Christmas decorating Archives - Cindy Goes Beyond

December 10, 2018November 18, 2019

Decorating for Christmas with What You Have

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I love decorating for Christmas. This is my favorite time of year, for many reasons. Near the top of the list is that I enjoy the coziness and warmth of my decorated home.

People ask me about creating vignettes, which are displays with items grouped together. They are easy to do and during the holidays, even items that aren’t specifically Christmas themed can be used as décor.

Decorating for Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive. Using what’s already owned is fun and creates uniquely beautiful arrangements. Here are some of my favorite tips that are easy to duplicate.

Use Available Surfaces

Use ALL available surfaces, clearing away regular décor. This includes mantles, tabletops, shelves, dressers, side tables, counters and even vintage chair seats. If it has a flat surface, it can be decorated! I have a vintage metal ironing board with a wooden top. It gets decorated for Christmas. Don’t forget the floor beneath tables and chairs.

Study the cleared surface and decide whether to leave it bare or cover with a cloth before decorating. I have a drawer full of linens that I’ve picked up over the years…placemats, pretty kitchen towels, vintage doilies, table runners, etc. I watch for sales and markdowns and pick up linens at a fraction of the cost. If I spy a red or green plaid cloth on sale I snatch it up. Don’t hesitate to use linens in other colors though. I have two gorgeous shawls that I use during the holidays that are rust, black and green.

Group Items Together

Once surfaces are cleared, study the space. The size of the area determines how to fill it. For a small space, such as the seat of a vintage chair, two or three items are enough. A tabletop can hold an entire collection, such as a Christmas village or a snowman grouping. Shelves hold arrangements at either end.

I tend to use the rule of three often, grouping three items together that vary in size and height. However, there aren’t really any rules! This is where the fun begins. Gather items together and play. Try different arrangements, adding items or taking them away, until what remains is pleasing to YOU.

Of course use the Christmas décor that you have, but don’t be afraid to add in other everyday pieces. More about that in the next section.

Include Everyday Décor in Christmas Decorating

This is one of my favorite things to do as I decorate, incorporate non-holiday pieces. I mix Christmas decorations with vintage pieces, stacks of books, framed art and all kinds of everyday décor. The result is eclectic and fun and it saves money, using what I already have on hand. Check out this post from a couple of years ago, for more ideas.

This time of year is great for showcasing vintage pieces. Use color to unify everything. On a shelf I have groupings that don’t contain anything Christmas themed. Red elements tie everything together and create a holiday feel. Another display features a stack of Harry Potter books, a wooden candle holder, a favorite framed quote, a black lion, a wooden box full of colored pencils and a metal candle holder featuring a row of Christmas trees. Most of the items are not Christmas related yet the vignette is colorful and festive.

This is creative play at a high level. Enjoy the process of making a display from favorite items.

Use a Variety of Containers

Another favorite trick of mine is to create vignettes inside all sorts of containers. Wooden boxes, trays, metal buckets, my grandfather’s WWII army truck, an old wooden sieve and a vintage suitcase all become a place to group décor.

Christmas and non-holiday items can share the space. Work with a color theme or chose an item to be the foundational piece and build around that.

My great great aunt’s little red footrest is flipped upside down, becoming a rustic box. It holds two mason jars with tea lights tucked inside, dried baby’s breath and cinnamon sticks. A red metal birdcage candle holder and tiny red metal BELIEVE sign complete the vignette.

On the deck Aunt Annie’s red box is filled with greenery, pine cones and candle holders. Greg has made me several boxes from old repurposed wood. Each has a vignette within it. In the bedroom Grandma Moore’s battered old suitcase holds a mix of items, from flea market finds to metal Christmas trees to vintage photographs.

Use Tea Lights Everywhere

The simplest way to create holiday warmth and cheer throughout a home is to fill it with candlelight. Those flickering lights dispel darkness and act as tiny beacons of hope.

I have all kinds of Christmas candle holders that I enjoy. However, any fireproof container can serve as a candle holder. I pop tea lights into decorative bird cages, sturdy tea cups and mugs, metal buckets, mason jars, glass containers, sugar bowls and pitchers. The possibilities are endless. If a container is fragile or not fireproof I use a battery operated tea light, to be safe.

If someone wants to decorate on a budget, this is my number one tip: buy a bag of tea lights, add them to a variety of containers, and then group them together. It’s a great way to feel the joy of Christmas.

Decorating for Christmas, Your Way

I hope these tips have given you some usable ideas! The best thing about decorating for Christmas is that each person can create décor that uniquely represents who she or he is.

Love plants? Collect cat figurines? Have Grandma’s silver candlesticks? Love the rustic look? Classical décor? Pink everything? It all works. It’s all allowed. Bring out the pieces that bring you joy…and start grouping them together until the results make you smile. Most importantly, have fun. Play Christmas music. Sip tea or hot chocolate. Wear your favorite Christmas sweater.

Decorate the whole house or one room or a single shelf. And please, send me a photo!

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November 29, 2018

Christmas Joy Throughout the House

I set a goal this year, of spreading Christmas Joy throughout the house by December 1. That way I can focus on other things during the holidays while enjoying a decorated home. This evening I switched over the décor in the living room, completing the house. Tomorrow I’ll finish the front porch and declare it all done. Goal met.

I’m writing my blog post in the living room as I admire flickering candles and the twinkling lights on Christmas trees. The sight brings me great joy and floods my soul with peace. I can’t stop looking around, or smiling.

Here are my five gratitudes for this day.

All That Glitters

I’ve had a fresh, undecorated Christmas tree in my living room for a week. Even without lights and ornaments, I have enjoyed the Fraser Fir tree, catching its grounding scent every time I walk by. Not once in my life have I had an artificial tree. I don’t mind at all if others do, I just cannot take that step. The scent, the imperfections, the way the heavy branches feel, all entice me to keep purchasing fresh trees. Yes, needles fall. And the water level in the stand’s reservoir has to be checked daily. I don’t mind.

My tradition with the tree is this…I hang ornaments on it that tell stories, stir memories and inspire me. Every year I purchase a unique heart ornament and something to represent the year’s symbol. One box is full of shiny ornaments that tell of past years. The butterfly, bird, dragonfly, lightbulb and acorn ornaments all remind me of my journey the last few years and how much I’ve grown.

The multitude of heart ornaments, in various sizes and made of differing materials, remind that my heart is the most important thing to bring along on my journey. I have not found the right heart ornament yet, or a representation of this year’s symbol. Hopefully tomorrow that is remedied. I’m grateful for the shining, glittering adornment on my tree tonight. Every piece tells my story.

Eclectic Finds

My chippy little entry table moves closer to the tree during the holidays and hosts an eclectic mix of found, gifted and purchased items.

One of the ways I create Christmas Joy in my home is by arranging interesting pieces together, that make me smile. The birdcage contains five red and silver votive holders while the birds perch free, outside the cage. The wire cloche is a favorite piece that I bought years ago. It holds different items for each season. During Christmas it’s full of tiny pine cones, woven wooden balls and white glittery styrofoam balls. A wooden block with Believe painted on it stands with a vintage wooden spool transformed into a tall skinny Santa.

On the bottom shelf a quartet of Santas share space with a large papier-mâché snowman. I found the squatty candle holder in a thrift store, along with the trio of Santas. That ceramic piece, that I bought for a ridiculously low price, is one of my all time favorite finds. I only stopped at the thrift store because a friend wanted to look. And I walked out with a treasure! These pieces bring me Christmas Joy and brighten my heart with gladness.

Aunt Roxie’s Box

I’ve written previously about this vintage treasure, that once served my great great aunt as a footrest. Read the story about the box here.

I repurposed the footrest into a decorative box, leaving the original paint. The rustic red box is perfect for a little Christmas vignette. Mason jars hold tea lights and three fabric trees nestle within in. Some sticks of cinnamon and dried baby’s breath complete the box. A metal birdcage candleholder and a little metal BELIEVE sign complete this fun grouping. I’m grateful for the memories I have of Aunt Roxie, a feisty petite woman who raised my grandmother and her brother after they lost their mother. I am honored to have her red box.

Something Simple, Something New

I’m always playing around with items and ideas. As I put the finishing touches on the room and carted out the empty Christmas boxes, I spied a ziplock bag full of small sparkly gold and red balls. I originally purchased those several years ago with the intention of displaying them in the wire cloche, mentioned above. The results were hilarious when I dumped the decorative balls into the tall wire container and then flipped it over onto its stand. The balls were too small. They “drained” out through the openings in the wire cloche, scattering everywhere.

I looked around the living room, seeking a place to use these brightly colored decorations. Instantly I received a visual download. I mentally saw what to use as a container for the balls and what else to display with them. That’s how inspiration often works for me…I get detailed images. They become the map that guides me.

I retrieved the items out of the storage closet and quickly assembled a new little vignette. The baby ficus tree is a start from the very old tree that died recently. It makes me think of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. The yellow bird candleholder and Bless All Who Enter mini sign are recent purchases. And the old blown glass pitcher, that I adore, was an incredible yard sale find. The red and gold balls did not escape this container. I love simple vignettes such as this one. I’m grateful for the inspiration.

Christmas Joy

Every tabletop, cupboard and shelf in the living room is decorated. An old wooden chair with a small round seat holds a third Christmas tree and a set of red ceramic birds. A white Christmas tree festooned with lights rests on a table near the front door.

My Christmas mug collection nearly overflows its customary shelf. Next year I’ll have to divide the collection, as I don’t see how I can possible squeeze in one more festive mug. The new gray cat cup sits front and center, as is fitting. My kitties approve.

Everywhere in my home there is light, there is beauty, there is Christmas Joy. Sipping hot cranberry tea, and admiring the fruits of my labor, my heart overflows.

November 30, 2017December 1, 2017

Tis the Season

It is the last day of November, and I experienced a first today. My house is completely decorated for Christmas. It is the earliest I have ever accomplished this task. I don’t know what happened!

Here is a pictorial trip through my house with some of the highlights and a peek at what’s new this year.

Aunt Annie’s red box on the porch. The metal luminary with the Joy & Cheer cutout out is new this year.

I love including vintage pieces and family treasures in my decor, like Great Aunt Roxie’s little red wooden foot rest, flipped upside down to hold fabric trees and mason jars.

Vintage poinsettia dish grouped with Dayan’s first Christmas photo shoot (he’s 18 years old now), an antique ceramic candle holder, a tiny early 1900s Christmas card that I framed, and a flea market white tree I bought several years ago. Even the ceramic polar bear is getting old, a Bath & Body promotional piece from 2009.

The Snowman Village, featuring the framed snowman artwork. Greg’s brother, Ray, who passed away 15 years ago, drew this dapper snowman as a child. I framed it last year. The wooden sieve is one of my favorite vintage pieces. It gets new vignettes throughout the year.

An eclectic mix of snowmen and light. The brightly glowing square glass box, filled with miniature lights, was given to me by my friend Beth years ago. Every Christmas I replace the string of lights within it, plug it in, and leave it shining brightly until the little bulbs burn out…about late March. It is a beacon of friendship and hope.

My grandfather’s WWII army trunk now holds vintage quilts, little Christmas trees, metal stars and a trio of mason jars with tea lights tucked inside.

The ceramic nativity set was made by Greg’s mother Leta more than 60 years ago. The wooden shoes on the shelf below were a gift to my mom from her uncle when he returned from the second world war. She was five years old. She wore them, as did my sisters and I, and my children and grandchildren.

The rustic wooden box in my bedroom gets a simple and homey redo. The ceramic bird came in from my front porch, where it perched all summer. I like to mix in everyday items with my Christmas decor as well.

Silvers and golds, with touches of blue and brown, in the old battered suitcase. When Greg’s dad and his brother sold their parents’ home after they passed, they included all the contents of the house in the sale. Prior to the completion of the sale, I asked for permission to run inside before the house was locked up, and get one item. I grabbed this suitcase from a bedroom closet. It was full of old photos.

I am really pleased with this new display. The cross-stitched silhouettes were made by my mom in the 70s. Their original frames had fallen apart. I found the stitched works of art again today, and purchased new frames for them. Look how cute they are with the tartan plaid scarf and plaid Christmas tree! The display sits atop a chest that is more than 150 years old. My mother’s great grandmother traveled by covered wagon with this chest, which Greg restored for me eight years ago.

Also newly on display, this embroidery piece that reminds me of a snowflake. I found this still in its embroidery hoop, with the needle pushed through the fabric, in a drawer at Leta Moore’s house. She never quite finished it. The fabric balls were in the same drawer.

Another fresh piece, this one a vintage card tucked into an old copper-look frame. This is the fifth vintage card I’ve turned into art. I would rather display them than forget about them, tucked into a drawer somewhere.

The last photo, posted below, is of the vintage wooden ironing board that I recently set up in my studio. It has a festive green plaid scarf thrown over it, and a couple of little vignettes displayed on its wooden surface. The antique porcelain doll, from the late 1800s, has taken up residence in my studio for the first time. She is sharing space with a fabric tree made by Leta Moore and a couple of Kirkland purchases from last year. I found the gingerbread house, trees and man at Michaels a couple of weeks ago.

I not only love this time of year, I love being creative and using a mix of old and not so old, Christmas decor and everyday items. Every piece tells a story. I enjoy walking through my house, and hearing those narratives. Love, hope, survival, and family are the themes that thread those those tales, weaving a rich and varied tapestry.

Tonight the candles are lit throughout my home for the first time this season. It won’t be the last. How homey and festive and full of cheer it looks and feels. Tis the season…

December 10, 2016

Welcoming 2017

I officially completed Christmas decorating today, finishing up in my studio. I’ve realized this year that I always finish here for a reason. As I decorate in my creative space I also use that time as an opportunity to clear away stuff I no longer need.

The energy begins to shift in the room, as I gear up for the rapidly approaching new year. Releasing things and tossing out clutter creates room for new items, new endeavors, fresh opportunities.

New to my studio is a chair I purchased at the 2 Friends & Junk show held in Joplin recently. And above it hangs an Edison bulb light fixture, bought at the same show. This is my creativity corner, my spot to think and dream and read and draw. I love that the light of inspiration shines above me, figuratively and literally illuminating me.

Christmas came into this room too.

I like grouping a bunch of objects in the same color family. I found the framed ring while cleaning out Greg’s parents’ home. I wish I knew its story.

Absolem is perfectly at home, perched on his mushroom, next to a pine tree, on my writing table.

After I completed the studio, I lit candles and sat in my creativity chair, beneath the light of inspiration. Christmas music played on my ipod. The space around me felt peaceful and joyful, with a tingling undercurrent of anticipation.

The last room decorated is the first to welcome in a new year, bright with promise. I am ready.

December 6, 2016

Getting My Christmas On

After a busier than anticipated weekend, I returned to decorating the house for Christmas this afternoon. Eight hours later, the house looks less disheveled, but I’m not nearly finished. That’s ok. One reason decorating takes me so long is that I don’t like to exactly duplicate vignettes and décor every year. Instead, I like to freshen things up by mixing things up.

The vintage suitcase gets a bit of a new look, with the addition of a silver and white snowman and a silver snowflake candle holder.

The old oil lamp from the Moores’ house in AR cleaned up well and pairs wonderfully with the suitcase. Silver and gold candle holder and sign from Kirkland’s.

Decorating becomes a very creative and inspiration guided process.

I’m realizing that for me, creativity is messy. I get a flash of an idea and then I play with it, hunting for the correct pieces to pull the vision I have together. It’s similar to working a jigsaw puzzle, using the box top as a visual guide…except my visual is in my head, and the pieces are scattered throughout the house! And I totally destroy each room while I’m playing, before it all comes together.

As messy as the process sometimes is, it is always fun for me…challenging, time consuming, yes…and ultimately rewarding and extremely satisfying.

Great Aunt Roxy’s red footstool, flipped upside down, becomes the perfect receptacle for fabric trees and mason jars.

The plaid fabric placemats from Target set off this little table beautifully. The three santas ceramic candle holder is one of my favorite pieces. I paid a dollar for it at a thrift store several years ago.

The fresh Christmas tree is still bare, but it smells wonderful! It is patiently awaiting lights and ornaments. The santa mug collection is still boxed up. And snowmen are scattered everywhere, milling about as if at a snowman convention where no one is quite sure where he is supposed to be.

I love this little eclectic, electric tree! It came home with me last year from my Aunt Annie’s house. It had never been out of its box. I’m not sure how old it is, but I love the contemporary look.

I found my grandson’s first Christmas photo shoot. He’s 17 years old now. Trying out the white tree. I’ll let it rest there a couple of days, and see how I feel about it.

Tomorrow I’ll get those snowmen where they belong. And the mugs will get unpacked. The tree may have to wait until Wednesday. Tonight I’m sitting in a darkened house, with a couple of small trees lit up and a dozen or so candles flickering. It looks beautiful.

I’m in the flow, creatively, and the decorating will get done exactly on time. I am enjoying the process of getting my Christmas on.

December 3, 2015

Journey 337: Christmas in a Red Box

When my cousins allowed me to bring home the old wooden box I found in my aunt’s shed, I was delighted. With its simple design and chippy red paint I knew I would use this box throughout the year, creating vignettes that I could change with the seasons.

The red wooden box found a home on my front deck. I filled it with terra cotta pots, in varying sizes, all from my aunt’s shed as well. Fall mums and pansies created a simple and beautiful autumn vignette.

Tonight, I had the pleasure of transitioning the box from fall to Christmas. I have been looking forward to Christmas in this red box since I brought this dear keepsake home.

I used fresh sprigs of Fraser Fir that I brought home for free from Lowe’s Christmas Tree Center. I purchased my fresh tree from there as well. They have a big wire bin full of branches trimmed from the trees. I added pinecones that I already had on hand. And two different rustic picks. One has red berries and rusty stars, and the other, rusty jingle bells. These I purchased at the 2 Friends & Junk Show in Springfield.

At the other end of the red box I nestled three white frosted lanterns with a different design etched on each: a Christmas tree, a snowflake, and a star. I bought these on sale recently at Kirkland’s. More rustic picks were added, another red berries one with stars and a long pick with rusty stars on it. I dropped tea lights into the lanterns and lit them.

I placed a larger lantern nearby with a votive candle inside, for more light. This too came from Kirkland’s.

I love the Christmas season, and enjoy decorating my home for the holidays. As with last year, I am moving slowly through the house, bringing Christmas into each room, using a eclectic mix of vintage, newer, and collectibles.

The red wooden box connects me to my Aunt Annie, who passed earlier this year. She was an avid gardner, creative, full of joy and life. I think she would be pleased with this box of hers, and the new life it is experiencing, and the pleasure it brings to me. Merry Christmas, Aunt Annie! I’m thinking of you tonight.

November 30, 2014

Day 334: Fresh Christmas Wreath

Today’s first was a simple one, and very much a spontaneous moment. The weather was perfect early in the day, reaching the mid 60’s before a cold front moved through, sending the temps plummeting. I decided to go get a Christmas tree while it was still warm. I won’t be decorating the tree for a couple of days, but at least it was pleasant selecting it at Lowe’s Garden Center.

Greg graciously accompanied me with his truck to load the tree in the back. Last year I bought a small Fraser Fir Pine tree and LOVED it. I’ve purchased fresh Douglas Firs for years, usually 6 – 7 feet tall. But last year, wanting to change up the tree decorations a bit, and to conserve space, which is limited in my living room, I bought a shorter, smaller, Fraser Fir and enjoyed it so much. I embraced my new tradition today and immediately found the perfect tree. As we were headed to the check out, Greg asked me, “Do you want a fresh wreath?” I’ve never had one before. I’d been admiring them at the front of the garden center. I love a fresh Christmas tree because of the way it makes my whole house smell wonderfully woodsy. I have nothing against artificial trees….I just prefer a fresh one for my own enjoyment.

The wreaths smelled just as wonderful. They were crafted from several types of evergreens, including fir trees, and have pinecones and little blue berries on them. When Greg offered to buy one for me, I said yes! I selected a wreath and brought it home. I switched out the fall wreath hanging on the front door for the Christmas one. Every time I enter the house, I inhale the scent and sigh, happily. What a perfectly simple and beautiful first.

Before the weather turned cold, I cleared the front porch of the fall items. That covered area is now ready to be decorated for Christmas. Inside the house, I packed away some of the fall décor and began cleaning. Greg climbed a ladder and handed down boxes of Christmas decorations.

This week I intend to move slowly, from room to room, cleaning, fluffing, and decorating. I don’t want to purchase any new items, but use what I have, in different ways. This year I’ve enjoyed keeping pieces out and moving them to a new location or combining them with different items for a fresh look, as I’ve decorated for each season. So some of the spring items, rather than all going back into storage, transitioned into fall. And those will now appear in my Christmas décor. The bird cages and birds especially will feature in my decorating.

I love this time of year. Partly it is because of Christmas and the way my home looks….so many candles flicker in my house that it raises the temperature on the thermostat! I look forward to time spent with family and friends. I spend time in silent meditation, grateful for the reason for the season and my spiritual journey. Also, December is a transitional month for me and I use this time to reflect on the past year, and release it. And I begin to think about next year and all that will unfold. It is a quiet, refreshing, magical time. I will have much to reflect on, as I finish up this incredible year of firsts. And, I am so excited about the upcoming year. My word, theme and symbol are all coming together, seeking me out, drawing forward into the next adventure. All will be revealed….soon!

November 24, 2014

Day 328: Christmas Jars

Today’s first was a simple, fun project. When I was debating what to do this afternoon, among several possibilities, this first was the one that took hold in my mind. I know…it’s not quite Thanksgiving. No, that doesn’t matter to me! I love fall colors and decorating. And, I really love that it transitions to the holidays. I enjoy my Christmas décor so much. The autumn items, rust and gold candles, and pumpkins give way to reds, greens, silvers and touches of blue. My Santa and snowman mug collection comes out. The 60 year old nativity set is placed carefully on a shelf. Lots of candles, mostly creams and whites, replace the spicy scented ones. And my snowmen, miniature trees, and assorted other items get unpacked.

I love the way my house looks during this precious time of year. Every room transforms. And yet, the décor is simple, whimsical. This year, I especially want it to remain simple. I look forward to creating Christmas vignettes in the same vintage pieces I’ve been creating in all year….the old suitcase, the round wooden sieve, Pop’s army trunk. I have plenty of items to decorate with. I don’t intend to buy more stuff, rather I intend to artfully use what I already have, perhaps in new ways. Although I take pictures of the holiday décor each year, in case the following year I pick up an item and think, “Where did I place THIS last year?”, the fun for me is to mix things up, display different pieces together, create something fresh.

My project today was one I’ve wanted to do before. Using mason jars, which I keep on hand, I created simple yet pretty Christmas jars. Two of the jars, a large one and a small one, hold plain white votive candles nestled in Epsom salts. The salts are so inexpensive and have fine slightly glittery grains that perfectly imitate snow. Some jars hold tiny Christmas trees with little flecks of fake snow or glitter on them. I found these in the dollhouse section at Hobby Lobby, and they and the little dark tree with the star on top were the only items I purchased, spending less than $6.00. I repurposed a rectangular clear glass vase by adding Epsom Salts and two trees.

I love my little grouping. When I went shopping for the miniature trees, I had intended to purchase only the green trees. Then I spied the lone dark glittery tree, topped with a star, among pink and purples trees. I felt drawn to the small dark tree. It was 50% off, so I bought it. I really like the way that one looks in the jar. I wrapped the top of each jar with natural and rust colored raffia and added silver and black jingle bells.

In less than an hour, my project was finished. I lit the candles briefly, to appreciate the effect. Beautiful. Over the next few days, the transformation will begin. I look forward to slowly, thoughtfully, moving through the house, cleaning and decorating, with an emphasis this season on repurposing. I’ll enjoy every moment, and surely find some firsts to share!