Seasonal Archives | Page 16 of 38

DIY Merry & Bright Placemats

December 10, 2015

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home tour yesterday on the blog and my festive tablescape. Today I want to share the details of the DIY placemats I made for my table.

You might remember that I used printable art pieces from My Love Note Designs in my bedroom refresh back in May. Christina has a wonderful collection of custom art pieces available in her Etsy shop. Several weeks ago she reached out to me again and asked if I wanted to use a print in my holiday decor. I jumped at the opportunity. Not only are there loads of amazing designs at great prices, but since all the images are downloadable and printable after purchase, you have instant gratification.

In looking through the My Love Note Designs shop, I spotted several images that would have worked with my Christmas decor but the Merry & Bright print was a perfect fit! #merryandbrightholidayhome

image via MyLoveNoteDesigns

Once I saw the image I started thinking about other ways I could use it besides in a frame. The idea of turning it into a placemat came to mind.

So here’s what I did…

Originally I was going to cut my own wood but then I stumbled across 12″ x 12″ unfinished plywood sheets at JoAnn’s ($4.99 each). They were thin and the perfect size for a placemat. Next I grabbed four sheets of green glitter scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby ($1.99 and 50% off) and printed four of the Merry & Bright art images on glossy photo paper.

To create the placemats I used a permanent double-sided table to attached the glitter paper to the wood and then used Mod Podge to adhere the artwork to the glitter paper and to coat the surface. The Mod Podge creates a durable finish and seal over the art image.

I haven’t done it yet but I’m going to paint the edges of the wood with gold rub-n-buff to finish the look.

I must say without these placemats, my holiday table wouldn’t be as Merry & Bright!

♦♦♦

If you’re looking to add some holiday decor to your home this season, I highly recommend checking out the selection of holiday art in My Love Note Designs. These are a few of my favorite pieces and some creative ideas on how they could be used:

Snowflake Red Plaid–use as a decorative topper on gifts wrapped in white, craft or black wrapping paper

Eat Drink and Be Merry–frame and hang over your bar cart, cocktail station or food buffet

Making Spirits Bright–the perfect piece to hang in the guest bedroom or bath to welcome guests for the holidays

Be Joyful–a fun piece to include in a gift baskets as a hostess gift (I adore this image)

Merry Christmas Y’all–I’d place this piece in the center of a wreath and hang it on the front door to welcome family and friends southern style

Plaid Tree–this tree design would be cute framed and used as the topper on a Christmas Tree or the centerpiece of a DIY serving tray

Thanks for stopping by.

A big thanks to MyLoveNotedesigns for providing the prints used in this project. I love sharing my favorite Etsy shops with you and know you’ll find something for yourself in this shop. All opinions are 100% mine.

Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour-Part 2

December 9, 2015

Welcome to part 2 of the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour. It has been such fun to partner with my 8 fellow bloggers to bring you lots of holiday inspiration.

If you’re coming over from Love Your Abode thanks for stopping in and if you’re one of my regular readers, thanks for your continued love and support! Did you see all the amazing details in Yuni’s decor this week?! WOW, I didn’t think she could top last week but she sure did.

This week on the tour we’re focusing on our entertaining spaces and how we celebrate the season. Entertaining is such a joy and this year will be extra special since my brother now lives in Atlanta and my mom is coming for Christmas.

When I think of holiday entertaining I think of family dinners at a beautiful table so I got a jump on things and set my table for a Merry & Bright Christmas dinner. Playing off the color theme from my Christmas tree decor, I created a classic red & white tablescape with a few fun touches.

***One of the special touches to my table are these DIY placemats I made featuring a Merry & Bright printable art piece from Christina’s Etsy shop, My Love Note Designs ! I’ll be sharing the how-to and more details on the placemats tomorrow so stay tuned.

I wanted a lush looking centerpiece so I used a greenery candleholder in the center of the table. To dress it up, I added mini ornaments and decorative ornament sprays.

And to add layers to the table, I used three different linen pieces—a white tablecloth, a wide red and white stripe runner (made from simple cotton fabric) and a solid red runner from HomeGoods.

I hung a wreath on the mirror and added the metal Noel sign in the middle. I made the bow from ribbon I picked up at Michaels.

I layered each place setting starting with the DIY placemat, a red charger and white china. The Merry Christmas plates are from HomeGoods.

My vintage gold silverware and brass candleholders add a touch of metallic shine to the table. The holly leaf candleholders were a flea market find–one of my favorites ever!

These cute red and white check bags came from the dollar spot at Target and I’ll be filling them with small gifts/treats for everyone at the table. (p.s. I added the rhinestone M sticker to personalize it)

So the console table on the back wall wouldn’t feel left out, I created a beautiful flower arrangement using a mix of fresh and faux flowers and greenery. More on how I made the arrangement later in the week.

Another special touch at the table are the chair cones I tied to the back of each chair. I’ve had these metal cones for years and this year I filled them with a cedar spray, a piece of garland and mini ornaments.

Entertaining at our house also involves a cocktail bar so I added a few holiday touches to our gold bar cart.

The Merry & Bright wall plaque is from Kirklands. I saw it online and had to pull some strings to get my hands on one. I added the cedar sprays, bow and ornament clusters to make it just a bit more Merry & Bright.

And because no holiday is complete without hot chocolate, I snapped this last night as I was addressing my DIY Christmas cards.

Here’s another glimpse of my tree. I made a few changes to it since last week and replaced the chalkboard I had over the table with this mirror I had stashed in the garage. I just love this entire vignette.

And you see that cart next to the table with wrapping paper in it? I’ll be sharing that little project on Saturday. So fun and easy!

I hope you’re enjoying the Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour. The fun doesn’t stop here…the next stop is OMG Lifestyle Blog. You’re going to love what Elaine has to share this week and if you missed her decor from last week, you can check it out here.

And you definitely want to check out all the other bloggers on the tour…

Confetti Style (yours truly)

OMG Lifestyle

Design Asylum Blog

Refresh Restyle

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

I’ll be back next Wednesday, with part 3 and the tour finale. We’ve got more holiday decor to share and I’ll be doing a wrap up of my Merry & Bright Holiday Home!

You can see part 1 of my tour here.

The Easiest DIY Christmas Cards Ever!

December 8, 2015

So remember when I told you weeks ago that I was going to make my Christmas cards? Well, I didn’t tell you a fib.

When I lived in Seattle I always made my Christmas cards by hand. One year I made cards out of 3-dimensional ornaments and another year I made my cards inside metal tins which served as the envelope. Back then I started working on my cards months in advance of Christmas and spent lots of time making sure every detail was unique and special.

Fast forward to today. Yes, I still love to make my cards by hand but I never seem to have time or energy on my side. So when it came to my Christmas cards this year, I used my creativity to come up with a super easy and simple card design that took less than 10 minutes to create.

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The Sounds of Christmas–My Favorite Holiday Tunes

December 6, 2015

I know many of you will be in the thick of holiday decorating this weekend. While you at, why not play some holiday music. Here’s my 2015 Holiday Playlist along with one of my favorite holiday videos in case you’re looking for some music inspiration! Enjoy!

all songs available on i-tunes

Holiday Gift Guide–Holiday Hostess Gifts Under $25

December 5, 2015

It’s party season and when it comes to hostess gifts, I’m always challenging myself to take something other than a bottle of wine. My requirements for a hostess gifts are something that is practical, useful and something that will bring joy and that the host! These hostess gift ideas check all the boxes and even better, all of them are under $25.00!

Gold Frame Bottle Stopper–$14.50 Great to hold a photo of tag with bottle variety

Illume Balsam & Cedar Tin Candle–$24.00 One of the best smelling holiday candles on the market!

Gingham Pie Servers–$24.00 The stylish way to serve up pies and cakes during the holidays

Decorative Wood Matches–$3.50 These will make lighting Christmas candles a bit more special

Brass Pineapple Trinket Dish–$18.50 A fun little dish to serve up holiday candies

Martha Stewart Appetizers–$18.56 Anyone who loves to entertain will love this book

Ho, Ho, Ho Acrylic Tumbler–$4.95 ea A fun holiday breakfast glass

Pop, Fizz, Clink printable via Etsy

Holiday Candles: Easy Ways To UpStyle Candles For Christmas

December 4, 2015

via babble

Happy Friday! I am so glad that weekend is here and I can’t wait to sleep in a bit tomorrow. It’s been busy in my neck of the woods and while I still have some decorating to do, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m looking forward to relaxing and savoring the season.

Today I wanted to share some creative and easy UpStyling ideas you can use for your holiday candles. I love having candles in every room but buying a lot of my favorite candles can get expensive. During the holidays I pair this scented candle and this scented candle with basic candles and candle holders that have been UpStyled to get the look I want without blowing the budget.

Here are a few easy ideas that I hope will inspire.

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5 Minute Holiday Doormat

December 3, 2015

I change out my doormats seasonally but when it was time to put one out for Christmas I realized I didn’t have a holiday themed one that went with this years decor.

What I had was this basic $4.99 doormat I purchased from Ikea last summer. It was tucked in a corner of the garage most likely waiting to be UpStyled.

Some Scotch Blue painters tape…

A can of Rustoleum Extra Cover Gloss Spray Paint in Apple Red…

and in five minutes I had a holiday doormat with a classic design.

Now that’s what I call holiday decorating on the cheap!

TWO Easy DIY Christmas Ornaments

December 1, 2015

When I haven’t been decorating for clients I’ve been busy getting crafty and decking the halls at my home. This year I made a few handmade ornaments from things I already had stashed away. These ornaments were so simple they should be in the Holiday Decor for Dummies Book.

First up are tinsel filled ornaments. I bought these clear ornaments two years ago I think and had plans to paint them. While unpacking my decor this year I came across them and decided to turn them into tinsel ornaments.

All is took was some tinsel garland (mine purchased at Ikea), scissors and something long to push the tinsel into the ornament. I removed the ornament cap, cut my garland into 4 inch long pieces and used a chop stick to push it into the ornament.

Next I decided to take a stash of holiday coasters I purchased at a Crate and Barrel after Christmas sale and turn them into ornaments. I punched a hole in one corner so the coaster would hang on the diagonal and easy peasy, I had ornaments.

Both of these ornaments add something different to my tree–the tinsel ornaments add sparkle and shine and the coaster ornaments layer in a different shape and dimension. I’ll be back tomorrow to share my fully decorated Christmas tree in part one of Merry & Bright Holiday Home Tour.

Have you crafted any of your Christmas decor this year?

#merryandbrightholidayhome