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!
