It started with a dead branch. I rescued it from a brush pile on the same day I planted my garden back in October. I had seen some cute ideas on Pinterest that involved using a plain branch with a few ornaments strung from it as a Christmas decoration. It was then that I decided we would use that concept for our Christmas tree.
When I saw the dreamcatcher wreath in Frankie, my theme was settled: "Christmas in the Desert"- fitting for a branch Christmas tree and for a summertime Christmas.
With wire hoops, coloured yarn and wood beads, I crafted 6 dreamcatchers (five small ones for the Kitchen window and one big one in lieu of a wreath). It is amazing what you can learn from youtube tutorials.
Some of the extra yarn from the dreamcatchers was used to make pom pom garland. Clearly I have a thing for pom poms. I have paper ones above the bed and now yarn ones in the window. The colours (peach, turquoise, mustard, pink and cream) are so summery and cheery.
I resisted the urge to hang the pom poms perfectly. They have whimsy. They need to be hung with a free spirit. Sadly, the reality of "imperfect" is often harder than measuring it out and making them hang perfectly. It's like the throw on the end of the bed or draped over the chair- more often than not, that carefree appearance is the result of 20 mins of crazed adjustments. I know I am not the only one. When I worked on the lottery home this summer, I watched the principal designer fiddle with a blue knitted throw for at least 10 mins... and she's an expert. The reindeer head was made from electrical tape- idea courtesy of what else? Pinterest (I actually put the ideas to use).
Captured the navajo print (which I've seen so much of) in the felt star garland... my little llama from the craft fair is my new favourite thing.
My pack ratting paid off. I kept the twigs I pruned from my branches as well as the yarn trimmings from the pom poms. The hearts were even made from the little bits of felt left over from the stars and llamas. Don't throw stuff away- so many great things are made from a collection of scraps.
Our desert Christmas tree. I bundled strands of tinsel together with embroidery thread for ornaments with a lot of sparkle (seeing as the tree doesn't have fairy lights, the ornaments needed to catch light). Our place is flooded with morning light through our kitchen window and afternoon light through our front window. The tinsel catches the sun and splashes gold all over our bedroom walls and roof. So pretty.
I found more uses for the yarn! I wrapped it around random bits of the branch to give it colour. I wasn't a fan of the colours of the wooden beads left over for my big dreamcatcher, so I wrapped those in yarn too. Everything matches so well!
Recognize the material used for the "peace" wall decal? It's some of the cloth I picked up at Larnach castle. I free handed the letters and stuck them onto the wall with Mod Podge (they make stuff specifically for removable fabric-wall decor- the uses are endless!)
Originally, I had thought I would string my felt llama's on the the tree, but as my ideas evolved, I figured it best to make them into a garland. I used this Madewell sweater as the template, and searched for images of Dala Horses as inspiration for the embellishments
On my last night putting together the christmas decor- it was hot. Scotty came by with an "ice block" (kiwi word for popsicle)- I was already enjoying a cold glass of white wine. For those times when I needed 2 free hands, my ice block chilled my wine and came out tasting fruity and winey (?).
Can't neglect that bare spot on the bathroom wall. The black felt stars and wire is more of a Swedish inspiration (I have become obsessed with Swedish design blogs).
I have to wait until 10 pm to put on my fairy lights. I haven't seen any houses with outdoor lights because Christmas falls only four days after the longest day of the year- it's a lot of work for an hour of enjoyment a night.
Notice that I meticulously placed each star on top of a light so that they glow. My patience for decorating is endless.
As I was finishing up, my boyfriend came by on his hog. What a beefcake.
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