My Creative Blog [Search results for Wreaths] 

Good morning! Monica and I spent some time at the Channel 69 News station this morning sharing some easy ideas to dress up your front door for the holidays (click here to see our Thanksgiving tablescape ideas from last year). We'll pop the video of the segment up on facebook sometime today or tomorrow, but for now, let's take a look at a super cute and fun way to welcome in the Christmas season! 

Ok, folks, this is one the kids will love. At least, my kids do! This adorable wreath is simple to put together, requires only a few materials, and makes such a big impact.  

Cute, right?! Most of you have probably seen something similar all over Pinterest, but I thought I'd break it down for you. First, I bought three cheap wreaths at Walmart in varying sizes. These are not high-quality wreaths, but they do the trick and cost a little under $20 total, which you just can't beat.

Before I assembled the snowman, I hit the wreaths with some white spraypaint which did two things: 1. It"winterizes" the wreaths, making it more snowman-like. 2. Hides the really fake looking greenery of the wreaths. (SCORE!)

Then, we collected some branches for the arms of the snowman. Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, we had loads to choose from, and my little guy was able to help. I love it when I can include the kids in my projects!

I assembled the materials I needed, which included the wreaths, scarves, two branches, a hat and some floral wire.

Cut about six inches of floral wire with your scissors. (See? Not rocket science, that's for sure.)

Wrap the wire around the bottom of the smallest wreath and the top of the the medium-sized wreath. (To make it nice and secure I wrapped the wire around twice.) Bring the ends together and twist them together and wrap once more around the wreaths. Do the same thing to largest wreath.

I had quite the audience. Oh, the pressure!

Wrap the scarf around the"neck" of the snowman and tie. Attach the arms to the wreath frame using the floral wire.

Hang your wreath on a door hanger and attach the hat to it with floral wire. My hat had a fabric tab that I was able to wrap the wire around. Stand back and take a look at all that cuteness!

Such a fun, whimsical look for your front door. 

These fake presents have made their rounds…they were used originally in our Christmas episode for The Nate Show and now make their debut on my front porch!

Oh hey there, Mr. Snowman. Come on in.

So, that's idea #1! We still have a few more to share this week, so stay tuned. Also, don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway we have going on!
What do you do to your front door to welcome the holidays?

If you read our posts last week, then you know that Jess and I adore fall. We love it so much that we thought it deserved its own mini-series!

I set out to write a post on awesome ideas for fall wreaths. Sounds simple enough right? I mean wreaths are making a major comeback these days. Well… through my research and pursuit of fabulous wreaths to share, I realized one thing… I HATE wreaths! Yup, I'm confessing it publicly. I think about 90% of them look dumb. So, I needed to find a non-dumb looking something for my door… I found some inspiration and I'm pretty happy with it!
The Anti-Wreath Tutorial Here's what you'll need: An 11x14 frame (with the glass removed) Paint Ribbon Pumpkins (real or"funkins" haha I just love that cheesy name) Staple Gun Chair Pads
I went to Michaels and bought this frame 50% off, but… it was still $15.00. I headed down to the basement in search of another 11x14 frame that I could use.

Here's what I found. I didn't like the lines as much as the other one, but I sure did like the price tag… FREE! (Do you like all the dust on the edges?)

The best part about this project was that I ended up only buying 2 pumpkins and a can of spray paint!

I really wanted to use mini real pumpkins, but I think I was about a week too early in the season. Instead, I found these cuties at Michaels for $2.99 each.

The first step was to spray paint the frame purple. I didn't take pictures of this because really, how many times do you want to see me spray paint something? Then, of course I didn't wait long enough and scratched the paint. GRRR… back to do another coat. I might add here that I used Krylon paint and it was awesome. I loved the way it sprayed and it did dry really quickly… 10 mins max… I just touched it at about 7 mins!

I did a little test run of the frame on the wreath hanger and it was banging all over the place. NOT COOL. I don't want a dinged up door! So… I ran to my closet of tricks and grabbed these chair pads.

No more destroying my door

For the ribbon, I simply tied ribbon onto the stem of each pumpkin and then stapled it to the back of the frame. I also tied one piece of ribbon around the frame and knotted it onto the wreath hanger.

I think that as far as wreaths go, well, it's pretty cute! The whole project took about 15 minutes (ok, maybe 20 because I smudged my spraypaint!)

It's not an"In Your Face" wreath… I think it's just a little accent that fits my style just right. (don't you love the little halloween stickies that my kids taped on the windows with scotch tape? They're my mini decorators. I'm finding faux leaves and pumpkins everywhere!)

For Christmas, I plan to paint it red and add some christmas balls. Something like this…

Source: google.com via The Real Housewives on Pinterest So, there you have it. An anti-wreath post, from a wreath hater.: ) I might be a hater, but I know some of you dig the wreath. If so, you need to check out Emily over at one of our favorite blogs Jones Design Company. The Nonna Wreath Tutorial

And even as a wreath hater, I admit this one is pretty cool! Perhaps it's the English teacher in me… Book Page Wreath Tutorial

I'd love to know if you're a lover or a hater… and head over to Emily's blog tutorials and let her know we sent you! Have a fabulous Monday!

P.S. Jess and I hung out Sunday night and did what BFFs do… ate brownie batter, browsed Pinterest, read blogs, and planned out some super fun posts for the next month! Can't wait!
Linked up to: Stories of A to Z Tip Junkie The Inspired Room southernhospitality

Yesterday I showed you my summer porch makeover that included this cute rope wreath. I love wreaths of all kinds (even anti-wreaths). It's the first thing your guests will see when then enter your home, so it's the perfect opportunity to make an impression! You don't have to pay big bucks for a gorgeous wreath, either. I made this one for right around $10!

Isn't that super cute? Perfect for summer!

Here's what you'll need to make your own: -Wreath form, rubber hose or pool noodle -Multi-color braided rope -Natural-colored rope -Hot glue gun -Masking or painters tape -ribbon for hanging

Step 1: Cut your hose or pool noodle to size, if using. We are big fans of using what we have. Not only does this keep the cost down, but it's environmentally friendly, too! I found this hose laying in my basement and decided it would be perfect as a wreath. Don't be afraid to scout out your house to see if there is something you could use before going to buy a traditional wreath form.

Step 2: Attach the ends together to make a circle shape using tape.

Step 3: Place hot glue on the back of your wreath and begin wrapping with the first color rope. This project uses a lot of hot glue, so take extra caution not to burn yourself. You'd be surprised at how hot that glue can get!

Step 4. Wrap, wrap, glue, wrap, wrap. Repeat. In order to keep my rope secure with no gaps, I used hot glue every time the rope wrapped around two or three times. I actually counted how many wraps I did with each rope to keep a uniformed look. I wanted to make sure that both color ropes were used evenly.

That's it! I love the simplicity of this wreath and the way it gives a nod to nautical style without being over the top. It gives a pretty good glimpse at what my house is going to be like inside- simple, a little bit nautical and laid-back.

We love non-traditional wreaths and have made several others that match our style and were easy on our budgets!

Wood Slice Wreath

Outdoor Instagram Wreath
Dressing up your front door is so much fun, so go on and get crazy with your creative, wreath-loving self!

Welcome to Day 2 of our mini-series on spicing up your front door for the holidays! Yesterday, Jess showed you how to make your own snowman wreath, and today I'm going to give you a super fast and really versatile (not to mention, it looks awesome!) way to change things up and get rid of those old, dated Christmas wreaths- c'mon, you know you have them. I like to call it the Anti-Wreath.

You may remember that last year, I made an Autumn Anti-wreath using some gilded pumpkins, orange ribbon and a frame that I spraypainted purple. (You can find the whole tutorial here)

I love it, but the purple frame just isn't cutting it for that Christmasy feel. Enter Anti-Wreath #2.

We debuted this baby yesterday on the morning show at Channel 69 News — you can see the whole segment here- Needless to say, we have a pretty fun time with Eve & Jaciel!

Anyhow, back to the Anit-wreath…it's going to make it's home on my front door as soon as I get back from London (the countdown is on!!)

The other thing you can do to dress up your door is to add vinyl words to it. This option is perfect for those of you who aren't ready to make a permanent change, because it can be removed when the season is over. The options are endless! We just got a Silhouette Cameo and are learning the ins and outs, but so far it's awesome.

I just picked a free font I liked (Janda Safe and Sound), typed in the"Be Merry" phrase and printed it out. The cutting is done for you, so all you have to do is peel the letters off the backing and adhere them to your door. Easy peasy!

If you don't have a Silhouette, no worries! Check out these other fun vinyl phrases I found on Etsy:

Willow Creek Signs

Mulberry Creek Well there it is, my second, successful Anti-Wreath! Do tell, are you a wreath lover or a hater like me?

We've dedicated an entire week to expressing our adoration for the Fall season. Click here to see Day one of our Fall Lovers Series- the Anti-Wreath.

My favorite place to accessorize is my mantle (or is it mantel? Everywhere I look people spell it differently! For the record, I'm going with mantle today). I'm not kidding when I say I tweak it almost daily. So, while, for now, I am happy with my fall mantle, it probably won't stay this way for long. Ha!

See those bronze-colored vases on the right? I got those bad boys on clearance for $2.50 and $1.50 respectively, at Michaels. I wish you could have seen my happy dance when I heard what the final marked-down price was.

I battle my incessant need for symmetry every time I style my mantle, but I think I finally came up with something that is somewhat symmetrical but not exactly the same on either side of the mirror.
I threw some fall-looking foliage that I've literally had for 5 years, at least, in the round vase and added a few dried gourds to complete the right side. I toyed around with a whole bunch of things (I need to remember to take a picture of all the stuff I dragged into the living room to play around with- it's like a decor bomb went off. Wouldn't that be cool, though? A decor bomb…hmmm.) Where the heck was I? Oh yes, the mantle.

I think my favorite part of the mantle is this little stack of old books and a the simple orange pumpkin (also from Michael's years ago). I love the pop of orange against my blue/gray walls.

The old lantern was my grandmother's and has seen it's fair share of rooms in my home. I love that thing. Overall, I think I'm happy with the mantle. For now.
Here are a few other fabulous mantle pics to inspire you:

Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest
You had to know that I would include an all-white mantle, didn't you? Don't you love the bits of autumn color in there? Beautiful!

Source: athoughtfulplaceblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I thought twice about including this picture, since Monica declared her disgust with wreaths of all kind. But I like this leafy one. Deal with it, Mo.

Source: marthastewart.com via Jessica on Pinterest
You certainly can't go wrong with pumpkins.

Source: thenester.com via Jessica on Pinterest
I love these two non-traditional Fall mantles. The Nester used a few big gourds that matched her color scheme, and while not over-the-top fall-ish, it still hints at the autumn feeling. And this one:

Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Jessica on Pinterest  …is absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to remember this one for next year's mantle. show it to my husband so he can remind me of it since I have the worst memory known to man
But wait…what if you don't have a mantle?.Never fear! Just pick a shelf, table, countertop (whatever!) and decorate away! I used this shelf in my kitchen to add another touch of Fall into my home.

I {heart} this so much. I used leftover frames from our Nate Show makeover, and added the letters F-A-L-L which I printed on heavy cardstock in different fonts. I actually already had the metal lowercase L (my hubs and I couldn't resist the $2 grab bag at Michael's last Black Friday and ended up with whole bunch of random metal letters), and used scrapbook paper to make the last L. I threw in a couple burnt orange items and voila! Pretty fall kitchen shelf.

So, now you have no excuses. Go ahead and Fall-ify your mantle!

*Bonus Challenge: Count how many times I wrote mantle in this post. That should keep you busy while you're bored at work. You're welcome.
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It's Fall! Yay! Well, ok, we might still be experiencing 80 degree weather, but Monica and I are in total Fall project mode. We both have lists miles long of stuff we want to accomplish, and things we want to do during this, our favorite season ever. There's just something about getting back into a regular groove that makes us so much more productive. We're already planning our usual Tuesday evening blog nights (if you ever want to reach both of us at once, that's the perfect time!), and have some awesome tutorials, fun room designs, and, of course, lots of seasonal decorating to share with you!

If you're new around here, you'll quickly realize that we looooooooove Fall. In fact, last year, we dedicated a whole week to Autumn goodness. You'll definitely want to check out some of our fav Fall finds from last year, like…

Easy Apple Dumplings Oh yummmmmm. I can't wait to break these things out at our first Eagles football party. I don't know about you, but the only reason I watch every game is for the food. Oh yes, I said it.

Fall Mantle Inspiration
This is my Fall faux-mantel from last year and I absolutely loved it, but I'll be mixing it up this year since my kitchen looks totally different.

Fall Anti- WreathMonica is a wreath-hater, and she's not afraid to admit it. Her solution for her front door was totally awesome, and I daresay it'll make you a hater of traditional wreaths, too. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the start of the Fall blogging season, we're happy to announce that we're accepting new sponsors! We have a few openings that we would love to fill, so if you have a business that you think we'll love and can help you promote, send us an email at eastcoastcreativeblog@gmail.com! Seriously, what better way to sell your stuff than to have two loud, passionate, crazy women on your side?! For all the nitty-gritty info about our sponsorship opportunities, click here. Come on board with EC2- we'll take good care of you!; ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We can't wait to share with you all that we've been doing in our homes (anybody ready for a Monica patio update?!), so why don't you throw on a pair of jeans and a comfy sweatshirt and cozy on up with us. Let the Fall fun begin!