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Blog posts of '2017' 'December'

Last Minute Bohemian Gift Wrapping DIY Ideas

 

It's Christmas Eve and you are late on your gift wrapping and lack ideas? Do not fret because we've got a lovely round of bohemian DIY wrapping ideas that will certainly bring lots of joy and pleasure to the eyes!

Amazing Alisa Burke has plenty of DIY tutorials offering a bohemian haven:

 

 Finger Painter Paper

 

 

Mixed Media Paper Ties and Bows

 

Gift Tags

 

Watercolor Gift Tags

 

Pom Poms & Tassels

 

Boho Chic Wrapping

 

>Silk Flowers Wraps

Floral Wrapping

 

Happy Holidays!

Create a Scandinavian Christmas

Via Pinterest

We continue our Christmas decorating series with the inevitable, eye-catching Scandinavian Christmas that has risen in popularity in the last years.

It has many common traits with the traditional and rustic decorating mainly due to Scandinavians preserving ages long traditions where the emphasis is on the homemade. A Scandinavian Christmas if filled with color, mainly red and white with traditional patterns.

 

Via Target

 

 

Adding natural elements brings a special warmth and charm - here the emphasis is on the wooden and straw decorations or other décor. Some of the most popular decorations of course are the Dala horse and the Yule goat along with Tomte - their counterpart of Santa.

 

 Via Bauhaus

Light wood combined with different textured and patterned fabric, a generous  amount of felt and a dash of jute and gingham ribbon is all you need to make some adorable decorations. Hope these images will boil  up your creative juices!

 

 

Via Home Design Ideas

 

Via Loves to Know

 

Via We Heart It

Via Pinterest

Homemade Christmas Treats

 

I am resharing two amazing, palate tickling recipes for homemade Christmas treats. If you were wondering what treats to make to surprise your friends and family for Christmas, think no longer for Boyana's has just offered a fantastic solution.

Hot Chocolate on a stick

  for 10 chocolate cubes

  • 200 g chocolate (i use dark, but also milk chocolate can be used)
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 5 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
  • 10 ice-cream or lollipop sticks

 

Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat, add the cocoa and sugar and stir until everything is equally incorporated. If it’s too thick, put the saucepan back over the hot water and continue stirring. Be careful not to let any water come in the chocolate, because it will seize-up.

When everything is mixed well you’ll have a thick, but still pourable mixture. Pour it in the ice cube tray, put a stick in the middle of every cube and leave at room temperature to harden. When the cubes are completely cooled and hardened, remove them from the ice cube tray and keep at room temperature in a air-tight container.

When you want a cup of hot chocolate, just dip the cube in a cup of hot milk and stir until it is dissolved.

You can add spices like cinnamon or cloves to the mixture or even a pinch of hot paprika for a Mexican hot chocolate.

 

 

 

QUINCE IN SYRUP

for a 400 ml jar:

  • 1 large quince
  • 300 ml water
  • 125 g brown sugar
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • a few strips of lemon zest
  • 4 – 5 slices of fresh ginger
  • 2 tea bags black tea (I used earl grey)

Peel and core the quince and cut it into thin slices. Put it in a pot with everything else, except the tea bags and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a bare simmer. Add the tea bags and and let steep for 5 minutes, then remove them.

Cook the quince on low for 20 minutes, covered and then 10 more minutes uncovered, or until the slices are tender but don’t fall apart and the syrup has thickened a little. Remove the lemon zest and ginger slices.

Pour the quince slices and the syrup into a clean jar, close the lid, gently tap on the counter to release air bubbles and leave to cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge for a few weeks.

 

 

Recipes and images courtesy of Sitno Seckano.

Rustic Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas

 

In line with our Rustic Christmas Decorating we chose some fresh ideas how to use gifts of nature to wrap your gifts for Christmas.

 

The winter red berry bush  or mistletoe is an effective detail to add as a décor that will make gifts pop, especially if used on brown or white paper and tied with twine.  

 

 

Pinecones are the natural first choice and they have literally flooded the internet. Personally, I never grow tired of them and always mind to have a fresh supply, so our trips in the woods always end up with heavy loads of pinecones.

Here are some fabulous ideas how to use them:

 

 

Recycled paper with some greenery and "woodsy & leafy" things always catch attention and subtly point out conscious consumption and respect of nature.

 

All relevant links of images can be found on my board here.

Decorating for Christmas - The Rustic Lover

Via Pinterest

 

We are continuing the Decorating for Christmas Series. Last week it was the Traditionalist, but today we'll focus on the Rustic Lover.

The sole word "Rustic" implies the smell of wood and pines, burlap, weathered antiques and warm, soft natural textures.

 

Via Domestically Speaking

The rustic Christmas tree is calmer in tones embracing ornaments in natural colors - those being white, beige, brown, grey with a great amount of golden or silver sprinkles, although red as a festive color is also included.

 

Via AnExtraordinaryDay

Via Pinterest

Via theroomedit.stfi.re

Rustic decorations come from the nature. You don't need much to give your place a festive look. You need lots of pinecones, pine branches, some wood slices to hold your handles, an eye-catching arrangement of all and the magic is on.

Via Curated Interior

If you want to make a fairytale fireplace, arrange the same gifts of nature into a wooden crate, add colorful baubles and winter berries branches.  

 

Wonderful Rustic DIY Ornaments

Popsicle Stick Sleds

 

Twine Balls

 

Twig Ornaments

Homespun Fabric Ornaments

 

Gnome Ornaments

 

I hope you enjoyed the post!

"Bonjour Madame" Collection

 

 

 

 

Aleksandra Ivanova who creates behind the brand Sofija Filigranska has a new collection of amazing wooden necklaces.

We talked to her about the inspiration and the idea, as well as the drive to create illustrated stories:

"I make my jewelry with a great passion and love, driven by personal excitement and joy inspired feelings while I watch every single piece come to life and each necklace is dedicated to transfer all those emotions to the woman that will carry it. For this collection I played with spots in the background and minimalistically drawn flowers, fruits or cookies in the foreplan with their full growth and juiciness, or you can see a scene of the favourite ritual of tea drinking and cookie eating... The black spots on a white surface gives a possibility for combining colorful details that will be emphasized and completely harmonious when matched together. Such match-making resembled a French lady wearing a spotted dress with a colorful brooch, thus I named the collection "Bonjour Madame".

Check her shop for more illustrated stories transferred on necklaces.

 

 

Decorating for Christmas - The Traditionalist

 

 

December is inevitably associated with Christmas. What better way  to celebrate the end of the year with and mark the new beginning than Christmas. The sole word has magic in it and just by saying it one gets hilariously giddy and joyful. Especially if you are into decorating and love to get your place in shape for the holidays.

This month we've decided to go big on Christmas, focusing on decorating, gift making and gift wrapping so there will be plenty of posts to give you a tickle and get you inspired.

Understandably the roots lie in the traditions that kept themselves from the tooth of time so this first post is going to tackle decorating for Christmas as a traditionalist.

 

 

Traditional Christmas decorating focuses on simple, yet effective décor where red and green with accents of gold prevail along with lots of stylish plaid ribbons and fairy lights to create a  warm, calm and cozy atmosphere.

The Christmas tree - the everlasting bringer of joy to both young and old - is the focal point of the living room adorned with lots of decorations, baubles, ribbons and lights. Vintage baubles ,the ones inherited from your grandma will certainly make the tree more charming and give it a character.

 

 

Other décor to add to soften the living room and make it cozier are throw pillows and fluffy blankets, socks hung on the fireplace.

Hot chocolate, mint sticks and gingerbread cookies are a must and not only to give your sweet tooth a piece of heaven, but you can use them to style your coffee table.

Other simple accents to scatter around the house for a more festive look which by the way you can make yourself:

A candle into a jar with a ribbon and jute wrapped around it.

 

Or put that jar /glass into a tray and decorate with baubles and greenery for an eye-catching table centerpiece.

 

Or simply put baubles and lights into a glass vase and the sparkles will make the evening even more magical.

All images taken from Pinterest except the logoed ones.

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