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Continuing with our annual recap of holiday decor, from Dec. 1 to 25…
No. 7—This little jewel is totally undecorated. I have a number of brush trees like these, in a variety of hues and sizes but this pair – one beige, one brown – are special. They seem to say “O Christmas Tree.” like the song. I simply affixed the pair to a small wooden base with a metallic handle that could easily be threaded and hung as a Christmas tree ornament. Less is more, sometimes.
Moving right along…this item was store-bought and dressed up a skosh to further depict the spirit of the yuletide…
No. 6—A laser-cut wooden decoration, with a mini landscape with trees and a snowman, boasts a central NOEL declaration, but that’s only half the joy. I glued on available mini-ornaments, like another snowman, a string of mini-lights, and two tiny ornaments (a tree, a penguin) and the party only gets brighter and more festive.
A Nutcracker is a traditional icon for the yuletide, and as this countdown continues, it’s also a part of our yearly Christmas mission. So, here’s No. 5…
No. 5 – I never fail to dress up a Nutcracker decoration for a dear friend. Spotted this rocking-horse ‘cracker last season, put it to test by adding a few accents, like a red bow, a tiny Christmas tree, and party-pickswith holiday hues. So this one’s a keeper. And it rocks!
Moving right along, today’s rundown of holiday decor involves buttons.
No. 4—Buttons are underrated but they make fun ornaments; I’ve had a huge tub of bright buttons, used sparingly, so hauled out these gems this year. You need to secure just the right size brush tree to make this work, but I designed two this season. Smaller buttons are best for smaller trees; I have a smaller jarful of mixed little buttons in all sizes, too. Option: you can do all-red or all-green buttons, but I favor a blend of colors and shapes, shown here.
Our rundown of holiday crafts, from Dec. 1 through Dec. 25, proves no two creations are alike…
No. 3 – Shadow boxes have emerged as a must-do, too; this season, I did three.
I added red, green and white glittery paper cut to fit the slots, then assembled miniature icons of Christmas: a Santa, candy cane, Santa cap, trees, gingerbread man, snow man and reindeer and more. Flat visuals, like adhesive stickers, work best. For this particular creation, I utilized images from the same set of stick-on brand, so there’s kind of a uniformity in the figures in each slot. No two creations are ever the same, however.
The North Pole and thin-Santa on either side of the shadow box are clothes pin adorments.
I also provide a brace for table-top display.
