#burlap Archives - Slave to DIY

Mashup Monday: Classic Christmas Mantels That Will Be In Style Every Year

Posted on September 23, 2020November 5, 2020 by admin

“Ok, Campers! Rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties cause it’s COLD out there!” Phil Connors from Groundhog Day. So, no it’s not cold yet, but I am so in the mood to completely skip all of the other festivities and head straight to Christmas. It is HANDS DOWN my favorite time of year and I’m always on the lookout for better ways to make my house warm, beautiful, and wonderful for my family.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

For those of you wondering how to decorate your fireplace for Christmas this year: I compiled some of my favorite Christmas Fireplace Mantels from last year that hopefully will give you some inspiration!

I’m going to start with our Christmas mantel this year, which I whipped together the day after Halloween like a crazy person. I didn’t realize how many changes we’ve made in this room since last year (and I’m loving it dressed in Christmas)!

Mashup Monday: Classic Christmas Mantels That Will Be In Style Every Year. From @callsigndesign on Instagram and @slavetodiy on Pinterest.

If you’d like to duplicate our mantel:

We combined a standard lighted fir garland with Willow and Silver Dollar Eucalyptus Garland (we have two strands).

In the black Pottery Barn vase I have these Red Berry, Or Cranberry, Stems.

In the black found pot to the right I have these Olive Branches.

Those super cool Black Iron Candlesticks are from Hobby Lobby, as are the White Club Candles.

And a fun clip of decorating:

But, enough about us! On to classic mantels!

This one (how amazing is this mantel?) is done in beautiful mixed greens, sleigh bells, and woven grass and twig pieces for great texture. How awesome are those crochet stockings and all those white twinkly lights?

Christmas Mantels 2020: Via @the.little.bird on Instagram

This next one is simple and beautiful, in mixed natural fabrics and minimal decoration, it feels like home and I’m definitely in for the Griswold trip to go cut down a Christmas Tree.

This, for my more sophisticated readers that like a little more bling in their Christmas cheer, is amazing in all of its glittering glory. Mercury glass mixed with some playful patterns, greenery, and fresh cut white flowers is as fun as it is elegant.

This next mantel (and gorgeous tree) is done in traditional blue and gold tones, for a truly timeless Christmas display.

I was giggling a little here… I have this SAME mirror over my fireplace but the mantel greenery is FAR superior to anything I’ve tackled myself. How amazing is that fireplace insert?

And for you farmhouse gals, I’ve got you covered, too. Decked out in stark whites, with abundant winter greenery, paired with eucalyptus and a fantastic mixed-metal candlestick collection, this is a fireplace to envy for any real (or faux) farmhouse. If you’re looking for some inexpensive Eucalyptus swag for your own mantel, check out my tutorial on How To Make Your Own Eucalyptus-Fir Mixed Christmas Garland For A Fraction Of The Price.

I love the simple black accents here and elegant greenery draped in a warm, fireplace hug. And, as always, all we need is a little more COWBELL!

Which one of these is your favorite?

Is there an element that you have to have every year on your mantel?

I’ll leave you with this night-time shot of our Christmas mantel that is seriously giving me all the feels:

Thanks for hanging out with us today and be sure to check out more of our DIY and design inspiration on our blog.

Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

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Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved

Posted on November 25, 2019June 16, 2020 by admin

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I collect things with some vague notion of re-purposing them in the future. Well, I’ll have to admit, I may have let the wine bottle collection get a little out of hand. So, I came up with a few ways to use them and even smuggle some of them out of the house, legitimately. Check out this inspiration and maybe you too can get your collection under control.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

The first step was gathering all of my collected bottles in one place and doing a mini-inventory. With the few ideas I had, I needed to sort them by shape, size, and color… and of course figure out what I was gifting and what I was keeping for me.

How To Use All of Those Wine Bottles You Saved

Having a usable workspace in the guest bedroom gave me a little time to be in work on this and not have to put everything away again.

1: Holiday Decorating

The first thing I did was weed out the bottles that I want to keep. I like interesting shapes and, of course, different heights, etc. I like a varied collection that adds interest in the display. I did a test order of some SUPER inexpensive fairy lights and used a few of the bottles in my fall decor.

Saved Wine Bottles: How To Use Them This Holiday Season: As you can see by our cork collection, we’re committed to the process

They are really pretty! But, the real thing I’m looking forward to is seeing them in the Christmas decor. I think these will look spectacular on the stairs, especially once I get all of the greenery up! I used to sometimes think big foyers were a waste of space, but the look during the holidays makes it all worth it!

Now, we’ll see if the cats leave them alone. My guess is I’ll have some smashed glass to contend with, but we’ll see.

Here they are with some eucalyptus/fir garland! What do you think?

2: Holiday gifting

I’m always in search of Christmas gift basket ideas throughout the year, and I found a brilliant way to make my problem someone else’s. For my “extras”, *cough *cough, I’m going to do gift sets with tabletop wine bottle lanterns. There are very reasonable wick kits on Amazon to make these, and with bottles of lantern fluid, and a cute wrap job, what’s not to like? If you want to go SUPER thrifty, skip the lantern fluid and basket… a bottle with wick kit, a pretty ribbon, and a handwritten note works just as well!

3: Backyard lanterns

I’ve seen these lanterns mounted with brackets on backyard fences and I dig that too (especially with our evening mosquito problem)! I found some brackets that I am going to try with the smaller bottles around the interior of the pool enclosure and see how it looks, and more importantly, if it works. Of course, you can bring your bottle down to the hardware store and just fit the pieces together there. I had to laugh, finding these for sale without bottles was challenging. Me: Um, we’re good on bottles.

They also work brilliantly as tabletop outdoor lanterns.

4) Watering your plants!

With a wine bottle, and a terracotta watering spike, you can forget about your plants for weeks and they’ll still be going strong! These are essential for people like me, who have trouble not killing plants inside.

Winebottlewaterer

I know if I don’t get this wine bottle habit under control I will never hear the end of it. So, here goes!

Do you have any great uses for wine bottles? Please share in the comments below! And, of course, check out more great content on our blog!

Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Mastering The Scene: Fall Decorating on a Dime

Posted on September 16, 2019September 17, 2019 by admin

It’s that time of year again! The rest of you up North are probably enjoying cooler temperatures and those of us down South are decorating for Fall and still sweating our butts off. Anyway, by putting out my Autumn inspired decor it gives me hope that we will soon have cooler temperatures. Check out this awesome, easy entry table set up!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

Here is the breakdown on the big pieces:

The demijohn is from Pottery Barn, but you can get an Imax Recycled Glass Demijohn quite a bit cheaper (but watch Pottery Barn for sales and free shipping)! The glass pumpkin cloches are also from Pottery Barn (I picked them up around March last year in their clearance section and they were a steal!). The lantern is also from Pottery Barn that I bought about ten years ago.

That beautiful black entry mirror you can get on Amazon now and it is REALLY a great find. I love it!

The faux olive branches, faux eucalyptus stems, and white pillar candles are all from Amazon. The pumpkins I got on sale last year at Michaels half price, and they’re always a steal at half off!

Fall Entry Table Decorating on a Dime, from Pottery Barn, Michaels, and Amazon!

The other item you’ll see here is the linen tablerunner that I recently picked up, which gives it the right subdued hue and backdrop for a whitewashed pumpkin arrangement!

Fall Entry Table Decorating on a Dime, from Pottery Barn, Michaels, and Amazon!

Then there’s the EVER versatile Faux Eucalyptus Arrangement that I use in pretty much EVERY season because it just works! It doesn’t get much easier than flattening out the leaves and arranging them a bit in a recycled florist vase. Simple. Easy. Classic.

What are you doing for Fall Decorating? Where do you stand on the neutral pumpkin debate? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by and check out more DIY and great projects on our Blog! Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase

Posted on August 20, 2019August 23, 2019 by admin

Here’s my secret: I don’t spend money on any of my home decor anymore. I use my Amazon points to decorate and I was dying to get this Ethan Allen vase. The “small” size that I got is 14″ dia x 18″ high, and is handmade in ceramic and ivory glazed in Italy. I just LOVE it. It replaced the antique bowl and pitcher in the entryway and is a MUCH better scale. I rehomed the others in the guest room and they’re just perfect in their new spot. My understanding is Ethan Allen sells directly on Amazon and from it’s own site, so I chose the free shipping on Amazon.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.

Check out my gorgeous new Ethan Allen vase:

Treasure Hunt Tuesday: Ethan Allen Ringed Ivory Vase With Green and White Hydrangea

Isn’t it just the BEST? I’m trying to decide what to find for a fall arrangement, although I’m not willing to admit summer is coming to a close.

What do you buy with your Amazon points? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by and check out more of our great home decor and DIY inspiration on our blog. Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Mastering the Scene: Demijohn And Classic Black, Round Mirror

Posted on September 25, 2018March 19, 2019 by admin

What the heck is a demijohn anyway? Well, it’s a big bottle. It’s the old version of our current jug- used to transport oils, wine, etc. In its “natural” form it often has a wicker encasing. It’s thought to possibly be a corruption of the French word dame-jeanne… but whatever they are AWESOME. They are a perfect foundation piece to style around for lots of different holidays.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

I’ve been dying to get one of these for a while but didn’t want to get a knock off with a seam down the side (that’s how you can tell the real deal from the reproductions). I ended up ordering one from pottery barn (here’s a link) when they had a good sale and free shipping (you can find good ones on Etsy, but the shipping almost doubles the price). It’s hard to give up the control, but you don’t get to choose your color, just the relative size.

I recently found another similar Demijohn from Amazon, recycled, with no seams. It’s pretty awesome, too, and about $50 less.

This beauty was clear (I was sort of hoping for a colored one but it’s really gorgeous) with some bubbles seeded in the glass. Very nice. Absolutely authentic. I think it is cool they tell you where it comes from. Mine was from 1950s Hungary.

Large Demijohn from Pottery Barn, 1950s Hungary

I currently have a Spring/Summer scene styled with cherry blossoms and a burlap runner.

The cherry blossoms are silk (the curse of having cats, everything real is poisonous to them), but the pricier ones are quite passable. You can get them here from Amazon. I have a set of these pink ones, also.

You can see the nice detail on the silk blossoms here.

The burlap runner, which had to be hemmed, I purchased here. It came with three (which I have on my piano and other entry table).

The mirror I got from Hobby Lobby on sale (just google a coupon). You can buy it here. I really wanted to check it out in person because I didn’t want one that felt cheap or like rubber/plastic. These run REALLY pricey from RH or Pottery Barn and I don’t have an extra grand to drop on a mirror. Just be patient, they often have 40 or 50% off at Hobby Lobby.

The lantern is from Pottery Barn and can be purchased here. They are nice and solid (I’ve had that lantern for years). The Stress Relief candle is my FAVORITE from Bath & Bodyworks, available here from Amazon.

Thanks for checking out one of our awesome decor scenes. Read more about our home project wins and fails here.

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.