Quick facts about me so you know why things are a bit bare bones around our place. We've lived in various places across Europe, but are currently in Texas spending time with family before we relocate to England in February. We packed up all our stuff in Vienna, Austria in August and put it all in storage. We only brought the basics with us and are staying in a home owned by a church.
I was excited to see the beautiful and unique mantel in this house. It's not what you would normally think of as a mantel, but I looked forward to hanging stockings on it anyway.
We didn't want to have to buy a bunch of Christmas stuff, but I am all about Christmas and I knew I wanted and needed to do some things to bring on the holiday cheer!
We were fortunate to have some friends lend us a ton of lights as well as a 7.5 foot tree, which I'll share later.
Last year I began transitioning our tree to a more natural theme of burlap and linen. I came back to the US with the desire to find some stockings to go with the new theme. However, I was shocked at what stockings go for these days. I just can't bring myself to pay that for 5 stockings! So I was happy when I came across a no sew tutorial. I added my own embellishments of jingle bells, tulle and I spray painted a wooden initial for each. I was SO pleased with how they turned out.
I haven't had a very big nativity in the past. Just hadn't found the right one. I've been eying the Willow Tree nativity and was about ready to purchase it when I came across this much cheaper, but similar version at Kohls. I love it!
The mantel is probably lacking a bit of greenery or other types of embellishments to disguise the lights a bit......
.....the stockings are draped and not hung in any fancy way.
Instead of calling it bare, I'll just use the word raw. Sounds so much better, doesn't it?! Ha!
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my little temporary home and Christmas decor. I look forward to seeing others to get lots of inspiration for next year when we are settled in our new English home!!
Beautiful mantel. We don't have one, so I used the window sill. I wish I could take a picture and show you. We didn't set up my nativity this year because the kids are so naughty, but we have a little cloth one. They can't break that one!
ReplyDeleteYour stockings look so great! I really like your nativity. We don't have one yet either ...
ReplyDeleteWe use the edge of a bookshelf since we don't have a mantel. It works! and I kinda like how it disguises the shelf a bit.
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