Happy Wednesday!
I really wanted to focus on using things that we already owned to decorate our mantle this year so purchasing anything new was kept to a minimum.
Happily, that idea worked out. It was fun as well because I had to put on my thinking cap, and be creative. Once I started crafting I really didn't want to stop.
I cross-stitched the stockings for my boys when they were babies. J was still in my belly when I stitched his! I just had to wait to stitch on his name. I had a seamstress make them into the actual stockings. I chose natural denim for the lining and used blue ticking on the backsides and hangers. The trim is a varigated green. The stocking patterns are from Shepherd's Bush.
I am loving my new yarn ball garland. I had some yarn scraps here, and then purchased a few more colors at the craft store. I just tried to think of what colors would be fun with the stockings. So enjoyable to make, and it adds so much cheer to our room. The yarn ball garland is a truly great addition to our house, and with my love of knitting quite fitting as well.
I'm thinking it will stay up year round.
Extra yarn balls look like little snowballs. I'm going to make a few more in larger sizes to place here and there. The squirrel ornament is from Michaels.
Next up - the wreath. This had been a slightly sad looking little wreath. It has been hanging on my garage door for years - it wore this same ribbon, and had red berries tucked in. I was really tired of looking at it.
I found the little bird ornament last year while out doing random shopping. I cannot get enough of the color of the ribbon and pipe cleaner on the bird!
I had some muslin sitting in the office, and thought it would complement the new yarn creations. I grabbed some of my letters, and the muslin and made it work! I tore the muslin into strips. I cut one of the strips into smaller pieces - slipping one end of the small piece into the hole in the letters and then tying the letters onto the larger strip - evenly spacing them. Once I had the word finished I just attached it to the wreath by tucking the ends of the muslin into the wreath twigs. I like how the bird says Merry Christmas and I wrote out merry. I didn't notice that until I was looking at the photo's.
The mercury glass bowl is filled with more yarn balls and penguins from Michaels. I wasn't going to purchase any new ornaments this year, but could not resist the little bottle brush animal ornaments. I am still trying to find the deer.
Lastly, project #3 - I wrapped my pinwheel bouquet with wide strips of muslin. The original family band is hidden underneath. To see the original pinwheel tutorial and vase click here.
To cover a vase with muslin strips just tear out your strips and start wrapping them around the vase. Your first end will just be tucked under the overlapping layers and will stay put. When you get to the end of a strip simply take the next strip and tie the ends together. They form a really pretty knot. I just kept adding strips until the vase was covered the way I liked.
I never imagined that I would be using so much muslin in my decorating. That is the fun part of using things that you have on hand to create. Things just happen. One idea leads to another. I also started making an ornament using muslin. It's not finished yet.
The mercury glass ball was in our garden this summer. Now the pair of them are decorating the inside for Christmas.
I hope you enjoyed the details! Thanks so much for visiting our holiday great room.
Next time I post I will share some close ups of the tree, and an original project that is gracing it's branches! Then I'll leave this room and share some other parts of the house. I still have two other unique trees to post.
Hope you enjoy your day!
