I’ve been slowly putting out Christmas decorations since before Thanksgiving but only in the last 2 days have I really gone all out. I thought I’d give you a brief tour of the dining room in all it’s Christmas finery starting with the hutch. It’s right next to the poinsettia tree.
It’s the first thing you see when you walk in the room, my dads mother gave it to me because they plan on moving soon and won’t have any where to put it. It’s also what inspired me to paint the walls, last Christmas they were bright orange. I’ve toned it down a bit to fit with my decorating style a little better.
Believe it or not most of this stuff is recycled from projects last year. The only real new project is the Winter Wonderland mirror. It’s gorgeous in person but let me tell you, it’s a pain in the butt to photograph a 4 foot long mirror! The other newbies are the ceramic snowmen in the middle, I picked them up at a garage sale for $1.25 for both. They are tea light holders but I seem to have misplaced my electric ones.
Starting from the top, this is the garland we had on our front door last year. We bought lights to put outside the house and they are cool white while the garland is warm white so I had to put together a new garland for the front and move this lovely inside. The red beads need to be replaced, the winter was not good to them, other than that it’s held up well I think!
On the top shelf we have the HOPE letters I made last year and some of the folded paper trees. FYI if you smoosh them up to pack them away they do not open easily. I also have my small collection of bottle brush ornament animals.
I buy them at Michael’s and cut the handing loop off the top and sit them on their cute little butts or if they have them, legs. The skunk is new this year and I love him.
The little cubby has my garage sale snowmen and more paper trees. I filled up a silver bowl with some of the snow balls from last years pom-pom garland. They look ready for a snow ball fight don’t you think?!
I hung three little mirror bird ornaments from some of the knobs. The reflect the light from all the bulbs and tie in with my mirror on the bottom shelf. I also have my slate Santa painting from my Nana (according to the date she painted him in ’93, I was 5 then).
The bottom shelf holds my largest, most irritating to photograph project ever. My winter wonderland mirror. I placed a silver platter (garage sale, $1) with some white candles and more salvaged pompoms (for the record this is the 3rd year I’ve used them so they hold up and are versatile!)/ I also have my wax melter and a little mouse buddy who apparently does not enjoy having his picture taken.
Right next to the hutch is my poinsettia tree. You might recognize it from my raggy bead garland tutorial.
I made the topper by rolling a cone out of stiff paper and hot gluing fake poinsettias to it. I found the polka dot poinsettias at Michael’s in a random aisle, I searched the floral department but I couldn’t find any more!
The ‘ornaments’ are fake poinsettias pulled off of bunches with mini clothespins hot glued to the back and clipped on to the tree (no ornament hooks! woohoo!). It’s a fairly cheap and simple way to decorate a tree. By the way, the tree is from Hobby Lobby, it’s the 6 ft Alpine tree. I’ve wanted one since last year but they were sold out by the time I made it back last year.
Jodi
Sunday 16th of December 2012
Love the pointsetta tree!! I laughed reading this because I too was a fan of the polka dotted ones at Michales and purchase 2 as decoration for in my home. really lots of fun! I love your deocrations- they are soo pretty!
Cynthia L.
Saturday 15th of December 2012
I love the winter whites you have used. I really love the shabby tree skirt! There are so many favorites in your dining room. I have a tree on my sunporch that is decorated in gnomes and woodland creatures - I see some of your little fellows that would look wonderful on my tree too!
Alecia @ Chicken Scratch NY
Saturday 15th of December 2012
I'd love to see your woodland tree! It sounds adorable
Marlys @Thisand That
Saturday 15th of December 2012
beautiful... I love your hope sign.. I need to make one for myself.. Maybe for next year.
Kelly @ View Along the Way
Saturday 15th of December 2012
Your whole display is so, so beautiful, but I am *DYING* over the bottle brush animals! SOOO cute I can't even stand it!
Alecia @ Chicken Scratch NY
Saturday 15th of December 2012
Aren't they? I'm so proud of my self for not having my house filled with them! I saw Martha Stewart (I think) has a collection of larger ones but they are so far out of my budget. I'll stick to the little baby ones for now
Kari @ A Grace Full Life
Saturday 15th of December 2012
I love this so much! And your style is adorable!!
Alecia @ Chicken Scratch NY
Saturday 15th of December 2012
Thanks! Sometimes I have a hard time convincing my husband that I'm not nuts!