12 Days of Christmas Day 11 Retool a Toolbelt for Christmas

If you've been around my blog at all, you know I love old tools so I always check the tool section at my local thrift store. The other day (HALF PRICE DAY, WOOT-WOOT!) I spied this suede and leather tool belt. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but decided since it was only going to cost me $3, it would come home with me. 

It didn't take long for me to decide to cut it into 2 pieces so I could use one of the pouches for a wall hanging.

12 Days of Christmas Day 10 Dressed Up Basics

I love to take something ordinary or something that is basic and dressing it up a bit. Signs--they have been going strong for years now and while I am over signs telling me what to think and feel, I still love them for adding a little something seasonal to my decor. 

"Dressing up" is exactly what I did with these decorative snowshoes from the Target Dollar Spot. Attaching them to a painted board and adding the perfect stencil took something that was cute enough and turned it into something unique and special. There are so many simple items you can dress up and improve upon to make them yours. I will share more ideas at the end of this post.

12 Days of Christmas Day 9 Simple Front Door Wreath

I know, it has been a bit since I have posted...

 If you follow me on social media, you know that I held my first solo holiday open house. I busted to but to have plenty of items for customers and to fill the biggest space I have sold in. It was a lot of work, and was exciting, tiring, hard, and a great success. I held it in the MIL apartment we are just about finished with. Eventually I will move to our carriage house--just need some heat out there. Here are a few phone pics from the open house.

Friends and my family, especially hubby all encouraged and helped me--I could not have done it without them. It did mean my 12 Days of Christmas Ideas posts had to hit the backburner. So, I will be finishing up the easy, simple, Christmas ideas this week (as I finish decorating my own home.) Today, I made some simple wreaths with items I had on hand.

12 Days of Christmas Day 8 Simple Advent Centerpiece

I have always loved the idea of recognizing and practicing Advent. Advent is a time to slow down, prepare, and wait. It is a time to remember peace and to reflect and it is often marked by the lighting of four candles on the four Sundays before Christmas. I wanted to make an advent candle centerpiece. I wanted something simple, elegant, natural. Some thrift store finds helped me create a unique, topiary style advent centerpiece. I have lots of ideas how you could change this to fit your decor and style.

12 Days of Christmas Day 7 Felt Forest

Decorating for Christmas is happening slowly around here. I like adding bits and pieces, new items and treasured favorites. Adding a bit of Christmas cheer to the windowsills in my sunroom was on the agenda today.

These felt trees have been around for a few years. I decide to try to make some and give them my own twist by cutting different shaped trees and grouping them together in a felt forest.