How can you not LOVE decorating for the holidays? It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Much to my husband's dismay, I start listening to Christmas songs the beginning of November, and try my hardest to get our tree up then as well. I compromise and wait until the end of November to deck the halls, but if I were a bachelorette, I would probably be one of those crazies who keeps her tree up all year. Yup, that's me :)
Back to my holiday decor...
I am a firm believer of decorating within the parameters of your style. If you live in a modern, minimalistic home, then frou frou red and gold frillies and ornate velvet stockings might not work. I like holiday decor that jives with my home's identity (although I'm still not quite sure what it is), and transitions well into New Years too. I've got a lot of gold, silver, and muted bluey green tones, so that is what I stick with for the holidays.
This year, I had a very late revelation that I NEEDED a tassel garland. Thank you Andrea (of Andrea + Chris + Our Chaos) for single handedly almost ruining Christmas for me ( I kid, I kid!). I decided that if I didn't have a tassel garland too, that I would become a very grumpy Grinch.
Andrea ordered hers from The Flair Exchange and I am in lurve with the seaside garland. I want, I want. I've seen these tassel garlands around for a while, but for some reason it just didn't click with me until the holidays that I really needed one. Unfortunately, I leave in 6 days for the in-laws, and I doubt my "flair" would arrive in time for me to enjoy it.
I found quite a few tutorials online that explain the process. It doesn't look difficult, but it does look time consuming. Considering I just placed some of my hair follicles in a petri dish to try and see if I could grow myself a clone, time is not something I have a plenty. And, I couldn't find any good coloured tissue paper or mylar to work with, so I scrapped that idea. What to do, what to do?
Make an easy, quicker version, I guess?
Although all of the required supplies are available at the dollar store, I found some cheap glittery garland from Canadian tire for $2 a piece. I bought 2 of them, and then later saw the same ones at the dollar store for $1.25 each. Just so you know..
Only two other supplies were used for this DIY. A rope and floral tape (both on hand but originally purchased from the dollar store and readily available anywhere). I cut the garland (I used two different shades of gold) to lengths that I liked once folded in half, wrapped around the rope, and used floral tape to wrap around to keep it put. To be honest, I didn't have much hope for how it would turn out; I also didn't have much to lose.
Low and behold, it worked! Cha ching! No no, it's no tassel garland, but for a quick and cheap DIY, it does the trick. It's so sparkly and blingy, and makes me want to host a NYE party. No, not really.
It dresses up my favourite piece of furniture as well, a danish modern sideboard I refinished a few years back.
I am still going to order the Seaside garland because it's just perfect for my house!
Have you ever bought or made a tassel garland? Do you keep it up all year? Because I'm pretty sure I would.