Bright, Colorful, Playroom Christmas Tree and Neutral Dining Room

Playroom

The upstairs of my house stays very traditional in its Christmas colors. But, the playroom goes wild!  Why not!  I was actually too lazy to put this tree up last year but it was the first one up (of the 5) this year.  I had every single thing on this tree already so not having to spend any money made it much more fun.

The only new thing added to the tree is the little bunting.  I made it from scraps of leftover stockings. I used the same method as I did for Harper's Birthday Bunting for cutting the triangles and just sewed them onto a pink ribbon.  Easy and adorable!

The tree skirt is just a 2 year peice of chevron fabric that will soon be turned into pillows for the playroom.  I'm already over some of the fabric in here.  I've got problems people, problems!
 

Dining Room

 

The dining room tree is very similar to last year. Dried hydrangeas (click here for a how to on drying your own), vintage lace, crystals from a old chandelier and a ruffled tree skirt made from inexpensive muslin. It fits perfectly in this corner and I love it in the new dining room!



 

All is all I didn't buy a single new Christmas item this year other than loads of fresh garland and wreaths. 

 

 My Kindergartner had his last day of school yesterday so we are off to find a Gingerbread cookie recipe (that doesn't make 5 dozen cookies!!!) and have Mommy/Gray Day (to put it into his words).  Excited to hang with my boy and even more excited that he is so pumped to hang with me!

 

Kandi

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How To Take Glowing Christmas Tree Pictures

Can I just say I'm still lost with my new DSLR Camera.  Even though it's not new anymore!  It's almost exactly a year old and we are still barely on speaking terms!  With that out of the way... I conquered something on my Pinterest to do list involving my camera last night. 

I had pinned this image from Unskinny Boppy last year (who hasn't pinned this?!?).  When going through my Christmas boards this year I decided I had to give this a try!  And, her tutorial really makes it a no brainer. 

The jist is you turn all your lights off except the tree and including your flash, turn your ISO up as high as it will go (I did 6400), turn your shutter speed down, and use a tripod or something to steady it on.  I'm going to make you click over to Beth's blog for the real in depth details (cause it's the right thing to do!).  There she will tell you specifics and you should check out some of her other great posts while your there! 

But, before you go.... here are some outtakes for your enjoyment...

{Note to self... Christmas trees are much  more cooperative than kids... }

 

Kandi





Handmade Christmas Stockings

Arriving next week at Woven Home in Lynchburg, VA will be a selection of these handmade Christmas stockings! There is a little something for everyone here.  Stockings that would be rockin in a college dorm room or a playroom to plenty of neutrals that would slide right in with any ones Christmas decor.  Head over to Woven Home and grab a few before they are gone!!!  There are limited quantities of all that you see pictured here.  If you are too far away feel free to email us at wovenhome@hotmail.com for custom orders.

So funky!  Finished inside with a fun coordinating Frenchy fabric.

Recycled Sweaters finished with burlap rose detail.

 6.5 weeks people!!!!!!!!!!  Does that mean I can put my tree up... hmmmmm?!?

Kandi
 

Around the house

Today has been a crazy day around here.  Mainly because my husband and I had very different plans.  I planned to finish up last minute Christmas dealings outside of the house WITHOUT children... meaning he would need to be home.  His plan... play golf...  Since his included "clients" I lost.  So, instead of staring at my list of things I need to finish up buying before the big day I decided to do a little post from around my house.

This year my decor included a fair bit of DIY but I stayed very traditional in color, sticking to red, green, and gold in my living room.

 

My tree decorating recipe. 

1. Lights.  Push some in deep to the tree and some wrapped further out around the tips.  And, in my opinion, you can never have too many!

2.  Garlands.  I use two types.  A small beaded garland and also a giant spool of gold mesh.  I get mine at Sam's and for around $10 a roll I think it has big impact.  You just wind and twist it as you go.

3.  Layer in your biggest ornaments.  I like to put my biggest deep into the tree.

4.  Call in the kids!  Let them help with putting all the rest of the ornaments.  I have some pretty, some hand me down, lots made by my kids, and all shapes and sizes.  You can't go wrong here.

5.  Finally, I stick in picks.  Mine are always glittered for the main tree.  Curly, berries, and flowers.  Fills in all your gaps.

6.  Add presents!  Trees always look better to me with presents stacked under it.  There have even been times when I wrap empty boxes just to add to it!

My mantle this year includes lots of greenery from my yard.  A little tip, if your yard doesn't have tree suitable for cuttings you can stop at a Christmas tree lot.  They always have huge piles of limbs they have cut off of other peoples trees and they are happy to let you take them free of charge!  With mantles I think the key is always to layer, layer, layer!  Layer textures, colors, and height. 

You've got to love where "Cobbie Face"  our Elf On The Shelf ended up today. 

These topiary trees are incredibly easy to make.  All you need is a paper mache come and some yarn or twine.  Wrap around cone making sure you fill in all gaps and glue the ends in.  That simple!  I put mine on brass candle stick to help vary the height and to add another brass element to tie into my stocking holders.  Greenery and holly berries from the yard, a little sparkle, and that's it!

A few other little vignettes.

Footed Milk Glass Pedestal plus vintage ornaments.

Willow Tree Nativity... after all... this is what its all about!

Merry Christmas!!

Kandi

Christmas Pillows

If you haven't noticed Rebekah and I have a little pillow obsession. 
I just wanted to share some I've made over this holiday season.  

A couple yards of red and white stripe linen, solid white linen, and one set of red and white striped tea towels. For the JOY pillow just cut your letters our of your fabric, pin onto pillow front, and zig zag stitch around the edges.

The one in the front of the picture is the backside of the "JOY" pillow pictured up top.  Tutorial on this cut and re-sewn pillow front to come later.

From L to R:  Embroidered "Merry 12-25" on painters canvas, Mitten (cut from a Goodwill sweater and zig zag stitched onto pillow front), stockings (also cut from Goodwill sweater and glued onto pillow front).

This is my "you live, you learn" Camouflage deer head pillow.  Can I make it clear that I hate camo... Can I also make it clear that when you cut a lovely green and cream ikat into a deer silhouette is miraculously turns to camo... sad but true!  Especially since I didn't even realize it until I was completely finished and stepped back to admire my work!!  I still love the idea of this pillow... just not so much my finished product!

Here is the tutorial I used, along with a template for the deer silhouette. 

Rebekah has made about a million more and if she hasn't sold them all I bet we can talk her into sharing hers as well.

Kandi

Beautiful Mantels via Pinterest

I love Pinterest; but I especially love it this time of year.  If you have not become a member of this amazing site, do it soon.  (www.pinterest.com)  Pinterest allows you to "pin" any image that is on the web to a board.  Allowing you to create online inspiration boards.  Pick a topic, and start finding pictures.  It is great because you don't have to remember a million different websites.  Just one; all your ideas, in one place).  But I will warn you, it is addictive. 

 Here are a few of my favorite Christmas inspired mantels.

picture from Pinterest

 Picture from Pinterest, Simple Evergreens

Traditional Home, via Pinterst

My Mantel

 Aren't these mantels gorgeous!  My husband was teasing me earlier tonight that I could look at Pinterest all day long, and not be bored, and I think he is right.  The last picture is a shot of one of my mantels.  As I said in my last post I have been feeling a bit under the weather so I am sorry I have not posted my other mantels for you.

I hope to see your mantels on Pinterest soon!
love,
Rebekah

It is a mercury glass christmas in Lynchburg

It has been a crazy couple of weeks; 3 of my family members have been to the doctor for vayring ailments, the compressors in my heat pump, and my refrigerator died, two of my faucets are not working, and my back door is on the fritz (permanently locked)!  I feel like I barely have had a chance to breathe, let alone decorate for the holidays.  Lucky for me my energetic mother came for a visit, and has decided to extend her stay until we are all on the mend.  While I have been sitting in my chair (trying to rest), she has cleaned out my pantry, reorganized my storage room, blown all of the leaves off my decks, pulled out my christmas decorations, and last but not least she has made a couple of my favorite meals.  Although sitting in my chair is not where I want to be, it has not been that bad either.  Before all this crazyness here is a house I helped decorate for the holidays....

My friend Karen Covey has a Christmas Open house every year.  She invites several local artist/businesses to sell their products.  This year she asked me to decorate her livingroom, and bring a few of my Christmas pillows.  She has such a beautiful traditional home, I wanted to bring decorations to her home that would complement her space, but also give an unexpected twist.

Vintage Linen "Love"pillow, and Vintage Apron Christmas Tree Pillow

Mercury Glass Christmas Trees with fresh greenery

I wish you a very Merry, and Healthy Christmas!

Rebekah

Kandi's Christmas List

While this could go on for days.... here are a few things I am coveting this holiday season.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint... lots of it

Nikon D300S (and the time to learn to use it correctly)

Frye Tall Riding Boot

Restoration Hardware Farm Table (and everything else they have)

Bohemian Lace Dress - Garnet Hill

A Wine Purse... put my monogram on it and call it a day!

Disclaimer: I am aware this is a purely materialistic blog post and while I do have "world peace" and "more quality time with my family" on my list of wants that is just not what this post is about.  

Christmas Cheer!

If this doesn't make you smile then you are The Grinch.  Maybe I have a soft spot in my heart for Mariah Carey Christmas (and maybe I play it so much I have to buy a new copy each year) or maybe I just wish I had the nerve to even bop my head to music in the mall, but either way, this video made my day!  And also, there is a chance he looks in my windows while I cook/dance in the evenings and that is where he got his moves.  This should get you into the holiday spirit!  

Merry Christmas,

Kandi

Antique Sheet Music Tree

Good morning everyone!  I just don't seem to be able to sleep much past 5 am these past few days, so I thought instead of lying in bed for another morning and looking at my ceiling while asking myself why I can't fall back asleep, I would just get on up and do something productive.  So here I am, about to explain to you how to make one of our antique sheet music trees.  It is really quite simple.  If you do attempt this project, just make sure to use paper that still has some bend.  If your paper is too old, when you fold it, it will tear.

Materials.......

 sheet music

cutting tool

hot glue gun

glue sticks

felt/velvet

tree form

star (optional)

The first step is to cut your sheet music into 1"wide by 4" long strips.  I did not count how many strips I needed for the tree, I just estimated, and then cut more as I needed them.  I think you will be surprised how many strips you will need.  I used my rotary cutter with  a

pinking sheers blade, a self-healing mat, and a straight edge.  However if you do not have these tools, a pinking sheers scissors would work just fine.  Other versions of this tree can be made with plain scissors, or by even folding and tearing the sheets of music to create a soft edge. 

For the sake of time I cut all my strips 1" wide, and then went back and cut them into 4" lengths.

Hot glue velvet onto the bottom of the form tree

Hot glue strips to form starting at the bottom of the tree and working up.
Before you glue on the top layer, glue one 4" strip around the form.  Then cut a small circle out of your sheet music to cover the top of the form; glue.  Once all of the green is covered you can glue the last row of loops to the form.  Because the form is flat on the top I placed a glitter star on the top.
We purchased these stars at Pottery Barn last year, but similar stars can be bought at a craft store.  I love my trees grouped together to create a small forest. 


The same process can be used to create the pine cone trees seen here in this picture.  Instead of cutting strips of paper I pulled individual pine cones apart, then glued the petals to the tree.  Always start at the bottom of your form and work your way up.  Good luck with this project, please send me pictures of your finished trees.


Love,
Rebekah @Woven Home