Christmas Displays

 Welcome!

I’m one of those who gripe at stores for putting out Christmas merchandise before Halloween. I grouse about people that turn on their Christmas lights before Thanksgiving.

However

I am also a crafter. I get started on Christmas presents in January. By July I’ve planned out what new Christmas decorations I might want to have this year, and researched the best and most cost effective place to purchase supplies.

Just trying to explain why I have a blog about Christmas decorating in November.

Posted Pinterest, Janice Hurst

I found some creative ideas, mostly on Pinterest, and wanted to share them with you. Hopefully this will give you plenty of time for any prep work before life gets crazy busy for the holidays. I am also big on nothing too complicated, expensive or disposable. I really like recycled things.

Lady DeClutter, Pinterest

As an example, the holiday display with candles above you only need wine glasses, some smaller ornament bulbs, a tea light (battery or wick) and some ribbon. Optional: gold paint.

A great resource for supplies, besides your own home, is your local second hand store. You may find sets of 3 or 5 there in the dishes department. These are great for decorating projects. As an added bonus, if you break one, or discover the idea that looked so cute in the magazine looks like something you would not give your worst enemy, you haven’t invested a lot of $$.

I think this is a clever way to display a collection of vintage tree toppers:

Mismatched brass candleholders and a scrap of artificial greenery - that’s all you need! Use a little putty if they seem top heavy.

This next idea is similar. Clear glass candleholders can be found in all sorts of sizes and shapes.

SheKnows, Pinterest

Or, using more assorted brass candlesticks:

Have mismatched candleholders? Buy a can of gold spray paint and paint them all the same color. Now they will group together very nicely.

Another quick holiday decoration for your table are tea cups. Feel free to mix and match patterns. There are some basic rules that will help your display look pretty and not thrown together and amateurish.

My teacup collection

First, choose a unifying theme. This can be shape (all teacups) or color (all brass colored). You could choose all rose patterns, or candles all the same color. When displaying a collection (such as matchbox cars) find something that is similar. Place all the same year together, or same style (like all convertibles, or all trucks). We call this ‘cohesiveness’. Sometimes all it takes is the same red ribbon in bows to tie items together. 

Christine Darge, Pinterest

This teacup display uses candles all the same size, and the same berries and greenery, to make a pleasing arrangement.

Let’s move off the table to the walls. This is an area often neglected in Holiday decorations, but it’s so easy to remedy! Do you have existing pictures framed on your walls? Simply wrap each one like a present, including ribbon and bow, and re-hang.

You can easily add some cheer to any room you choose this way, for little cost or effort.

I like the kitchen cabinets wrapped in ribbon and bows in this photo:

Thrift stores are great places to purchase picture frames for very little $. I found some pretty decorating ideas that just use a frame, ribbon and ornaments.

You can attach the ribbons with staples or small nails. You could probably even use thumbtacks, depending on what the frame is made of. If you want it to be temporary, just be sure the ribbon is secure so you don’t have it coming loose and crash goes your ornament onto the floor.

Adding the ribbon and frou-frou in the upper corner is a festive touch.

Here are several photos grouped together all with similar display ideas. Some of them appear to be a deeper frame, like you might find in a shadow box. This is something to consider when choosing ornaments to hang. If the ornament is too big, it will not hang straight down from the frame. Experiment before you attach everything permanently.

I thought this next idea was very clever. Get out that old elf-on-a-shelf, varying sizes of ornaments and your glue gun. This crafty person even used glitter covered styrofoam balls in the mix.

ingelaboking, Pinterest

For whatever reason, you can’t have a tree this year? I love this display. Use spring loaded curtain rods (Walmart, Home Depot) and place them in a window. Hang ornaments from the rods.

Spooky Hoagie, Pinterest

If you live close to a beach, this next display costs almost nothing but time and a little hot glue and ribbon:

No beach? Any fallen branch could work.

What makes this work is the color grouping, and mixing up the sizes. Yet all the small are the same size, all the medium are the same size, etc. Adding in pine cones and glitter snowflakes is a nice touch.

Do you have a covered entryway? Then this umbrella idea is for you! Do notice however that your visitors are either all short people, or everyone is going to have to duck to get to your front door.

Julia Evenson

The expandable mug racks were very popular in years past. You can still find them in thrift stores. Underneath the ornaments is a charming display of ceramic Christmas trees. I have seen many similar ones in second hand stores.

Do you see what the frame is? Bed springs from a twin or crib mattress bed! The greenery around the edges softens the entire display from harsh to pleasing. You could wire (or use twisty ties) to attach fresh greens into the metal frame. You could also use silk greenery and use ribbon or twine to tie in place.

Therurallegend.com

I really like this unique Christmas ‘tree’. You can find all you need at your local thrift store, or even at a hardware store. Or, if you are like my house, just go look in the basement and see what’s stashed there! Various, graduated sizes of wire lamp shade bases and a way to keep them stacked is all you need. I would probably use a good weight wire to attach the frames. The bottom stand is a lamp base spray painted a neutral color.

I love this next one!

For the nutcracker display tree you will need a vertical piece of wood, and then varying sizes of 1x2 strips of wood. Measure and cut the strips in tree shaped dimensions. Attach to the vertical support. Add hardware to hang the support piece(s). You can use putty to attach your nutcrackers to the shelves so they won’t fall off. Want to make it permanent? Hot glue should be fine. Add a little fake greenery between the feet of the nutcrackers and you have a unique and interesting decorative display.

Used all your ball ornaments on your tree? Have a mirror and a bag of bows? Here you go:

 Do you have a collection of dolls or nutcrackers, or? Add some mini lights and greenery along one side of your staircase. Tuck in on every step a doll or nutcracker, gingerbread men, or? Keep in mind safety so don’t get all excited and over-decorate. Keep it simple and not too wide.

Lovely Harbor

This person featured their collection of globes with a few nativity sets to make a one-of-a-kind Christmas display on a shelf unit.

Instagram, Courtney Snowden 

Adding the letter banner helps tie it all together.

Itsmeencreates

I found a few variations on this stacked book theme. I chose this one as it is temporary and you don’t have to damage any books to create it. Use a cake stand as a base. Stack your books as shown. Add a bow with long ends to the top. Attach silk flowers and ribbons as desired by using wire, and tucking the ends in between your books. Finish by draping a strand of pearl chain. Want it to be a bit more sturdy? Wrap the books with ribbon as you would a package. Fasten the ends together or knot at the top. Cover with the top bow as mentioned above.

I will end with a few photos that are pretty self-explanatory about how to put them together.

Casa Lory

I hope I have encouraged you to try a couple of new decorating ideas. Make the project your own by tweaking and adding your own personal touches. But most of all, have fun and get ready to enjoy the upcoming holiday season.

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Watch my Watches

 

I have a plethora of watches.

(I love that word - plethora!)

Most of my watches are in a box waiting for either new batteries or watch bands. I currently have 2 that actually keep time.

It got me to thinking - what do people do with their ‘old’ watches that are no longer usable?

Is there a watch graveyard someplace, where good watches go to rest?

In a throw-away society, do we just toss the old ones into the landfills?

So, I went on a quest to find ways to repurpose watches, creatively.

I found some really great ideas!

Taking just the watch faces and removing the bands, you can create a unique conversation piece that is also functional.

You can find clock works and ‘hands’ at most hobby stores. Then you just drill a hole in the center of your base and mount the clockworks. Then using a sturdy glue (like E-6000, or Gorilla Glue) glue the watch faces in the proper place. Attach a hanger on the back.

Here is a slightly different take on a watch-decorated clock-

Shadow boxes are a perfect place for memorabilia, and these that have a treasured watch included are just charming. What a beautiful way to remember an ancestor.

I also like this ‘memory wall’ with assorted items, each individually framed but hung in a pleasing arrangement with similar frames. Of course I have to point out the watch!

If you have quite a few watches, here is an unusual and striking Christmas decoration -

Things that make this work are the jeweled brooch at the top as a star, and the finished wooden base. Glue your watch faces onto a base of styrofoam cone or other sturdy material. Then fill in between the watch faces with pearls from broken necklaces. If you use styrofoam be sure to attach securely to a heavier base so it doesn’t topple over.

More watch faces? Here’s an idea:

Posted by Kaye Watts, Pinterest

This montage includes some watch chain bands or bracelets, and some old keys. Again, fill in empty spaces with pearls or beads from broken jewelry. Even use watch parts from broken watches!  You can make this on a wooden frame or mirror. 

Again, E-6000 or Gorilla Glue or something similar that can hold different finishes together works well.

Don’t have very many watches to play with? Choose a smaller width frame to cover, or use more beads in between. You can also check out local thrift stores, or start asking your friends for their non-working watches. Most have at least one or two in a drawer somewhere, and would be happy to donate to your creative cause.

Making jewelry with watches just makes sense.

Do I think that because I love beads?

VintageFrivolity 

Attach some jump rings to 2 close-to-matching watch faces and add some beads and perhaps a charm or two, and then an earring finding. Even though the watch faces are not exact matches they are close enough in shape and size to make a pretty set.

Yesterday’s Trash Art

You can make a unique necklace using the same jewelry techniques as the earrings. You will need jump rings, charms and beads and chain if desired. You can also bead a chain for the necklace.

Here is a choker highlighting just the watch faces with no beads or ‘frills’.

You might need a matching bracelet, although I would probably wear just one or the other to set off the uniqueness of your repurposed watch jewelry.

I love broken jewelry art. Finding some clever interpretations using watches has been fun. I truly love recycling and keeping things out of the landfills.

I would have never thought to put this Bible verse with watches, but it goes together perfectly!

With this next framed art you only need 3 watches -

I like the use of a watch band as a scarf.

Clever Christmas tree wall decor -

Posted on Pinterest by Connie Rachel

The added rhinestones in between as accents really make it festive.

I LOVE this next framed piece:

The post on Pinterest was in Russian, so I don’t know who made it.

There are many different ways you can incorporate old watches into new jewelry. I think these birdhouse/watch pins are very clever, unusual, and really cute!

Credit to Amy Kopperude

Using a variety of beads, each of these watch ‘people’ are unique:

JunkintheTrunk Antique Mall

I certainly wouldn’t have thought of spider pins, yet here are a few!

Credit to Amy Kopperude

These necklaces have used the watch cases more than the clock faces:

…and these bracelets haven’t used the watch faces at all, but only the bands!

This next idea could be worn, but also would look special in a grouping, framed.

BuzzFeed

That could be a great 50th Anniversary present too!

I want to finish with a couple of good display ideas for you. The first one needs a bit of wall space, but wow!

The last idea for you uses a decorative glass jar.

Certainly use a recycled jar if you have one the right size, or even a drinking glass. I would fill the center with matching buttons, cuff links, or small pins for added oomph.

What will you do with your unworkable watches?

‘Til next time,

Inkspired