FOCAL POINT STYLING: Holiday Trim

Creating a festive entry for the holidays not only welcomes guests, but it can also spark inspiration for neighborhood holiday decor. When we first moved in to our rented home here in AZ, our block had very few decorations at Christmas - I think we were the only ones. Last year, a few more added lights, and this year, it's so nice to see so many stoops dressed for the season! Each year when I set our holiday entry, I reuse the same core pieces: One lit garland around the doorway, one wreath on the door, two large urns and two lanterns. When it comes to the entrance, I really like symmetry! Since I also have two ledges, I vary what goes on either side of the door or he ledge to change it up a bit. In Florida, I didn't have the space for anything extra, but I'm enjoying the versatility I get to display on our stoop here in AZ. Usually here, I've used black lanterns throughout the seasons, but this year I tried something different: I swapped the two black lanterns for two galvanized lanterns I had inside - and was also actually able to light them. Something else I also love using here in AZ are scarves en lieu of ribbon...

To get a longer drape on the urn with the scarf, I tie the scarf around a grapevine wreath at the neck of the urn. The urn is filled mostly with craft paper, and I stabilize the branches - large from Florida and smaller branches with greens from the area - with newspaper towards the neck, and cover with moss.

I had some oversized snowflakes, I had used on the stairs in our dining room in FL back in '08, and decided to use them outdoors this year...

Last year, I had used the large urns away from the door and out on the two ledges, but I found these two mini trees while thrifting to use instead. I just nested them into two painted black containers I had, and covered the container tops with white rock (to look like snow). To give the two trees a little decor, I reused some sparkle snowflakes I use to use on the (inside) tree. I also found two galvanized pails while thrifting last year, which work great to hold my white poinsettias (which really pop against the stone at the entry...

The light inside the lantern is a simple single candlestick light, just hot-glued inside the lantern. The lantern I had gotten at HomeGoods back in 2011, and I had used it inside, hanging with rope for my Summer entry. Now, with the candlestick inside, it casts a great shadow on the house...

It's snowing!!

(Don't I wish!)

To light the poinsettias, I just tucked some icicle lights I no longer use the window. Net lights (we had to replace this year) get wrapped around two small bushes - and just like the wreath, I used the large snowflakes on them...

I leave the bark mulch piles & pinecones from the Fall entry, and sprinkle faux snow on them for holiday...

The scarves I used on the urns are another thrift find here in AZ - One is houndstooth and the other is check...

Below is a peek behind the scenes creating my Christmas Entry - cutting the branches, cleaning the door & sweeping the stoop, running the electrical extensions & hiding them, fluffing the garland + wreath -- and this year, re-lighting the garland with new lights. I use the garage to set a mock-up of what the entry will be and tweak as I set...

Below is last years holiday entry...

Holiday Entry 2012

Holiday Entry 2013

Hope you're enjoying your holiday season - and some of you will be enjoying a White Christmas!

Let it snow and thanks for stopping by!

Linking post to:

The DIY Showoff - Holiday Project Parade

A few years ago (back 2006) we bought our first home. A townhome in a development called Walnut Creek in Hollywood Florida. Coming from a two bedroom condo, we hardly had enough to fill the place. But over time, we acquired a table here, a chair there, and a few holiday decorations. One of the items I had purchased (after Christmas) were these silver initial letters online at Restoration Hardware. The following year, I had wanted to use them for Christmas, but I didn't know where to put them, mainly because I didn't want to nail them into the wall (it seemed too permanent). Then it dawned on me: just hot glue them - but not to the wall because their scale seemed to get lost. So I had glued them to three painted silver framed mirrors I had. Every year there after, I've been gluing them to mirrors, although last year, I glued them to blank canvas. This year I also glued them to the leaning canvases, but rather than leave them all shiny and bright, I "Arizona-rized" them with a mist of dark bronze and twine...

Although the vignette is similar to what I had done last year, refinishing the letters, and even the canvas, plus adding in a few more layers with the snowy green trees gave it a different look and feel. Here's what I did...

Simple silver JOY.

A light mist to tine down the shiny and bright...

LOVE the updated finish...

To relate the vignette to other items in the room

(like the twine bottles and galvanized pinecone filled containers) I used some twine. I tried to align the twine on the same spot on all the letters...

No glue.

Just tied in a knot and trimmed.

Lovin' it!

When I went to glue them to the canvas, I put them on too high...

So I pulled down the canvas, which was actually easier to wrap with the last but of twine.

While I was doing it, Sephora's cat instincts kicked in, and she almost took off down the stairs with it... lol. I found the twines center, then centered again before wrapping. Then, only tying it in a knot in the back, I separated & spaced the twine (also similar to the twine bottles).

Here's a look back at past JOY ...

JOY 2007

Three Trees 2007

JOY 2009

Three Trees 2009

I think the more minimal rustic look worked last year because the wall was dark and the floors were light. But here in our new place, the wall the unit is on lighter and the floors are dark. I had tried it first with less, but it just didn't feel right...

Too stark. Too plane.

Now it feels right... It's fuller and cozier... Feels like h o m e . . .

And nothing new bought - Just restyling what I already had _ which goes back to what Christmas is about: TRADITION, and how you can find JOY with in it....

What are some traditions you do at Christmas time?

What are some of your favorite decorations?

Do you change your theme from year to year?

Although I've been posting some of the projects I've been doing to create Christmas here in our new place, I should be posting a Holiday Home Tour by Monday...

Thanks for stopping by!