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Would you like a tour of the decorated house? Glad you asked.
The view from the sofa:
In the foreground are green velvet ribbons for hanging incoming holiday cards and a couple of Martha by Mail beaded snowflake ornaments I made years ago. My tall husband is tired of them getting caught in his hair.
From left to right are the tree, my childhood stocking just behind it, and the decked-out mantle, including the stockings I made years ago for my husband and me.
The mantle:
In recent years I’ve been decorating the mantle like this. I start with one string of clear lights for a base, then cover the wires with three types of moss. In the background is my collection of Little Golden Books because I love many of these stories from my childhood, and the art on most of them is fantastic. Then I pile on the figures and toys.
At the center is a midcentury Santa tree topper. It looked great on the tree back in Brooklyn under the tall ceiling, but it’s too tall for the tree and livingroom set-up now, so now he holds court on the mantle.
Mantle detail
Here’s the view out the kitchen window, draped with bugle-bead wired garland, faux mini gumdrop garland, and mini wreaths tied with seam binding ribbon.
I made these wreaths last year with leftover royal icing and redhots. I had finished making dozens and dozens of spritz cookie wreaths (that look almost exactly like these) and wondered if this icing would hold up as decor. This year when unpacking the decorations, I found these little guys as perfect as when I packed them away. The kitchen seems like the right place for them, so I tied them up with seam binding ribbon, and voila.
Entry way decor:
Vintage gold garland, vintage bottle brush wreath with spun cotton head guys and red-and-white mushrooms; 10 santa light covers still on their original card, and a handmade foot-tall santa I bought as a child at a craft fair in Minnesota because I loved the craftsmanship and the story that came with it about how a little mouse likes to keep warm in Santa’s beard.
And here’s the tree at night.
I’m glad you stopped by.
Last summer I was casing out-of-the-way antique shops along Route 7 in Massachusetts when I came across these beautiful napkins. They were in rather pristine condition, considering their age. I decided they were up for a career change, ready to move from the dining room table to under the tree.
To make this giftwrap yourself, pin cleaned and ironed napkins right sides together. Make sure the corners match up, even if the final product isn’t perfectly flat, since you’ll be putting things in it anyway. Sew down one side, removing each pin as you come to it. When you reach the corner, with the needle in the down position, turn the piece and continue sewing along the bottom. At the second corner, turn the piece again and sew up to the top. Turn right-side out. Use a bone folder or another thin implement to help turn the corners out.
To wrap a gift, put it in one corner, then fold excess fabric behing the gift, then fold down the flap in front. Tie with twine (shown left) or a bow (shown right).
I use this to wrap gifts for people who will appreciate the craftsmanship, and will take the effort to reuse the wrap in years to come.
Everyone else just won’t get gifts.
Just kidding.
More sequin-encrusted tree pins are now finished. From left to right:
- Off-white felt with silver, white and gold sequins and beads, 2 1/3″ tall
- Loden felt with green-hued sequins and beads, 2 1/2″ tall
- Hot-pink felt with pink and red beads & sequins, 3″ tall
The backs look like this, above.
I’m proud of how I kept the pin backing within the pin, leaving only the “business end” of it exposed for a neater appearance. Also, I attached the pins so you can see the clasp at the top to facilitate smartening up your coat or sweater with one of these seasonal confections.
My latest Christmas stocking is made from sage-green felt, and two colors and sizes of green velvet ribbons. The off-white tulle tree is bejeweled with 12 silver flattened ornament tops, further tricked out with green-hued seed and bugle beads. It is lined with off-white and green toile, and has a flowery sequin at the toe.
Detail:
Last weekend we got a dusting of snow, and it was time to put up my garland. Snow + Garland = nice photo op.
I made this garland three years ago.
Ingredients include:
-three evergreen-style faux garlands
-clear strings of lights (maybe six for the whole thing? Okay, probably eight….)
-pinecones (from the craft store–I can’t get these big, fat ones from my local trees)
-berry sprays
-two turtle doves (Cliché? Perhaps, but my neighbors appreciate I didn’t go with eleven pipers piping.)
-shiny balls that look like the real (glass) deal, but are plastic
-glue gun
How it came together:
I took measurements to make the the right size installation for my front door. First I made the top of the piece by folding the garland into thirds and incorporating a wooden dowel behind it for support. I formed two wire loops around each end of the dowel for hanging, then bent some key branches to each other to form one cohesive garland unit. I added lights. Then I manipulated the berry sprays to look natural and inviting. (They come flat, and beg to be bent a little to look “branchy.”) I wound them into the garland, then hot-glued the pinecones and doves in place. Then came hot-gluing the shiny balls into clusters, then gluing the clusters into the garland.
The garland is in three pieces, and the lights get daisy-chained once it’s installed. I have the lights on a timer, so when I come home from work, I’m greeted by this beautiful display. Kind of makes the fact that it gets dark at 4:30 PM okay.
I finished the mouse stocking today! I’ve been working on it for weeks. Most of it wasn’t really something I could work on during my train commute—it had to wait for evenings and weekends.
Highlights, from top to bottom:
-Vintage-style woven Christmas ribbon (I’ve had this for years, and am so pleased to have finally found a suitable project for it.)
-Garland ribbon I got at Kate’s Paperie at the old location on Broadway (sniff). I’m sure I paid an arm and a leg for it, but it’s so perfect!
-Mistletoe made from wrapping stamens with florist tape. The leaves are teardrop-shaped sequins from Tinsel Trading.
-Felt tree encrusted with vintage and new sequins, seed beads and bugle beads. I chose a muted palette to give the feel that it’s in the background, giving the design some depth.
-Mommy mouse is made of felt, chenille stems, vintage pink mercury beads and some pink satin-y material.
-Child mouse is wearing a candy-cane rick-rack outfit. Something like pajamas, and not too girly, since I don’t know the gender of this stocking’s recipient.
-Felt gingerbread dough, which is being cut out on a floured table with metal cookie cutters, made from 20-gauge wire. There are little bowls of candy (small beads) for decorating the cookies.
-At the toe is a white jingle bell tied with a red satin ribbon.
-The stocking is lined with a sage-green fabric, both to keep the hand-stitching in perfect condition, and also to withstand many years of happy Christmas mornings.
