DIY for the Holidays

Hello again, I know...I know, this is the most you've ever heard from me but I am so excited to share my projects and those of the blogosphere with you that I just can't stop myself.

Today, I'm going to share a couple of little DIY projects that I've done to add some Christmas cheer to our home.

The first is such a quick and easy one that I made it using items I already had on hand.  It looks really cute hanging in the kitchen.

I started with some ribbon that came wrapped around packages of ornaments from the dollar store and then I strung through some cookie cutters.  I alternated the colours of both the ribbon and the cutters, but you could place them however you like or just use one colour.  Instead of ribbon you could use beaded garland or string, whatever your little heart desires.  The only thing I would recommend is to tie a knot or have some kind of stopper at the end of each section where you want to hang it otherwise the cutters will slide down and bunch up in the middle.  Here's a closer look at it.

The cutters that I happened to have had holes in them so I just strung the ribbon through it and then through the shape itself so that the shape was facing out instead of hanging sideways.  If your cookie cutters don't have a hole like these do, you may need to play around with the ribbon to find a way to tie it so that you can actually see the shapes.

This project took me about 15 minutes and the kids helped too!

The next DIY took a bit more time.  I had to do a bit of research and thanks to YouTube, found a couple of online tutorials like this one from Skillins Greenhouse.

I decided that this year I wanted to learn how to make my own bows, so I got some really great rolls of ribbon from Michaels on a fantastic 70% off sale and with this particular pattern, I've made 2.  They found their home on my double front doors which I hung with matching wreath hangers.

I admit, I've gone a little bow crazy around the house because once you learn how to do it, they really are so simple and look beautiful.

I’m sharing this at the Dare to DIY party hosted by Decor and the Dog, Maybe Matilda, Newly Woodwards, and Two Twenty One! So be sure to check them out.

Until next time....Lisa

A Light Dusting of Snow

Hello everyone and welcome to my first Christmas post of the season.  I have so many ideas and projects, I hope I can manage to complete them all and post about them before the holidays are over!

Today I am going to show you how I added a little cheer and just a smattering of snow to my eat in kitchen.

I started with a pretty blank slate of a round, white table and transluscent chairs. This gave me the opportunity to decorate in whatever colours I wanted.  My holiday colours have always been and always will be traditional (red, green, white, silver, gold) and every once in a while I might throw in just a touch of a trendy colour for fun.  For this particular display, I stayed true to myself except for the bowl that I used, which is one that sits on my table anyway and I love the teal colour and the way that it juxtaposes with the traditional decor.

The idea itself is pretty basic, just some ornaments in different shapes, sizes and texture. The variation is what keeps it interesting and I love pine cones, they just seem to add a rustic warmth to everything. 

Now, lets talk about the base shall we?  You may be wondering where the snow came from and did I just grab some from the backyard and throw it in there in order to take this photo?  The answer is a resounding NO! but isn't it fantastic!  

When you look through magazines or on the web, most holiday bowls like this will have a base of greenery, whether it be real cedar boughs or artificial pine sprays.  I decided to defy the standard and try something different.  I found this stuff at Dollarama, here in Canada, it came in a little bottle and it said fake snow, just add water.  I was skeptical and almost put it back on the shelf but I thought, for $1.25, what do I have to lose, I'll try it out and see what happens.  You can be the judge, but I think it turned out great.  It has been a week since I took this picture and the snow still looks like this.

Lets recap the cost for a moment because this is something anyone can do with things you already have in your holiday decor stash.  Ornaments, pine cones and bowl - already owned, fake snow - $1.25.  Total for a new take on an old idea $1.25 and I love it!

Do you have any new ideas for traditional holiday decor?  I'd love to hear about them.

Until next time...Lisa