palmer home: November 2011

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Christmas Decorating: Wreaths!

I know most of you probably already have most of your Christmas decorations up. We visited my parents in Alabama for Thanksgiving and are traveling home tomorrow so I have yet to put up a single decoration!! Needless to say, I'm stressing over it. So, for the few of you who are still stressing with me...

There's nothing as inviting and warm as a unique Christmas wreath! Whether it be welcoming family over for Christmas Eve or friends and colleagues over for a Christmas dinner party...wreaths on our doors are a holiday decorating staple.

In most recent years, deco mesh, ribbon and ornament wreaths have become very popular.

Photo via etsy.com

These are beautiful and work best if you want a slightly more formal look... Making them, while not difficult, is time consuming. Here are a few helpful tips if you want to give it a go...

1. Choose an overall color scheme... red and lime green (above), various shades of one color (blue - below), silvers, golds, etc...

2. Use any sturdy wreath as your base. Sturdy and well made is key - there is a lot of stuff going on this!

3. Create the "background" of your wreath using one or two colors of deco mesh. Twist and gather using floral wire (or I've even used pipe cleaner in a pinch!).

4. Overlay with one or two types of coordinating ribbon. Twist and gather ribbon.

5. Intersperse ornaments and holiday sprigs in clusters throughout wreath.

If you prefer a simpler look, here are a few more unique examples:

I love this letter wreath and burlap bow from Adrienne over at Our Unexpected Journey!

Consider hanging wreaths in front of decorative mirrors or even on the front of kitchen cabinet doors.

Photo via marthastewart.com

Want to record your favorite Christmas memories? Each year, write down a memorable moment and use a simple grapevine wreath to display these memories throughout the years.

Photo via realsimple.com

I love this yarn wreath from Etsy!

Wreaths can also be used to display Christmas cards, like this one by Martha Stewart.

Finally, I love the simple elegance of this yarn wreath from Two Junk Chix.

Well, that's all for today! I have plenty of Christmas decorating of my own to do!!!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Fall Decorating: DIY Burlap Garland

I was shopping at a local children's clothing store last week and was shocked to hear "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" playing! That's not all - the windows were already being decorated for Christmas! What? What happened to Thanksgiving? For all of you who weep at the realization that, for the most part, Thanksgiving is increasingly being overlooked ...this is for you.

Burlap is currently very trendy, and I think making a fall garland to decorate with during the Thanksgiving season is a great way to utilize it without going overboard.

I got this idea from Heather at Whipperberry.

Here are the supplies you will need:

1. Burlap (comes in many colors!) - I chose a dark brown and used approximately 5 yards for about 15-16 feet of garland.

2. Jute twine

3. Yard stick or tape measure

4. Chalk

5. Scissors

6. Yarn needle (pictured below)

I started by measuring 4" strips on my fabric and marked each with a chalk line. Then cut your strips. (This is probably the most time consuming step.)