Girls' Christmas Bedroom

I thought I would share some of my pictures I took of the girls’ bedroom decorated for Christmas.

Last year I brought a little bit of Christmas into their room and continued it again for this year.

I found a tutorial for a feather tree that I thought would look perfect in the girls’ bedroom that I wanted to give a try.  It was super easy to make, but this year I placed it into a pot since it was a little wobbly last year.

I did make the stuffed gold fabric bows.  There will be NO tutorial coming anytime soon!  I have very limited sewing knowledge and I just kind-of flew by the seat of my pants on that project.  All I can say is I got the inspiration from this ornament.

I glittered over old ornaments and picked up a few new pink and sequined ornaments and hung them on the tree.

And a white beaded bird I purchased at Target years ago acts as the tree topper.

I tried to coordinate the Christmas tree and ornaments to the art that is placed on the wall behind.

I drew the picture of the girl.  It had mixed reviews even some tears when I was hanging it on the wall.  Why does she not have a face?  Why is she holding her necklace that way?  Why is her arm placed on her head like that?  All questions that I needed to address and never thought I would have to over a girl in a ball gown.  But now that it’s up all questions have been subsided as they can see the bigger picture of it all together.  Yeah!  That’s what I like!

My gold ornate oval mirror that I purchased on Craig’s List looks great in their room.

Pink magnolias top the mirror, are at the base of the tree and up on a shelf in a vase.  I wanted to stay consistent and have a flow within the room in using the same type of flower.

I made several different types of cone trees for their room.  One with the same glitter as some of the ornaments and one with crushed velvet draped around it.

A bowered glass tray that once had a cream and sugar container on it, now houses their perfumes and Swarovski crystal figures (that I had in my childhood bedroom) is nicely contained on top of the dresser.

One daughter has been playing the violin for 3 years now and one daughter is in her first year of the cello.  They have been practicing a Christmas song for the family on Christmas Eve.  It’s so sweet and I can’t wait!

Last year I started a new tradition for a our family.  I would wrap one present and have it under “their” tree for Christmas.  It’s something that they will carry on and have in their home when they grow up.  I’m not going to say what it is, incase someone in particular is reading this.  But when I brought up the gifts the other night my little guy, who is 5 soon-to-be-6, thought it as a 3DS.  Sorry bud it’s not!

I hope you enjoyed the mini tour of my girls’ Christmas bedroom.  I will be back soon to show what I’ve done with my little guy’s room.  His birthday is on Tuesday…where has the time gone!

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now.

DIY fabric covered ornaments

My fabric covered ornaments I just love! 

I’ve had these ornaments for about 15 years.  I’ve redid them twice now in different colors.  I know that sounds ridiculous to redo them but it’s just too expensive to completely start over each time – especially at this time of the year.  I’ve kept the same Styrofoam balls and have added different fabrics and ribbon to give it new looks.

I originally got the idea with step-by-step instructions and a pattern from Martha.  I did them exactly how she has them pictured with the red, blue and green.  As the years have gone by, I’ve modified her method and made them into my own creation.

Here’s what is needed to start this project:

2” or 3” Styrofoam balls

an assortment of different fabrics

an assortment of different ribbons

beads

coordinating felt

pins and scissors

Martha Stewart pattern

Begin by tracing pattern on wrong side of fabric 8 times.  I used a sharpie and it’s OK if it bleeds through – you will cover it up with ribbon.

Start to pin cut-out fabric shapes onto Styrofoam ball.  For this example I used coordinating fabrics.

Once the ball has been covered start to pin ribbon along seams.  Use all the same ribbon or coordinate it with a similar or contrasting ribbon.

Once the ball has been covered, cut out two smaller circles out of felt to cover up the top and the bottom.  I used a pinking shear to add some added interest.  (If you look closely my circles are off – oh well no one will notice in the end!)

I collected different shapes and sizes of silver beads from several different craft stores and thread them onto a pearl-headed long pin.  This acts as the top and bottom final to the ornament. 

It was funny…this year I added the color gold to the ornament and when I got out these beads some of them had tarnished.  Or maybe it’s not tarnished but some of them had turned gold.  What luck!  I didn’t have to purchase any new gold beads.

Finally add a coordinating hanging ribbon and it’s ready to be hung on the tree.

If you are using several different types of fabrics the combinations and possibilities are endless.

I will leave you with a few pictures of them hanging on my tree this year.

I really do love the look of the colors I have chosen to redo them this year.  I will probably keep them for awhile now!  It’s such a classic and glamorous look!

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now.

Early December

So here it is…..early December.

Thanksgiving has flown by.  My sister came to visit and although she was here 3-1/2 days it felt like only a day.  Our time together was wonderful!

I said I would have a DIY post on my fabric ornaments and it’s now almost 2 weeks later.  Time really flies!  I guess I’ve been waiting to have them on our tree with some pictures for me to complete my post (at least that is what I’m saying as my excuse).  We will be decorating the tree tonight!  Pictures will be taken and I can finally finish up my post that I’ve been wanting to complete.

Until then I thought I would leave you with a few things I’ve done around the house. 

I redid my ornament wreath and used the colors white, gold and silver(those are the colors I’m making this Christmas to be).  I now have it hanging up in my kitchen.

I used various sizes of ornaments that I found primarily at Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart this year and last. 

This year I added a different shape of ornament other than the round for added interest on the top layer.

It just gives so much sparkle, I just can’t help but look and look at it every time I walk by.

I also made these fabric cone trees that I have in our niche area above our TV.  There so are not perfect and I might even redo some of them after Christmas is over, but for now they work.  I grouped them with holiday greenery, white magnolias and coordinating ornaments. 

My kids have been dying to decorate the tree and are so excited for tonight.  Until then…

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now.

Thursday is home depot day

Today I’m going to my first DO-IT-HERSELF Workshop at Home Depot.  I quite excited about it because I will get to make one of these…

I will learn how to use power tools…

and I will wrap my initial with holiday greenery.

Yea for Home Depot!  I haven’t decided where I will put my initial.  I’m sure I will figure something out for it.  I’ll share my final result afterwards!  If your interested in making one of your own I looked it up by locate on the Home Depot website and registered for the class.  I honestly didn’t think my little city in Nebraska would have this class, but I was wrong.

It’s suppose to start to snow between 4:00-6:00 tonight.  This will probably be just my luck.  Hopefully the roads will be OK for me to travel!

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now.

a little bit of this and a little bit of that

Oh my gosh…I been busy, busy, busy!  I’ve started a new daycare child and it leaves me with no time for extra things at naptime.  There are things that I HAVE to get done and once those are usually done baby will wake up from her nap shortly after.  Naptime was usually the time I sat down and was able to write or start a blog post.  Now I need to reevaluate when I can write.  I am SO not a night person mainly because I’m wiped out from the day I can’t think straight.  I already get up early I don’t know if I could do any earlier.  So I need time to think what will work mainly because I do like this blog thing and sharing.  How can I get it all in?  I just need a few more hours in the day!

Anyway, over the past 2 weekends I have gone to the Goodwill.  I like going there and seeing what treasures can be found.  My trips usually take me awhile to comb through the items on the shelves and what they possibly could turn into. 

I went into the furniture section of the “slinkiest” Goodwill (as my children call it) and I came upon this chair.

Since we installed our bookcases, I thought a side chair in a wood finish would look nice.  It’s a barrel chair with a cane back and sides.  I absolutely love the texture it gives this little space.  My thought at the store for it was that it could act as a side chair but then be pulled around to use at the computer.  It was a nice thought but the seat height is too low!  It had a small cushion attacked to back of the cane that I cut off.  The seat cushion is a grey woven fabric.  At first I was not in love with the fabric and thought I could sew another cover.  But the grey seat has grown on me and seeing that I would like to incorporate more of that color it will stay.

My second purchase was this picture.  What caught my eye at first was the gold-copper frame.  But as I walked closer the artwork was really quite nice.  It looked like something that I might have drawn in my rendering class in college.  The mat was discolored and I simply just painted over it as close as I could get with one of my acrylic craft paints.  I’ve never painted mat board before and who-knew it would turn out good!

I rearranged a few pictures in our living room and BOY! handy-husband was not pleased!  There were holes that needed to be patched and painted.  It definitely was not something he wanted to do on a Sunday afternoon. 

I got a second pair of antlers from my Dad that I have hanging above my new Goodwill picture.

The deer antlers had a red velvet fabric covering on the plaque.  Well red just would not do.  I changed it to a gold crushed velvet that works much better in our living room.

This past weekend I took a trip to my Grandma’s house to pick up a few more books for my bookshelves, (I’ll show that later as I’m restyling them for Christmas) but I picked up a few unexpected items.  One was this picture…

I really love the frame but don’t know if I’m exactly in love with the artwork.  In an odd turn of events, handy husband was in love with just the opposite.  I really shouldn’t say love for him, because I don’t think he could be in love with artwork.  But in other words he didn’t like the frame – way TOO much for him.  Well we hung it anyway.  Don’t tell him this but it probably will come down in awhile, we’ll just see.  Here’s a close-up of the detail on the frame.

I also got this brass faux bamboo coatrack.  I wanted something to fill both sides of my entry cabinet to give it more of a presence.  I think this is working for one of the sides, plus it gives guests a place to hang their coat. 

In the mist of all this rearranging and shuffling of pictures I took down all my fall stuff.  I’ve never started this early decorating for Christmas.  December has always been a busy month and I want to be able to enjoy it!  I don’t want to be hanging Christmas ornaments one night and then the next going to a holiday program.  Last year I didn’t have ANY posts in the month of December.  I want to enjoy my children’s excitement and not be bogged down with trying to get something done.  I don’t have my trees up but here is a sneak peek at my entry table.

I painted a bunch of curly branches last year and stuck them into glass candle hurricane holder.  So simple but it adds height and just fills out the space.  I added a few ornaments and sitting next to it is a gold cone beaded tree.  The mirrored vanity tray was once on my dresser in my childhood home.  I brought it out onto the entry table and placed a grouping of white, gold and silver ornaments within a decorative bowl.  Again so simple and sparkles so much whenever I walk by.

I hope to be back soon with a tutorial on how I made my fabric covered Christmas ornaments.  I’m shooting for Friday but it more likely be on Monday.  So let’s just say Monday.

I started this post on Monday and geez….it’s now Wednesday.  I guess I will just have to piece my time together and write when I can and when I’m not so tried and feel mentally ready to write.

Thanks for reading.

Bye for now!