Monday, February 16, 2015

Simple Ornament to Year Round Display

Guys, we are hardcore into this getting-ready-for-market thing over here. The storage unit is rented and more or less filled, the new linoleum is down in the bathrooms, and the new carpet is in (squeeeeee!) People, we have pulled back out the baby gates. That's right, we are doing whatever it takes to keep little kiddos with crumbs and exuberant puppies well away from the deliciously soft and fluffy goodness carpeting our bedrooms and hallway.

And moooooost of the painting is done. By which I mean we still have to paint the ceilings (how do ceilings get dirty?) and do some touch ups here and there. And we are right smack in the middle of painting all the kitchen cabinets white and ohmygoodnessIlovethem! Why didn't we do it years ago? SO. A bit slow here on the blog. But crazy, overwhelming, Ijustwantanap busy behind the scenes.

But I managed to break away to slip in a post here. A few weeks ago I became aware of the imaginative world of Patience Brewster. Patience Brewster is a one-artist company featuring the whimsical renderings of Patience in the format of stationary, home goods, art, accessories, and Christmas ornaments. I'm dying a little over this gorgeous Zelda Zebra ornament and think she would look great in my craft room (when it happens).


Like Zelda, many of her pieces are versatile enough to be displayed year round, and I thought I would share with you one of my favorite Christmas ornaments that stays out all year.

I collect Willow Tree figures, and I have a number of them displayed on a shelf in my living room. Several years ago Nick's grandmother Gail gifted me with this beautiful Heart of Gold ornament, and it's very special to me.


I normally have it hanging on the wall above the shelf displaying my collection of figurines, but this year I decided to up my game on the display to tie it in with Valentine's day. This was a super simple project. I grabbed a two pack of 6x8 burlap canvases from Walmart for under $4 and wrapped one around the top with narrow satin ribbon in red. I crossed the ribbon through the elastic string on the ornament and tied it in a bow, then wrapped a bit more ribbon around the center of the bow to finish it off. Then I just hung it up!



This is easy to change the ribbon on to keep the display fresh for the current season, and the neutral colors and the gold of the heart will play just as well with springy blues and greens as it does with the red. And if I decide to use the canvas for something else, it couldn't be easier to take apart!


I am not affiliated with Patience Brewster, was not compensated for mentioning or linking to her products, and there are no affiliate links in this post.