DIY Decor
Tobacco Basket Christmas Wreath
One of the easiest DIYs I've ever done! A tobacco basket, a frosted lambs ear wreath, holly berries and a little sign, and it works year round.
Sugar Design Co.
Making holiday decorating easy
I'm Ciera. I've spent years figuring out what actually works when you're decorating a real house — the kind with pets, a toddler, and a budget. Here's everything I've learned, so your December feels less like a project and more like Christmas.
The series
12 Days of Christmas
Twelve days of prep, in the order I actually do them — so that by the time December shows up, the hard part is already behind you.
- Everything You Need for a Scandinavian Christmas
- Everything You Need for a Classic Christmas
- DIY Scandinavian Style Ornaments
- Everything You Need for a Farmhouse Christmas
- Tobacco Basket Christmas Wreath
- Everything You Need for a Mid Century Modern Christmas
- Everything You Need for a Glam Christmas
- The Easiest DIY Faux Fur Tree Skirt
- DIY Hot Cocoa Bar
- DIY Mid Century Modern Christmas Wreath
- DIY Stocking Birchwood Log
- 6 Ways to Hang Stockings (No Fireplace Required!)
Latest
Fresh from the workshop
Tips
Artificial Christmas tree smells musty? Here's how to fix it
A musty artificial tree almost always means it got damp in storage. Air it out, dust it dry, check for mold, and change how you store it so it doesn't happen again.
Tips
Outdoor Christmas lights tripping the GFCI when it rains? Here's how I find the problem
Why outdoor Christmas lights trip the GFCI every time it rains, how to find the bad connection in about 20 minutes, and the fixes that keep them on.
Tips
How to transition from fall to Christmas decor without starting over
My rule for going from fall to Christmas: keep the green, wood, brass and cream, pull anything orange or harvest, and swap rooms porch first, table last.
Tips
Flocked tree shedding: how to stop the mess (mostly)
Some flocked tree shedding is normal, but you can cut it way down: set it up once on a sheet, handle it less, skip the hairspray, and store it right.
Tips
How long does a fresh wreath last outside?
A fresh wreath lasts about 4 to 6 weeks outside in cool shade, longer in real cold, and 2 to 3 weeks in warm sun. How to tell it's done and make it last.
Tips
How many lights for outdoor bushes (a chart by bush size)
Plan about 100 mini lights for every 10 square feet of bush, or one 4x6 net per 3 ft shrub. A size chart, net light math, and spacing so bushes look even.
Make it yourself
DIY decor
DIY Decor
How to turn your fall mum pots into winter porch pots
Turn fall mum planters into Christmas porch pots: what to do with the mums, the soil trick, thriller-filler-spiller with evergreen cuttings, and how long they last.
DIY Decor
Bottle Brush Trees Are the Cheapest Decor Trick I Know
Bottle brush trees are the cheapest Christmas decor I own. Here's how I build a little village on my console, and how to fix those ugly plastic bases.
DIY Decor
6 Ways to Display Christmas Cards (Without Taping Them to a Door)
I taped our Christmas cards to a door frame for three years and finally pulled the paint off. Here are 6 christmas card display ideas that actually hold up.
Save yourself the trouble
Tips
Tips
Artificial Christmas tree smells musty? Here's how to fix it
A musty artificial tree almost always means it got damp in storage. Air it out, dust it dry, check for mold, and change how you store it so it doesn't happen again.
Tips
Outdoor Christmas lights tripping the GFCI when it rains? Here's how I find the problem
Why outdoor Christmas lights trip the GFCI every time it rains, how to find the bad connection in about 20 minutes, and the fixes that keep them on.
Tips
How to transition from fall to Christmas decor without starting over
My rule for going from fall to Christmas: keep the green, wood, brass and cream, pull anything orange or harvest, and swap rooms porch first, table last.
The Monthly
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DIYs before they go up here, decorating tips, the occasional giveaway and discounts that only Monthly readers get. Free, and easy to leave.
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