Decking the Halls Part VIII

I promised that I'd show you my breakfast room tablescape and here it is.

On this table I used double placemats---not sure that's what they are called, but they aren't regular sized placemats and they aren't runners.  They are stretched across the table and serve as placemats for two table settings.  Then I start layering...

1.  pewter chargers

2.  white buffalo china dinner plate

3.  red ornament-shaped dessert plate placed atop a red linen napkin

4.  mini red christmas stockings hold silverware

5.  cranberry red stemmed glassware, water and wine

6.  as a centerpiece, I used a Christmas tree made from berries, two wood pedestal candleholders with ivory candles, and mini tart pans turned into place card holders.

7.  each chair has a small grapevine wreath tied to its back, and its adorned with a red and green plaid bow and has an ornament hanging in its center.

We have an open floor plan, so the breakfast room, den/living room and dining room all share the same space.  Between the breakfast room and living room, I have a baby grand piano.  I always decorate the top of the piano for Christmas.  This year I used Santas as my focus, then added sleighs, reindeer, deer antlers, evergreen trees and even a few snowmen.  Beneath it all is a white sheet, LED lights and a vintage lace tablecloth spread over it all to mimic snow.  

How do you decorate your table at Christmas?

Decking the Halls Part VII: Memories

Christmas is a time for family to gather.  When we lose a member of our family, that loss seems most vivid at Christmas.  The empty chair at the table.  The stocking you almost hang...then remember that person won't be with you this year.  There are ways to keep the memory of those we've lost with us.  A dear friend of mine gives a Lenox Cross ornament to her friends who've lost a loved one during the past year.  Here is the cross she gave me when I lost my mother.

Each year when I hang it on my Christmas tree I always think of my mom, as well as my friend, Cindy, who gave me the cross.  What a thoughtful gift, and what a wonderful way to keep my mother's memory alive each Christmas.

I lost my mother three years ago.  She loved rocking horses and had quite a collection.  As my sisters and I sorted through her possessions, each of us took rocking horses in varying forms as a remembrance of our mom and the joy she brought to each of us.  She had several rocking horse broaches and I took several of them and created this framed 'art' piece for my daughter, Hilary.  I pinned the broaches onto fabric into the shape of a Christmas tree, then stretched and framed the fabric.  Here's how it looked when completed...

I've promised my sisters I would make them something from the costume jewelry we inherited from our mother and grandmothers.  I haven't completed them yet, but here is one that I'm currently working on...

 My great-aunt's hobbies were fabric painting and needlework.  Years after her death, I received a tablecloth that she had started beading, but hadn't finished.  Constructed of felt, it hadn't weathered the years well.  There were lots of moth holes and stains.  Hoping to save at least some of the cloth,  I marked off sections where she had completed designs.  There was a one design of Santa with his bag of toys over his shoulder, poinsettias, and along one long side a nativity.  Areas of fabric around the nativity were stained, but I worked until I came up with a method of cutting it out that was free of flaws.  After cutting it out, I sewed a band of brown braid around the edge and hung it over the French doors in my guest room.  I wish I was a better photographer, because this is such a beautiful piece! There are hundreds of sequins and beads carefully stitched within each design.

What Christmas decorations or traditions remind you of family?

Decking the Halls Part VI

Tablescapes.  I know some will think I'm crazy, but I set my table for each holiday...and sometimes non-holidays!---weeks in advance of whatever upcoming event/holiday.  I love creative tablescapes.  There are several blogs devoted to that topic alone.  For Christmas, I decorate both my dining room and breakfast room tables.  There is no rhyme or reason to how I go about setting the table for the holidays.  The best way I can explain it is that I work in layers.   In the dining room, I start with a tablecloth and build from there.  And I always work with two things in mind:  theme and color scheme.  The theme for this tablescape is Christmas---duh---and I used the focal colors in my dining room...gold, red and ivory.  There is sage green, as well, in the fabric of the upholstered chairs, but I didn't use that color in this particular tablescape.

Here are the layers I used when creating this particular tablescape.
1. Gold brocade tablecloth.
2.  Ivory brocade placemats
3.  Gold chargers
4.  Missing in this picture is a china dinner plate---ivory with gold band.
5.  A salad/dessert plate, specific to the holiday or occasion.  I mixed the dessert plates this year, using four star-printed plates and four dessert plates with a red border and ornaments in the center.
6.  Also missing in this picture is bronze flatware---I took this pic in the midst of my creation, thus their absence.
7.  The glasses are seeded amber and I have used two, a water glass and wine glass.
8.  Next I focus on the centerpiece.  I seldom purchase anything new, but rather simply shop my stash.  In this case, I used a burnished wood pedestal candle base with an ivory candle circled with an amber-beaded candle ring.  To either side of the candle, I placed crystal candle sticks topped with beaded shades.  Most of the items in my 'stash' I've picked up over the years at end of season sales, garage sales or thrift stores.

NOTE:  I've found that it is so much easier if you focus the color scheme in your home on three basic colors and use those colors throughout.  In that way, you can move things from room to room without having to reupholster, paint, etc.  Accessories are mobile, too, if you base them on your basic color scheme.

Here's a pic from a different angle.  Notice I've now added salt and pepper shakers that match my china.  I also placed a couple of ivory reindeer into the mix.  As the days pass, I'll probably add more to the centerpiece.  I'm never done until time runs out.  A little tweaking.  A few additions.  Seldom any deletions!

Next up is the breakfast room.  But I'll save that for my next post.  

Decking the Halls Part V

The item in the home that renders the most dramatic statement during Christmas isn't always the Christmas tree.  Take the chandelier for example.  I decorate the one in my dining room as well as the one in my breakfast room every year, but they seldom look the same from one year to the next.  Here's my dining room chandelier last year...

The chandelier itself has a rustic finish and the shades are a warm gold linen.  I used gold beaded star ornaments and hung them from the arms of the chandelier.  Then I took gold beaded garland and wove it through the chandelier's arms.  This year I used many of the same elements, but added evergreen garland, pinecones sprinkled with gold glitter and pearl beaded birds.

The chandelier in my breakfast room is adorned with more casual Christmas embellishments.  I used green evergreen garland and wove it through the chandelier's arms, hung ceramic and wood bird ornaments from the arms, hung a large red metal ball from the center, and for added color, I tucked clusters of red berries amongst the evergreen garland.

What creates the most dramatic statement in your Christmas decor?

Decking the Halls Part IV

Can people serve as Christmas decor?  I think they can.  

Especially if they are 'little' people.  :)

Awake or asleep, little ones add color, laughter and pure joy to holiday gatherings.

But they don't always like visits with Santa, which can make picture-taking a challenge.

But if Santa gets into the act, the photo session can become priceless, in spite of the tears.  :)

Merry Christmas from my grand babies to each of you!

Deck the Halls Part III

Sometimes the unexpected Christmas trees are the best ones.  Last year I created this Christmas tree for my granddaughters' enjoyment.  I named it The Snow Queen.  This is how I went about creating it...

I started with an iron dress form.  Next I gathered lighted greenery garlands and attached them at the 'waist' of the form and looped down, then up.  Next, I took tulle and wrapped it around the bodice of the dress form, creating a 'blouse' for my Snow Queen.  I then took garlands of clear beads and hung them from waist over the greenery, looping in the same fashion as I did the greenery garland.  The top of the form had a small opening---where you'd expect to find a head.  I made a bouquet of crystal stems and slipped it inside the opening.  The center of the iron dress form has an opening and a shelf.  In that space I placed a Santa adorned in ivory and gold.  The girls were enchanted by my Snow Queen!  

This year I made another Christmas tree, using the same dress form.  I haven't been able to capture a good picture of her, as she's in the window display at Country Mile Warehouse and Cow Palace Emporium.  Between the glare of the sun and the reflection of lights on the window, taking a decent photo is impossible. I'll describe it as best I can---or you can drive by 101 Story Avenue and check it out for yourself!  I followed the same design, except this time I used red tulle for her bodice, and I let the fabric trail down from her shoulders, as if her dress had a train.  I created a belt or sash for the dress with wide ribbon and attached Christmas ornaments to the ends of the ribbon.  If I'm able to capture a photo that is halfway decent, I'll post it here later.  

What have unusual Christmas tree have you created?

Decking the halls Part II

What is Christmas without children?  I've been blessed with two precious granddaughters. One turned three a few months ago. The second will turn three in February. They have added a whole new element to Christmas joy. Indulge me a moment...

This picture was taken last year. The one is front is Lily, the now three-year old. My great-niece Charley is behind her and attempting to corral Caleigh, the now two-year old. All three girls are decked out in Santa tulle dresses. I saw a pic of this dress on Pinterest and knew I had to recreate it. My attempt doesn't measure up to the original, but the girls didn't mind and they looked darned cute in them!  After the family Christmas party, I put one of the dresses on a vintage Patty Playmate doll and they became a part of my Christmas decor.

This photo captured another one of my Christmas traditions. I always place my children's rocking chairs near the tree. Granddaughter Cakeigh is actually sitting in her mother's childhood rocking chair   And before you ask, yes, I save everything!  When the rocker isn't in use by a grandchild, it usually holds a stuffed Santa or teddy bear.

And who can resist displaying their grandchildren's art?!  This was another Pinterest find. We painted the bottoms of the girls' feet sort of in the shape of a Christmas tree then added a few embellishments. These were made last Christmas and this year the girls loved putting their feet against their 'old' footprints and seeing how much they've grown. These footprint canvases hang next to the fireplace. 

How do you incorporate treasures from the past into your present decorating scheme?

Deck the halls!

I love Christmas and each year usually decorate four or five Christmas trees throughout my house.  Even the kitchen receives its own special tree.  This one stands about three feet tall and is decorated with cookie cutters.  Some of the cutters are tied with ribbon, others are simply draped over a branch. A large bow of the same ribbon design adorns the top of the tree.  The base for the tree is a wooden drum planter I picked up at a thrift shop.  

If  you look closely, you can see that I used the same pattern ribbon on the glass cabinet doors flanking my kitchen sink.  A garland of gingerbread men hang across the window over the kitchen sink.  Each one represents a member of our family.  Here's a closer shot of the 'present-wrapped' glass cabinet doors.

I only decorated one tree in our den this year.  Sometimes I put up two.  This year the decorations are all done in red and white.

Christmas trees are beautiful from a distance, but I love to get up close and discover all the treasures hidden within the tree's branches.  Look at this for example...

How precious is that?!  A red birdhouse with a snow-flocked roof, and with a cardinal clipped to the stick just below the bird house opening.  I love to incorporate the unexpected in my decor, and I also love to find ways to use things in unexpected ways!  Look at this for example...

Obviously, it's a beaded poinsettia, and really adds sparkle to my tree.  But it's actually a napkin ring!  Over the years, I've  bought several packages of napkin rings at after Christmas sales.  They aren't all alike, of course, but what does it matter since I'm using them as Christmas ornaments on my tree?

What special or unusual items do you use as ornaments in your Christmas tree?