Christmas Cheer Using What’s On Hand…

It seems I start decorating for Christmas earlier and earlier these days. I always have a house full of relatives for Thanksgiving, and I like having it out of the way before it gets busy around here. Its also cozy having our turkey dinner by the tree.

I try to use what’s on hand, so I don’t go out and blow money on decorations for two months out of the year. I’ve accumulated quite a lot of holiday stuff over the years though. A lot of it I made or repurposed.

My artificial tree in the living room was one that I bought for my Urban Farmhouse suite last year. I got it for $40 while out thrifting! Its full, classic and stands over 10 feet tall.

 

I wanted to do something really relaxed and whimsical for the mantel this year. I had a large vintage frame that I used as a chalkboard at Urban Farmhouse over the years. I originally planned to use the chalkboard and write a cute saying on it in white chalk, but then I kept thinking about the subway art that’s so in right now.

I found this great Free Printable Christmas Subway Art that I thought would be perfect for the frame. You can get it here.

Some of the other things I had on hand were vintage decorations that I just used in a new way this year.

  

For the formal living and sitting room, I wanted to keep it a little more sophisticated…again, just adding touches with things I had on hand.

 

The tree in our front room was another great find on Craigslist. It was still sealed in the box and was originally purchased for a model home that sold before the holidays. I think I’ll try one of those no-sew ruffle tree skirts I keep seeing on Pinterest….the one in the picture is too dinky for this tree.

 

I always like extending the décor into other rooms in the house in small doses as well, including the bedroom.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!!!

My Coastal Summer Mantel

I was so inspired by our recent trip to Destin, that I wanted to have that happy beach feeling surrounding me at home. I didn't have a huge budget so I gathered a lot of the decor from other areas of our house.

The white lantern and rope starfish were from Nikolas' room. I got the large glass vase on clearance for $13.00. The freebies include the sand inside the vase from the beach, along with several of the shells. Can you spot the typo in the wooden sign (a T.J. Maxx find)? It's okay, I still love it!!!

Other areas of the house needed a little summer spruce up so I did spring on some new throw pillows. (These are a mix of Pottery Barn and T.J. Maxx.)

I used some industrial strength velcro to attach a starfish to the wall and a vintage inspired seashell tray.

I tied these wooden buoys together and hung them on a wall hook

 with the clock above for a little visual interest.

Now I've got my own personal beach house to bring sunny vibes all summer long!