Every year I like to pick a theme/color palette for our Christmas tree and overall Christmas decor.
Seeing that this is the very first Christmas in my new, beautiful, cozy home I want to fit this theme into the overall interior vibe of our tribe a.k.a the home decor. Amidst my hunt for all things tree related (ornaments, other unnecessary decor such as garlands of sorts, etc.), I stumbled when it came to finding options for decor that channeled the ‘natural element yet chic’ look that I was going for. So, I got a little creative and DIY’d my way through it!
Best of all? SUPER. CHEAP. and. SUPER. EASY. Yup. Keep strollin’.
So, first of all… about the absurd amount of tiny, galvanized houses…
I don’t know, okay?!! They just spoke to me. And frankly, they would speak to you too because they are PRECIOUS. These adorbs galvanized houses come in a variety of shapes, sizes and themes, aka churches, homes, barns and greenhouses, for a whopping $1-$5 at, the one and only, Target. Same goes for the precious trees which also come in a variety of sizes. LOAD UP!
*the glass angel tree is from Hoagland’s in Greenwich.
GG DIY TIP: When in doubt, BURLAP.
Burlap is the perfect transition material and color. It can take a stark, monochromatic ambiance and add an effortless warmth without affecting the mood and just as efficiently, it can make any natural element that once went unnoticed, shine. After constructing the wreaths for the outside windows and front door, I felt they were missing something. I opted out of the typical big bow for all of the wreaths except the larger one that I placed on the front door (you can see why in this article, Easiest Wreath Making, on what GG about said wreaths) and burlap was the perfect finishing touch without overdoing it. I used 2.5 inch burlap ribbon to hang the mini-wreaths on the front windows and it perfected the look.
But, before you go crazy with the lap (as in bur) there is a very important distinction you must know: there is a fine line between RUSTIC CHIC and farm/ bohem/ shabby and whatever other kind of chic there is. Most notably, rustic chic is NOT SHABBY CHIC….NOR IS IT TO BE CONFUSED WITH SHABBY CHIC. I don’t do shabby chic (a.k.a a plethora of ruffled, layered linen fabrics usually accompanied by dainty bows of various width size ribbons.) That said, my advice? Opt OUT of the lace trimmed, fluffy detailed burlap: keep it simple, and keep it as close to its authenticity as its beautifully simplistic essence is intended.
Rustic Chic.
As I said, this years theme is rustic chic. My house is basically a glass house due to the endless, albeit gorgeous, small, paned windows that span wall to wall in size (and nearly ceiling to floor) surprisingly, it is remarkably cozy (despite its lack of privacy)! Coupled with the zen-like, serene river that flows through and around our back yard, it is entirely natural that I want to emphasize the natural elements as the basis of decor. For me, bringing the outside IN is a beautiful way to honor mother nature while appreciating all that she offers in each elements’ infinite, multi-use functionality. Hence, my love of white birch, pinecones, metals and leather. *see pics above.
Color Scheme:
I love the all white look for interiors and while it is so perfect in every way that is percisely why I could NEVER dare to flaunt such a flawless look: grace is not my friend! I would undoubtedly spill everything everywhere… within minutes. That said, for those of like mind, you CAN still harness your affinity for the all white by selecting various SHADES of white. And, this is where my excitement for white birch begins to peak: matching the rawness of wood and bark with a color palette that I can at least attempt to be graceful with (grey’ish white), white birch offers a cozy, sophisticated vibe without intimidating.
White wooden beaded garlands with metal stars placed strategically between:
In tandem with the burlap I defer to twine just as much. Twine is a crafters best friend, and by crafter I do mean yours truly whom, we all know, isn’t exactly Martha when it comes to the commonality of “crafting” occurring. In other words, twine is a beginners BFF. I found these wood, white beads on Amazon in large sized bags (think huge as in Ziplock) (700 beads) for $16 and the stars came in a pack of 12 from the dollar store next to TJ Maxx in Norwalk. Of all the decor, I must admit, I am on the fence with this: I was thinking these could channel a total Magnolia vibe once draped upon the evergreen but I now have reservations as a sudden twinge of a more Crackle Barrel than Magnolia feeling overcame me, so, for now, they are on hold. (For those who haven’t familiarized with Magnolia, do so immediately here.)
These are pretty self-explanatory and I love the simplicity.
These are gorgeous. Not to mention, currently ‘on sale’ at Wayfair for a whopping $16 EACH!!! But hold onto those dollar bills people because, drum roll, I have found a set of SIX for $15.99! Whether for the tree or a present (even a present topper!) – these balls are seriously beautiful and so cheap!
Lately, tin cookie cutter ornaments are all the rage in the DIY world – pretty cute, huh?
So, these were a splurge. Terrain (no words to express my love for this heavenly destination, read all about why it is THIS AWESOME here!) has these beautifully crafted zinc houses and, well, we all know how I apparently feel about adores, little houses now!🙄Around $15 each, even just one of these is more that enough and really adds a little something to any tree.
These were a no-brainer. $5 at Target.
The small star tin ornaments:
These are fragile. I am convinced they are meant to be glued onto a crafting project of sorts and likely layered as a topper of its kind however I plan on sticking these little guys amidst the branches of our tree as close to the center trunk as possible, this will add a subtle dimension and texture while providing an overall impressive depth to the overall look of the tree. $17 for a dozen here
The galvanized reindeer:
Huge, I know. These were more expensive in comparison to the others but now you see why (size!) These will sporadically be placed around the tree and the various sizes will balance the tree in its overall image once complete.
I opted for random trinkets that spoke to me as well.
The white wooden polar bear and tin can are personal sentiments as are the basic, thin, wooden stars. I plan to write on these lighter shaded stars with metallic sharpies but as of late I am not loving the whole wordsoneverything trend so for now, they will say simply simple.
GG TIP: Check the measurements before purchase!
Lastly, the burlap rusty-bell jingle balls. I don’t know what to make of these either but there is an odd charm to them. They will fit in somewhere, time will tell.
Stay tuned for the after pics later this week and for more on seasonal decor, GG Style!
Meanwhile, get the look and check out some of these inspo pics of what you too can purchase to go rustic chic!
