Merry Christmas everyone! Love Decorator’s Notebook x

{Decorator’s Notebook}

H is for Haberdashery

I can spend hours looking through the ribbons, buttons, fabric, felt and beads in haberdashery shops. The quirky, independent ones are the best… the ones where tasteful pearl buttons and hessian rub shoulders with tangerine marabou trim and cross-stitch teddy bears.

I hope you’ll find today’s selection of pins falls on the tasteful side!

H is for Haberdashery (with a festive twist)

{I Heart Nap Time via Pinterest}

{Country Living via Pinterest}

{Whipperberry via Pinterest}

{Better Homes & Gardens via Pinterest}

{Fiona and Twig via Pinterest}

{The Clever Life via Pinterest}

{Polka Dot Skies via Pinterest}

It’s nearly here! It’s nearly here! Happy Christmas lovelies!

Free downloadable gift tags!

You might’ve intended to make them. You might’ve forgotten to buy them. You might’ve run out. You might not even have got that far.

Never fear!

These lovely gift tags designed by Eat Drink Chic are free to download and print.

{Eat Drink Chic}

I love this Christmas jumper-inspired pattern… but you might like to check out the alternative design here too. Thanks Amy!

Now this is glam

It’s nothing to do with Christmas. It’s nothing to do with interiors. It’s not even tasteful. But it does have more sparkle than you can shake a stick at and is f’ing brilliant, so I’m posting it anyway.

 

I was minus 11 years old when this was filmed… do you ever get the feeling that you were born in the wrong era?

Reasons to be cheerful

It’s the winter solstice today, which means that as soon as the clock strikes 12 we’re officially on our way out of winter and into spring! I really struggle with the long nights and short days so this is one of the most cheery turning points in the year for me.

{all The Developing Photographer}

These beautiful winter sunrise photos were taken by my talented but mental brother (aka The Developing Photographer) during a dawn surf in the freezing North Sea last week. I mean, why would you?

Cute Christmas baking

For me, interiors blogs and food blogs go hand in hand – I find I’m equally inspired by beautifully styled dishes as beautifully styled tables. Air Kiss is my latest culinary discovery, and has all the ingredients needed to become a firm favourite: airy photography, pretty food styling and a focus on seasonal produce.

These gingerbread cupcakes are just too cute to resist and would make lovely last-minute Christmas presents for friends.

{all Lara Sheleheda / Air Kiss}

Lara used a recipe from Martha’s book for her cupcakes but you could try this one instead (it has metric quantities) and top with mini gingerbread men adapted from this one.

Head over to Air Kiss to discover more tempting ideas!

Coffee filter Christmas wreath … a sort of tutorial

Last year I designed a series of Christmas craft projects for a magazine I was working for using up-cycled kitchen supplies like cupcake cases, paper doilies and coffee filters. Today I came across this rustic coffee filter wreath and it reminded me of the fun I had pitching my ideas to my Editor and trying to convince her I hadn’t totally lost the plot!

{all Craftberry Bush}

There are more detailed pictures here but no instructions. However, I think this is pretty much how you’d go about making one yourself…

INSTRUCTIONS (invented by me, results in no way guaranteed!)

1) Take a length of galvanised garden wire (buy it from the likes of Homebase or a garden centre). Bend it into a circle to decide the circumference of the finished wreath, allowing a bit extra so you can twist the ends together to join them at the end.

2) Grab a pack or two of scallop-edged paper coffee filters (buy unbleached brown ones if you can, or if you can only find white ones, dye them with strong coffee and dry them out before you start). Fold each filter loosely into quarters and thread onto the wire near to the folded pointy bit of the triangle. You might find it easier to poke a hole in the paper with a skewer first.

3) Every now and again, thread on a paper leaf cut from sheet music or an old book (use photocopied pages if you’re precious) – this leaf template is similar to the one pictured. Continue threading on the filters and leaves until the wire is almost completely covered then bend the ends around to form a ring and twist together.

4) Tie a length of nice ribbon around the join to disguise it and use for hanging.

5) Fluff out the coffee filters / leaves so they’re nicely spaced and finish off with some spriggy branches and a little bird decoration (this one is cute).

Dreamy Whites (and a little bit of green)

I love the Dreamy Whites blog – if you’re into restful interiors with a relaxed, country feel I’m sure you will too. It’s packed with beautiful photography and inspiring styling tricks all year round but at Christmas, it’s full of simple ideas to introduce little festive touches throughout your home.

{all Dreamy Whites}

I’m a great believer that Christmas decorations don’t have to be over the top to create a special atmosphere. These ideas are so easy that you could add them without any fuss – a bunch of eucalyptus here, a length of red and white ribbon there – and after the big day there’s not loads of packing up to do.

Are subtle decorations like this enough to get you in the Christmas spirit, or do you see this as your chance to indulge in all the tinsel and sparkle you can lay your hands on? I’d love to know!

Friday, I’m in love…

{A Beautiful Mess}

… with mulling stuff. Wine. Cider. Apple juice. Everything.

… with this adorable idea for sweet canapes

… with the wonderous (or should that be odorous?) stench of the most Christmassy shop in all of London town

… with vintage labels for my homemade sloe gin

… with eating, drinking and being merry from now until January!

Bon weekend!

There’s only one thing I like more than a moodboard…

There’s only one thing I like more than a moodboard.

And that’s a Christmas moodboard.

There’s only one thing I like more than a Christmas moodboard.

And that’s a grey Christmas moodboard.

{Nina Holst / Stylizmo}

You get the idea…