Simple Christmas Project Ideas - Saturday Sightings...

Its Christmas House Tour season...  I did a local tour today and am

sharing a few project and decor ideas that I found especially appealing.

This scene on the side of a barn greeted us at one property.  The old

 settee bench is an unexpected addition to this grouping. Was it

 staged just for the tour day?  Perhaps (as I can't imagine wanting to

 leave it outside in the weather)... but what a neat presentation.... 

Also outdoors - Planters filled w/ miniature tree/shrubs, white twigs

 and puffs of cotton that resemble snow balls... very clever!

Indoors - this banner of various wool fabrics & mostly just simple

 squares - surrounded a young boy's bedroom.  

And note the added pom poms.  Love this!

There are a host of things one can fill a crock or container with.

  Here there are faux berries, twigs, holly,  light branches... 

and burlap candy canes!  Don't forget a bow...

A little hard to see... but what struck me here was a piece of

 furniture simply laden with pillar candles on candle holders.  

Can't get much more simple than that - and it looked good!

Do you have a cake plate and cover?  

Creature a miniatures scene....

This homeowner put up a ladder over her sink - added fresh greens

 and ornaments and called it 'done'.  I asked how she'll decorate 

the ladder after Christmas - she didn't know yet! 

A little more advanced - but oh so neat - was this sunroom with a

 blue painted ceiling.  There were large branches hung from fishing

 line & adorned with LED lights in each corner of the room.  

Also loved the window shelves displayed with beautiful books.

  And of course the stained glass windows!!!  But the 

lighted branches are very doable if you have higher ceilings.

And finally - just one of the many beautiful country homes.

Hope something sparked an idea for you... I know I'm inspired!

   Thinking I just may spend my evening working on a fun banner.

What caught your eye?  ~Joyce  

Free After Christmas Craft - More Gift Tags Than Ever...

It's my annual time of making gift tags - all from received

 Christmas cards.  This year I discovered a way to get even more

 tags from my cards...

Step 1 -make a circle template from a 'not-nice' area of 1 of the cards 

(in other words - from ugly card stock - often the inside page).  

I traced a small kitchen dish for my circle - or a jar lid would work.

Step 2 - place template on cards and trace and cut where ever you'll have a nice graphic in the front of your circle.  Sometimes you can get 2 or 3 tags from a card.  Don't worry about the reverse side.

(Which is how we're getting more tags this year!)

Step 3 - for tags that do not have a plain back for writing (like the

 above left one has) but perhaps has handwriting on, etc... brush a

 thin layer of decoupage medium over the back of the circle tag.

  Immediately place a 'larger-than-the-circle' piece of book or

 dictionary page or sheet music onto the circle.  Press well all over

 and place under something heavy till dry (such as a can soup).

Step 4 - some cards will lend themselves to a different shape for a tag.  

So go for it!  Again - applying a book page section to the backs of 

those that aren't plain.  

And don't forget photo cards (which yields even more tags!)  

They often have a 'greeting' end that can be trimmed off to make a

 gift tag - such as the ones below.  And you'll still have the 

family photo, etc. to keep for your bulletin board

Step 5 - after all your tags that you've applied book pages to are dry - 

trim around the tag so that the pages are the exact size as your tag.

  You now have a back that you can write on with marker, etc. that

 covers up the ugly 'before'!  

Write your 'To:' and 'From:' right over the book pages.  

What a fun assortment!

Step 6 - Punch a hole in each tag and add string, yarn or twine.

I'm loving my finished tags this year.  The book pages below are

 the 'backs' of some - all ready for writing on next year...

And just cause this was my favorite card that I received this year -

 I have yet to cut it up... Isn't it pretty?

  

Of course - you can use whatever shape for the tags you like...

 circles are just quick and easy.

Happy 'after Christmas' crafting!  ~Joyce

Linking to Talk of the Town party
& the Home Sweet Home party.

Merry Christmas 2016...

From My Love and I...

We wish you a Christmas that is Blessed and full of knowing Jesus!

  ~Joyce

A Christmas Dinner Table & A Napkin Fold...

If you build it - they will come right?  Guess we'll see...  

Table is partially set and ready for guests in a few hours...

What's great about this time of year is I can keep the centerpiece

 pretty much in tact through the season and just make minimal

 changes with each event...

My table needs to be a little bigger this time around - 

so I added some extra tea light holders.  One is stacked on vintage

 twill ribbon to help vary the heights.  I used ribbon because it was

 the only thing I could find that I already had on hand that was 
in the right scale and color.  I threw in some fresh greens too - 
cause they were just sitting there from something else so why not...

On a house tour this year - I was introduced to the 'tree' napkin fold.  

So a little research yielded a simple enough tutorial to duplicate it.
  Never mind that not all my napkins are the same fabric.  

Who wants to be all 'matchy, matchy' anyway?

Here's looking forward to a fun evening of fellowship with 

folks we've never hosted before.

And isn't that part of the joy of Christmas?  

Opening our hearts and homes to others.  

Enjoy your weekend readers.  

And if it includes friends - all the better!  ~Joyce

Ordinary Objects Become Christmas Decor...

If you follow my Etsy shop or Facebook page - this post may be a repeat.   

But wanted to show you some fun I am having taking 

ordinary finds and transforming them into Christmas decor.  

It's a delightful Thrifty Thursday idea as well.  

Sometimes my Thrifty Thursday tips are on my FB page only - so don't miss them!  

Let's begin...

Boxes of all types make great Christmas display pieces.  

Think crates, baskets, old store boxes, etc.  This one is a tackle box...

 in rusty red.  So why not?  Just add greens and other Christmas goodies...

Tackle Box available here

Horns and antlers are fun to use too.  If they're already on your wall - 

hang ornaments or wreaths from them.  

If they're loose - add them to a bowl arrangement...

These spike antlers are available here

Old baby shoes are perfect to fill with sprigs of greenery.  

You could fill adult shoes too - but somehow they don't seem as cute.  (smile)...

These baby blues are available here

Both baby and adult socks can work for Christmas.  It just depends on their 'look'.  

Here - I've used all white toddler socks and created a garland on a ladder...

These very socks & more are available here

 And houseplants aren't necessarily 'Christmas'.  

But add some twinkle lights and garland...

...or put a Christmas decor piece in their midst - and you're good to go!

Stay tuned for more 'ordinary objects' ideas in the days ahead.

What a fun time of year.  So thankful to know the One came 

to earth so long ago - for me and for you...  ~Joyce

Linking to the Home Sweet Home Linky Party

Christmas Vignettes - Winter Scarves, Boots...

It was 'thrift shop day' for me.  So I'm sharing a few of the 

simple dress rack displays I worked on.

This first one had the hat and scarf sell pretty quickly

(I had replacements to fill in)...

And here is the back side

(cause I found those candle holders and wanted to use them somewhere)...

This one had a canister left over from last week - so I added to it...

...and here's the other side of that same display 

(you can see the back of the previous book)...

This display (the tree and sled) just isn't selling.  

I think they are priced too high.  But after 4 weeks they will be 

half price (per colored tags) - so that should get 'em sold.

And here are 2 sides of another display. Side 1...

Side 2...

Thanks for  joining me today friends.  Stay warm!  ~Joyce

Christmas Home Tour 2016...

My goal for Christmas is to focus on Jesus and living for Him fully.  The rest is all superficial 'stuff' meant to bring charm to our home

 as we welcome friends,  family and perhaps even strangers.  

So without much explanation - enjoy the pictures as I give you a

brief tour through some of our home...

 

For more photos - please visit my Quilted Nest page on Facebook .

And if you're nearby - we'd love to have you drop by!  

Merry Christmas friends!  ~Joyce
Sharing on the Talk of the Town link party
and the Home Sweet Home link party

Thrifty Thursday - Free Holiday Decor...

Most seasons or holidays have a staple decorating item that 

can be obtained for free from the great outdoors. 

For Christmas?  Greens or pine cones will serve you well.  

(And if you know someone with a holly bush - yay you!) 

Today - I was in search of said greens for an upcoming 

Christmas show that I'm doing.   So I headed to a nearby wooded

 community where there are  plenty of pine trees...

I walked around till I spotted trees such as these and then canvased

 the ground nearby.  But believe it or not - this spot yielded nothing.

We've not had rain or storms (to bring down twigs)  -so was beginning 
to think my efforts would be a bust when suddenly I spied this!

I'll take it...

Walked around some more - sometimes having to look up very high

 to see where the pine trees were.  Still my efforts returned precious little...

So back home I resorted to snipping from my sorry bushes...

And added the snippings to my other gatherings...

...which included a few hydrangeas and some dried weeds.

So while my 'greens' gleanings were slim this go round - 

I think it will be enough to decorate a few tables of wares.  

And I have some faux branches that I can use as well.

And in case you're still in need of ideas for Thanksgiving - 

leaves are free!  Check out this gals lovely post for a simple idea!

Happy gathering!  ~Joyce