At Home: Get merry and bright!

 Rituals are an important part of our lives, even if they can be boring at times.  My official marker for winter is an appointment to get the tires changed on our car.  It's happened. Winter is officially here, even if we only had a dusting of snow followed by torrential rain.

 Each year as I  approach the end of November, Christmas creeps into my thoughts.

source

 While I love to look at all the seasonal additions other people make to their homes, and I marvel at the time and creativity it takes to decorate, I keep things as simple as possible.  I'm a vicarious decorator,  enthralled by others' efforts and the numerous possibilities without the physical work and outlay of cash.

 Here's a good example.

Every time I visit my daughter's house I am greeted by her inviting red door (now there are boxwoods in the planters) ...

and covered porch large enough to have two tables, a bench (made by her dad) and a chair.  

This space is calling out for Christmas decorations now that the cushions are stored for the winter. 

Don't get me wrong, my daughter  doesn't need my help to decorate, and she's very independent.  For the last several years she's had some great looks for her front door, but this is the first Christmas for the bench on the porch. 

 2013 Wreath made from  her garden shrubs 

2012 Sparkle and glam wreath 

2012 Glowing snowballs and white sparkle twigs

  What I liked about the feather wreath and snowball planter was its longevity into the winter months.  If you are putting effort into a project, you should aim to get the most from it. 

This is a "what if" post... what if I had that porch.  If my daughter is reading this now, she's rolling her eyes. I'm always on about something, and in the end she'll do her own thing as daughters usually do.

Let's start with the boxwood planters on either side of the door.

source

I have the cedar and my daughter has lots of silver balls.  Anchoring things because of the high winds is always a challenge.  I use tree ornaments and stick a wooden skewer  through the top and down into the soil.

source

Then there's  twigs and berries to add height and colour.  This is a great solution when planters bank a door because the added height and colour would be at eye level. 

source

Following the dictate that simple is best, here's an idea to build on. This is an easy look to achieve and it invites modifications.  Not sure where you would ever find  gigantic pinecones in our neck of the woods, but you could certainly carry off the rest of it and make some bright additions.

source

How about a plaid blanket or plaid pillows for a nice splash of pattern and colour?  A definite considering plaid is very in this year (so I've been told).  I'm thinking about the  red plaid scarf my daughter just purchased.   It  could be folded around a summer pillow and pinned.  A piece of fabric would achieve the same look.   Presto!  Job complete - one plaid pillow.

Here's a simple idea along those lines I just whipped up.  I know how much my daughter  loves happy little signs!  Not!  

or.....

source 

 you could make burlap cushion covers with stencilled polka dots (a great kid friendly project)....

or

source

 you could use a  plain red blanket and blend it with  the summer white/black cushions for a very graphic look

... and 

Just a few simple changes to pillows 

and add bright arrangements for the table.... 

source 

Then there's always lanterns and greenery for the tables.   Get the spay paint out if you already have black lanterns.

Lit twig balls are always a big hit, and they could be added to any container depending on the size.  You can also spray paint twig balls and just go with colour and no lights. 

Why not take an idea from my sister Vera's  red bird themed Christmas pot from last year?  It continued to look good for months after Christmas. 

source

Love the idea of skates in a swag for the front door.  This would be super easy with a red door and lot of accessible greenery on one's  property.   And I just found my daughter's  little white (now yellowish) skates in the storage room clean out!  Ideas! Ideas!

Or just give in and put a  plain old wreath on the bench. How simple is that?

No pressure!

What are you doing with your entry for Christmas?

Simple spring wreaths

 Welcome spring!   It is warm today in St. John's and I finally feel like we are moving on from winter. My friend in England is mourning the disappearance of the daffodil while we are awaiting its arrival. With all the sunshine pouring in,  I knew it was time to add a little spring to the front entry.  It will be a long time yet before we see the forsythia and tulips.  If you read this blog you already know I am not a big seasonal decorator and recycling and dollar store finds are my go tos.

Designing Home  simple spring wreath

This wreath has served me for three years and moved from a  natural colour, to silver, and then on to purple, but today thanks to two different  spray paints  it is green. Yes, I'm still painting things. Spring greens are so hopeful.  The dollar store provided five bunches of spring flowers that I tore apart and reworked . I was so happy to feel the warm breeze I even added  a ribbon and I never add ribbons to wreaths!

Here four more favourites I've seen lately on Pinterest. 

 

source

Love this one, because I love circle shapes and eggs are such a part of spring celebrations.

Parker Kennedy Living tulip wreath

Ah, tulips!  How can you go wrong when you use tulips and mass them into an inviting circle?

source

This would be called a sway I suppose.  The gerbers are so bright and bold and the pail anchors the design.

source

Go on!  Find a container  you could hang on a door and fill it with flowers and viola.  How easy is that?

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas

I love repetition as a statement and it is a powerful vehicle for impact  in art and design.  As you get ready for the coming season perhaps  you would like some inspiration. These images illustrate simple, doable Christmas decor with an emphasis on repetition. Of course Pinterest is the go to site now for ideas of any kind.  These and more ideas  can be found on my  Tis the Season folder.

So simple and effective.  I think this works because of its lack of colour and sparkle against the metal tray.

  How simple is this?  Jingle bells, and white candles on a rectangular white tray.  The variations are endless.

  Pick your choice with this one. Greenery with candles or bulbs in sets of three or four.  I think I would stick to one or the other so it would get noticed more.

 Boxwood wreath with slim tapers massed in the middle.  These little candles and holders usually in clear glass are often found at dollar stores. You could also drill holes of appropriate size in a piece of wood and cover it with aluminum foil for safety.

  While this isn't specifically  Christmas decor it offers all kinds of ideas about a similar shelf and a repetition of objects for different seasons.

 Love this idea for over a sofa.  Using those plastic snowflakes you can pick up cheaply and gluing them in a circle with  hot glue.  Velvet ribbon  is a must for the look.

 And don't you just love the repetition of gold vases and two shapes of trees?  Gold is so coming back in vogue. 

 Another set of four but this time using very rustic pots with moss, greenery and candles.

 Lanterns of different shapes and heights can be used with all sorts of seasonal decor.  I think they are handy to have around for  year around use.

 Love white and blue at Christmas.  Add in the sparkle of silver ornaments and the scene is set. 

Remember that you can hang wreaths almost anywhere.

If you missed last year's posts about Christmas decorations check them out here for my house,  for your table,   wreaths,and  mini trees . 

Christmas decorating - 12 unique wreaths you can make

Wreaths are part of Christmas and there are thousands of different designs in the market place. These wreaths are not the bought kind.  I selected them because they are quirky, interesting and easily crafted at home with a bit of elbow grease and ingenuity.  Check the links provided for instructions. 

 Shabby Love

 Cut twigs into slices on a band saw and glue on a foam wreath form.   Love it.  If you don't know someone with a band saw, you need to cultivate a new friend! I would skip the bow and just use a burlap loop.

 BHG

Cover a wreath form with satin ribbon and glue on seed pearls. That should keep you busy for awhile.

 Our Unexpected Journey

You can purchase large MDF letters at Michael's  or cut your own.  It is important to seal MDF with primer or Varathane before beginning. Water and MDF are not a good match!. I would paint the form red before attaching the berries with glue.  If you can't find MDF letters, cut one out of foam core that can be purchased at any art supply store.  

 CasaSugar

Feathers are hot this year. The appearance of yours will depend on the kinds of feathers you can find.

Base Decor 

 Love the warn wreaths that seem to be everywhere this Christmas.  It's a great way to use up odd bits of yarn.

Good Housekeeping

I've loved buttons since I was a child.This white-on-white wreath is so cute. Simply wrap a straw wreath with cream-colored muslin fabric and stitch on a multitude of pearly buttons.It you're not in a stitching mood, use hot glue.

Good Housekeeping

 3 D paper stars are beautiful when  massed into a wreath. Directions can be found at link above.

 Living Artfully

 This is a take on ornament wreaths that have been around for awhile.  This one is very effective because of the colour scheme and the variety in ornament sizes.There are detailed instructions on the link above.

 Creative Decor

 I can't resist silver stars on green. This can be purchased but it would be so easy to make.

 Good Housekeeping

This one is for the birds!  Recycle a wooden frame by covering it with nontoxic glue, then sprinkling it with bird seed. Place the wreath outdoors for all your feathered friends.

Good Housekeeping

 First, wrap a straw wreath form with red ribbon, then use a hot-glue gun to attach each piece of candy.I've seen a similar one with striped peppermint candy. Very effective.

And who could resist a wreath made out of old bling?

If you have a favourite unique wreath I'd love to hear about it.