Thursday, December 1, 2011

Christmas decor reused & made NEW!

As we all know Thanksgiving is the official gate opener to the holiday season. The day after, typically known as Black Friday is like a day at the Kentucky Derby.  Just make sure your not standing too close to the tracks, pure madness can get you swept away as shoppers burst out of the gates looking for the next best deal. Closet decorators chomp at the bit snatching up the latest items to get their dibs on this seasons holiday trends!! Well this year I have decided to void myself of crazed consumption and try to keep things as simple as possible. For the first time we are not hanging lights on the exterior of the house, we are opting for battery lit candles and lanterns with a single candle in each window. Please don't misunderstand, I love a good light show but sometimes you feel the need to pause. This is my year. Due to this new revelation, I decided that a few lights on the inside would be much needed to keep the sparkle alive. In addition, my goal this year is to repurpose. Beyond purchasing a fresh wreath, a few greens and ribbon, let's see how far I can get with using things I already have.

The first area I'm going to start with is the wall directly across from the front entry and the first thing you see as you enter.  This wall has had many looks over the years. One reason is simply, it is such a small area that I can easily revamp it when I get the urge. I get lots of urges!

After removing all the existing items with the exception of a little blue box. I began to string lights on this basic wreath. I used ribbon and ornaments I saved from the prior year to decorate it.


Simple and easy.

These silver metallic malleable branches come in quite handy. I use them differently every year. They are a simple solution to frame out the wreath and add additional texture. I also hung a few small ornaments on them as well.

The wreath was hung using additional ribbon and a small crystal wreath to adorn the top.
 


Before



After

I used a beautiful Wedgwood box I had for stacking and interest, some extra greens and a few candles. Done!


 
HAPPY DECORATING!