December 2021

Happy Holidays to everyone!

I normally take December off to make time for holiday prep & relaxation.  This year, I took October & November off to make sure I got my personal priorities accomplished without overwhelm. So now I'm ready to get into the holiday mood! How about you? Let's have a less stressful, more enjoyable holiday season together...

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Holiday Mantel Designs...

Chrismukkah Mantel Design

Holiday designs are wonderful to look @ & can be awe inspiring.  We want to enjoy them for the most amount of time, especially since they tend to take a lot of time & effort to install.  Have a plan before you attack your install so you eliminate most of the stress & frustration that comes with holiday designing.  No matter what holiday you're celebrating, the style, or budget, there is a design to express your feelings & mood!  Let's talk about the mantel design. Even if you don't have a mantel, the same elements can be applied to a shelf or table! 

Our family celebrates different cultural holidays each year to have a better appreciation & understanding for everyone.  Sometimes, we mingle them because we know that there are many intercultural families that celebrate both heritages without losing their identities.  Here are a few tips to create beautiful & interesting designs.

Traditional Christmas mantel design has greenery, beads or bells, lighting, & some other items sprinkled throughout in a symmetrical way.

We can't forget to hang the stockings for Santa to stuff! Try creating an asymmetrical design to add an unexpected surprise.

Have a focal point to draw your eye into the design with emphasis. Elements to consider: placement, size, color, or variety. This design focuses on a wreath framed by smaller trees.

This mantel utilizes natural winter colors of green & white to emphasize the variety of wreaths among the candles in different shapes & sizes.

Traditional elements are a great way to put together a unified design quickly! You can often find everything you need easily & keep it simple.

Traditional colors don't always look great with our everyday décor, so try natural elements with pops of silver & gold to add interest!

Design your mantel utilizing natural elements from your yard or garden. You have to do fall cleanup anyway, so why not make it useful! Not every design has to have lots of bright color to create a mood. Go old world with your design & celebrate good ol' winter.

When adding candles to your design, have surrounding items away from the flame to prevent fire hazards. Also, have a drip plate underneath for easy cleanup.

Try adding some figurines to create movement that help guide the eye throughout the design. Layer a variety of textures to add interest & contrast with various heights, as well!

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Holiday Organization...

Getting organized for the holidays usually hits us when we start pulling out all of those decorations, lights, etc.  It's hard to find the right balls; untangle the light strings; deal with broken items or find replacement lights that we know we have somewhere; & don't get me started on hooks!

It's not too late to get organized, but don't wait til after the holidays because by then, it will be too late!  "Why is that," you ask?  Oddly enough, those storage items will be going on sale along with the gifts you'll be buying in December.  By January, most of the holiday organizing items will be sold, gone, finito! 

Here are a few items to help get you started with what's available.  ​For example, wrapping paper & supplies can be stored in an upright plastic container or a fabric under-the-bed container.  Choosing storage items should be based on the space they will be stored in & space availability.  Think about creating a space for all of the items, instead of stashing them all over the house.  Sometimes it's not easy to store all of the items in 1 space & be selective in the spaces you choose so that you limit the all-over-the-house stashes. 

If the basement is where you store your items, then moisture may be a concern.  Cardboard boxes won't work with moisture or critters.  If the attic is where you store your items, then heat may be a concern, along with those critters.  Plastic totes are a wonderful & easy to stack solution for some items. 

Glass décor needs special care to prevent breakage.  Proper insulation is key.  Often, you can keep the original packaging to keep glass or ceramic pieces safe.  Special dishes can be packaged in specially designed containers that include separators to insure safe packaging & storage.

Tree storage comes in a variety of choices as well!  Some allow you to keep it intact with wheels & others require you to disassemble them to allow for smaller space options. 

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Holiday Art... Handmade Cards!

Card making is a wonderful way to express how you feel about someone for the holidays!  Decide what medium you want to use to create that wonderful feeling.  Then, gather all of your supplies before you start for a less stressful & more enjoyable experience.  Watercolor designs need a thick watercolor paper to hold up to the water.  Pen & ink designs need a sturdy mixed media paper.  Pencil, crayon, or other dry media is fine to use with a thick drawing paper.

If you're not comfortable creating a card with you own art, don't be afraid to utilize other options & assemble the card yourself.  Craft stores have a variety of options to help get the right look & feel for your card.  Premade items & embellishments save time for busy crafts, while creating 3D elements on a 2D creation.  Crafting machines, like a Cricut, can add a personal touch with 1 of a kind designs! 

Peek-a-Boo pocket adds depth.

Layered to add depth.