HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Nativity

Because the 'Reason for the Season' is important to me, I've created and shared a lot of nativity scenes over the years...

From repainting ceramic figurines to look like terra cotta and placing ornaments on top of bud vases to turning wood scraps into figures for a 'NativiTIKI', I've put my creative brain to work every holiday season to match my themes. (I have linked my favorites at the end of this post)

This year my nativity is simple and modern in style, which fits the Mid Mod Holiday theme perfectly...

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Theme Review

Before the holidays are over, I thought a review of all of my projects + posts for this holiday season would be helpful if you've missed any. I'm linking them below, in the order they appeared on the blog.

Continue Reading...

HOLIDAY: Wrap It Up Mid Mod Style!

 

I'll be honest and say that my favorite 'gift giving' part of Christmas is wrapping the gifts and filling the stockings! I had so much fun over the years finding fun, interesting, maybe educational, and yummy goodies to load up my four kids' stockings each year...

... and yes, I wrapped EVERY item that went into their stockings!

(Truth be told, I did that to slow them down, so Mommy could enjoy a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll on Christmas morning before the mayhem began!)

Stockings aren't *just* for hanging from the mantel, tho. 

Continue reading to see a few other ways I've used them during the holidays - plus a fun way to embellish them with Mid Mod style. (And in true 'Deb' style, when I can't find what I want, I MAKE it. So I've included a quick tutorial for making your own wrapping paper design!)

HOLIDAY: Vinyl & Chenille 'Paper' Chains

I'm not really a 'trend' girl, but when something grabs the collective attention, I notice it.

Like the release of Taylor Swift's 'Life of a Showgirl' album, which hatched four fun sparkly pumpkins for my fall blog series. The deep-hued color palette and classic elements included in the 'new' holiday look dubbed 'Ralph Lauren Christmas' is just a new name, not a new style. And the recent selection of a white hue for the color of the year 2026 and the responses to it are most certainly trending right now - and oh, I DO have thoughts, but I'll keep those over on Instagram to spare you from my disappointment.

There IS one current trend that I can get on board with...
As a creator of seasonal decor using primarily re-purposed, re-used, and sustainable materials, the fervor over paper chains this season is giving me LIFE!

I love seeing all of the ways that people everywhere are creating them and using them in their holiday decor - and many have expressed that they'll be keeping them up well after the new year, too. I'm all in on that idea! (And I may just make MORE to add to my studio!)

I whipped up two different 'chains' that fit my current Mid-Mod inspired theme, just for my own enjoyment... but once I hung them on my studio wall, I decided to include a blog post about them. It's not like you need a tutorial to tell you how to make them - most of us have been doing that since kindergarten. I just thought I'd remind you that you can use just about anything to create them - including vinyl placemats!

The inspiration from mid-century modern style comes from my memories, as well as documented trends and styles from that period. So incorporating a childhood (mine was in the mid-sixties through the 70's) craft in this holiday series just feels right... and I even included a special little touch that my Mom used to add to my paper chains way back when!

Continue reading for all the details...

HOLIDAY: Mid-Mod Inspired Parasol Trees

...and here I thought I was DONE making trees. NOPE!

Inspired by a gorgeous mid-century modern photo, I was planning to create THIS:

As Charles Phoenix says, "I KNOOOOOWWWWWW!!!" Isn't it cool?!!

I ordered some materials online and had a plan. Then I ran outta' time to build it. So I pivoted to create smaller similar versions instead... In any case, I adore these fun and truly EASY paper trees and I think you will, too!

Continue reading for details & tutorials...

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!...