While decorating for the holidays this year in our new space, I realized I was tired of the decorations I previously had, but was unable to spend a lot of money on new decor. So instead, I planned ahead about what was crucial to buy and what I could make myself!
Earlier on in the season I was able to snatch a few weathered boards from a neighbor who was getting rid of his old fence so I attached two together for a Christmas plaque. I didn’t worry that the boards were a bit warped and didn’t fit perfectly but thought it looked more rustic that way. There were also some random staples that I didn’t take out for the same reason! 🙂 I cleaned the boards up after attaching them and then grabbed some white paint and dry brushed it on, again, not being perfect at all but putting it on heavy in some spots and light in the others.
Once the paint was dry I took some stencils I had previously picked up at Target on clearance and lined up my three letters in the middle of the board for the word “Joy”.
Note: I taped down the stencils so they wouldn’t move and used a stencil brush for precise coverage.
Just allow everything to dry and your plaque is done! Don’t worry about being perfect for anything, this is a simple DIY project you can make no matter what level crafter you are!
I made one other decoration item for the house this year which was a holiday garland made from old book pages and jute string. This you can also make out of anything you have lying around the house. From burlap, fabric, scrapbook paper, ribbon, the possibilities are endless, just be creative!
(For the full tutorial click here)
Another DIY option for you is to paint jars or wine bottles. This particular jar montage was actually a gift from my artistic sister! All she did was paint the bottles white and stencil letters on each jar. The stems at the top are glittered and matte in different holiday colors from Hobby Lobby, but you could grab some sticks/twigs from the backyard or just leave the jars plain!
I did end up buying a few things for the house to wrap everything together, I purchased a package of glittered potpourri and pinecones as well as some greenery, picks, and a wreath. Hobby Lobby was having a great 50% off everything Christmas sale recently which is where I purchased everything for just a couple bucks (except the wreath).
The potpourri and pine cones were set in a red bowl I had and went on top of a wooden crate that was already in use. Inside the crate I added just a few glittered stems and picks by our letter “C” for a little color!
I also added a few green pine stems and a red berry pick into an old pitcher that was sitting on top of my cabinets in the kitchen. The christmas colors really pop next to the white pitcher and is so easy to just arrange into your existing decor.
If you don’t have a pitcher use a vase or an old box, crate, bottle or tray. Anything that will hold it.
Or…just lay a pick out and surround it with cute decor! I had mercury glass candle sticks on a tray along with a couple of old books previously and all that this arrangement required were my sparkly holiday candles and a pick to bring it into the holiday spirit!
(Lucky for me the books were already red and green!)
The wreath took just a little more work than setting it out, however it was minimal. I purchased the wreath at hobby lobby for half off as well and just added some stems to make it fuller.
If there is something you don’t quite like about a wreath or want to get a bare one for cheap, just add a bow, ribbon, ornaments, and/or stems and picks to liven it up wonderfully! Again there are so many diff
erent possibilities to make it your own!
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