Making Christmas Tree Bows

Have you ever noticed that all the Christmas trees and garlands you see in shopping centres are nearly always just covered with a mass of bows and baubles?  It's a great way to 'fill' the space.  Over the years I have built up a good collection of decorations and ornaments but we have a big tree so there is still space to fill.  Time to make some bows.

To make the bows I used some wired ribbon in pale green and gold, some beading wire and some square diamante buckles.

I cut 2 pieces of ribbon and thread them through the buckle.

I thread a small piece of beading wire through the back of the buckle. To make the bow I formed a loop on each side, so they crossed over at the back.

Twist the beading wire tightly round the ribbon to hold the bow in place, then twist the ends of the wire around the branch to hold the bow on the tree.  Use the wire in the ribbon to shape the bow.

I made about 15 bows for my tree, and they just help to fill the tree.

Sharing at

A Beach Cottage,  My Romantic Home.  French Country Cottage

Censational Girl - Christmas Craft

Facebook Frustration

OK - I know it is the season to be jolly but I'm having a little trouble with facebook.

Originally I wasn't going to have a facebook page - just my little blog, but a facebook page allows you to engage with all the blogs I follow with quick likes and comments (with no word verification - another pet hate), and I thought I could share some silly things that I wouldn't necessarily write a blog post about.

The lovely Kate from Lilies for Kate gave me some advice on how to set up a facebook page, which I've done, but whilst I've used facebook privately for years, I cannot figure out the whole public facebook.  I've tried to find blogs I follow and 'like' them, and I even managed to share a beautiful photo from Beachcomber on my fb page.

From Beachcomber

I've tried to link things and add a facebook like page to my right side bar, but facebook and blogger just don't want to talk today.

Anyway, enough venting!!!!  If you are on facebook, please let me know so I can find you.  Here is a link to my facebook page - I hope it works!!!!

Merry Christmas Burlap Bunting

I finally gave in and bought 2 metres of burlap from Spotlight the other day.  I know we really call it hessian here in Australia, but I do think burlap sounds better.  I have seen so many beautiful things made from burlap on pinterest and on blogs, so I have set myself a challenge to see what I can make out of 2 metres of burlap.

Number One - Make a Merry Christmas bunting banner.

White shabby bows and silver bells.

It is hard to see the bunting properly in this light, but when I stand in my kitchen and look across at this window, it really looks lovely. 

To make the bunting,I:

Cut out the triangles for the bunting (template from Madison magazine here)

Printed the letters for Merry Christmas in Mongolian Baiti 200 point on the printer

Used an exacto knife to cut out the letters to form a stencil

Stencilled the letters onto the burlap using black fabric paint.

Sewed the bunting together using white cotton bias binding

Tied the bunting onto a tree branch

Ripped strips of white cotton and tied it to the tree branch

Attached silver Christmas tree decorations that I found in Choice

and attached the whole banner to the timber blind pelmet using fishing wire.

Now, what else can I make from burlap?

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Between Naps on the Porch

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Home Stories A to Z

Faded Charm

Freckled Laundry

The Joy of Scent

The other day I was shopping with my daughter in Witchery (as you do with a 10 year old!!!) and I bought one of those scented bamboo diffusers.

It is Lime Citron scent so it smells fresh and zesty.

The downstairs powder room has no windows so the scent has made a real difference every time you walk in there.

I love scent but so many scented candles and diffusers smell too strong.  The White Company make gorgeous scented candles.  My favourite was Winter.

If anyone from Australia has found a range of scented candles or diffusers that they really like, I would love you to tell me.  Maybe Crabtree & Evelyn?

Getting pleasure from the small things.

Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends

Paper Doily Stars

I've started decorating for Christmas, and I wanted to share these pretty paper doily stars that I found in Loot.

Last year my mother found some gorgeous vintage paper bells in a charity shop (she always finds the good stuff!), and we hung them over my sister's dining room table for Christmas last year.  They looked so beautiful.

I was looking for something similar in my house, and when I saw these stars hanging in Loot, I grabbed a couple.  They come flat and you have to fold them out and tie the bottom points together to form a star.

I've hung them around my dining room widows using some fishing wire and a clear push pin.

It's never really to early to start decorating for Christmas is it?

Sharing at
French Country Cottage
My Romantic Home

Wine Charming

With the festive season revving up, I thought I'd make some wine charms.  I hate getting wine glasses mixed up, asking "Is this my glass?" and examining lipstick marks to see who's glass is whose.  The first set I made is for champagne flutes.

I bought wine charm rings and letter beads from Overflow and simply thread the letters onto the ring.

  I spelt out the names of French champagnes.

Which is your favourite when you indulge?

Then I  made a set of charms for wine.

For this set I bought silver coloured beads from Spotlight and used some metal letters I bought years ago from BigW.  I chose the first letter of my friends names that are regular visitors here. 

I think they turned out well, but I'm in real trouble if Jus, Jules, and Jen all come over together!

This tray is my latest purchase.  I love that it's a bit wonky and rustic.  It was on sale for $16 from Perfect Living in Oxford Street, Bulimba.  It is one of the most beautiful homewares/decor shops in Brisbane and I love it every time I visit.

Now, I need to create some fridge space for Christmas drinks.

Sharing at
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Primp
A Beach Cottage

Myer Christmas Table Settings

Last Wednesday, I spent the day in Brisbane city doing some Christmas shopping.  I popped into Myer in Queen Street Mall and went up to the Nespresso Bar located within the homewares department.  I was delighted to see the visual merchandisers had set up a number of Christmas themed dining tables throughout the department and I wanted to share some photos (snapped on my phone) with you.

I just love this rustic old table, and the combination of blue and silver looks great.

I love the wreaths under the plates, although you wouldn't be able to eat with them there.

 Classic red and white with a cascade of clear baubles above.

I like the folksy Christmas tree decorations.

and the silver leaf decoration between the plates.

Snowflakes and silver bells on the backs of the chairs.

Peaceful silver and white theme.  Look how much decoration fills the table.  No room for food but it looks impressive.

Red and gold.

I thought, if Myer's tables look this great imagine what David Jones have done, but when I went to DJ's there was nothing - not one table.  Very disappointing, but well done to Myer's visual merchandisers, your table settings inspired me and got me all excited about creating my own Christmas tablescape.

Join me by the Pool?

The weather's warming up and the jasmine along the pool fence is in full bloom.

The whole fence is covered with beautifully scented jasmine.

and some slightly stinky ornamental garlic in front.

Even the agapanthus are looking good.

A small purple flower has appeared on the liriope muscari which runs around the edge of the pool.

My husband and I like to sit on the sun lounges in the late afternoon on weekends and chat while we relax with a drink.  Maybe you could join me one day.  I think it's definitely Pimms weather.

Looking forward to the summer holidays.