Bringing Christmas Into Your Home
At Christmas time I am all about spreading the love through the rest of the house!
My front door always needs a gorgeous wreath at this time of year, something big, bright and bold that lets everyone know the spirit is alive and kicking as soon as you walk in the door. My wreath is also the first indication of my theme, and it may as well start at the very front door! Wreaths these days come in all shapes, designs and sizes. You can also get them pretty much anywhere or even better – make one yourself. Making your wreath can be so much fun as you can get as creative as you like – why just stick to the typical Christmas theme? I love the idea of using foliage from your garden and wrapping and wrapping until you have a gorgeous leafy wreath; you can decorate it with small felt balls, tiny reindeer ornaments, bows made from coloured ribbons, kewpie dolls, tiny coloured pencils – just about anything! For your circular base, you can use an embroidery hoop, a clothes hanger (twist into the desired shape), or any pliable metal you can work into a circular shape. I have seen a hula hoop and a pool noodle used a wreath base before – believe you me they were very big but very effective!
Stuck for Ideas?
Botanical Wreath by South by North. Follow the steps using whatever foliage you have at hand. I love using rosemary as it is so hardy and smells fantastic.
Clothespin wreath by Glow Creative. A very clever, easy to make wreath. You can have this on your door all year round, changing up the colours to suit the seasons.
Garden Hose wreath by Create Craft Love. Perfect for the green thumbs! This is such a great idea, it would even make the perfect give for a garden lover.
Gold thumbtack wreath by Canadian Family. This one may take a little time and a lot of precision, but the final product is oh so creative and stunning.
Quick Tip...
Don’t want to hammer a nail into your front door to hang your wreath? Simply put a removable plastic hook ( picture hanger) upside down on the back of your front door, make your ribbon long enough it can hang over the top of the door and simply hang!
Oranges are playing a big part in my Christmas this year. This colour teamed with a green is one of my favourite combinations of the moment and I have been able to scatter this throughout the home without it looking like you have walked into a Christmas shop! I have filled my larger vases with stems of holly and lush green branches. Flowers are always included to soften the look and I use different shades of orange garden roses that are simply gorgeous. Introducing too many colours to your palette is certainly one of my problems as I just love colour, but I need to pare it back so the pops of orange can be the highlight of the room. Your feature colour may be red or yellow or even gold amongst a palette of black and white. Whatever you choose, think about being creative with how you splash it through your home. I have come up with a few ideas you may like, keep in mind that my feature colour is orange; and your may be something totally different. I bet there are some ideas that should get your creative juices flowing…
Tips on bringing more colour to your home…
Oranges and mandarin in bowls.
Think about using a variety of sizes of oranges and mandarins to layer up your space. You may have a tall glass container, fill it with oranges and surround it with candles. Replace some pictures frame son your bookshelves with small bowls of oranges, mix around your usual shelves and see where pops of colour would stand out.
Purchase some serious ribbons.
I have gone a little crazy with a selection of orange ribbons! I have bought different widths, some striped and some spots. I’ve placed simple bows around a few candle jars – not all just a few, for more effect. Ribbons on smaller wreaths through the home, ribbons holding cutlery together in a beaker on the kitchen bench. Everyday items have been given the treatment and it’s these little pops that catch your eye that continue my theme.
Printables.
I know I go on and on about this – but they are such a free and easy way to update any decor. Everyone has picture frames in their home, how about you switch a few up this season? Small frames of quotes, coloured gift cards or even just printed fabric can add that colour where you least expect it. Look for images or quotes in your chosen colour palette to maintain that theme.