Corey-ism: (In case you didn’t know my name is Corey) : Whenever I take a tour I most generally get annoyed with the tour guide.  With that being said, I am going to let you just peruse through, and I will only interject for really pertinent facts.

Front Entry

Psst… If you want to build a “North Pole”,  (also can be used as a stocking post) you can find the tutorial here.

And on the left…  ok, ok, so I might had a few fun factoids for   you.  This entry closet used to be a HORIZONTAL beat up dresser.  You can see the transformation here.

Family Room

Stay tuned, I will have some more details (and possibly tutorials) on the gallery wall coming soon!  

  If  you love the tree, and want some tips on how to create the look you can check out my “Rustic Tree” post  Here.    This little guy has been a fun new addition to the family room decor. It is a nice easy  way to incorporate pops of color and seasonal decor. If you are interested in making your own, I have got you covered. You can find a tutorial for the “Crate Wheelbarrow” here.    This “Crated Carboy Jug” is also a favorite of mine when it comes to adding festive decor! If you want to build your own you can find the tutorial here.  

Kitchen

Honestly, if you think this is a pretty kitchen you should seriously consider checking out what it looked like BEFORE!

I am still working on pulling together a table-scape for the dining room, but in all honesty I kind of love it just the way it is.

If you are eyeing any of the pieces of furniture in this picture, then you might be shocked at what they looked like before I got my hands on them!

Antique Ice Box (BEFORE)

Antique Apothecary (BEFORE)

Ok, ok, sorry one last thing,  if you love that exposed brick wall, I should tell you something… It is Faux Brick Paneling and I have a full tutorial for you,  should you decide your home absolutely NEEDS one too.  OR if you are interested in the Modular Wall Units , I have full build plans for this Pottery Barn inspired beauties right here.  Well there you have it,  a brief tour of my downstairs living area!

 Take Luck,

Corey

P.S. I have plenty of seasonal inspiration and tutorials in the works, so make sure you check back often!

The post Holiday Home Tour 2016 appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

You can add garland one of two ways; you can either leave it in long sections and press into the tree and work around it while add the remainder of your ornaments. Or you can try this!   I cut my grapevine into small manageable sections.

Then I do this!

Look at how much character and dimension it adds to the tree!

One other trick I have decided I love, is layering my ribbon!  It adds just a little more pizzaz to a traditional ribbon. After which, I add red berries.  Lots and lots of red berries!

Shhh… I am giving you just a small sneak peak  for tomorrows post, my Holiday Home Tour 2016!  Tune in tomorrow!

Take Luck,

Corey

The post Rustic Christmas Tree appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

I grew up in Ohio,  I remember curling up in front of the fireplace with a good book. It was one of my favorite things to do… ( I WAS *cough* a total nerd:).   I have since moved to Florida where fireplaces are scarce, and are not really practical. Well,  just because I don’t have a fireplace doesn’t mean I need to miss out on decorating a festive mantle!  In lieu of a mantle, I “decked” the shelves!

 If you are looking for more seasonal inspiration. Make sure you  check some of my favorite blogger buddies, they have plenty of great ideas on how to “deck the halls” this holiday season!

Blank Canvas

I have a floating shelf that is mounted above the television in our living room.  It was my perfect canvas to create holiday magic! ( If you are interested to see how I turned an Ikea Shelf into a rustic ledge  you should check out this tutorial! )

“Gifts” ie. Cardboard Boxes

When staging a shelf, I always start by placing my largest items.  In this case, I used large boxes wrapped as gifts.

Mercury Glass

Next, I wanted to add a new texture and a bit of glam.  I used vases from a thrift store, and turned them into mercury glass.

Mercury glass is pretty simple to make!  Just use “Looking Glass” spray paint (no other kind will work).  Spray it into your container. Next use a spray bottle containing 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water.  LIGHTLY spritz the inside of the container with the mixture. Directly after use a hairdryer and dry the inside.If the paint and liquid are settling on the bottom, slowly turn the container as you dry it.  It  creates this beautiful aged patina on the inside of any glass container!

Greens

A few years ago we upgraded our Christmas tree. Instead of getting rid of the old one, I dismantled it, and now use the greens for decorating.

Grapevine Balls

I wanted to add another texture, and the grapevine balls were the perfect addition! ( you cab get them at a lot of craft stores in the floral department)

Candles and Magnolia Leaves

I next added a few white candles from the Dollar Tree! It added just a little bit of color contrast I was looking for. The finishing touch was adding a few magnolia leaves.  I have magnolia leaves as a common theme throughout the rest of my Christmas decor, this tied my mantle in perfectly!

There you have it folks, a quick and easy approach to a rustic “mantle makeover”!  A big shout out and “thank you” to our  lovely and talented host Jen from House of Wood!

 Happy Holidays!

 Take Luck,

 Corey

The post Deck the Halls Blog Hop – Christmas Vignette appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

1.)  Lights

I think this is fairly  standard  tree 101,  but if we have some newbies out there…  always put your lights on first!  I start at the top of my tree and work my way down.  My tree always sits in the corner of the room, and it has no window behind it… So I  cheat, and don’t decorate the backside of the tree

(I am going to assume that Christmas lights are apart of your Christmas Tree Trimming essentials, so I will not be including them in the total cost. )

-1.) Enlist Help.

If you do not have little munchkins trying to eagerly “help” then proceed to “step 2”. Haha.  However,  I do  have little helpers,  so I  always let my kids go crazy on the tree, and let them decorate to their hearts content. I then ask if it be alright if  I finish it up  later that night. They are always o.k. with this plan. Voila!  they get to decorate and I still get a pretty tree.  Granted my kids are still young, and a little forgetful, but it seems to do the trick.

2.) Ribbon

Ribbon I think is the most under utilized decoration when it comes to trimming a tree.  It is also the best  bang for your buck!  I always get my ribbon from Sams Club.  They sell a 50 yard roll for $7.00!   You just can’t beat that!

 NOW, before you start mummifying your tree…STOP! Don’t  just lay it on the branches like a dead fish!  When I use ribbon I actually  use the wired tree branches to cinch and hold the ribbon in place. ( If you have a real tree, then you can always use pipe cleaners, or wire.)

3.) Even MORE Ribbon

Like I said, I love ribbon!  Another reason being,  it comes in countless colors and styles!  I try to use two different ribbons.  It REALLY  fills  a lot of space for minimal cost!

4.) XL Decor = $9.00

Next  I add extra large decor.   Keep in mind, it doesn’t always need to be “ornaments”…

For example,  I purchased these large plastic snowflakes from Dollar Tree, and they were originally intended to be used as window decor. I also snagged these large bells  from Dollar Tree.  They are fairly big, which is exactly what I was going for!  Ultimately we are looking for a variation of sizes!  

 5.)  Large Ornaments = $10.00

I know that it might be hard when shopping and holding a large ornament in your hand, and it is the same price as a 8 pack of small ornaments, but BELIEVE me  just a few larger ornaments can really  make an impact!

I also got my large bulbs from the Dollar Tree!  They  do have a fairly  limited size collection when it comes to their ornaments, but you don’t need to let that stop you!  Remember spray paint is your friend!

6.) Spray Snow =$1.50

Can I just say, this stuff is AWESOME!  For $1.50, you can add a lot of dimension to your tree!  Just try it,  you will love it!
 

7.) Standard Size Ornaments =$2.00

Next  add your standard size ornaments. NOTICE,   most of the tree is already filled, so it will not require very many of these!  These are just filler, and add another size variation. Again, I purchased these at the Dollar Tree.  They usually  carry a 7 pack for $1.00! Booyah.

8.) “Pop” Color =$13.50

If you prefer the traditional colors, then by all mean feel free to skip this step.  However if you want to add a little pizzazz to your tree, try adding “pop color” or “accent color”.  On this particular year I was really digging seafoam green. The GREAT thing about pop color is, is that you are spending a minimal amount of money on the accent color, SO if you feel like changing it up the following year it is only the cost of a can of spray paint.:)

Here are a couple of ideas that I would suggest.  I spray painted a handful of my “large bulbs” from Dollar Tree  using a seafoam spray paint.  I then purchased a string of tinsel and cut it up into sections and stuffed it into clear bulbs. 

9.) The Star

As is tradition, the star goes on last. I picked up a star from, none other than the Dollar Tree and bulked it up by hot gluing  on of my $.50 snowflakes to the back of it.  It worked perfectly.

And there you have it folks.  That is how I decorated our 10′ tree for less than $50! I feel like that is pretty freaking awesome!

Extra Credit:

See those whimsical who-ville-ish things sticking  out of the top of my tree? Aren’t they rad?  Want your own ? You can make them for just a few bucks! 

The post Designer Christmas Tree from the Dollar Tree! appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

Front Entry 

      If you want to see how you can make your own  “Believe”  Chalkboard sign,  you can  check out this tutorial here! 

Sitting Room

        I have an awesome video showing how I made this chalkboard,  available here. Want to learn how to make your own “Who-Ville”  tree?  You should check out this tutorial here .

Family Room

   You can learn more about how I decorated this tree for CHEAP  here.

Dining Room

Entertaining guests  this Holiday season ?  I can help with that. COMING SOON a tutorial on how you  can create this Tablescape for CHEAP!  Stay tuned!

Kitchen

      You can get more info on this  chalkboard sign here.

 Hopefully these may  have sparked some ideas of your own, and best of luck for for all those getting ready for the Holidays!

Happy Holidays,

Corey

The post My Holiday Home Tour appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

Do you love the look of a whimsical tree ?  I can show you how to take it to the next level!

Do you need help decorating ?  I can help with that.  Learn how to decorate a tree here.

 You can even  learn how to make some of these fun and funky ornaments here: Gift Box Ornaments  Tinsel Ornaments  Accent Color Ornaments  

Happy Holidays!

Corey

The post How to make a Who-ville Tree ! appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

Awesome LARGE ornaments, for less than a dollar, and in any color  your need !?  It’s a Christmas miracle.

Corey

The post Trim a Tree Series: Spray Paint is Your Friend! appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.

I have said that  I have a  hard time decorating for Thanksgiving  because I LOVE decorating for Christmas. Well, I was not exaggerating.  I put up both of our trees this past week and love them!

* Remember, if the back of your tree is not exposed,  you do not need to decorate it! Lights                included,  I simply go back and forth and  save  myself lights and trouble of going around the back.
* Remember to know where your power source is, and plan  accordingly.

You can use traditional spray snow, from a can, (only a few bucks at Walmart)  OR you can do what  I did, I took extra boughs from an old tree and spray painted them white.

Adding the white  I think make a huge difference,  it creates contrast and I like it.

Do not under estimate the impact that  ribbon can add  to a tree! It can cover a lot of space for just a few bucks.  It also breaks up the space, you want a variety of sizes, textures, and shapes,  ribbon helps achieve this!

At Sam’s Club you can get a 50 YARD roll for $7.00!  In the event you don’t price ribbon, you should know this is an amazing deal!  They have a ton of colors and patterns to choose from.  I had MORE than enough to cover my entire tree, a few garlands and still had extra.

I also  used the  new popular product  wide mesh ribbon.
*Instead of using the mesh as ribbon,  I actually  cut it into sections (a few feet each), and then   gathered the ends with pipe cleaners.  Then wired the pipe cleaners into the tree.  It created the illusion of going around the tree,  with  using a minimal amount.

I got all of these decorations for only a dollar a peice.  If you price large ornaments,  you know that even the cheapest ones are easily $5.00 a peice.

These are also Dollar Tree Ornaments!

This is my favorite part, adding   the accent color. I  suggest  using three colors when decorating your tree.  I would use two classic colors that can easily be used year to year.  Then for your “Pop Color”  you can go trendy and not need to replace your entire tree as trends or styles change.

Each of  these were  a dollar or less each. When you are willing to put in a little elbow grease you can really  add the WOW factor to your tree.

Ok, so NOW is the time to use the normal size ornaments!  You can get these sleeves for only $1, again at Dollar Tree!  Go through and fill in all the small gaps, don’t be afraid to layer as well.

EXTRA CREDIT:
If you feel like being a little ridiculously over the top,  you an add decoration that extends out beyond the tree.  I think  this last step can really  take the tree to the next level!

The post Trim a Tree appeared first on Sawdust 2 Stitches.