idea notebook
A Change of Hearth
Make your fireplace the most festive spot in the house with these elegant, wallet-friendly transformations.
Mirror A plain mirror gains seasonal edge with this shimmering frame of tissue paper leaves. We alternated between silver and white and taped the foliage at varying angles to add dimension.
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Candleholders Small glass votives filled with pearlescent mica flakes ($12.50 for 32 ounces; micasnow.com) offer an unexpected home for tapers. Provide extra stability with candle putty ($2.39; save-on-crafts.com).
Stockings Understated alternatives to traditional red-and-green felt, these rustic booties telegraph a desire for gifts—without going over-the-top. (From left: Vintage lace trim, $42; raphaeldesigns .com. Linen adorned with seed pods, $35; simplementeblanco.com. Recycled magazines, $24.95; patinastores.com)
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86 . COUNT RY L I V I NG .C OM . December/January 2010
PHOTOGR APHS BY AIMÉE HERRING; PROP ST YLING BY CHRISTINA L ANE
Come December, as soon as stockings make their way out of storage, the mantel becomes every home’s focal point. To take this one (below) from everyday to holiday, we decorated with items most people already have on hand this time of year, such as greeting cards, ribbons, and tissue paper. Finishing touches unearthed from the backyard (free pinecones!) give the scene a rustic feel, while inexpensive craft-store extras, like mica snow, add subtle sparkle. The result: A winter wonderland with a sophisticated look that belies its modest cost. —JOURDAN CROUCH
Poinsettias What’s not to love about these fuss-free flowers? Fashioned from paper, our fake blossoms— perched atop real twig stems—don’t require watering and keep their cheery color all year long. For complete instructions, see page 143.
Pinecones A few light spritzes of fake snow ($5.19; createforless.com) turn these backyard finds into frosty works of art. When they’re perched underneath glass cloches misted with the same icy spray, the entire scene resembles an ultrarefined snow globe.
Cards A pre-stretched canvas (available at artsupply stores) serves as the perfect blank slate for displaying holiday greetings. Simply string ribbons across the canvas, staple in back, then hang cards from decorative metal clips. ($9 for 10; kioskkiosk.com)
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