Merry Christmas...

May the beauty and peace of the season stay in your heart all through the year. From our family to yours "Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year"!

Christmas Mini Tour

Since we have downsized I have been having a hard time getting in the mood to decorate for Christmas. It just seems the more I bring out of storage the more crowded my house feels. I'm not a fan of being crowded or living in clutter. But, it's what I have to deal with until we move, hopefully praying to happen in June.

So here's a piece of my Holiday home.

A few decor items...

I made a couple Holiday mesh wreathes. You can find the tutorial here. 

You can read all about my Tree Centerpiece here. 

And, the last thing I made this Holiday season was my Holiday Candle table decor. You can read about it here...

When it comes to Christmas I am very traditional and one of those traditions is an Angel on the tree. 

And, my beautiful manger set under the tree. The Willow Tree set was a gift from my husband and one of my favorite holiday decorations.

It's the first time in 8 yrs that we have not had a mantel so the stockings are hung on the cabinet with care. 

My new purchase this year was this wire snowman Christmas card holder from Pier 1 Imports. 

It's not much and not very exciting. But, I hope you enjoyed my little piece of Christmas in my home.

~Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS~

Holiday Candle Decor

I really need to stop adding to my Holiday decor. I am living in the incredible shrinking house. This house is too small to add anything else to it. The best part...I haven't even pulled my Holiday decor out of storage. Ruh Roh!

I had a 50% off coupon to Michael's and you know how much I love craft coupons. Especially when I had some decor in mind. I wanted to decorate candles for my coffee table. I bought some candles (which by the way are cheaper at Wal-mart). And, I pulled out some of the Christmas craft supplies I already had.

I did pick up a few things along the way. Supplies are: Hot glue, candles, ribbon, string of beads, peppermint sticks, and some floral picks.

I took some peppermint sticks and hot glued them around the candle. 

Added some ribbon and a bow, it's just that easy!

For the next candle I hot glued a red string of beads with a silver string of beads all the way around the candle. 

I stuck a silver glittery candle ring around it and set it atop an upside down crystal votive candle holder. How festive is this???

If you just like simple you can take a piece of ribbon and wrap it around a candle and hot glue a berry pick.

These were so easy to do and they came out just adorable. I think these would even make a great gift.

Well, since that one went so well I decided to do one with a green ribbon. It's a good thing I'm a ribbon fanatic and have a whole butt load of Christmas ribbon. 

Just add a burgundy berry pick and you have another adorable candle.

As simple as that and you have a cute display of decorative candles.

I put two candles on votive candle holders that I turned upside down and I put ribbon around a couple smaller candles I had. I arranged them on my coffee table, curled some ribbon through the display and added some floral.

Here you have it...My coffee table Holiday Candle decor...

"MERRY CHRISTMAS"

Christmas Centerpiece

*Warning: This is a bit lengthy but worth it!

We all know I have downsized for a year so making more crafts to decorate my home is really not what I should be doing. Did I mention our storage unit is ready to bust at the seams. But, I just couldn't help myself. Darn Hobby Lobby!

I went and bought some Styrofoam cones and dug out what I had...

We have our Styrofoam cones, ribbon, flowers, assortment of picks, yarn, pearls, and snow flakes.

Let's get started on our first cone. I just pulled the tops of the poinsettias off the stems and hot glued them into the Styrofoam. (BE CAREFUL HOW MUCH HOT GLUE YOU STICK ON STYROFOAM IT DOES MELT...AND BURNS THE CRAP OUT OF YOUR FINGERS)

I added a pretty silver and white bow to the top and waa laa!!! Tree # 1....done!

Tree #2...I used some sparkly picks, cut the stems shorter and just shoved them little suckers in the Styrofoam.

And, here ya have it...Tree #2! 

Now tree #3 was a bit of a mess. I sprayed adhesive on it, opened up a bag of snow confetti and sprinkled a way. Needless to say I have it everywhere. Then I pulled out some snow tinsel if that's what you call it. I used my hot glue gun and just glued a few little bunches all around the tree.

Added this cute little pick glitter ball to the top and a string of ribbon and pearls and this is what you have...

Tree # 4...I just took some fuzzy yarn and SPARINGLY glued it around the tree.

I glued some pearls and added some holly to the top. 

Dig out your ribbon for Tree #5. I used a couple different colors and designs and glued the around the tree. I put the glue on themribbon and held it on the Styrofoam tree and all I have so say is, "Ouch"! 

I just added a bow to the top and now we have a cute little ribbon tree to our collection.

Now I need a mini tree skirt. I have some quilted fabric, stitch witchery and my iron.

I made my template from a piece of my art paper and a round place mat. I made my pattern bigger then the mat but it worked perfectly.

Now to use it on my fabric and cut out my perfect circle.

I had some fuzzy yarn left and I just used my stitch witchery to attach it to the quilted fabric.

Ironed it...

And, I have a cute mini tree skirt...

My little Styrofoam trees fit perfectly...Don't you think???

If I can do this so can you...Now go get some styrofoam trees and get "Crazy"!

Again, sorry for the long post but I did tell you it would be worth it!!!

This is where I'm linking up this week...PARTY

Have a CRAZY BEAUTIFUL week!

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Mesh Wreath ~ Tutorial

Making a Mesh Wreath

For the past couple years I have been eyeing up beautiful mesh wreaths. You know the ones...the ones you drool over and wish you had the talent to make. So I figured I was going to attempt it this year. And, because I know you have been drooling too, I'm going to show you how it's done. Then you can blog about your talent. 

Off to Hobby Lobby I went. (If you follow me you know I am completely obsessed with that store - my poor hubby). Anyways I picked up a few things...

List of supplies:

Wreath

Wired Mesh (Large & Small)

Shatter proof bulbs

Decorative Pics

Wired Ribbon (I used 4 different designs)

I laid everything out on my dining table it made it easier for me to take pics and give you a tutorial.

You will also need:

Wire cutters (Mine weren't wire cutters because I didn't know where my hubby hid them)

Hot glue gun

Wire

Scissors

I started by using the large mesh and pulled about 12 inches and scrunched it.

Then wrapped a wreath branch around it to hold it in place.

Do that until you are all the way around your wreath.

Then take the smaller wired mesh and weave it around the wreath wrapping branches around it along the way to keep it in place.

It will look something like this...

Then I took my ribbon and cut about 12 inches strips.  Mix your ribbon up for a little fun and color on your wreath.

After I cut the strips I cut V's in the ends and wrapped wire around the middle to make a ribbon pic.

Then I tied each ribbon pic around the wreath (wrap the wire around a branch) I added some hot glue to keep everything in place.

Then I hot glue the shatterproof ornaments in the center of the ribbons. (Try not to burn your fingers like I kept doing ;-))

I take a couple Christmas pics and cut them and hot glue them throughout the wreath.

I like the little balls in a row and the curly ribbons. They spring out from the wreath.

Time for the bow. I make one out of the ribbon and tied it to the center bottom of the wreath and hot glued an ornament in the center of it.

So, TAAAAA DAAAAA 

I have plenty of extra supplies that since I was on a roll I whipped up another wreath. Not bad for my first time!!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that I explained it in simple terms and if not, hopefully my photos explained it good. It's really hard to take photos while you are crafting, but I'm getting better. I should call myself the one armed crafter...LOL

Well go get some supplies, make a wreath, and share it with me!!

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING!!!!

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