sweet snowmen

back in about '06, i created this display of charming little vintage-looking snowmen

for one of my retail clients (Columbia Winery in Seattle, WA).

i loved these sweet creations, but red is rarely a part of my home decor palette...

[note: i created this display and the banner in it, and photographed it, 

but the snowmen are not mine. they are Seasons of Cannon Falls, i believe]

i NEVER let what's available 'OUT THERE' limit me...

i just start making my own versions of things i love if i can't find exactly what i want.

that's what HOMEWARDfound style is all about:

grab what you've got on hand and make something you love!

[call it 'making do' if you'd like...

when I was a kid, i had a Childcraft book called 'Make and Do',

and i read it cover to cover and made every single thing inside!]

so, i decided to make some of my own snowmen using vintage papers,

and then accent them in colors that WOULD coordinate with my decor.

i gathered up 

scrapbook papers, old books, buttons, yarn, ribbon, stickers, styro balls, glue,

leftover sweater bits & pieces, bells, wire, glitter, paint, beads, cupcake papers, ribbon,

some aluminum stacking cups - and got to work makin' a royal MESS!

here's what i came up with:

 a JoYfuL SnOwMaN

some BLuShInG SnOw BaBiEs

[i think the little guy on the left looks a bit like Linus from Peanuts!] 

a miniature SpArKlY SnOwMaN

he's actually made from two pompoms, glued together and covered with glitter!

i also made a sweet decorated box

and embellished a house for them all to live in, happily ever after...

of course, about two years LATER, my color scheme had changed
so I 'made over' my little miniature snowman in neutrals:

 

then i made him a new friend and put him in his own mini-dome

[a stemless wine glass turned upside down]

 

they are a happy pair!

making do . make and do.
our decor can be what we want it to be!

CandyLand Holiday Tea

 for a Holiday decorating seminar presentation one year, i pulled together this colorful and fun theme...

'CaNdY LaNd HoLiDaY TeA'

it began with the traditional colors of red and green - with a twist: bright, happy LIME green!

the theme builds on the idea of a Holiday tea party with LOTS of 'sweet as candy' great ideas:

*in the photo above, you can see that a candy-striped vintage apron is used as a seat cover

[a charming way to protect OR camouflage your dining room chairs!]

*my wire mannequin was dressed as the hostess 

in her charming 'dress' of draped gingham curtain panel and another vintage Christmas apron

a 'pom pom' fringe was added to her dress by using resin ornaments from the dollar store

and her 'scarf' is a piece of garland adorned with more resin ornaments and 'candy' floral picks.

she would be perfect greeting guests at the door!

*vintage tablecloths in red and white, red and white ribbon and candy canes on the tree,

and a Santa hat tree topper add color and pattern to the setting.

*red and white ornaments and plain red plastic beaded garlands 

are displayed like hard candies in glass bowls, candy dishes, and champagne saucers

 [some of those ornaments actually look JUST like peppermint candies!

i separated a long glass garland so that i could use them this way]

* making these cute 'bon bon' ornaments is simple
AND everything you need can be found at the dollar store!

*start with resin ornaments. 

*hot glue a pom pom to the front of the hanger on top.

*pop them into prettily-layered cupcake/candy papers, 

and display on a cupcake tree or pedestal!

[of course, you can also hang them on a tree]

* i was inspired to make this sweet take-home treat by creative artist & designer Betz White

Miss Betz created some swirly felted cupcakes a few years ago (they are famous now!) 

and i made my own version for this display... NOT to sell.

*my cup cakes are made from fat green 'caterpillar' yarn, 

*wind in a spiral and glue to a styrofoam ball.

*pop that into a paper liner inside a teacup with a wired ribbon around it.

[making them actual CUP cakes, if you get my drift]

*on top, a wired ribbon flower with a fat red pom pom 'cherry' finishes it off. 

*a pretty tag shows each guest where to sit at your tea party!

PS: my Christmas China pattern is 'Happy Holidays' by Nikko

* i shared this tip in another post recently, 

but since it originated in this setup, i'll just pop the photo in here...

mini stockings make a terrific holder for flatware & napkin on the table or at a buffet!

*these candles and ribbon with 'candy cane' patterns add so much to the theme...

the candles shown are manufactured, but it's very easy to make them!

*start with plain white pillar candles 

[IKEA is a great resource for these - inexpensive and they burn beautifully & long, with no smoke]

*use red craft paint and a foam brush to paint on stripes
(use masking tape in various widths to mask it off if you'd like)

*once dry, cover surface with elmer's white glue and then roll in SUGAR!

the sugar adds a soft sparkle, which looks more like candy than glitter does...

had this decor been in my own home rather than at a resort for a seminar,

i would have added one more thing to top it all off:

ornament-draped chandeliers!

 easy to do with plastic or glass beaded garlands and ornaments

and big round light bulbs, just for fun!

Tattered N' Torn Christmas Decor

silver and white are staples for the Holiday decor in my home. 

yet each year, i add something new like

another color [or non-color in the case of clear glass]

to breathe new life into the rooms we live in. 

one year, I decided to bring in browns, coppers, bronzes, and wood. 

i love the warmth and masculine touch it brought to the decor...

i call this look 'Tattered & Torn'

and i hope that you will find some inspiration for your own home, table, or party decor here!

hanging on an old door turned pegrack at the entry to our Cottage,

leather bags and a weathered chair hold knit scarves, mittens, holiday decor and a sweet teddy bear

on the white mantel, a gathering of silver serveware is dressed up with

a floral arrangement, candles, and ornaments galore...

one end of the mantel holds this tiny nosegay arrangement, 

made with a dried hydrangea blossom and one of my chenille stem poinsettias 

simply placed in a silver mint julep cup with a crepe paper collar.

stockings made from old linen fabric and the trim from a vintage dress hang from brown bows.

the buffet in the dining room held another arrangement of silver pieces, 

loaded with ornaments, florals, candles, and silver flatware.

i like STUFF, what can i say?! i load things up for an abundant look... 

[no, i honestly never used this as a server!]

on the wall, a huge twig wreath is flanked by two wire baskets

filled with dried hydrangeas, vintage paper, and ornaments

 adding scale to the wall arrangement.

ah, and the lamps? new. i paid something like $14 each at Marshalls for them.

i took some muslin fabric and swooped it around the white lampshades, and tied it with string.

the warm creamy ivory light made this room glow!

the arrangement features a sweet birds nest, 

with a tiny ceramic brown bird decorating HER nest with tinsel!

celery glasses hold my silver flatware, ready for a party...

my grandmother's silver sugar spoon on display...

 a beautiful tiny arrangement of a dried hydrangea and dried roses,

in a silver creamer...

 on the dining table, a centerpiece is created on two trays that are easily removed,

and the tall arrangement in the center coordinates with the ones on the buffet and mantel.

the tablecloth is actually a beautiful piece of sari fabric...

up above the table is a simple chandelier with linen shades,

and several wire garden baskets hung upside down... just because i could!

[tho they DO coordinate with the wire baskets on the wall above the buffet...]

and finally, the Christmas tree... this one was pretty unique. 

i had a small white vintage tree  - and then found a vintage aluminum tree on craigslist!

[i LOVE craigslist!]

since you can't put light strands on an aluminum tree (fire & shock hazard)

i just nestled the two trees together(a bit like trees grow in the forest...)

and then decorated the white one with large white C9 lights,

and an array of ornaments, vintage finds, and crafted goodies:

the brown stars look like gingerbread - but they are pre-cut felt stars from the dollar store, 

painted with brown textured patio furniture paint

those silver beads are on bendable wires, able to swoop and loop through the branches.

tiny buttons on wires and gold acorns dance on the branch ends...

my white santa mugs again, this time suspended as tree ornaments with brown ribbons.

[people always ask where i found white vintage santa mugs... 

these came with red paint on them, just like the ones you always see in antique stores. 

i simply soaked them in hot soapy water, then used a credit card to scrape off the softened paint]

the other ornaments are beads and charms on wires,  with the names of my family members on them

i had some silver candle clips, so i added these long white tapers to the tree.

and no, i didn't light them!

a vintage painted ornament in the perfect copper & brown colors,

and a new star... i found six of these at a thrift store. they were PINK.
i spray painted them silver, and now they look perfectly vintage!

Vintage White Christmas Tree

 WOW! Thanks for the LOVE, everyone!
My Vintage White Christmas post is gettin' hits like mad!

so, I think it's time for more inspiration... how about how the tree came together for that theme?

 first, the tree: it's not vintage - it's a new $45 white prelit 6' tree from walmart.

and it wasn't 'big' enough for the 10' ceilings in the room, so it sits up on a wood crate painted white.

[elevating a tree not only helps it give stature to your room, but leaves a LOT more room beneath it for gifts!]

the tree was set up and plugged in, then i gathered up all of the ornaments and decor...

 you'll notice from these photos that you don't have to just use ornaments on a tree...

you can use a lot of things that are just everyday items and collectibles, too.

adding some decor elements that are BIG helps to keep things interesting on the tree!

begin with the largest elements first, placing them equally on the tree

[and yes, i am sort of persnickety about that. 

i don't actually MEASURE the distance between ornaments that are the same, but I DO 'eyeball' it!]

 then move on to the medium-sized elements, then the small, and the really special ones go on last.

 toppers on trees don't have to be just a single star or angel or glass thingamabob...

it's easy to create an interesting arrangement at the top of the tree instead!

this one has a star made from a carpenter's ruler, some vintage silk 'money plant' florals,

a white baroque photo frame, and one of my original Junk Queen 'Ice Princess' crowns.

 some of the unique ornaments on this tree are a tiny plastic chandelier,

vintage paper bells and mini burlap stockings

 an old plastic snowflake garland, corkscrew glass ornaments from the dollar store, 

and a perfect birdsnest found in our boxwood hedge

[it's said that having a birdsnest in your Christmas tree brings good luck for the coming year!]

 these stunning ornaments are my very favorites... flocked damask designs in soft cream on white glass.

they are not vintage, but new. i found them at TJ Maxx a few years back. loooooooove them!

 the giant snowflakes are plastic, and came from a party supply store.

bonus for me: they had hung in their display windows one year, and had yellowed slightly. 

they hated that - i loved it! and i got them on clearance for a SONG

 i collect little tea cups when i find them at thrift shops, and paint them with white gloss spray paint.

they make very charming ornaments, and also look sweet hung on ribbons from chandeliers!

 carpenter's ruler stars

there are also crocheted doilies as 'snowflakes'

and crystals backed with vintage sheet music on the tree...
i didn't get a close up, but you can see them in the first photo above.

 and my most precious ornament on this tree: a silver baby spoon,

in honor of my three sweet grandsons.

you could easily get spoons and have them stamped or engraved with names, too!

i loved sitting in the chair with this view...

stuff those stockings with..... forks????

here's an easy way to corral flatware at your holiday table:

stuff a stocking with it!

above, a tiny burlap stocking holds flatware and serves as a placemarker - 

simply write the name of your guests on manilla tags and clip to the sock with a wooden clothes pin.

you could also write the guests' name ON the stocking -  

and what a sweet take-home gift that would make!

the first time i did this with a small stocking in a holiday decorating seminar, 

the women present tried to steal it out of my display!!!

this tiny red stocking came from the dollar store, and is a great solution for buffet service:

roll napkins, and gather up your flatware in a bundle with a colorful ribbon.

tuck both into the stocking, then place a platter or bowl of them on your buffet serving counter.

makes it easy for guests to grab one after they fill their plates - 

and once again, you can let them take these tiny treats home!
[maybe tuck a hard candy in the toe of the stocking as a surprise!]