Who’s ready for some holiday decor?? I know I am! This holiday season is bringing big changes! Not only are we moving to a new state and a new house, a new design for the blog is coming soon making it even easier to access your favorite Everyday Laura blog posts plus easier access to shop my favorites! Today I thought I’d share a few holiday home items that are perfect for making a holiday home!
When it’s time to decorate for the holidays I always start with a wreath! This classic pine wreath gives the perfect pop of green whether inside or out, and this mini mistletoe wreath with berries is the perfect way to decorate small windows and furniture. Every Christmas season I love to add a touch of sparkle and these pre-lit crystal trees come in three different sizes to work with, making the possibilities endless!
These stockings have amazing texture and add the perfect pop of red, but if you’re feeling natural they come in cream too! These reindeer sculptures come in 4 different shades, zinc, brass, white, and silver, and in different sizes too.
When it comes to a cozy holiday home don’t forget about the bedroom! Tis’ the season for flannel sheets, and these red striped sheets are so soft and warm but if stripes aren’t your jam they have lots of other great seasonal prints too! Paired with this affordable pillow you’ve got a great cozy holiday bed.
This cozy indoor rug instantly caught my eye and would look perfect along or layered over a larger rug, and what can I say… I have a weakness for holiday mugs. I buy new ones every year! I know many of you like me love Nest home fragrances doing the holiday season, and the birchwood pine is hands down my favorite! This large winter white candle also smells amazing and makes a great home accent.
I saved the best for last! This 12 piece Spode dinnerware set is a black friday special for under $100! I’ve used the Spode Christmas tree collection for years, it’s a true classic and I’ve honestly never seen a set at such a great price!
Decorating for Valentine’s Day is always a dream for me. The roses, the hearts, and all the pink and red… I really can’t get enough. Having a well dressed table is always important to me during any holiday. It sets the mood and brings the family together in a fun and festive way.
Today I’m sharing with you this simple Valentine’s Day tablescape that you can put together in minutes.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
A platter of some sort
Vase
Roses, red or pink
Water and scissors for the flowers
Valentine’s Day themed candy
Valentine’s Day Decor, bowls, cards, anything really
Coordinating Pink, red, or white plates and napkins
Start by arranging the flowers in a vase. I find a rubber band is excellent for keeping flowers together when you’re using a narrow vase. No worries, if you cut a stem too short you can easily adjust it with the rubber band. Plus it’s much easier to change out the water using the rubber band method. If your vase is clear you can cover the rubber band with twine or ribbon instead. This is optional though.
Add the vase and any decorative objects you’re using to the platter. Fill the surrounding area with candy of your choice. Take care there is no water outside the vase that would cause the candy to bleed.
Now it’s time to set the table, so break out all those pink, white, and red dishes. I’m using my everyday white dishes paired with Le Crueset heart dishes. I bought them last year and as of now they’re unavailable, but hopefully they’ll make a return next year. You can still find some heart items on their website and don’t forget about Ebay. Um… I may or may not stay up into the wee hours of the night looking for retired Le Creuset items on Ebay.
Sniff… the napkins were Pier One. RIP. The vase was a find from Safeway, I’ve yet to find one like this online. If you live near a Safeway or sister grocery store check the floral section. I’m on a roll here, nothing is available! Haha… but all you need is just some V-Day inspo right?
Below are some Valentine’s Day themed items still available so you can set your own fabulous V-Day table.
Currently Le Crueset is offering free heart shaped ramekins with a $200 purchase, and Martha Stewart also makes a beautiful set.
Remember Ebay when your looking for retired or out of stock heart Le Crueset!
Red makes my heart sing for Valentine’s Day, but what about a pretty pink and white theme? Pink roses and conversation hearts with pink and white dishes? Oh my… I may just be doing that next year.
This tablescape so cute and quick to put together. What are you going to do with all that extra time? Eat chocolate of course!
If there’s ever a year to celebrate ending it’s this one! Goodbye 2020… we won’t miss ya, but your departure certainly calls for a celebration! I always go big when it comes to Christmas so afterwards I’m pretty tired and need things simple, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a little fun.
This year I decided to create a festive table centerpiece as well as some drink swizzle sticks that everyone can enjoy, and these simple and easy New Years Eve decorations can be thrown together at a moment’s notice. It’s a fun way to add some extra cheer while ringing in the New Year at home. I was able to recycle some of my Christmas items into our centerpiece so hopefully you have some extra stuff hanging around too.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
Metallic shred or tinsel
Beaded necklaces or garland
Party crackers
Ornament balls
Curly ribbon
Wood Skewers (I used 8 inch ones from the craft baking aisle)
Pom poms
A bowl or platter for the centerpiece
Festive glassware
INSTRUTIONS
For the centerpiece start by placing a layer of metallic shred and then add the rest of the decorations. Use any leftover metallic shreds as need to fill in gaps or add height.
For the drink swizzle sticks simply push each pom pom through the pointy end of the wood skewer, and adjust as needed. No glue is necessary.
So fun, so festive, and so easy am I right?
Let the celebration begin! We’ve got this… just a few more days and we all get a fresh start. Happy New Year my friends, 2021 is going to be a much better year for all of us. Stay safe, healthy, and happy.
I want to share with you my favorite gift wrapping hack, how to make a gift bag out of wrapping paper. So you might be thinking, isn’t it easier to just buy a gift bag? Well… maybe… but we’ve all had those moments where we run out of gift bags, or they’re the wrong size, or you just want to save money. Maybe you just want all your presents to match and coordinate – Virgo here!!
Seriously, this trick is life changing and couldn’t be easier. Once you make your first bag you’ll be whipping these out at warp speed. It’s also lots of fun to customize each bag, and you can even add a handle if desired. Below I’ll show you how easy it is to make a gift bag out of wrapping paper, and be sure to read my helpful tips.
SUPPLIES
Wrapping paper
Tape
Scissors
Stapler – optional
Ribbon for decorating – optional
Tulle ribbon to create a handle – optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Measure wrapping paper to the size of the object, as if you were wrapping the present without a box, leaving extra room at the top and cut.
Fold one side in and crease, repeat on the other side, then tape the back shut.
Fold the bottom edge straight up and crease, this will determine the width of the bag.
Unfold the bottom and then fold the side edges inward to resemble a triangle, crease both sides.
Fold each end up like you’re wrapping the end of a boxed present and secure well with tape, then gently open the bag up.
Place the gift in the bag then fold the top of the bag down. Seal the top of the bag with tape or staples.
If you’re not adding a handle simply add a bow and you’re all done.
To add a handle after the bag is sealed use a hole punch to thread tulle through. I used a punch that was slightly larger than normal to make this step easier.
Determine the length you want the handles to be and tie a knot. Adjust the handles so the knot goes to one side and tie in a bow. You can experiment with different ribbons for a handle, I like tulle because it’s lightweight and fluffy.
TIPS
Thick sturdy wrapping paper is best, thin wrapping paper from a dollar store may not work as well.
You can cut a cardboard base for the inside if you want your bag to have more structure.
Pay close attention when using wrapping paper where the pattern goes one direction, as in the picture above, you’ll want the pattern facing up.
Only add a handle to lightweight presents or the bag will tear.
If you have lots of gifts that are similar in size, make several bags at once, keeping them flat for easy storage. When your ready to wrap a gift simply open up the bag and seal it.
I hope this gift wrapping hack helps you! I’m officially signing off to enjoy this week of Christmas with my family. Wishing you the Merriest Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I love a good folded napkin, yes, I am a proud napkin nerd. Nothing makes a table special like a well folded napkin, and today I want to share with you how easy it is to fold a napkin into a Christmas tree. To make these Christmas tree shaped napkins you’ll need a square napkin, my favorite napkins are from World Market, they wash well, come in lots of colors, and are very affordable. I chose green but other colors and patterns would work great too.
Start by folding the napkin into a square, and rotate the napkin so the ends are facing you.
Begin folding each napkin layer up, leaving a small border and keeping the points of the napkin lined up.
Continue folding until all the layers are folded up. Tip: Any time I fold napkins I always keep an iron nearby and press every few steps to keep things nice and uniform. This is totally optional though.
Carefully flip the napkin over and fold the right end across to the left side of the napkin, creating a point at the bottom.
Repeat by bringing the left end of the napkin towards the right so both edges create a nice point. Take the top triangle end of the napkin and tuck it in under a layer.
Turn the napkin over and tuck each corner either up or down, depending on the look you like best. Repeat all the way down.
Once finished I like to give the napkin a quick press with the iron, again optional.
These festive Christmas trees are sure to impress your guests! You can even add a star at the top of the tree to write your guests’ names out of paper or salt dough. Be sure to check out my other Christmas blog posts, and next I’ll be sharing my favorite present wrapping hack with you, it’s life changing!
It’s the Christmas season and we love nothing more than to celebrate the festivities with a perfect cup of hot cocoa! Nothing says holiday cheer like a readily available cup of delicious cocoa, am I right? l’m always looking for fun ways to celebrate the season with my family, and this year we’ve decided to add a hot cocoa bar to our seasonal fun, but not just any hot cocoa bar, a naughty and nice one!
There are many ways you can serve cocoa at your own bar. I love keeping a thermos of ready-made cocoa on weekends and during Christmas festivities. If that doesn’t work you can keep hot water in a thermos or air-pot along with cocoa mix on the side.
The real treat is with the naughty and nice additions! With just a few yummy treats you can turn your ordinary cocoa extra chocolatey, or add caramel, butterscotch, peppermint, or have a spiked naughty treat. There is something for everyone at this naughty and nice cocoa bar, and let’s not forget the perfect cup of cocoa might need a few treats like cookies for dipping too.
I used a variety of mason jars I had on hand to hold all our cocoa treats and just spoon them into cups as needed. Then at the end of the night I put the lids back on the treats and they’re ready for a new day.
Below I’ll share with you my favorite cocoa mixers to create your own naughty and nice cocoa bar, but really the sky’s the limit when adding delicious treats.
A thermos, air-pot or slow cooker to keep the cocoa nice and hot
Cups or mugs
Napkins
Place cards or labels
Small jars or containers of your choice
Spoons for stirring in naughty and nice treats
Paper shreds and ribbon to decorate with (optional)
Naughty
Kahlua
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Maker’s Mark Whiskey
Jamesons Whiskey
Smirnoff Peppermint Vodka
Smirnoff Caramel Vodka
Smirnoff Whipped Cream Vodka
Nice
Candy Canes
Marshmallows
Chocolate Chips
Butterscotch Chips
Carmel Bits
Toffee Bits
Snacks
Pirouette Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
Candy
Creating your own hot cocoa bar is just so fun! Who can resist all the yummy flavors and treats? It’s the perfect way to boost your hot cocoa game for parties, gatherings, or just yourself. Our family has officially voted for a naughty and nice cocoa bar every year.
It’s the perfect way to celebrate the season, and remember you can be all naughty, all nice, or a little bit of both!
