Do you remember a few posts back I said I hadn’t used Red as my Christmas color in forever. Actually so long I don’t remember using red at all in the main part of the house. Well I followed through with it and went with the red. I’m so excited to share with you what I came up with by searching my Christmas bins. As you all know I’m all about reusing what I have….and the only purchase I made for the dining room was the red and black buffalo check blanket for $3 and the matching bow $6 for the wreath.
I spent one day gathering up all my Christmas pillows, and throws to see what I had that worked together. From there I searched my closet for scarves to use as the table runner and the kitchen drawers for dishtowels that contained the color red to use under the dinnerware. Did you notice my dinnerware doesn’t have a Christmas theme print? I just picked what I had in red and white and made it work.
Next I went out into the yard and gave the boxwood shrubs a trim and gathered wild rosehips from our field to fill the glass spice jars I’m using for each place setting. I do have to say anything can look Christmassy with a gingham ribbon tied around it. I used a lot of red and white, and black and white checked ribbon this year to decorate with.
You know how I said I was tired of the red and white in my home? Well after decorating for Christmas using it, it made me long for it again, I sorta missed the red decor. It used to be the only colors you could find in the store to decorate with were red, green, and white but after looking around Hobby Lobby that’s not the case anymore. You can find any color you’re looking for these days and it doesn’t have to be colors that are trending either. It looks like anything goes for Christmas colors these days.
I think my favorite things I’m using throughout the house this year are the pinecones, deer antlers, buffalo check, and a few sparkly silver and gold things to give it all a little glam. My house tends to look like a hunting lodge if I don’t add a little glitter to the mix. I also did something I haven’t done since before my son was born……I broke down and purchased an artificial tree this year. If you remember past posts we always cut down a 25ft tree (our ceiling height is around 30ft) but the past two years the boys just weren’t into it and my hubby could care or less whether we have a tree or not so I made it easy on myself.
I bought a pre-lit, pre-flocked 8ft. tree. I adore a real tree but I really wanted to simplify the whole process so I gave in to a faux. I seem to be the only one around to decorate and undecorate it anymore anyway so why not make it easy? It’s a whole different thing when I had young kids in the house, but now everyone is grown and the fun of decorating a tree just isn’t there. My oldest works full time and goes to school full time plus is a fireman and EMT. He barely has time to sleep, so decorating a tree isn’t top on his to-do-list. And our youngest no longer lives in the home.
I’ll give the faux tree a go this year and see how it all turns out. If it’s not for me I can always go back to getting a real one next year, but I feel like the ease of it all is looking like a good decision. I especially like the part of it being pre-lit. No more untangling those strands of lights and trying to find that one bulb that’s keeping the whole strand from coming on.
I’ll be crawling out on the roof this week to get the wreaths up on the windows. I’ve been checking the weather forecast for a warmer day with little wind before I do this project and it looks like Wednesday is the day. So wish me luck!
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Dawn, I love your dining room decor! Every year I thing about not using red and green but just can’t seem to “do” Christmas without those two colors – they just speak Christmas to me. I hope you enjoy your faux tree this year; we went that direction a few years back and it made the decorating process much less stressful – no more arguments about the lights!
Judy
Judy, love that you don’t argue about the lights….my boys and son like colored lights and I like white so we had that argument every year. With the pre-lit tree it’s white. I guess I never thought about it when I purchased the tree, lol. I love all the different colors that’s used for Christmas these days but I was ready for a traditional tree again this year. I like that I have several choices of colors in my Christmas collection so I can change from year to year.
I love everything you did, Dawn…all the things you mentioned and so much more – I especially love how the bulbs hang below the chandelier, JOY spelled out in pictures on the wall, the tiny stars on your Christmas tree centerpiece, the mini wreaths tied with ribbon and hanging from your cupboard doors, the cute rugs on the kitchen floor. I could go on and on. What are those glittery looking things in the glasses? Lovely! I pinned so many of your photos to my Table Settings board – yours is my favorite that I’ve seen this year!!
P.S. I just read another of your articles and see that the stars are snowflakes…precious! 🙂
Jen you’re so sweet with all your kind comments. I just love it when my decorating process goes so smoothly. Everything was easy this year and didn’t stress over buying new things. Those long glittery things in the glasses that look like stirrers are ornaments (brilliant idea right?) I never seem to use things for what they’re intended for, lol. I thought they looked like stirrers so I plopped them into the glasses. Yes those tiny stars are snowflakes. I’ve had them for years and used them in different ways every year.
Your dining room looks great. My favorite thing is the garland on the chandelier. I’m sure I’ll use that idea myself in the future. You’ve done a wonderful job decorating around all of the wood that is natural to a cabin. Good job!!!
Pat yes the garland is a great way to perk up a chandy for Christmas. It’s such a quick change but it really makes it pop over the table. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Everything looks wonderful.
I never thought I would ever have a faux tree in our home – cutting a tree at the Christmas tree farm has always been a favorite tradition. But, we went faux for several reasons – we need tall and skinny in our little cottage, the pre-lit aspect is wonderful, we go on a family vacation the week of Christmas so an artificial tree is better to leave behind …
I love all your red. I have slowly toned down my primary colors with far more white, but this Christmas, I look forward to bring out all my red and white pillows and decorating pieces.
Carol, I love cutting down our own tree as a family too but times have changed and it just doesn’t work out anymore. I think I may like the ease of a faux and wonder why I didn’t do it sooner. I think I’ll get it up this week and find a spot for it. I need to rearrange the furniture and see if it works where I want it this year. I love how you’ve been changing you place with more white but I always love your pops of color along with Steve’s artwork.
Dawn everything looks beautiful! I’m doing my tree silver and red this year. Love the runner in the kitchen. Very Christmasy.
You sound like a woman like me. Doing things on my own. I’m always climbing for things in cupboards and such. But again I’m 4/11″ LOL. Please ,please be careful hanging those wreaths. Your way ahead of me decorating. I better get busy.
Lynell, silver and red together sound beautiful. I always love a little silver or gold mixed in, I think it really makes everything work together and gives it a little bling that’s just stunning. I normally get out on the roof while no one’s around and hang wreaths but this year I think my bestie is coming over so she can photography my daring stunt. LOL
Oh wow I love it Dawn!
Thank you Melissa it was so fun creating without buying new this year and I think I like it better than if I’d spent a ton of money.
Becareful out there! I grew up with the traditional colors and for the most part I still use them with gold and silver accents too. I think your dining/kitchen Christmas decor looks very cozy, love plaid! A faux tree is a good idea, being that your the one is decorating it. Well, I’m down to a tabletop tree, but big enough for all my little ornaments and lights.
Ann, from On Sutton Place has a lovely tabletop tree with her handmade ornaments.
Have a wonderful evening,
Kathleen in Az
Btw, HL is having their Fall sale, found a lonely velvet orange pumpkin just for me, finally bought one:).
Kathleen I’m so glad you found that perfect velvet pumpkin 🙂 Yes I love Ann’s place she’s a good friend and a wonderful decorator. I’m with you I love a little gold and silver mixed in to make it all look festive. I think when I was young they only had green and red ornaments, I don’t remember our tree being done in anything else.
I have been away from the blog world due to daughter’s wedding. Glad your son is much better. God works in mysterious ways. Love your christmas decor, it all looks so clean and festive. We switched years ago to a faux tree with lights and we love it. I miss the smell of a fir or pine but not the sap and needle mess. Be careful on that roof putting up the wreaths. I am too exhausted to think about the next two holidays yet. ; )
Debbie how was the wedding. I know you worked so hard on putting everything together? Did you see they now make scented sticks you put on a fake tree to make it smell real. My house always smells like a pine tree anyway with all the logs. It’s the first thing people say when they walk in, “It smells like fresh cut wood in here”. Yes God is great and we are very thankful! Now tell me all about that wedding!
Love, love the table and cannot wait to see the flocked tree Dawn….there is just something about red at Christmas….even though I do love the neutral tones, I love seeing the traditional colors of the season too. Sounds like you are coming along quite nicely in your Christmas decorating!
Shirley I haven’t done a red tree in years so I guess it’s time to haul out those ornaments and get some use out of them.
I love all this! Just now starting on even thinking about decorating and you’ve given me some great ideas!
I love your runner rug in the kitchen! Can you tell me where you bought it?
Merry Christmas!
❤️ Tracy
Tracy I found the runner at BigLots it’s actually two smaller rugs that I carpet taped together to make one runner.
Thank you! Okay, that’s creative to tape two smaller ones together! ??I’m going to keep my eyes open..
? Tracy