A Designer At Home

Thrifted Christmas Ornaments

December 10, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey Guys!

It’s Christmas week here at A Designer At Home so if you’ve missed any of the posts, I’ll leave the links below so you can check them out. Today I’m popping in with a #thriftscorethursday post sharing all of my vintage/second hand ornaments that I’ve picked up from thrift stores and secondhand shops. There’s nothing like a good vintage ornament to bring some originality to your tree. So if you haven’t yet given the thrift store a chance for your holiday décor, definitely swing by before all the good stuff is out.

Christmas Week Line Up

My tree this year is a sight to see. I’ve really thrown in all my personality and flavor. In past years I’ve always aimed to emulate what I’ve seen on Pinterest, but this year I did me. The pickings for vintage ornaments were pretty slim this year, but I did find a couple of ornaments to add to my tree this year.

The first and most exciting is this maroon colored ball with an oil slick look to it. I’m not sure what causes this and I came up quite empty handed searching the internet. I’m probably missing that one keyword that would bring it up. I did find this ornament on etsy with a similar effect, but even that didn’t tell me why or what causes the unique finish.

The only other ornament I thrifted this year were these maroon colored tassels. They were still on their very old cardboard tags and the tag told me these are in fact ornaments (how cool!) and that they’re old as heck.

Unfortunately that is it for ornaments, but I did find one more great fine! I scored this set of 5 wine bottle ties. The maker says Gorham 1831. And the original Kohl’s sticker says it retailed for $19.99. I scooped it up for $4 🙂

And that wraps up this week’s holiday treasures for me. I love seeing what everyone else scores! The #ThriftScoreThursday feed is always full of fantastic treasures. Here are my favorites from the feed recently:

@thoughtsfromalice Sweet, vintage tray from my mom. (More from my living room on the blog and a $500 gift card giveaway! Link in profile.) here’s the link to her blog

@miriams_memories A treasure made by my own grandmother. #thriftscorethursday #crewel # stitchery #crewelembroidery #needlework

@maggieoverbystudios Thrift store ornaments totally don't count as buying "New" ornaments because technically they are old ornaments. Scored these brass deer, wooden bead garlands, and about 50 gold and white ornaments for $9 not feeling guilty at all! #thriftscorethursday #christmasdecor #brassdeer #colddeadfingers #bloggingyourway #finditstyleit #jmholidaystyle #completehappyhome#westgermanpottery — @maggieoverbystudios Thrift store ornaments totally don’t count as buying “New” ornaments because technically they are old ornaments. Scored these brass deer, wooden bead garlands, and about 50 gold and white ornaments for $9 not feeling guilty at all! #thriftscorethursday #christmasdecor #brassdeer #colddeadfingers #bloggingyourway #finditstyleit #jmholidaystyle #completehappyhome#westgermanpottery

@boxycolonial Christmas home tour on the blog today! (Link in profile)….I found this white tree just in time at the thrift store last weekend #thriftscorethursday #christmas #christmastree

And because the holidays aren’t everything right now, I just had to include these two, too!

12346166_1646998185551776_729211903_n — @mariaski63 Mother, macrame I? ? It’s hard to tell but these are: 8 ft, 6.5 ft & 3 ft! The owner of the estate that I bought them from made them as well as doilies galore! I’m so envious of those who are skilled at handmade, old school crafts. ?

12292771_561115067373158_1276339044_n — @suite22antiques Cutest desk accessory ever. Vintage hand carved and hand painted mushroom pencil sharpener. Heavy enough to double as a paperweight! ? Now available in my etsy shop! **here’s the link** *(I have purchased many items from Jenn, you’re in good hands purchasing with her!)*

And that long wind of things will be the end of my chatter today. I hope you’ve enjoyed taking a look at my recent thrift finds and I hope you’ll share yours with us using #thriftscorethursday on Instagram. Be sure to catch up with the other lovely hosts by clicking the pictures below!

Want To Join In? Here’s The Rules!

Want to host? Got an Instagram and Blog? We want to hear from you! Fill out this form for details.
We want you to participate! Hit up your local thrift stores, craigslist, yard sales, estate sales, side of the road, anything! Thrifty doesn’t necessarily mean from a thrift store. We want to see your good deals, wacky finds and treasures.
Don’t feel like you need to save those finds for Thursdays! Yes, features are shared on our blogs and Instagram on Thursdays, but we’re all checking in on (and using!) the hashtag all week long. So, when you see/find it, feel free to share it!
Each week, Trisha from Black and White Obsession, Cassie from Primitive and Proper, Brynne from The Gathered Home, Myself (A Designer At Home) and occassionally a guest co-host will pick a favorite thrift score or two to feature! So please note that by linking up with #thriftscorethursday, you are giving us permission to share your finds via social media or on our blogs.
Please remember that we can only share love for photos shared on public accounts. If your profile is private, we can’t see your finds.

Glittered Woodland Creatures & Burlap Garland

December 9, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey guys! Continuing with Christmas week, I wanted to share this tutorial for a rustic burlap and twine garland. Last year I actually used in on my Christmas tree, but this year I draped it around the window behind my tree to make it the centerpiece of the vignette. I’m really excited to share with you how I made the garland. It’s so pretty and looks great anywhere you could use it.

Rustic Burlap and Twine Garland

If you’d like to make your own burlap and twine garland, I’m going to show you how I made it from scrap burlap material. But you could substitute the burlap for a roll of burlap ribbon (isn’t it awesome that stuff is so readily avaiable nowadays?). I also embellished mine with glittery woodland animals, too. But you could skip that part and make this a quick one.

Materials:

Burlap
Scissors
Hot Glue
Animal Stencils
Glitter Glue
Roll of hemp or jute twine

To make thick burlap ribbon, cut about 4 inch wide strips as long as you can.

Use your hot glue gun to glue the ends together.

Once you have enough to wrap around your tree (every tree is different), roll it into a roll to make the next steps easier to work it with.

Here’s where to start if you bought burlap ribbon– I was very, very neglectful and did not take pictures of this pictures. Rather, I swear I did but cannot find them! I simply printed out an owl, deer head, and squirrel silhouette and cut them out with scissors. Center your stencils onto the burlap. Using glitter glue in a squeeze tube, trace the stencils.

Here’s where you start if you’re skipping the animal silhouettes- Leave a bit of space and use some jute or hemp twice to tie a bow around a pinched section of burlap. Then trace another stencil, pinch your burlap, and tie a bow. Repeat these steps until you’ve reached the end of your garland.

Pretty simple, right? It looks beautiful when paired with other woodsy Christmas Tree decor!

And looks great hung around a Christmas vignette!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and that it inspired an idea or two! Please give it a share and leave a comment below letting me know what you think!

A Globally Boho Christmas Tree

December 8, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey There! Welcome to the Christmas Tree edition of My Home Style Blog Hop organized by Steph of Casa Watkins. All week long, loads of fabulous bloggers are sharing their Christmas tree style all week long. And that’s exactly what I’m doing today. And all week it’s about Christmas here at A Designer At Home. Keep up with Christmas Week here. Not only is this the first time revealing my Christmas tree this holiday season, but I’m sharing the style and idea behind it: Vintage Global with a splash of whimsy (essentially how I’d describe bohemian ;))

If you’re landed here from Pocketful of Posies, welcome! Naturally, I’m so happy you’re here. If we’ve never met before, I’m Corinna and you’re at A Designer At Home. My passion is creating beautiful spaces meant for living in and this is where I share that passion. Everything from my latest decor obsessions to full on renovations, I share it all here. My style is Boho, but more specifically it entails vintage elements, global decor, and a lot of whimsy. Best way to keep up with it all is my newsletter, but I also love to be on Facebook and Instagram!

Before I dive into the details of my tree, here’s my Global Vintage with Whimsy tree this year!

The first element of my style I’ll cover is Vintage. Vintage brings character, history and soul to my home. I love the untold stories a dinged up dresser adds. Same with ornaments. I love the imperfections of time. Styles of the past. And I just love giving new life to castaway items.

Global decor is something I grew up with. My dad was in the navy and my mom loved asian and southwestern decor. This stuff runs in my blood. Our home was always filled with treasures around the world. I don’t get the opportunity to do much travel myself, but that’s why I’m so thankful for those that do and the internet. You bring the world to those of us stuck in one spot.

colorful, whimsical, bohemian Christmas Tree

I tried to pay homage to as many cultures as I could. There’s the sugar skull for Mexico’s celebration of dia de los muertos. The hamsa with the third eye has origins in middle eastern culture. Many of the big box store bought ornaments have shapes and styles similar to moroccan and middle eastern designs. The tree skirt is a tapestry I bought from a man who says it was handmade in India. There are a few ornaments with swedish/nordic inspired birds, a couple stuffed animal ornaments that would remind most of Africa, an ornate beetle that immediately reminded me of egypt, the Fabergé inspired egg ornaments are a tribute to Russian history, and even the star topper is a moroccan inspired punched metal.

And finally the whimsy. I like to add a touch of whimsy everywhere I decorate. It’s what brings the soul of vintage and global pieces to life. It’s fun and creates interest. The “conversation starters” of my tree are first and foremost the bright pink pom pom garland. I couldn’t resist when I spotted these are target. I put 3 strands just to break up the existing color scheme of metallics, royal blue and cranberry.

I keep several totes of Christmas decorations because I stock up on clearance items after the holiday. This year I finally pulled out the royal blue spiral picks. They’re quite fun and fill in the gaps nicely. I think the birds make a nice whimsical touch, too.

I really love everything that has gone into creating this year’s Christmas tree. Many of these pieces actually sit out year round because they make me happy. Carefree draped strands of beads, mix matched ornament styles and ornaments that bring to mind thoughts of the world. This is what I want from my decor.

The only thing I wish I could’ve done this year are more vintage ornaments. I didn’t thrift nearly as many as I had hoped. Pickings were just slim this year, I suppose. I still have a few to share this Thursday, though!

I encourage you to have fun with your tree, let it tell your story, choose pieces with meaning and throw in a little second hand. Here are some of my favorite elements of a Global + Vintage + Whimsical Christmas Tree. And remember, it’s Christmas Week here at A Designer At Home which, spoiler alert, means tutorials are coming for the garland/agate ornaments/twig ornaments- yay!

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my Christmas tree style. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and that you’ll be back. It’s Christmas Week here on A Designer At Home, so there’s loads of Christmas posts coming your way. Stay tuned!

The next stop on this blog hop is The Happy Housie. Surely you’ve heard of her! She’s incredible so I know you’ll love the Christmas Tree she’s created this year. Head there next!

Eager for more Christmas Tree styles?

Check out the other Christmas Tree stylings by these amazing bloggers.

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Monday:

Casa Watkins

Up To Date Interiors

Pretty Practical
Home

Domicile 37

Elizabeth Joan
Design

Tuesday:

Roots North and South

Wednesday:

Around the Watts House

Thursday:

Southern
State of Mind

Vintage Romance Style

Designing Vibes

Friday:

Little Red Brick
House

Lovely Etc.

Farmhouse 40

A House Full of Sunshine

Organize Nashville

Cinnamon Owl Ornaments Tutorial

December 7, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey there!

Today I have a fun Christmas ornament DIY to share with you. These smell amazing, they’re fun to make, and they make for a cute addition to your tree. At the end of this post you’re also going to find a plethora of Holiday ideas as part of the Home for Christmas blog hop hosted by Hometalk.com and CountryLiving.com, so stay tuned and check them out!

If you’re new here, “hi!” I’m so happy you’re joining me here today. My name is Corinna and this space is my getaway from my day job as a Pharmacy Technician. I love design and décor. I chronicle my adventures in creating beautiful spaces meant for living in here. Everything from choosing pillows for the sofa to a thrifted buffet to full on renovation stories. My style is pretty boho encompassing global and eclectic decor. Best way to keep up with what’s happening here is by subscribing to the newsletter, but Facebook and Instagram are some of my favorite places to be!

Cinnamon Owl Ornaments Tutorial

Here’s how to make adorable and delicious smelling owl ornaments. Do you like dollar store crafts? I hope so! You’ll need applesauce ($1 for a pack of 4, you only need 1 pack!), ground cinnamon (I used about 1.5 bottles at $1 each), and craft glue ($1 for a pack of two, you’ll have nearly an entire bottle leftover!).

The Dough: Combine 1 pack of applesauce and 1 cup ground cinnamon. Mix in 1/2 cup craft glue. Let sit until dough starts to toughen (about an hour).

Start pulling small chunks off the dough and form into balls. Here’s where I show you how “innovative” I am. I don’t own a rolling pin, so I used a nearby Yankee candle to roll out my chunk of dough. I don’t own cookie cutters, so I used the rim of the candle holder to cut out circles.

Using the cap of a marker, or side of a spoon, press it into the dough to create indents to mimic feathers. Then fold over the two sides of the circle to create “wings” and fold the top of the circle over to create the “head.” Use the head of the marker to create the eyes and the tip of the marker to create the pupils. Then create a little triangle for the nose. I had to do some adjusting and smoothing to get them looking just right, so work with it until you’re satisfied.

Take metal ornament hangers, straighten one of the hooks into an “L,” and press them into the dough.

Set them on a cookie drying rack for 24 hours, flipping occasionally.

If you’ve enjoyed this tutorial, please give it a share. Your friends will probably enjoy making some, too! The dough works with cookie cutters, too. So have fun and create what works for the theme of your tree.

Home for Christmas #homeforchristmas

An InLinkz Link-up

Crushing On: Mexican Blankets aka Serape

December 4, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

Hey guys!

It’s been a while since we’ve explored something I’m crushing on so I figured today would be a great day to do one. Right now I am crushing on Mexican blankets. The colors and the woven texture are a huge win in my book for decorating with. They’ve got a lot of the things I love about kilims without the hefty price tag.

Hung As Wall Art

51f850a774c5b6425400779c._w.1000_h.1000_s.fit_ — Lauren and Stiles’ Southwest Bohemian Colorado Homestead via Apartment Therapy

Lauren and Stiles' Southwest Bohemian Colorado Homestead via Apartment Therapy — Lauren and Stiles’ Southwest Bohemian Colorado Homestead via Apartment Therapy

Draped Over Furniture

Carrie & Hal's Modern Bohemian Home via Apartment Therapy — Carrie & Hal’s Modern Bohemian Home via Apartment Therapy

Sasha's Silver Lake Bohemian Bungalow via Apartment Therapy — Sasha’s Silver Lake Bohemian Bungalow via Apartment Therapy

On The Floor:

52e98c6d697ab079470050a3._w.1000_h.1000_s.fit_ — Esthera and Gus’s Bohemian Abode via Apartment Therapy

Get The Look:

Shop Mexican Blankets on Amazon

Shop Mexican Blankets on Etsy

I hope you’ve found these ideas helpful and inspiring. I sure want to throw a mexican blanket onto every surface of my home at this point. I would love to see how you’re using mexican blankets in your decor. I’m on Instagram, @adesignerathome, so tag me!

Kitchen Passthrough Update

December 3, 2015 by CORINNA HENDERSON

As usual, I was perusing the basket section of one of my favorite thrift stores when I happened across an interesting woven tray. I’d seen these before and loved how they looked. So even though I had no real plan on how I was going to use it, I snatched it up for the $1 that it was.

It’s been sitting cast aside for a few weeks now as I try to decide where I’m going to display it. We don’t have an awful lot of wall space in our home so I have to be thoughtful about how I display pieces like this.

Turns out when I was doing some cleaning up of the passthrough between the kitchen and back room (den/dining room/whatever), I was inspired to switch out the old tired plates I’d doodled onto with sharpies with the woven tray. (PS, sorry the photos are so dull and fuzzy. It’s dark out now when I get home from work and my camera does not take pictures well in low light so I used my husband’s iPhone.)

I painted the space a right off the shelf bright white. With a little picture hanging wire and a small command hook, I have a brighter, simpler, more “me” feel in this space. You may just barely be able to make it out, but I painted the wall with a flat paint and use my mandala stencil and a high gloss bright white paint to add just a subtle detail on either side of the woven tray.

And our kitchen is still a wreck right now. Our pantry is all over our counters as we await our contractor to install our new Rheem hot water heater. I’ll finally have hot water this winter- but that’s another day and another post!