Easy Holiday Decor: Branches!

The simplest holiday decor you can ever do is laying in your yard, or someone else's... Branches! These natural beauties make for the easiest holiday decor that anyone can do!
Gather as many or a little as you can find and you can create a simple yet stunning centerpiece in your home. Place a few in a tall vase, and voila! Leave them bare, or add a few ornaments. This simple arrangement can be a fabulous alternative to a traditional Christmas tree if you don't have the space.
Spend a little time spray painting the branches you collect. Any color, or metallic can really brighten up the look! Ornaments, stockings, garlands, and even jewels can find a home for the holidays on your branches. Just look at a few of these creative and simple ways to display branches.

Several layers of red paint will transform your branches into a beautifully modern way to decorate.  I love the contrast of the birds on this display!

A few larger branches make for a great tree alternative.... 

... Or just a branch or two can be stunningly simplistic! 

Branches give a great opportunity to creatively display your holiday cards. 

Just some fishing wire and nails can really transform your space!  Just be sure it's secure!

No fireplace? No problem! Hang your stockings with care on a branch! 

Next time you're out and about, take notice of just how many branches are out there. You can really do a lot with just a one or two. The possibilities are endless!

Easy Holiday Decorating: Wreaths!

Nothing says holidays are here like a wreath on your door! Ranging from classic to modern, there are so many styles of wreaths available and they can really set the tone for the rest of your holiday decorations. Here are some of my favorite holiday wreaths! 

How sweet the holidays will be with this fun candy wreath! 

Jingle all the way! This wreath made with jingle bells is a treat for the eyes and ears! 

This may be one of my favorites, and it's easy to make using thumb tacks! I may just have to try it this year!

Always classic and beautiful. This wreath will never go out of style.

Another festive idea is to use not just one wreath, not even two wreaths, or three, but to make a whole wreath wall! Group several different wreaths of varying sizes and even materials onto one wall. This will make a huge impact in your room and be so festive and fun! 

 

Like in the photo, you can use the same material for all wreaths and just vary the sizes and the details of each. Another option would be to use wreaths made of all different materials. In this case, I would keep them all about the same size and hang them more uniformly to keep it from looking scattered. 
Whatever wreath you choose, its always a good idea to hang it with a gorgeous holiday ribbon. This just adds one final layer of care and holiday cheer! Happy Holidays!

Easy Holiday Decorating: Swap out your pillow covers!

A really easy, quick way to bring some seasonal cheer into your space is to swap out your throw pillow covers for holiday themed covers. If your pillows don't have removable covers, don't worry, you can buy just the pillow cover (without the insert) to fit over your existing pillows. And then when the season is done, just unzip, fold and store away for next year!

Here are just a few of the pillow covers available. Some can even be monogrammed for even more  "J - O - Y"

1. Woody Car Embroidered Pillow Cover, Pottery Barn

2. Solid Velvet Pillow Cover, West Elm

3. Jackson Plaid Pillow Cover, Pottery Barn

4. Monogrammed Cotton and Velvet Pillow Cover, West Elm

Easy Holiday Decorating: Wall Trees!

One of the joys of holiday decorating is the Christmas tree, but what happens if you don't have space for a full size tree in your Living Room? While the miniature trees are cute, they aren't your only option.
Clear some wall space and create an artistic tree outline. You can use twine, ribbon, painters tape, tree lights, or just about anything you can think of to create this! Check out these great pictures of what people have come up with.

A beautifully drawn Christmas tree done on craft paper and pinned to the wall can be re-used year after year. I love how they added the ornaments and tree topper! 

Use Christmas tree lights and some push pins to create a tree that really lights up the room! 

Simple tape (be sure it's one that won't peel off your paint) can be used for those less artistically inclined. Still a beautiful tree with opportunities for ornaments and a place to stack presents!

I love the dolies used to create this tree! They are so snowflake-like that they are perfect for a wintery, holiday tree! These would also look great against a colored wall! 

Another fantastic idea for a wall tree is to use a chalkboard and draw your tree. If you can't find a chalkboard large enough, then they are super easy to make with a sheet of plywood or canvas cloth and some chalkboard paint. What I love about this idea is that it can become interactive with your friends. Anyone who comes over can draw an ornament on the tree! Then you have a tree filled with fun memories! 

When the season is over, wipe off and use throughout the year as a ever-changing art piece, notepad, or whatever! Or, if you don't want the pressure, you can slide under the bed for next year :)

Happy Holidays! 

KTLA 5 Morning Show!

Decorating for the holidays is fun, but if you're limited in space it can be very challenging! Loralie Orr showed how you can still take part in all the fun of Christmas decorating even if your room is spatially challenged. Check out the segment from KTLA 5 Morning News!

Watch! 

We'll be posting more Easy Holiday Decorating tips on upcoming blogs to give you more information on how to make some of the things featured on the show and share even more easy decorating ideas! (psst... if you sign up as a subscriber to this blog you'll be notified when new blogs are posted!) But for now, here is a list of where you can find the products shown:

Wall mounted deer trophy: "Buck Jr." from CardboardSafari.com
Pillow covers and Stocking: West Elm

Happy decorating! 

Easy Holiday Decorating: Cover your books!

No time to decorate for the holidays this year? No worries, Ellenor has some tips on easy, quick decorating that can have a big impact on your space...

Go back to your high school days and cover your books! Paper bags, holiday paper, or even just white paper can make a huge difference to your space. Bookshelves create a great design opportunity in any space, and if not done carefully they can be an eyesore. Covering your books will instantly make your shelves seem more chic, well designed, and will mask any faux pas!

Covering just a few or all of your books you will create a big change in your space. By eliminating all of the contrasting colors of the books, you create a uniform and neutral backdrop that will allow the holiday decor you place in front of it to really shine!

You can also cover just a few of your books and place them in a way that will create a holiday shape, or outline. Just a few covered books can create the shape of Christmas tree on your bookshelf!

And if the idea of breaking out the tape and scissors scares you away, you can cheat a bit by just slipping a piece of paper around the spine of the book. That's how the bookshelf tree was done in the photo above! It's a huge time saver and still looks great!

Until next time... happy decorating!

Team Spirit! ...In your home.

Forget the foam fingers, bright signs, and tacky team decor. Whether its you or your spouse that wants to adorn the house in team spirit, you can do it tastefully and while still upholding a respectable style by following these simple tips.

This room screams team in all the wrong ways.
Lets try to avoid this, shall we?

1. Be inspired by the colors rather than restrict yourself to them. Use small doses as accents against a more neutral palette. Or use one of the team's colors as your backdrop, but don't necessarily stick to their other color as you accent. Some team colors just don't translate well to home decor... sorry. But I promise your point will still come across.

2. Incorporate subtle accents into your existing space that represent either a team color, player, coach, or an ode to stadium. A throw blanket (or two) that represents one (or the second) color of the team can be easily worked into a room without throwing off any working color scheme. A framed photo of the coach, player, ticket, or stadium can be an accent on your bookshelf. A game ball, token from a game, or even a bobble head could work as a bookend. Coasters, picture frames, dish towels, or a single pillow can all be subtle nods to your favorite team. The idea is to use them thoughtfully and sparingly to keep the tribute subtle. Too many of these objects or too blatant of a display will make your room look like shrine.

These Crate & Barrel throws are a great
way to bring in your team's colors.  

This vintage ice bucket from To Hell in a Handbag Shop on Etsy
is a fun and subtle way to show your love of golf.

3. Adorn your walls with a images and objects of your team to create a gallery wall. This is a great way to contain the love by concentrating a large quantity of memorabilia into a controlled space. A gallery wall can be as small or as large as you want and can showcase your own photographs, others art or photos, game-day tickets, players cards, and great vintage items.

You can use both images and items to create a great gallery wall. 

Gallery walls work well in any place!

4. Simplify things... sometimes the mascot (or even a silhouette of it), the block letters of a name, or a team motto can make a bold impact. These are usually super easy to do yourself by printing out and framing or stenciling onto a plain pillow or blanket.

Go Bulldogs!
Silhouette pillow from ElsaBeta Shop on Etsy 

Letter Pillows from Jonathan Adler can easily be
 customized to represent your team's initials and color. 

So go ahead and invite your team into your home without compromising your home's style. And keep these additional tips in mind when shopping for and incorporating team spirit into your decor...

Vintage items are a great way to show your love for the team because people tend to "respect" vintage items over newer items. This work for you because they won't automatically pin you as a die-hard fan... and a tacky one at that. There are tons of vintage posters, postcards, souvenirs, or even vintage "how to play the game" books that you can use in your home (use them as a whole on your bookshelf or take out and frame individual pages). Check out local garage sales, antique shops, and online shops like Ebay and Etsy.

This great print from a 1940's dictionary would be an
awesome addition to a boxing fan's collection.
More sports available from Folie Dujour Shop on Etsy

Vintage John Elway Comic Book from Leftys Leftovers Shop on Etsy

Photographs are something else that people respond really well to, especially ones done in black and white. An old photo of you and your pop at the game or a new one of you and your buddies. Artistic shots of your stadium, a local bar that goes hand-in-hand with your game day tradition, or generic game or stadium shots can be a fantastic complement to team-specific shots. Look through your own photos and ask your friends, Etsy and other online sites are great for finding artistic photos.

Jessica Morgan's photo of Dodger Stadium

Photo of Busch Stadium by Gemini Complex on Etsy

This image of stadium seats could be a great "generic" image to
round out your own gallery wall or collection.
By HHHillaryyy on Etsy

Frame your items to make it look more thought out. Rather than tacking up a team photo to your wall or flag (al a my husband... and hanging these things crooked I must add) frame it, hang it straight, and add to it (thats right I said 'add to it') to make it into a gallery wall.

This collection of team pennants could have looked like a huge mess,
but grouped together and framed make a great impact on a space.

To sum it all up... Use your pieces thoughtfully and sparingly to create a tasteful tribute to your team, and let the colors inspire you rather than dictate you. Remember, you can still represent the team while also representing stylish interiors.

Go team!

Ellenor