2015 Christmas Home Tour

Welcome!

It's time for our annual Christmas Home Tour.

Please come in and see what we've been up to.

Our front porch is decorated with a mix of fresh and artificial greens, some old pieces and a few new projects.

If you like the look of a simple natural wreath, and you have access to evergreens, you can easily make them yourself. Re-use the frames year after year, and this beautiful decoration will cost you almost nothing.

Fresh Evergreen Wreath Tutorial

On the front porch I created a partridge in a pear tree shadow box, as part of a crate challenge with nine other bloggers. We all purchased the same crate and decorated it for the holidays.  The planter on the right was easy to make and should last through most of the winter.

Holiday Crate Challenge Tutorial

DIY Holiday Planter

As you enter the foyer there is a fun kissing ball made from my father's ties. This one showcases 5 or 6 ties,  however he was a tie addict, owning hundreds.

My friend Lisa told me about this project after he passed away, so my sister's and I made these kissing balls in remembrance of our dear old dad. This is an older project but it still looks great. I you want to make a tie kissing ball simple buy a large Styrofoam ball. Cut squares of the tie fabric in a single layer, and use a thin metal nail file to poke the edges into the foam.

You can also make kissing balls from boxwood.

Boxwood Kissing Ball Tutorial

Also in the foyer we have a table with a wooden tool box that holds all the cards we receive from friends and family.

There's a ceramic leaf that holds a couple of cherished ornaments hand-painted by a friend.

This is where we spend all of our time. Our family room mantel is decorated with a special nativity set given to me by my mother. The word joy was created from boxwood and wire hangers. The garland was another new project made from seeded eucalyptus that dried so beautifully last year, I had to use it for a project this year.

Boxwood Letters Tutorial

Seeded Eucalyptus Garland Tutorial

A simple wooden bowl holds extra greens, pine cones and bits of the eucalyptus.

This year I covered our pillows with burlap and transferred the word joy on to them along with a pop of red craft paint. Behind the couch is a festive santa and snowman collection.

Burlap Pillow Cover Tutorial

The next room on the tour is the dining room. The buffet is decorated with Christmas linens and glass vases filled with natural elements. One of our wreaths which adorned the front doors last year is hung over an existing painting.

Moss Covered Wreath Tutorial

The table is set with a collection of red transferware and red depression glass reproduction salad bowls. Instead of a traditional centerpiece we  used a burlap runner and created a line of rustic wood tealight holders with a few sprigs of boxwood placed here and there.

Rustic Wooden Tealight Holders

Finally, it wouldn't be complete without a tree. Our tree is in the living room where space permits. It's filled with ornaments collected and handmade over the years.

 Two new additions are a fun mini pouf ornament and a dried flower ornament.

Mini Pouf Ornament Tutorial

Dried Flower Ornament Tutorial

I hope you enjoyed the tour and maybe even picked up a few ideas for your own home.

Thanks for stopping by. Come back soon.