HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod 'Tiered' Trees

 

I have had a lot of fun (and a few mishaps!) creating these trees to share.
The tiered trees are made of wood, and are a recurring element in my holiday decor - showing up with new paint colors, new coverings, and new trim for the past FIVE years! (I've linked them all below the post)

You all know I love to re-use elements, as well as to find ways to use things differently than intended... like vinyl placemats, for example!

As soon as I began cutting shapes out of the vinyl placemats, I thought of making these. Three of the trees have circles of vinyl covering them, and the fourth tree is a skinny styrofoam tree that I gave a makeover to in 2020. This year, it has a new 'coat' of leaves cut from the placemats... and it's my favorite of all four! 

Let's get busy creating! 

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod 'Cone' Trees with Ceramic 'Trunks'

The wreaths are made and hung, the ornaments are ready to go on the tree...
now it's time to deck the halls and all of those other places you want some holiday cheer! Sideboards, shelves, mantels, windowsills, and niches in the wall are all great places to use the decorating elements you'll see in this post. 

These are simple 'cone trees', which isn't a new idea - but I think making them with vinyl placemats might be! I've also chosen to add the element of white ceramic vases as 'tree trunks' beneath them... and though this really is an unintended pun,  that one step really elevates this decor.😉

Are you ready to create some of your own?
Grab a vinyl placemat and let's go!

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Ornaments, Part 2

My last post showed you four of the ornaments I've been busy creating, and this post will share the last three mid-century modern inspired ornaments that I dreamed up.

Ready for THREE tutorials? Let's dive in!... 

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Ornaments, Part 1

My last post showed you a sneak peek of the ornaments I've been busy creating...
this post will share three of the seven I've created, plus a look back at one created and used on the first wreath of this year. My next post will cover the last three ornaments.

One of the ornaments I am sharing today utilizes some existing ornaments already in my stash - I'm zhushing them up with additions cut from the vinyl placemats that I have chosen as my primary material in this year's holiday decor. One of those cut shapes forms the second ornament, and an expanded version is used for the third ornament. 

Ready for some easy tutorials? Let's go!... 

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Ornament Wreath

I've been busily crafting unique ornaments using the vinyl placemats shared in my last post. They aren't quite ready for their debut on the blog yet, but I thought I'd share how I used ornaments to create another wreath that embraces Mid-Century Modern style (with a bit of Scandinavian vibes, too) using just ornaments and some ribbon. 

Since we all know that Deb doesn't just use ornaments on trees, I grabbed a few and re-decorated my fabric-covered foam wreath that you saw in my last post! 

Continue reading to see how easy it is...

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Holiday Wreath

Welcome to my 2025 holiday theme!

After spending a week out in Palm Springs soaking up the mid-century modern vibes, I was inspired to create Christmas decorating projects in a fun 'Mid Mod Holiday' theme!

Created with simple materials, clean lines, and a monochromatic color scheme, they're all easy to create, and all of them utilize an item that you can easily find... as a matter of fact, you've seen this material before! My last pumpkin creation of fall was painted with green leafy motifs, inspired by the shape of the leaves in this pattern:

It's a VINYL PLACEMAT! From Dollar Tree!

They cost just $1.50 each. I bought 18. (See them online on the Dollar Tree website - but they aren't sage green as described, they are a minty green) You can also see other patterns and colors that might work for you here! [Not an Ad]

I've been cutting and bending and gluing them into various decorating elements, and I hope this series inspires you to give a new material a try!

Continue reading for details and full tutorial...

HOLIDAY: 'Mid-Century Modern' Inspo

 

A week ago, I was searching for something on my retail design blog, and found an old post featuring the lovely vintage book shown above. Since I spent last week relaxing out in Palm Springs (and doing some vintage shopping + thrifting!), I thought it would be fun to share that post here before I jump into this year's holiday creations...

Way back in 2007, I found the book shown above at the glorious Goodwill outlet in Seattle, which means I paid about forty five cents for it! I just love old books - the illustrations and covers are true art.

I began flipping through the book right there in the store, and was captivated by the holiday decorating ideas that were popular back in 1953 when this book was published. Since I never know WHERE inspiration is going to take me, looking back at the past often jump-starts new interpretations of those ideas for my own creations.

Sadly, this book and many, many others left my possession back in 2011 when everything about my life changed in an instant. I sure wish I had a copy now!

Edited to add: OK... I am WEAK, people. Immediately after typing that paragraph, I got online to search for a used / secondhand copy of this book. I searched Half Price Books - no luck. A seller on Etsy HAD one, but Deb is cheap and is NOT paying $35! So I checked ThriftBooks, and they had it for just $15! I immediately ordered - and it arrived *just* before I left for Palm Springs!

 


I've now poured over the book to pull more fun inspiration for you! Ready for an inspiring time warp?!

Continue reading...