Friday 19 December 2014

Some simple festive home updates

It's fair to say that I love the run-up to Christmas just as much as the day itself - possible more. The school carol service; the excitement of my pupils as we watch Shrek for the nth time; putting the final decorative touches to my home; baking up a storm; packing the car to visit family. 

Sadly, all of that fell by the wayside this week after I was taken down by severe bronchitis. Four days in bed and I'm only now able to sit up for longer than 15 minutes at a time. Luckily I'd already written my final festive post, about a few simple home updates I've put together this year. 


I am emphatically not one of those too-cool-for-Christmas people (true story - a couple of weeks ago The Boy came into the spare room to find me draped in ribbon, jingling my bells (not a euphemism) and giggling with happiness. He calls me 'Elf' when I get like this, after Will Ferrell's character in the eponymous film). Instead, the whole house undergoes a transformation. If there's a flat surface, I will cover it with fairy lights and greenery. Stand still for too long in December and I might just hang a bauble on you.

As a result, just putting up a tree and a wreath isn't enough for me: the whole house needs to be Christmasified, and preferably with stuff I've made or upcycled. A few years ago I whipped up gingham heart decorations; last year it was the turn of some needlework in the form of appliqued cushion covers and my 'Let It Snow' embroidery hoops; this year I decided to turn an old and unloved mirror into a festive blackboard.

All you'll need is an old mirror or picture frame. I used white paint (just some standard white emulsion I had in the shed) to give the silver frame a distressed, vintage look. Once that had dried, I applied a couple of coats of blackboard paint onto the mirror itself (if applying to a standard picture frame, I'd suggest removing the glass and painting the blackboard paint onto a piece of thick cardboard to sit inside the frame). Chalk pens made the slogan a doddle to write and, together with a jug full of eucalyptus branches, it makes for a very stylish display in our kitchen.



One of my bargain tips is to search out books of sheet music in charity shops. A couple of years ago I hit paydirt in Market Harborough Oxfam, picking up ten books of music that had seen better days together with a volume of Christmas Carols. The framed sheet music from Silent Night makes a simple but beautiful picture, and I also use sheet music to make gift tags, to wrap presents, and to make garlands to hang on the tree.

Do you have any favourite home updates at this time of year?

10 comments:

  1. Your tree looks beautiful! I buy (and make) more and more decorations every year, I think we'll need to get a second tree if I keep on like this.
    Love this blackboard idea.

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    1. Thanks. I've had the red/white theme for a couple of years and have to admit to getting a bit bored of it... perhaps next year I'll try to mix it up. But I say that every year, leave it too late to make very much new, and end up having to stick to the same thing!

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  2. Your tree is lovely! And I may steal some of your ideas for next year, definitely the sheet music. I never normally bother with Christmas decorations but this year I've made an effort with plants, pine cones and Christmas scented candles and its been much more fun than expected so I intend to continue with it in the future.

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    1. My mantlepieces are both heaped with ivy, holly and pine cones and I think it's such a lovely, simple way to bring Christmas into the house - and you can compost it all afterwards! I might try and do a how-to of some sheet music garlands next year - they're so easy and fun to make.

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  3. Looks lovely! I hope you're feeling a bit better this weekend. If you didn't make it to Notts as planned we will definitely have to meet up in the New Year, there's a few new places to show you x

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    1. Yes definitely - we'll have to get a date in the diary x

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  4. Argh I wanted to do this. I did. But just couldn't muster the effort. I bought a tree though! And put some tinsel and fairy lights around the gerbil's gerbilarium.

    Love the sheet music idea. Nicking off with that and squirreling it away for another time!

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    1. Glad to hear Ser Jorah and Tyrion have some festive delights too!

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  5. What a totally cool idea! I love what you have done with the music and the embroidery hoop! Wish we'd done some decorating, but not really got around to it!x

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    1. I was lucky that I had a free weekend towards the start of December to get it all decorated - if I'd left it any later, it would never have been done.

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