I am so ready for this week to start! We had an extra long weekend packed with family, friends, yummy food, and we kicked off the holiday season! Now, today I am sharing my Holiday home tour, filled with DIY, simple & low cost ideas!
Not only am I sharing my Christmas home tour, but there is 29 other bloggers sharing their beautiful homes all week long! Um, yeah… so you can stalk homes and get inspiration all week long. Each day there will be a new group adding their homes to the home tour hope. Oh yeah, and there is a $300 giveaway!!!! Start the holiday season off right with tons of decorating inspiration, discover some new home decor blogs, and win some cash! How is that for a Monday? All of the links to the other bloggers as well as the entry for the giveaway will be at the bottom of this post.
I am also going to be providing links to all of my holiday and decor projects at the bottom of this post. I think this will be an easier way for everyone to find what they are looking for instead of searching throughout my writing of this post. I am going to do my best to keep the talking to a minimum, I get wordy real fast. Let’s get this Holiday home tour started!
My home recently went through a whole new layout, it involved random late night plans, a stuck sofa in the staircase, and lots of finagling of furniture. I am not 100% done with it all, there is still some furniture items I want to add, but the open layout and new family room is really working for our family.
Now the entryway is nice and open, perfect for this holiday season and all of the lovely people in our life that come and visit.
We usually get new family pictures around this time of year, but life has been really hectic lately and I never got around to them. So after we decorated the Christmas tree yesterday I propped up our camera and set the timer, luckily my kids are older and are old pros in terms of posing.
I should note that our Christmas tree is not decorated in this home tour. It makes small appearances here and there, but it was bare bones still. With this blog and planned home tour I was decorating the weekend before Thanksgiving, but we did not plan to decorate the tree until after Thanksgiving. So this is my compromise with being a home decor blogger and a Mom. We decorate early but keep the tradition of decorating the same.
I will be sharing another post later with the decorated Christmas tree. Ours is nothing amazing, we have homemade ornaments and random ones given to us. But, it is special to us! The plan is for me to share my home at night, all lit up with the sparkle of lights. Then the Christmas tree will be ready to go.
This room is so dang cozy with a fire in the fireplace and Christmas music playing. It has become the number one spot to relax for my family and I am loving it! I worried that when I changed things around that the family room with the TV would become the hangout room, which is much smaller. I did not want to waste this amazingly large and pretty living room. I am happy to report the living room gets a LOT of living done in it.
Adding a touch of whimsical has become my new favorite way to decorate for the holidays. On the way home from a second Thanksgiving celebration tonight my daughter said “Christmas just feels full of magic!!” I could not agree more.
This was my first DIY wreath, and I am hooked on them!
This is the perfect example of working with what you have. I have these little lanterns year-round in my home and I set a trio of wreaths down in the bookshelf, then set the lanterns inside of it. Instant holiday decor! I also set up the blue candles multiple times while I was taking pictures for this home tour, but my kids kept getting art supplies out of this shelf and knocking them over. So, I gave up and figured it does not matter. Gotta pick your battles.
This is my first year going bold and red for my decor. I was concerned how it would work with the blue shiplap. My only other option would be to go neutral, which I love when I see in pictures. I like to decorate with color though, and patterns of any kind have become my new obsession. Plaid patterns feel perfectly winter. Our house and phase of life we are in is active, bold, loud and fun.
We have decades to do traditional, fancy and elegant. For now we have Santa decor, Rudolph, snowballs, and lots of color. It feels authentic to us and our home. I think everyone needs to decorate for what feels right for them.
The countdown is on!
True story, my kids think that sitting on the sofa involves literally laying on it and cuddling with a blanket. I have to take them out of our living room in summer because they will still bundle up and then complain how they are hot. I get being cozy, but they take it to the extreme.
Throw pillows, you can never have enough throw pillows! You know it is a busy day in our house or I am taking pictures for this blog if the pillows are all nicely on the sofa. Otherwise there is a pillow fort, they are scattered on the floor, or used as rocks to save them from when the floor turns to lava. Just how it goes in my home. Well, really any home and mine is not an exception at all.
I squeeze in a ton of smaller projects to fill my home for the holidays. I would say about half of my decor is DIY, which allows me to decorate so much for each season. It keeps the cost down. My coffee table centerpiece is no different, I will be sharing the tutorial for all of the items soon.
Here is where that money I saved can go to, splurging on these Pottery Barn stockings. I have been drooling over monogrammed ones since we had Nora almost 10 years ago. Being a young family on one income it was a hard no for us to purchase these. Two years ago we could finally make it happen, and I have never been more proud of us. Little things like this really are amazing. Little glimpses of the hard work we have put into our family, work and finances to finally get to buy 5 monogrammed stockings. This is real life and our home has taken a long time, with a lot of sweat and tears to get it where it is now.
This little Rudolph reindeer wall art is another DIY projects that I will be sharing in the coming weeks. Living in Wisconsin people are big into deer hunting. Dale does not hunt and neither do I, so this fun and sweet Rudolph is the only wall mounted deer we will have in our home. Red nose and all. Let’s call this taking artistic liberties.
Our family room! It took me a lot longer than years past to decorate my home for the holidays because it felt all new to me. I guess I had some standard places I put items year after year. Since I could not go onto auto pilot for the decor I had to really work at getting it all to flow.
This room is so comfortable! The sofa may not photograph well and look a little saggy, but let me tell you people…. it is so wonderfully cushy! The perfect place to cuddle up and watch a movie with a special someone. Have a romantic evening at home; or you know if you have kids like we do then the “romantic evening” involves three kids and two dogs piled on top of us, next to use and in between us. Hey, we will enjoy this sweet spot of life where they still want to spend time with us. Family friendly movies for everyone!
The light blue of the ceiling feels so calming with the bright Christmas colors.
The wall decor is one I made last year but never got around to sharing here. That tutorial will be coming up soon here on the blog. Like I said, I do a lot of crafting.
Here is one Christmas tree that is decorated, it is just getting started though. This is the kids tree, and they have complete control of decorating it. Each year they craft, draw, and create little trinkets to put on the tree. Then I put the date on the back of them and put them in a special box to save. Next year they get the same tree with endless possibilities to fill. It has become such a special tradition that my kids adore.
The dining room was a lot of fun to decorate for me. I have always fought with the darker room when it was in the room where the family room is now. But with it being in the eat-in kitchen area it is so bright and cheery!
The dining room table centerpiece came together last minute. I had my home all decorated and ready to go, with absolutely nothing but the reindeer table runner on it. I walked around my house, went and looked at the decor I put away for the holidays and came up with a really unique and fun tablescape. I even raided my kids wooden train set for some items.
I am working on a really fun tutorial for this centerpiece. Hopefully it will be ready to go next week!
Can you tell what I used from my kids train set? Yep, toys can be holiday decor.
So can paper and glitter! I work with the basics here to decorate my home.
Sprinkling in a few holiday specific items into this shelf make it feel ready for the holidays without being too much of a good thing. Also, I need my coffee and that is not being put away for the season. If anything I need more of it this time of year. Being Merry and Bright all month long can be tiring.
My triangle Christmas card holder is ready and waiting for those holiday cards! I try to keep the decorations in my kitchen to a minimum because of it”s size. I do not have space to devote to cute decor when I need the counter top for food prep.
Keeping items in my home year-round that I can spruce up for the holidays is another great time and cost saver to decorate.
This is my favorite centerpiece I have put together so far. It is so colorful and not like anything I have done before, and I am loving it so much! It is even worth it to tell my kids for every meal to not touch the ornaments, put them down, leave them alone… all the time. Yep, I will gladly have this here and have to deal with my kids. I get it though, shiny things are distracting to me too.
When we first purchased this home the open living room and family room worried me. Really it stressed me out and overwhelmed me. I did not know how to make it all work together. Now, I enjoy the challenge of making the rooms feel cohesive but separate. With a family of 5 having two living areas is a wonderful thing.
Our halls have been decked, our stockings are hung by the chimney with care, we are soooo ready for this holiday season! Our weekends from now until Christmas are packed with plans with friends, family, excursions to enjoy Christmas magic, parades, light shows….. I pack a lot into this small window of time. It is such a fun time for us, my kids are older so we can do a lot with them but they are not too old where they roll their eyes at us and just beg for their phones back. I am enjoying this swet spot of Christmas magic and cheer for as long as I can!
Well, like this blog post being packed with a ton of stuff my Holiday home tour is filled with DIY, simple & low cost ideas too. We do still have the outside to finish up, no lights are on our home yet. That is Dale’s portion of the holiday decorating, I am not good with ladders. I just get to be bossy and tell him what to do and where to put the lights. The nice part is that after we are frozen, snot frozen under our noses, rosy cheeked and tired we have a cozy and inviting home to warm up in. I was always blown away by the people that decorated for Christmas before December 1, but there is something so wonderful about knowing that for the entirety of December I have no more decorating to do. Just to sit back, relax and enjoy the season. Also shop, wrap gifts, volunteer for the kids holiday functions, cook food, bake cookies…. it gets hectic and I love every second of it! For today though, I am eager to join in on this Christmas home tour hop and see all of the other lovely homes being shared!
Now, time for this giveaway, good luck!
Holiday handmade – decorating a fireplace mantel with Christmas DIY ideas
Dollar store challenge #5
Rudolph reindeer art
Christmas decorations for a dining room
hanging Christmas ornaments, window decor
Christmas tree craft, easy decorations for the kitchen without adding clutter
DIY Christmas tree topiary – simple and low cost
Wooden snowman craft, easy Christmas decoration idea
DIY wood snowflakes
Ceiling hanging Christmas wreath
DIY Rustic reindeer canvas wall art
Christmas tree craft using scrap wood
paper snowman art – making frosty the snowman
5 DIY simple Christmas tree crafts- adding the glitter
Ready, set, craft! – small Christmas ornaments
DIY hanging Christmas ornaments
paper Christmas tree
Front door makeover, how to paint
How to create a fireplace wood feature wall – A modern Shiplap style
How to update a gallery wall, making a statement
Improve a small kitchen with small updates and DIY ideas
How to make a dining room table – the modern take on the classic style
Finding the perfect paint color and starting the mini dining room makeover
Cane chair redo
IKEA Ektorp sofa hack
DIY industrial/rustic console table
Furniture refresh – white bookshelf
coffee table redo
The mantel! I LOVE it! And the blue planks make for a perfect Christmas backdrop!
Thank you so much!
I love how you creatively decorate without spending a lot of money! I’m inspired. And those pops of red plaid? They look great! I also liked the wooden block snowmen. So fun and easy!
Thank you! I had a lot of fun making all of these decorations!
I love your home. It is gorgeous. That end table is calling me. I would love to have one in my office for photo ops.
Thank you so much!
I love all this creativity. Those snowmen are my favorite
Thank you!
Emily,
You home must be such a magical place for your little ones….I love all of the whimsical, thoughtful details.
Much Love,
Erica
Thank you so much! I love to fill our home with holiday cheer, it really does get my kids excited for the holidays.
I love your wall of family photos- we have something similar in our home and it makes me smile whenever I walk past it. Your Christmas decorations bring so much festive joy without the clutter and clunkiness of so many holiday additions. Beautifully done!
Thank you! I have always loved gallery walls and like that it is filled with our family and friends. It makes my home even more personal.
I love your foyer! It’s so bright and inviting! You did a great job styling your home for the holidays! Very clean, warm and cozy, yet without the clutter!
Thank you!
Everything is so beautiful and so perfectly done. You have such a wonderful knack for decorating!
Thank you so much! I really enjoy decorating my home.
As usual I love everything that you share, but this gives me so many great ideas to decorate our new home for Christmas. I especially love those two lantern decorations you have sitting underneath the table – I think I have a perfect spot for something like that!
You are so kind, thank you so much!
Your home is just lovely. You have filled it with such sweet details. We are beginning our decorations this week. I am definitely inspired by you!
🙂
Traci
Thank you! I am so happy you got inspiration.
I have some serious house envy right now. I can never find the time to do ours up as nicely as all of those!
Thank you! I enjoy decorating so much!
I absolutely love all your holiday decor. It’s so pretty and festive and just perfect for the holidays!
Thank you!
Your house is adorable all decked out for Christmas! I especially love the artwork above your mantle and those wood log stools around your coffee table 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Thank you, I made a lot of new decor for my fireplace and had a lot of fun doing it! Those stools are a big hit with my kids, they move them all over my home.
What a gorgeous home! I love seeing low cost DIY holiday ideas!
Thank you so much!
Oh I love the bold red in your holiday decor Emily! It looks beautiful with your blue shiplap and soft colors. The stumps by the fireplace are so fun and your tree looks beautiful in the space bare. lol I’m sure it’s going to be amazing decorated! Thanks for sharing your home with us!
Thank you! I struggled with how to make the blue shiplap work, but I think the bold red worked out well.
I absolutely love your decor! The mantle is my favorite! Love the crown on it. What a creative idea!
Thank you!
Your house is absolutely beautiful <3 And I love the festive decor. We haven't trimmed up yet. I'm trying to finish my decorating first!!
Louise x
Thank you, I hope you had fun decorating your home!
Your living room looks so cozy! I love all the throw pillows (my dogs use any we get as beds and flatten/destroy them quickly, so I rarely buy them….I live vicariously through others!)
Thank you! I have a obsession with throw pillows and probably have too many. Most end up on my floor too, but I deal with it for my throw pillow love.
That blue accent wall is my favorite!! It’s giving me all kinds of ideas about repainting mine….hmmm 🙂
Thank you! I have loved my blue shiplap since I did it..
Thanks so much for sharing your fun Christmas decor with us! Your shiplap is almost the same color I painted my fireplace and I think it looks awesome with the red!
Thank you so much! The navy blue made me nervous with ow to make it work for Christmas decor, but I think the red works really well.
Love the plaid and pop of color on your mantle! Gorgeous!
Thanks!
I am literally obsessing over this all. Your aesthetic is so up my alley!! That mantle decor…swoon!
Thank you so much!
Such a beautiful space for the holidays! I love all your touches – the tree card holder is so cool! And I love the rudolph nose on your antlers. Oh, and the little snowmen on the console table. Basically, I just love all the details.
I am so happy you liked my home and decorating ideas! Thank you!
Your tour is so fun!!! I love it for the holidays! Have a Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Merry Christmas to you too!
Oh everything looks so beautiful! I can’t wait to take out all my decorations.
Thank you, I hope you had fun decorating!
I just love the decoration and the creative thoughts. Amazing DIYs.
Thank you!
I love all of the cute little festive touches around your house! The stockings are adorable too!
Thank you, I was so excited when we got the stockings for our family!
Great Christmas tour Emily! So many great Christmas projects 🙂
Thank you so much Tara!
I love all the fun pops of color and pattern in your Christmas decor! And your DIY wreath is so beautiful! Have a merry Christmas!
Thank you, I had a lot of fun making the wreath!
I’ve never seen a wood slice wreath and I’m totally loving it!
Thank you Ashley!
Hi Emily! New to your blog and wanted to tell you how amazing your decor is for the holidays. Such great touches like Rudolph’s nose and those log ottomans. Can’t wait to read more,keep up the great work!
Oh wow, thank you so much Samantha! I am so happy to have you reading along with my blog!