Currently viewing the tag: "Christmas decor"
Today, I wanted to share a free Christmas printable with you!
Our 8-year old daughter recently performed in a local, main stage production of Scrooge. As a tribute to that wonderful experience, I wanted to somehow incorporate a little bit of Scrooge in our Christmas decorating this year.
That sounds a bit bizarre, I realize, since Scrooge usually gets a bad rap this time of year: “Don’t be such a Scrooge”, “Bah Humbug”, etc.. In the story, though, Scrooge eventually realizes the error of his stingy ways. Towards the end, he declares: “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.” I’ve always loved those inspiring words – if only we could all live by them, right? So I put them to paper, framed them, and displayed them on top of our hutch with some other Christmas baubles. (P.S., To my Canadian friends – yes, I did drop the ‘u’ in “honour”, please forgive me!)
If you’d like to have a copy of your own, just right click and save the hi-res file below to your computer, then print it as you wish. (You can print it at home, or at your favorite photo centre).
Hope you are having a very happy week!
Until next time,
Hello again! I just remembered that Rhoda (from Southern Hospitality) is having a ‘Christmas vignette’ link-up today, so I thought I’d pop back and show you how I styled up a little cabinet in our living room for Christmas. I just realized, that sentence sounds a bit like gobbly-gook. If you have no idea what a ‘vignette’ is, or a ‘link up’ for that matter, not to worry! There’s not going to be a test at the end of this post, lol.
For this Christmas “vignette” (display), I tried to carry our champagne and blue tree colors through to the living room since the whole area is open concept. The tree is actually sitting in the middle of the living room and kitchen area, right behind that big white post.
I hung bulbs from some branches, just like I did on our mantel which is just across the room.
I like how the bulbs seem to be floating. Just like the mantel, it was a little tricky to get everything to stay put without toppling off the side of the cabinet, but I managed to find a way to balance it so that it’s pretty secure. We just won’t be able to use our wine glasses or martini glasses during the holidays. Paper cups it is! Oh, the things we do for “pretti-ness”. I joke, btw. I can still open the cabinet, but I’m not sure I’d allow anybody else to do it!
I couldn’t help but add my owls into the vignette. I can pretty much find a way to incorporate owls into any seasonal display! I know owls are oh-so-trendy right now, but I love them anyway. I’ve also got a bunch of them on my tree, which “owl”have to share in another post!
Hope your Christmas decorating is going well, or better still, finished!
Until next time,
Any of you who read my blog regularly (and thank you if you do!) probably know that I like a good pop of color! I also like to vary the colors in my Christmas decorating each year. (Yes, I’m an alien, lol). Last year’s Christmas tree was decorated in turquoise and red, and the year before, it was turquoise and white. I’ve also used browns and olive green in recent years. (You can see how I manage to change our Christmas tree color scheme affordably here. ) But while I love an injection of ‘happy’ during the holidays, all that saturated color sometimes makes me tired of our Christmas decorating earlier than I should be.
So, this year, I decided to do a truly neutral Christmas tree for the first time. I omitted our colorful ornaments, and opted to use just the ‘neutral’ ones – like cream, white, brown, and champagne. I also purchased a few new ones along the way 
, but not too many.
(As luck would have it, our Elf on the Shelf, “Henrie-Rouge” decided that he wanted to hang out in the newly-decorated tree on the very day I wanted to take a few pics. Silly little guy.)
This neutral tree is really different for me.
I like how it came together…
…but I think I’m missing the punch of color I’m used to!
I’m just itching to add a few (muted) blue ornaments! My sister, who’s a fan of neutral Christmas decorating, thinks I shouldn’t mess with it. We’re decorating a tree together this week that will be auctioned for a fundraiser. It’s going to have a touch of pale blue, so maybe I’ll get my fix then!
I think I’ll have to live my neutral tree for a few more days, and see how I feel about it. Then maybe I’ll mess with it .
What are your thoughts? Keep it neutral? Add some pale blue? Or, stop over-thinking it, and move on to important things? !?
Until next time,
Remember how I said I enjoy the creative process of Christmas decorating? Well, really ‘the creative process’ is just a fancy word for ‘fly by the seat of my pants’. I usually have a broad vision, but rarely a well thought-out plan, before I start my Christmas decorating.
In case you were under any illusions that I have some kind of magic formula when it comes to pulling it all together, I present to you Exhibit A. This is what my step looked on Saturday afternoon. When it comes to seasonal decorating, this is how I roll .
And, do you see that plain Jane, oh-so-artificial, wreath on the step? Well, it’s been kicking around for about 13 years. (That’s like a lot of my wreaths. I’ve learned to never throw away a good wreath form!) It’s about as artificial as it gets. This wreath comes from an era before fake (or “ever-lasting” ) greenery began to mimic the look of the real stuff. But the one thing I like about it, which has kept it around all these years, is that it’s big. It would cost a lot to replace it with a newer one.
It’s gone through many updates over the years. Whenever I get tired of it, or it begins to feel outdated, I just take off the embellishments and start all over again. I’ve learned the hard way not to glue gun anything to this wreath – wiring or tying on the embellishments makes it so much easier to disassemble!
This year, I knew I wanted to have a big, full traditional Christmas wreath with the look of real greenery; which is a far cry from this old wreath. But I pulled it out of storage anyway, wondering if I could somehow revive it. After the dust settled (one of those popular time-lapse videos would be cool here but I’m just not that technical!), here’s where I ended up:
Want to know how I did it? It was super easy. I used a method very similar to the one used to decorate my Christmas mantel last year. (In case you are interested, you can find the tutorial on how to decorate a traditional Christmas mantel here.) I simply layered premium artificial greenery and fresh cedar over the top of the old artificial wreath. When I was finished with it, you could barely even see the original layer.
I started by tying a piece of ribbon with a simple knot in 3 spots on the wreath. Everything that I added to the wreath from there was held by these 3 ties. In this photo, you can see that I first added a 5-ft strand of premium greenery. I just layered it on top and tied it really tightly in those 3 places.
In the same way, I also layered on a strand with red berries, and then real cedar here and there, which you can buy at a local grocery store this time of year. You can really see in the next photo how a few springs of real cedar make all the difference.
For a traditional Christmas look, I finished the wreath off with gold and red ribbon. Yes…gold! I haven’t used gold in my Christmas decorating since about 1999. But it just goes to show, never say never! This year, I am loving metallics – even gold – again. Gold is a regal color, but I think the red polka dots help keep it fun rather than formal.
Have you created a new Christmas wreath this year? Is it traditional or modern? I’d love to hear about it!
Until next time,
As usual, I’m sharing this with Beth at…
Looking for some new Christmas decorating ideas this year? Two of my favorite things in the world of home decor are pretty pillows and Christmas decorating. Put them together and what do you get? Um, pretty Christmas pillows, of course! Here are 10 pretty Christmas / holiday pillows that caught my eye in my travels so far this season…
Source: Pier One
I actually bought this…
Source: Pottery Barn
Source: holiday.easternaccents.com via Kerri Roche – A Pop of Pretty on Pinterest
Source: Pottery Barn
Source: West Elm
Source: JoshuabyOak, Etsy
Source: AlwaysUpNorth, Etsy
Source: ChenilleChateau, Etsy
Source: Jennifer Lyons, Etsy
Source: ammeandneb, Etsy
{Please note, this post does not contain affiliate links; in other words, I don’t get paid anything for promoting them here, or if you click through to their site(s). I just thought they were too pretty not to share!}
Until next time,
The thing I love best about seasonal decorating, especially coming up with new Christmas tree decorating ideas, is the creative process. Our Christmas tree never looks the same because I enjoy the process of mixing things up. Every year, I like sorting through our bins of Christmas decorations, and deciding how I can use them differently. I’m a bit of a decorating geek like that.
Turquoise & Red Christmas Tree, 2012
That said, I realize that having a root canal might be more fun for some people! I’m pretty sure that sticking with the same Christmas tree decorations every year is what most normal people do since using a ‘tried and true’ formula is a major time saver at a crazy time of year. I’m not normal – clearly!
Silver, Turquoise & Green Christmas Tree, 2011
If you’re normal but getting a little bored with your Christmas decorating, or if you drool over beautifully, color-coordinated ‘designer Christmas trees’, I thought I’d share a few ideas on how to easily change your Christmas tree color scheme this year without breaking the bank.
Brown, Green and Silver Christmas Tree, 2010
Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas:
How to Change Your Color Scheme (Affordably):
- We all have ornaments which fall into two groups: special ones and what I call ‘filler’. The special ones have sentimental value, while the ‘filler’ are just bulbs that we buy to fill the branches in between. Sure, some of these filler ornaments are nicer and more expensive than others, but none of them are particularly meaningful.
- Start by pulling out all of the most special, meaningful ornaments that you want to include each and every year – like the ornament from your grandma’s tree, or the one you’ve had since childhood. You’ll always find a way to incorporate these no matter what your color scheme. (Plus, going forward, try and store them in a separate box / bin each year so that you can easily locate them every Christmas.)
- Next, from your ‘filler’ ornaments, pull out everything that can be considered ‘neutral’ in color – e.g., whites, creams, pewters, silvers., etc.. I like to store that stuff separately too, because it can usually work with any color scheme.
- Figure out what you have leftover by color: reds, greens, blues, etc.. If you have the time or inclination, organize it that way (uh huh, like that’s gonna happen!); otherwise, do it mentally.
- Now, choose a new color scheme. One of the tricks to creating a ‘designer Christmas tree’ is choosing a coordinated color combination. Personally, I try and keep it to two colors (plus silver or white) at most.
- To make it affordable to change things up, at least one of the colors in your new scheme should be one that you already have on hand in sufficient quantity.
- Your second color could also be from your existing ornaments. But if you’re thinking about a more trendy color combination, you might need to either shop for some new filler decorations in that particular shade, or spray paint some old ones. Adding new ribbon or deco-mesh/ sinamay is also an affordable way to add a pop of your new color.
- Put all other colored ornaments you have on hand aside for another year. If you’re anything like me, you WILL use them again eventually, so don’t give them away or toss them!
Here’s how this process worked for me over the past few years:
This year, I think I’m going back to the brown decorations, and adding in some champagne metallics. I might add some turquoise too; I’ll have to see how it all feels once I start decorating!
Do you enjoy the process of decorating your Christmas tree differently each year, or do you stick with the same? What color(s) are you using this year? I’d love to hear!
Until next time,
P.S. I’m sharing this tip at Beth’s!
Welcome to my 2011 holiday house tour, featured on Hooked on Houses’, “20 Very Merry Room Tours Decked Out for Christmas“!
So…is your home all ready for Christmas yet?
I wish I could say mine was, but it’s still a work-in-progress. My trip to New York set me back a little time-wise, and now I’m playing catch up. Some rooms are complete, others are half-done, and still others are holding all the boxes and bags filled with the random things which haven’t found a spot yet (or ever). Sound familiar?!?
Even though things aren’t finished around here, I’d really like to join in on the Christmas Open House party happening at The Inspired Room. So, for now, I’m going to show you what I’ve completed so far.
My Christmas decor is a little more cottage-rustic than last year’s, and I’ve also changed my color scheme.
You’ll see lots of pops of bright red and aqua in just about every room.
Let’s start on my front porch!
The front porch decor is still a work-in-progress. I hung my wreath (updated from last year with the turquoise), and finessed my urns, but there’s still lots to do out there! But you’ll get the gist of my vision from these couple of pics…
Next stop…the Foyer
Brrrr. It’s chilly out there! Come on in!
And, now the Living Room…
This is one of the rooms which is completely done.
That’s after decorating, undecorating, and redecorating the tree, but that’s a story for another post.
I already did a couple of posts on my holiday mantel – including a tutorial which was featured at Home Stories A2Z and also broadcast on the BlogHer network, so I won’t spend much time here. (But here are the links, in case you are interested: How to Decorate a Christmas Mantel Tutorial and My Rustic Red & Turquoise Christmas Mantel)
Here’s some other things you’ll find around the room…
This 9-ft monster tree replaced our tiny 7-ft slim tree this year. Not exactly sure how I feel about him yet. (I’m partial to little trees.)
My ‘big’ decor discovery in 2011 was plate hangers! As you see, I can’t seem to get enough of them…
Here’s another corner of the room that I don’t photograph often…
I replaced everything in this little cabinet with glass to really highlight the pop of red and turquoise on top. If that sounds like a lot of unnecessary work just for Christmas decorating, well you’re probably right! But it needed to be done, anyway. (P.S. You might also want to check out how I completely changed this cabinet, which was a fun, early 2011 project!)
And, what would Christmas be without some holiday decor reading?
The Kitchen / Dining Room
OK, I must warn you that now we’re heading into the land of half-finished Christmas decorating.
But I do have some things completed, like this little tree, which sits between the dining area and my kitchen island.
I also re-organized my ‘china’ cabinet, which was a long over-due project. Nothing like the holidays to give you the kick in the pants you need to make things pretty! I pulled out my glass snowman plates (from Crate & Barrel about 10 years ago, maybe) and stacked them up against my turquoise dinner plates…and added lots of pops of red.
I also added a red linen table cloth…to make the table more festive. It usually wears a cream one.
The tray in the center of the table has a little Christmas vignette…
And this jar is filled with lots of sweet treats. Shhhh, don’t tell the kidlets!
I also added some little pops of Christmas cheer over my stove…but I’m not sure how long this plate will last here. One of my 2-year old boys says “it’s scare-weeee”!)
and above my cabinets…
…and on my countertop.
The TV Room / Playroom
The next stop on my Christmas home tour is our TV Room / Playroom area in the basement (which we just finished developing about 6 months ago). I just finished putting together a Dr. Seuss-themed tree for my sweet kiddies. It is my FAVORITE Christmas thing in the whole house! I’ve been planning this tree all year. Almost everything on this tree is handmade by moi, with a few exceptions. I just posted about this tree in detail last night, so if you want to check it out more closely just click on over here: My Dr Seuss Christmas Tree! I also posted awhile back about the things I’ve been collecting for this tree (Dr. Seuss-Inspired Christmas Tree: Handmade Decorations).
Miss G’s Room
And if 3 trees weren’t enough, here’s the little ballerina tree that we decorated in my 7-year old daughter’s bedroom. I know the title of this post promised red and turquoise, but this one’s an exception! It’s decorated to match her bedroom, so it’s wrapped with green and pink sinamay, and is adorned with everything from tiaras to ballet slippers to recital photos. To see more about this tree, check out the post: Pretty Little Ballerina Tree.
And, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks so much for coming by.
Happy holidays to you and yours,
~Kerri
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I’m linking this post to
The Inspired Room’s Christmas Home Tours
Thrifty Decor Chick’s Christmas Tree Party
‘Hooked on Houses’ Holiday House Tours
The Shabby Creek Cottage, Holiday Home Tour Edition of…
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Welcome to A Pop of Pretty, a Canadian home decorating blog that chronicles my love of home decor and pretty things. I'm out to prove (mostly to myself!) that a pretty home is still possible amid the circus of 3 young kids, including twin toddlers. {More...}
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