10 Special Painted Santas

Santas are an important part of Christmas decorating  in my house.  Rather than buying them over the years, I've enjoyed creating my painted Santas.  I began with tall wooden  Santas that stood like sentinels on my stairs each Christmas.

Birdhouse Santa

For many years  this family of Santas  provided a great topic of conversation for guests who were eager to see what the new Santa would be.  As time passed, so did  my interest in just a little too many Christmas decorations.  These  Santas now  lie in my storage room lonely, covered in dust, and  reminiscing about better times.  Perhaps they will become the illustrations for  Christmas stories for my granddaughters. 

The Santas that still hold a special place in my heart, and get displayed on my  tree each year, are the small ornamental ones. No material was sacred: slate, driftwood, balsa wood, cinnamon sticks, light bulbs etc. . Today they all sit proudly next to glittery balls, sparkly stars and other finery.  It is never the glitz that people admire on my tree; it is always my Santas. So much for sparkle.

Swedish Santa

Driftwood Santa

Holly Santa

 Striped Santa

Green eyed Santa

 Light bulb Santa

Long Beard Santa

 Slate Santa Blue Eyes

 Santa Don

Cinnamon Santa

What special ornaments hold a place in your yearly  Christmas decor?

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas

I love repetition as a statement and it is a powerful vehicle for impact  in art and design.  As you get ready for the coming season perhaps  you would like some inspiration. These images illustrate simple, doable Christmas decor with an emphasis on repetition. Of course Pinterest is the go to site now for ideas of any kind.  These and more ideas  can be found on my  Tis the Season folder.

So simple and effective.  I think this works because of its lack of colour and sparkle against the metal tray.

  How simple is this?  Jingle bells, and white candles on a rectangular white tray.  The variations are endless.

  Pick your choice with this one. Greenery with candles or bulbs in sets of three or four.  I think I would stick to one or the other so it would get noticed more.

 Boxwood wreath with slim tapers massed in the middle.  These little candles and holders usually in clear glass are often found at dollar stores. You could also drill holes of appropriate size in a piece of wood and cover it with aluminum foil for safety.

  While this isn't specifically  Christmas decor it offers all kinds of ideas about a similar shelf and a repetition of objects for different seasons.

 Love this idea for over a sofa.  Using those plastic snowflakes you can pick up cheaply and gluing them in a circle with  hot glue.  Velvet ribbon  is a must for the look.

 And don't you just love the repetition of gold vases and two shapes of trees?  Gold is so coming back in vogue. 

 Another set of four but this time using very rustic pots with moss, greenery and candles.

 Lanterns of different shapes and heights can be used with all sorts of seasonal decor.  I think they are handy to have around for  year around use.

 Love white and blue at Christmas.  Add in the sparkle of silver ornaments and the scene is set. 

Remember that you can hang wreaths almost anywhere.

If you missed last year's posts about Christmas decorations check them out here for my house,  for your table,   wreaths,and  mini trees . 

Making Christmas Sparkle

Making Christmas sparkle is not a difficult task.  There's the little things you add to your home decor, there's music and family and friends. All you have to do is sit back and make enough time to actually enjoy it. It is too easy to get caught up in the frenzy of shopping and preparation.  I'm a fast forward kind of person, but lately I put the breaks on at Christmas, and make  every effort to notice all the small things.

 the sparkle of light on an iridescent wreath; the contrast of shape and colours

 pleasing colours in a gift from a friend who knows me well

 the reminders of great dinners with friends

 a flower that inspired my first series in art

a  reminder of a trip to Ottawa where I actually got lost in an Ikea store

twigs from my daughter's garden

  the lamp I spent two years looking for, greenery from my garden, my husband's guitar he made 

music from my sister

 a gift from a friend who has moved to the opposite side of Canada

 finding small pieces of slate and turning them into unique Santas

 my son's ornament collection one for every Christmas, laid out for his nieces to play with, the odd guy playing the guitar is a  mummer, part of Newfoundland tradition

new  candles waiting for friends to arrive

 

my granddaughters

grimy fingerprints

and even the snow falling outside.

What puts sparkle in your Christmas?

Christmas decorating- mini trees

One of the standard Christmas motifs is the tree. You can use the mini version to decorate in various ways.  Many simple forms can be created from scratch and others can be purchased.   You are limited  only by your ingenuity.

Stylized Trees

Flickr

 Ah, it seems buttons can be used for everything.  I quite like this tree in white.  Use white topped stick pins to attach the buttons to the styrofoam form.

 Trocas de Linhas

  Use a foam tree form covered in Saran Wrap and  wrap yarn or string around it.  Slather with white glue and let dry. Remove the form.  Decorate as you prefer.This is so simple, kids could do it.

A Creative Momma

 These trees are all covered in tissue paper used in various ways.  The tutorial at the above site is excellent.I love how the small rosettes were created.

 Thrifty and Chic

Natural  twine (jute or hemp)  wrapped forms with a red cloth /tray looks very effective.Adding the white berries further enhances everything. 

Craftjuice 

 This is a perfect use for scrapbooking papers. There are so many patterns out there to match any decor.  

 Source

This is a modern twist on an old favourite. You can leave them up all year. They look  good because of the strong black white contrast and patterning.

Trees from nature

 Good Life of Design

Pine cone topiaries can be purchased or created .  They look best when there are two of them used  symmetrically to bank a fireplace or accent table.
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 Martha Stewart

Use flower foam and white carnations to create this interesting centerpiece. I'd skip the tiny ornaments and have a green pot.

 

 Weekday Carnival

Small potted trees offer many options in the home. This woodland inspired decor in white is lovely.

 

3 Meadow Lake Cottage

 My Home Ideas

Rosemary trees and other naturals are popular at Christmas time, but how do you integrate them into your decor in a interesting way?  Consider antique jugs or  pails and arrange on steps or on a mantle.   

There you have it.  Day 5 of Christmas decorating ideas.  I could go on but I'll refrain and save some for next year.