as a table linen. It measures 42″ x 35″ and will look great layered on top of a white or blue tablecloth, draped across the middle of a dining table. There’s also a black and white dot pattern if that’s more your style.

WEST ELM–I’m slowly moving away from glass vases and buying vases that you can’t see through. I like to have the water and flower stems concealed. One of my go-to sources for vases is West Elm. They always have a great selection and I just picked up this faceted metal vase that is on sale for $24.99. I love the shape and the brass finish. There are other sizes available starting at just $6.99.

WORLD MARKET–If you love the idea of gold picture frames but want something with more of a vintage feel, you’ll want to snap up a few of these brass clad picture frames. You can hang the frames on the wall or use them on a tabletop. Two sizes available, 5″ x 7″ ($19.99) and 8″ x 10″ ($23.99). These brass loop frames are also on clearance and would look great as part of a gallery wall display.

TARGET–Barcarts have become a design staple over the last few years. In addition to using one for a bar, the can also be used to hold towels and toiletries in a bathroom. I also like using them in an office to hold a printer and office supplies. I don’t need another bar cart but this Project 62 modern bar cart is a steal at $59.99.

TARGET–When it comes to pillows, black and white designs are a great investment. Black and white are easy to accessorize with other colors and like I shared in this Design Guide, every room needs a touch of black. This overused black and white lumbar pillow is on sale for just $18.47 and will look great on a sofa or on a bed.

H & M HOME–I own my fair share of cute serving trays but can’t help to add a new one to the mix when I find a great deal. This tropical leaf tray is a winner and the perfect accessory for serving drinks on the patio or using as a decorative piece on the coffee table. At $8.99 this one will sell out fast. **this would also make a great Christmas gift.

WORLD MARKET–Nothing like bold, colorful piece of artwork to make a statement with your home decor. I could see this abstract floral art over a foyer table or hanging above a sofa. The gold frame is the perfect finishing touch. On sale for $79.99.

PIER 1–Now is a great time to buy outdoor furniture, decor and entertaining pieces. While perfect for outdoor use, this blue acrylic stemware can also be used indoors. Just think how amazing it would look paired with Blue Willow china. There are a variety of styles and other colors available ranging in price $5.18 to $5.48 per glass. Free shipping on a $49 order with code FreeShip49.

NORDSTROM–Since moving from Seattle where Nordstrom is headquartered, I don’t shop in the store as much as I use to. And I often forget that they carry home decor items. This J. Alexander gold lamp is large and substantial and is a really stunning piece and is on sale for $100.

MARK & GRAHAM–It’s never to early to start thinking about holiday gifts and Mark & Graham has some fabulous gift items on clearance. This monogrammed glass bud vase ($19.99) would make a great teacher or girlfriend gift.

BALLARD DESIGNS–I’ve always loved the idea of using a wood riser like this one the kitchen to hold decorative items. I first spotted this idea over on Dear Lillie where Jenni uses a similar riser as a decorative display piece. Unfortunately the large riser is sold out but the small riser is on clearance for $59.99. If a round shape will work better for you, this carved pedestal is also on sale.

GRANDIN ROAD–Even at full price, this rattan bench was a great buy but now it’s on sale for just $199. This would be such a fun accent piece in a living room or at the foot of a bed.

Don’t forget when you out shopping to check the end-caps (end of the aisle) at your favorite stores. This is where many stores merchandise their clearance items.

The Christmas Tree Shops–Store Review and What I Bought

March 12, 2018

Hi friends. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

On Saturday the hubs and I had some errands to run including a stop at The Christmas Tree Shops and That. I’ve heard lots of talk about this store and have seen some amazing finds pop up on Instagram. Just the other day one of my instagram friends posted this image showing the chic pieces she scored at her local store. Aren’t that planter and lattice rug just gorgeous! (sadly these items were not at my store).

After seeing Cathy’s post, I immediately jumped on the computer to see where the closet Christmas Tree Shops was located. I was surprised to find that there was one about 25 minutes from me.

When we drove into the parking lot and I saw andThat! on the building I was a little confused but once I did a little reading about the company it all made sense.

The Christmas Tree Shops andThat!

If you’re not familiar with The Christmas Tree Shops and That!, let me give you little background.

Christmas Tree Shops started as a holiday gift shop on Cape Cod selling holiday and seasonal decor. As the success of the company grew, they started to expand their offering selling gifts, home decor and big name closeout items. In 2012, the company began expanding beyond the New England area and added the name And That! so consumers would know the store sells more than just seasonal products.

I’d describe the store as a mix of World Market, Hobby Lobby and At Home all under one roof. You’ll find craft items, seasonal decor, decorative accessories, housewares and even wine. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a wide variety of products and was even more amazed at some of the prices.

One of the main product statements they have on the floor right now is melamine dinnerware and serving piece. The prices ranged from $1.50 to $5.00 with lots of colors and patterns to choose from.

In addition to melamine dinnerware, I spotted these wine glasses. At first I thought they were glass but they were actually made of clear plastic. They looked like the real thing and were only $1.50 per glass. This is definitely something to buy if you do a lot of entertaining or host big family gatherings around the holidays.

These summer motif melamine trays also caught my attention because they were only $1.29! These would be great as a summer hostess gift or to use for outdoor entertaining. (note to self: go back and get some of these)!

p.s. if you’d like something with more of a designer look, check out these marble swirl melamine trays I spotted online.

Another product that stopped me in my track were these monogrammed tea towels. Like the trays, there were lots of different patterns available. I actually thought about getting some of these to use as dinner napkins but wasn’t in the mood to dig thru the bin to find multiple M’s. I think the price on these was under $3.

The store carries a great selection of placemats including these 4 styles which I loved. I also saw the navy and natural jute mats below and had to snap them up because I love all things blue and white and because they were only $1.00 each!

There was a small selection of accent furniture and while I liked the look of some of the pieces, the quality was not there for me. I do think there were some good options for a beach house or guest room that doesn’t get used a lot.

I’m always on the hunt for pillows and saw several styles that I liked including this one with a beautiful crewel work design on the front. The only downside is that most of their pillows have polyfil inserts but you could have those replaced with down it you found a design you really liked.

This collection of blue and white Shibori pillows were nice. The blue lattice design on the bottom shelf was oversized and would look great in triplicate on a bed.

There was a nice selection of bedding and curtains including Waverly designs. This blue and white damask design was really pretty with the ticking stripe pattern on the back. You could easily pair this with navy or off-white bedding to build a really stunning look.

After pursuing the textiles area, I headed over to the decor department. There was a little of everything.

These round wood monogram board were cute. They are not cutting boards but are meant to be used as decor. I could see one hanging as part of a gallery wall or in the middle of a wreath. I think they were around $5.99.

Lots of pineapple decor. #arepineapplesstillathing?

One thing I did notice about The Christmas Tree Shops is that they are on top of the trends. They had copper and brass well represented throughout the store. Here’s a look at some of the candle hurricanes they had.

If you’re looking for inexpensive decor to style bookshelves, tabletops and such then I would say this is a good store to check out. This marble-look jar was really nice and less than $10.

There was a big housewares department with kitchen accessories, paper products and gift items. If I didn’t already own about 20 water bottles I would have picked up one of the insulated floral bottles below.

Pretty blue and white paper napkins.

And of course I had to check out the giftwrap. Most rolls were $2.99 or less and there was a nice selection of stylish designs including a few I’ve spotted at HomeGoods.

This is just a snippet of what the store had to offer so If you go, plan on spending some time looking around. According the website, the assortment changes all they time and new products are introduced weekly.

If you live in the Atlanta area, you can visitThe Christmas Tree Shops in Kennesaw at 845 Ernest W. Barrett Pwky NW. And if you don’t have a store near you, you can shop online here.

Happy shopping!

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.