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This year presented the opportunity to decorate a second tree in our home – something I’ve dreamed of doing for awhile. I realized, however, that it would need a tree skirt. Rather than run out and buy one I thought I would try my hand at a diy Christmas tree skirt made out of materials I already had in my stash.

The process is quite straightforward and your tree skirt can be as plain or fancy as you’d like. Mine is made from vintage linen purchased from a church rummage sale ($3 for a whole box of fabric!) as well as scraps of lace trim from my childhood. The larger lace was the trim to my beloved bed sheet which eventually got a big hole in it. I trimmed the lace off the edges and saved it for probably 15 years, awaiting a future project such as this. The smaller lace was a stash leftover from when my mom used to sew dresses for my dolls. All of these materials combined make it a very special tree skirt for me.

How to Make a DIY Christmas Tree Skirt

Supplies Needed for a DIY Christmas Tree Skirt

Fabric for the top
Amount varies based on desired size. (About 48 inches in diameter is a common medium sized skirt but you should measure and do what works for your space – see directions for how to measure.)

Quilt batting
Or other heavier fabric for the middle layer of the skirt – same amount as top fabric.

Bottom backing fabric
Just a neutral (or not) fabric for the bottom layer. Same amount needed as the other two fabrics.
Could pick something fun for a reversible tree skirt!

Trim, if desired
Lace, ruffles, rick rack, or other embellishments

Fabric scissors

Sewing pins

Measuring tape or yardstick

Sewing machine

Coordinating thread

Directions for a DIY Christmas Tree Skirt

Step 1: Measure for your tree skirt.
Decide what diameter your tree skirt should be and write this number down.
Decide what diameter the center hole should be (for the trunk) and write that number down.
Tree skirts vary greatly in size and depend on the size of the tree and the needs of your space. I made mine on the small side because the cabinet is right next to the tree, but generally a skirt should extend a few inches beyond the bottom set of branches.

Step 2: Prepare the top fabric
(Always iron your fabric first.)
Fold the fabric in quarters (half, then half again).
Find the center fold and mark with a pin.
Measure out from that point the radius (half the diameter) of your tree skirt + 1/2 inch for seam allowance.
Mark that point with a pin.
Continue measuring and marking from one side to the other in an arc shape, always measuring from the center fold.

Step 3: Cut the top fabric.
Cut along your arc shaped pin line from one side to another.
If you feel more comfortable drawing this out with fabric pencil first, do that.

Step 4: Measure and cut the center (trunk) hole.
Repeat steps 2 and 3, but this time for the center (trunk) hole.
This measurement will the be radius (half the diameter) of the center hole measurement you took earlier.

Step 5: Cut the side opening
Unfold your fabric – you should now have a nice circle with a circular center opening.

Cut up one side, just to the center hole, so that you have a slit to get the skirt around the tree.

Step 6: Cut identical pieces from the other fabrics.
Use the top fabric as a pattern to cut identical pieces from both the quilt batting and the bottom backing fabric.

Step 7: Sandwich the layers.
With right sides facing, place the top and bottom layers together. Place the quilt batting layer on top of the top layer.
Place any edge trim you are using in between the top layers. Be sure any ruffles are pointing inward.
Pin in place all around the edge, with 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Step 8: Sew around the edge.
Using a straight stitch on your machine, sew all the way around the edge of the skirt and up one slit. Leave the other side of the slit open for turning.

Step 9: Close up the skirt.
Turn the skirt right side out through the side slit opening. The top fabric and bottom fabric will be separated and the quilt batting will end up sandwiched in the middle.
Tuck under the edges of the side slit opening and sew it shut as close to the edge as possible.

Step 10: Finishing the skirt
Sew on any finishing embellishments such as this extra lace edging. I overlapped it with the larger lace and secured it with a simple straight stitch.

All done! Now wrap it around the base of your tree and enjoy!

I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you enjoy making your own DIY Christmas tree skirt this season!

Blessings,
Melissa

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This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

This is how our entryway looked when we bought our house. Well, okay, not a mess like this – I snagged this picture very quickly one evening before we decided to bust out those wooden screens. It was kind of sporadic and funny actually…

My husband and I had been married a little over a year, I was pregnant with our first child, and we were decorating our Christmas tree in the adjacent living room. We had owned the house for about 1.5 years, having purchased it right before getting married. Neither of us cared much for the screens but we were both working full time and didn’t want to do anything too hasty by ripping things out. But suddenly that December afternoon we decided it would be a great idea then and there to take out those screens. My husband grabbed the sledge hammer and went at it!

This is how our living room originally looked, by the way. That is, after my husband installed the recessed lighting – it used to be much darker in there.

We busted out the screens and it already felt so much better – much more open and light. The wood from the screens ended up being many a garden stake, paint stirring stick, kindling, and more.

The slate floor was in not-so-great condition. It was chipped in some spots and the grout was crumbling in many spots with several large holes. It wasn’t particularly our cup of tea anyway so we had no desire to repair it. Rather, we eventually replaced it a year later with hardwood.

We waited to replace the floor until we did our kitchen renovation, then had the kitchen, living room, and entryway floors all refinished at the same time to match. Additionally, we replaced the baseboards and ceiling fixture and painted the walls.

At this stage we had been living here about 3 years. Projects take time, especially when you have young children, are on a budget, or actually have other things going on in your life besides home remodeling. It stayed this way for several years:

I eventually replaced the small cabinet with a longer table, ditched the coat tree, added an appropriately sized rug for the space, and dressed it up a bit. The wall was still very plain and lacking the character for which I hoped, but it seemed much brighter and fresher.

Dressing the space up for the changing seasons and holidays became a bit more fun, and the “mirror garland” was a new idea with which I enjoyed experimenting. I did my best to work with what I had.

I was still holding out hope that one day we would add an accent wall, but my husband wasn’t completely sold on the idea. At the time of the picture below we had been living here about 7 years.

Finally, for my birthday last Summer, I specifically asked for an accent wall as my gift. My husband and kids surprised me with a little note that stated I would be getting it. Now just to carve out time…

Fast forward to October. My husband had a week off work and lovingly spent several days crafting my long-dreamed-of accent wall. One last photo before the fun begins…

If you’re a details and specs type of person, here are the specs of what he did, as described to me:

• Since we have textured walls, he used 1/8″ thick masonite (hardboard) as the base so it would be smooth. If you don’t have textured walls you could probably skip that bit.
• The vertical slats are “mull casing” from Menards – 3/8″ thick x 2″ wide
• The board on top is a 1″ x 4″ that has been planed to 1/2″ thick (to match the thickness of the masonite + the mull casing), and had a rabbet cut out of it to fit over the mull casing.
• The pegs were [I believe] wooden Shaker pegs about 3.5″ long, ready made from Menards. Holes for the pegs were formed with a drill press.
• The bottom board is a 1″ x 6″ planed down to 3/8″ thickness to match up with the mull casing strips.

The panelling was then painted in Benjamin Moore “Van Courtland Blue” (HC-145). The girls and I went and browsed the historic color line from Benjamin Moore one morning and I picked up a sample of the one I felt was most promising (this one!) and I fell in love! (Poor lighting in this photo – you’ll get a more accurate color depiction in a moment).

Then it was wallpaper time! I opted for peel and stick so I wouldn’t have to mess with water and paste and all that. I found this one a number of months ago and bought it in anticipation of this project. It was more brown on cream than I had thought from the website photos (which definitely looked more gray on white), but I decided to go with it anyway and I think it really works.

Accents were added, like vintage crocks from my mom filled with dried bunny tail grass, a vintage quilt, and a stuffed pumpkin…

…this thrifted lamp with a thrifted pleated shade that I re-covered using a thrifted sheet (sense a theme here?), a flow blue plate hung from a velvet ribbon…

…an ironstone basin full of little pumpkins and preserved moss…

…Fall hydrangeas dried on the bush in our backyard and placed into an antique ice cream bucket…

…and a thrifted print that I trimmed down to size and taped into a foamboard frame that I’ve had for years.

I love it so much and I’d like to thank my husband for taking the time to do this for me (he really likes it, by the way!). I think it adds so much character and charm to our home and that we will enjoy it for years to come!

You can find the sources for this space (what few there are since most things are thrifted!) linked below. Thanks so much for reading!

Blessings,
Melissa

Sources:

Wall Color: Benjamin Moore “Van Courtland Blue, HC-145”
Wallpaper linked here
Entryway table linked here
Entryway rug linked here (Use code HYMNSANDHOME for additional savings)
Moravian Star Ceiling Fixture linked here

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

As with any project, please use your own common sense and discretion. This tutorial is meant to offer helpful suggestions, but it is up to the reader to weigh any risk associated with this project.

What do I use to hang vintage dishes?

I’m glad you asked! I know some people use those adhesive disks which are supposed to be invisible (the kind where you wet the back and stick it to the back of the plate). I’ve never personally tried those, but they make me soooo nervous and I’ve heard too many stories of plates falling off of walls and shattering.

My favorite hanger, by far, is the Tripar wire plate hanger which securely grasps onto the plate and comes with a nail and picture hanging hook specifically for the plate hanger. They come in both white and brass – I like to use the white ones.

You will need to measure your dish before purchasing a plate hanger! They come in several size ranges – just check the measurement specification on the package for appropriate plate size. If you’re on the edge of a different size, go for tighter rather than looser. You never want the plate hanger to be loose on the plate. Also note the maximum weight each size of hanger can hold.

Important Note About Plate Hangers

Be sure to use plate hangers that are coated, not bare ware hangers. The coating is a rubbery material designed to prevent scratches on your plates as well as aid in gripping the plate securely. The hangers I’ve linked in this tutorial are coated. Bare wire hangers may scratch up your plates. When placing the plate hanger on the plate, carefully put the hooks in place and try not to scoot it around too much on the plate. Be sure to use the proper size hanger for your plate – too loose and it won’t securely hold the plate – extremely tight will either break your hanger or put unnecessary pressure on your plate.

A note on removing stickers from plates

If you have a stubborn thrift store sticker stuck on your plate, a short soak in some warm soapy water will do the trick. I use a gentle rubber scraper to scraper off the soapy sticker and it comes right off. I’ve heard lemon essential oil works well too but have not personally tried it.

How to hang vintage plates

1. Gather all vintage dishes and lay them out on some paper – I use scrap paper or newspaper.
2. Trace around each plate with a felt tip pen to create an outline.
3. Cut out all the plate shapes from the paper.

4. Arrange the plates on the floor or a table in the shape you want them on the wall. This gives a good visual for how they will look all lined up.

5. Use masking tape to hang all the newspaper outlines on the wall, measuring with a tape measure (or sometimes I just use the width of my hand) to get the spacing right. Once all the outlines are up there step back to double check that it looks correct.
6. Next attach the wire plate hangers to the plates: just hook the top two feet onto the top of the plate, stretch the springs down around the back and hook the bottom two feet onto the bottom of the plate. If the feet aren’t sitting quite right you can take the hanger off and bend the wire feet carefully with pliers.

7. Use a tape measure to measure the distance between the top of my plate and the “V” shape of the wire hanger meant for hanging on the nail and hook. Remember this number.

8. Working with the paper template on the wall, find the center of the plate template, then measure down from the top the same measurement that you got in the previous step. This is where your nail will go. Put a dot or x there with a dark pen.
9. Hammer the picture hanger and nail into the wall on the black dot, going right through the newspaper. Once your hook is in you can tear off the newspaper and you’re left with a perfectly placed hook!

10. You can test your plate on your new hanger, but if you have multiple plates to do on the same wall I recommend not hanging the plates until all the hammering is done! Don’t want any accidents!

Do you love vintage plates too? Tell me below in the comments how you like to display them! I hope you found this little tutorial helpful and thanks so much for reading!

Blessings,
Melissa

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

Supplies Needed to Make a Moss Topiary

TERRA COTTA POT(S)
WHITE CHALK PAINT
PAINTBRUSH
AGEING WAX (OPT.)
WAX BRUSH (OPT.)
FLORAL FOAM BALL
HOT GLUE GUN & REFILLS
PRESERVED MOSS
FLORAL FOAM DISC
STICK(S): FORAGED
SPANISH MOSS
RIBBON (OPT.) SIMILAR or this

How to Make a Moss Topiary

1. Water down the chalk paint to make a whitewash.

2. Working in small sections, paint the whitewash onto the terra cotta pot.

3. Using a lightly damp rag or paper towel, gently buff the wet paint until desired level of paint remains and desired look is achieved. I like terra cotta still showing through on mine.

4. Lightly stipple random spots of aging wax onto the pots, buffing any harsh spots with a towel or paper towel.

5. Hot glue moss all over the styrofoam floral ball/sphere.

Be sure to cover the entire thing – and watch those fingers!

6. Trim and shape the moss ball as desired.

7. Break foraged sticks to length, then stick the stick into the moss ball. You may want to secure with a drop of hot glue in the hole.

8. Place the foam disc into the bottom of the pot.

9. Stick the stick into the foam disc inside the pot. Again, you may wish to secure with a little hot glue.

10. Fill the pot with filler of your choice. I used Spanish moss.

11. Either leave plain or finish off with a pretty bow.

All finished – enjoy your new moss topiary!

Thanks so much for reading, and I’d love to hear if you try this project!

Blessings,
Melissa

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

Want more Spring projects? Check out some of these!

• 
  How to Make a Moss Topiary – Easy Spring DIY
  This sweet moss topiary in an aged pot is the perfect touch to your Springtime decor! It’s quick and easy – let me show you how to make it!
• 
  How to Make an Easy Wreath With Fresh Flowers and Greenery
  Want a simple but lovely wreath? Try this easy wreath project! Fresh roses and eucalyptus work beautifully together and will dry nicely for continued use. Perfect for Springtime, Valentine’s Day, or any time you want to add a fresh pop of color to your space.
• 
  How to Make a Wildflower Wreath for Spring and Summer
  Learn how to make a lovely, delicate wildflower wreath that will transition easily from Spring into Summer!
• 
  Easter Printable and Phone Wallpaper
  A sweet Easter printable and phone wallpaper with a joyful message!
• 
  Spring Table Inspiration: In the Garden with Peter Rabbit
  Inspiration for a garden themed Spring tablescape with a nod to Peter Rabbit
• 
  How to Make a Spring Mirror Garland
  A quick and easy tutorial on how to make a lovely Spring garland for your mirror! A list of resources is provided if you’d like to recreate the look.
• 
  Vintage Lace No-Sew Bunny Garland
  These sweet little no-sew bunnies are a quick, easy project and make a great garland or basket filler for Spring!

This wreath really couldn’t be easier! I’ve always loved fresh flowers – especially from Trader Joe’s who always has a good selection and reasonable prices! I was particularly inspired by an Instagram friend who turned them into a fresh wreath.

I headed to Trader Joe’s and found these mini roses which immediately captured my heart, along with plenty of seeded eucalyptus. Then I went home and dug around in my basement for a grapevine wreath to repurpose and got to work. It only took about 15 minutes!

How to Make the Easy Wreath:

It couldn’t be simpler – just cut your stems so that there are only a few inches remaining, then stick them directly into your grapevine wreath form! That easy! I kept my foliage and flowers toward the bottom but you can certainly do any configuration you like!

A Note on Drying

If you’d like to continue using your wreath you’ll want to lay it flat to dry. This will prevent your roses from all pointing their little heads forever downward.

Once you see your flowers start to droop (probably after a day or so), simply lay the wreath flat, adjust your flower heads so that they point in varying directions, and let it dry. Once it’s completely dry you can hang it back up.

My wreath is hanging in-between the double windows in my kitchen. It adds a delightful pop of freshness and color to the space!

I hope you give this a try and that you love it as much as I do!

Blessings,
Melissa

Want more wreath ideas?
Check out this wildflower wreath or this easy lemon wreath!

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Most nut butters you find in stores these days contain some sort of additive – salt, sugar or corn syrup, oils or shortenings, even flavor additives. Those really aren’t something we want to be feeding to the birds (or ourselves for that matter, but that’s for another day!).

Let’s make some natural bird feeders that we can feel good about feeding to our local wildlife!

These bird feeders are featured in my Cozy Winter Home video!

Ingredients Needed to Make Natural Bird Feeders

Pine Cones

The best option would be to collect these from nature – from someone’s yard (with permission of course!), the woods, etc. You can buy some from the store if you are sure they haven’t been treated with any sort of preservative, fragrance, or decor.

Natural Unbleached Cotton Kitchen Twine

Since this cotton kitchen twine is biodegradable, it’s a good option for hanging outside.

Plain Peanuts

You’ll want to choose peanuts that are unsalted and contain no other flavorings or additives. How many peanuts you need will depend on how many feeders you want to make. I used one 16oz container for about 12-13 medium pine cones. Half the peanuts will be processed into peanut butter and the other half will be crushed and added to the feed mixture.

You can certainly use 100% natural store-bought peanut butter (or other nut butter) if you would like.

Dried Fruit

I used raisins since that’s what we had available and they are typically a more economical option. Dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries, and currants are also great options. Just be sure it has no sugar added.

Seeds

Sunflower seeds are a good, readily available option. You’ll want to choose hulled (shells removed) and unsalted.

How to Make Natural Bird Feeders

Create a hanger for your pine cone.

Tie a length of twine around the top of each pine cone, under a row or two of scales to make sure it doesn’t slip off. You can tie the twine in a bow at the top to make it even prettier!

Create homemade peanut butter.

Add half the peanuts to a food processor and process until creamy. Transfer to a bowl. This only takes a few minutes and no other ingredients are necessary!

You don’t need to worry about separation of oil happening since you’ll be using this right away. Again, if you’d rather use store-bought 100% natural peanut or other nut butter, that’s fine, but this is so easy to do!

Chop the remaining peanuts.

Add the rest of the peanuts to the now empty food processor and give it a few pulses to break them up a bit. This can also be done with a knife. Add them to a bowl or large plate.

Create your mix.

Mix the dried fruit and seeds into the chopped peanuts in a large bowl or on a large plate.

Assemble the feeders.

Spread each pine cone with the homemade peanut butter. Dip the coated pine cone in the feed mixture and press firmly to make sure the pieces adhere.

Hang the feeders.

Hang your feeders in a tree or somewhere up off the ground that you think the birds would enjoy them! It’s fun if you can hang them near a window so you can watch them enjoy the treats you’ve created!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial! I’d love to know if this is something you’ve done before or plan to do – drop me a comment below!

Blessings,
Melissa

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

My 5-year-old son wanted to help make this pillow and I thought it would be a great introductory sewing project for him. We worked together to pin, sew, and stuff this Christmas tree pillow, and it was a fun Christmas bonding activity!

How to sew a simple Christmas Tree Pillow

Supplies

• Fabric (amount depends on size of your pillow) – I used a thrifted bed sheet!
• Contrasting fabric for the back (optional – can make the back the same as the front if desired)
• Pencil or fabric marking pencil
• Sewing scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine (can sew by hand if desired but will take far longer)
• Coordinating thread
• Stuffing (fiber fill, etc)
• Needle and thread for hand stitching

Directions

1. Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. This is the least fun part, but trust me, it makes your end product look much better.

2. Fold your fabric in half, right sides together. (I took this photo after the fact, which is why this fabric is so wrinkly looking – the fabric I used for my pillows had been ironed – promise!)

3. Use a pencil to draw half a Christmas tree coming out from the fold. Remember in school when you’d cut out a heart shape – you’d fold the paper in half, then cut half a heart so that when you opened it up it made a whole heart? Yep, same thing here except a Christmas tree! Make the tree whatever size you’d like.

4. Cut out your shape, keeping the fabric folded in half as you do so. You’ll end up with this:

5. Open up your tree and lay it on top of the backing fabric, keeping right sides together.

6. Cut out the backing fabric to match the front fabric.

7. Pin your pieces together in preparation for sewing. Do not pin the bottom – this will be left open for turning and stuffing.

8. Sew all along the sides, about 1/2 inch in from the edge, leaving the very bottom of the tree open.

9. Turn the tree right side out through the opening at the bottom.

10. Stuff with filling to desired firmness/fluffiness. A wooden skewer or dowel rod can be helpful in pushing the stuffing into those tricky corners.

11. Hand stitch the bottom of the tree closed, turning the edges inward to create a clean edge. I used a simple straight stitch (not a whip stitch).

All done!

I hope you enjoyed this simple Christmas sewing project! You can add embellishments to your Christmas tree pillow if you desire. The dollar store had some cute Pom Pom trim that I thought about adding to another pillow, either all around the edges or tacking onto the front as a zigzag garland. Buttons as ornaments would be another really cute addition. I opted for plain trees right now as I have a baby who would love to pull all those decorations off. I also just like the simplicity!

Thanks for reading!

Blessings,
Melissa

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1. Buy your fresh Christmas wreath from a store that has handled it properly.

Any store that sells fresh Christmas wreaths should have them in a cool location, either outside or in a cool indoor spot. Don’t buy one that’s been hanging indoors next to a heating vent where it has most likely been drying out. Check your wreath before purchasing. It should feel flexible and fresh, not at all brittle or crispy, and should smell pleasant and fresh.

I have purchased fresh wreaths from both Trader Joe’s and Costco with good success. The one pictured here is from Trader Joe’s.

2. Immediately soak it in the tub.

As soon as you get your fresh Christmas wreath home from the store, place it in the bathtub (or large container) and fill with enough cold water that the greenery is covered. Be sure to use cold water, not warm! Soak for at least a few hours, or up to 24 hours for maximum effect. Drip dry before hanging.

3. Continued care for your fresh Christmas wreath

To keep your wreath looking its best, mist the back of the wreath with cool water every 2 days or so using a spray bottle.

Decorating a Fresh Christmas Wreath

A fresh Christmas wreath is lovely just as it is, but if you’re looking to dress it up even more, consider wiring in some of the following elements:

• Pinecones
• Dried citrus (oranges, lemons, limes)
• Cinnamon sticks, bundled
• Feathers
• Star anise pods
• Berries such as cranberries or juniper berries
• Velvet or satin ribbon
• Brass bells

I hope you get the opportunity to experience a fresh Christmas wreath this year! The beauty, elegance, and fresh aroma cannot be beat!

Want more Christmas and Winter inspiration? Check out my seasonal page here!

Blessings,
Melissa

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Each candle represents a different theme of Advent: Hope (purple), Love (purple), Joy (pink) on Gaudete Sunday, and Peace (purple). Sometimes blue is used instead of purple. The center white candle is lit on Christmas and during the Christmas season thereafter until Epiphany. I’m sure each tradition and denomination has its own variations, so just know that I’m speaking generally here from a Western Christian perspective.

Traditionally an Advent wreath is simply a wreath with candle holders in it. However there are many creative and inexpensive ways to make your own Advent wreath (commercial ones can be quite pricey!). Here are 5 simple ways to make your own lovely Advent wreath.

As with any project I share, please use your best judgment and proceed at your own discretion.
Never leave candles unattended and do not burn them all the way down to where the flame could come in contact with decor.

Advent Wreath #1: In a Bowl

For this wreath I found the biggest ironstone bowl I had. I cut pieces of floral foam to fit in the bottom of the bowl and scraped out circles with a butter knife to hold the candles where I wanted them. Then I filled in with Spanish moss, foraged pine cones, and dried oranges.

I love all the color and texture!

Create your own!

Advent Wreath #2: Wintry Neutral

This is actually the wreath I used for my family last year. The base is a vintage mirror I painted white – I love the pretty edge details and the way the mirror reflects the candlelight. The candles are being held by a metal candle holder ring I found in the Target dollar spot a few years ago. I disassembled a small glittery wreath my mom was getting rid of and tucked the pieces around the perimeter of the mirror.

For this particular wreath I used all white candles with a pillar candle in the center. I only had 2 of each height of taper, so just pretend they’re all the same height…although it does add a little extra interest I suppose.

Wreath #3: Traditional

This wreath is the most traditional of the bunch. Into an existing wreath I tucked little baby food jars full of sugar to hold the candles and a small ironstone bowl in the center to hold the pillar candle. If you want this wreath to be easily transportable, place it on top of a piece of wood or other sturdy tray.

Wreath #4: Wood Block

This one was probably the most fun to make. I got to use my husband’s drill press for it! This little chunk of wood is from our beloved backyard tree which we had to take down several years ago. I used calipers to measure the diameter of the candles, then drilled evenly spaced holes down the center of the wood.

I had to make the holes slightly larger than the candles, so I took little bits of my kids’ play dough and put it in each hole to help stick the candle in place. It worked great. You could just as easily use stick tack or a similar substance. A few sprigs of fresh greenery, pinecones, and dried oranges give it some added interest. Personally I think just the wood block by itself could look really cool in a minimalist sort of way too.

Wreath #5: Outside the Wreath (Box)

A rustic wooden box, like this one I got from Vintage Market Days, makes a neat cottage style Advent wreath.

I filled it with faux stems from the Target dollar spot (this year, 2022), cinnamon sticks, and pinecones. The baby food jars full of sugar are holding the candles in place, and dried Spanish moss is filling in the gaps and looking rustically lovely.

I hope this gave you some inspiration to create an Advent wreath of your own this year! I’d love to hear about your Advent traditions – drop me a comment below!

Blessings,
Melissa

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Please click here for more details. I truly appreciate your support!

1. Warms and whites are a beautiful combination.

Choose a warm and inviting tablecloth as your base like this one I recently got from Target! We’ve already used it so many times. I love it because it’s just so classic.

Adding in simple but elegant white plates, chargers, and napkins leaves room for the natural elements to make the impression. Into the napkins I tucked Fall floral picks of Autumn leaves, dried fruits, and pinecones.

(The chargers were from Hobby Lobby a few years ago, the plates thrifted but originally from Target, and the napkins also from Target a few years back.)

Get the Look

2. Warm and weighty metals will help anchor your Fall tablescape.

Try using brass candlesticks or gold silverware to add weight and warmth to your Fall table, or try something like a brass pumpkin centerpiece! I found these candlesticks at the thrift store last year and paired them with simple white candles to bring elegance and ambience to the table.

3. Seasonal floral arrangements are a classic and natural centerpiece for any table.

Put them in a vintage crock, an antique kettle, a big jar, or milk glass vase – the possibilities are endless! A well chosen arrangement will naturally pull the colors of Fall onto your table.

Remember to mix textures, colors, and bloom sizes in order to create depth and interest! Here I mixed hydrangeas (beginning to turn their Fall hues), eucalyptus, Fall berries, and some Fall wheat-like stems that I picked up from Trader Joe’s (sorry I don’t know the name of them).

4. Create depth in your Fall tablescape with layering.

Winding out from the center crock, I scattered mini pumpkins in white and orange layered atop a Fall garland of berries, acorns, and mini pinecones. Into that I tucked springs of fresh eucalyptus. Finally I placed a few larger pinecones around the table.

Mini pumpkins are the perfect size for getting creative, so prop them, stack them, and line them up!

5. Safety first

Whenever dealing with florals and fire, be sure to remember three things:

1. Check to see if a plant is poisonous before tucking it into someone’s napkin. The oil from eucalyptus, for example, can be dangerous if ingested, so don’t use that on a napkin and don’t place it where it could fall Into someone’s drink. Many flowers and plants you’d find in your garden are toxic, so do your research!
2. Always be sure to keep your candles far enough away from your floral arrangements and stable on the table!
3. Wash pumpkins and any natural items you plan to put on your table. You don’t know what they’ve been in contact with and at the very least they’re probably dirty.

I hope this has inspired you to create a natural Fall tablescape of your own this season! Tablescapes don’t have to be over the top to be lovely. I prefer to create tables that anyone can replicate with moderately low budget, time, and expertise.

It’s all about working with what’s available to you, enjoying the creative process, and not stressing over it. Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends!

Thanks so much for reading – feel free to say hi in the comments below!

Blessings,
Melissa

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