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A Rustic Glam Holiday House Tour

A Rustic Glam Holiday House Tour!  Chock full of fun DIY elements to add some glitz to natural, rustic elements.

Hi, friend!  So kind of you to stop by.  And how did you know today was the day I finally folded those baskets of laundry and got the house tidied up?  That’s serendipity for ya!  {Wink.}

Welcome to my Holiday House Tour!  Come on in!

Snow Shoe Door Decor
Show Shoe Door Decor courtesy of Kohl’s circa 2010

Well, what am I doing?  Let me invite you in, friend!  I’d be delighted to give you a tour of our living room, which we’ve got all decked out for Christmas.  Oh, you like the music I’ve got playing in the background?  Thanks!  It’s my Indie Christmas Mix that I compiled last year.  Yup!  It’s officially December now, so bring on the holiday tunes!  And I won’t tell you that I’ve been playing Christmas music since November 1st.  {Nudge, nudge.}

{Click PLAY to start the mix!}

Now, why don’t we kick off this holiday tour with the Pièce de résistance, the tree itself!

Rustic Glam Christmas Tree via thinkingcloset.com

We’ve affectionately named him Paul Bunyan, and believe it or not, we’ve had him since November 20th, Mark’s birthday.  It was one of my hubby’s wishes to get a tree that night, and who am I to refuse a birthday boy his birthday wish?

Oops, that reminds me!  I’ve gotta be sure to water dear Paul.  We want to make sure he doesn’t lose all his needles by Christmas morn!

You've gotta keep a live tree well watered!  We love our funnel that we got at Home Depot, especially for tree watering.

So, if there’s a motif to our holiday decor this year, it’s “rustic glam,”  and I even DIY’d some new tree decorations this year to fit the bill.  You’ll see we have some really natural colors and rustic elements like burlap and paper bags in contrast with splashes of glitter and gold.  There’s something about the tension of those dichotomies that I think really works!  Like Lucy and Ricky.  Plus, it’s a great backdrop for accent colors, so in future years if we’re feeling like going with purples and pinks, we can still keep this as a base!

Rustic Glam Christmas Tree...an oxymoron that works!

And you recognize some of these projects from last year?  Good eye!  Oh, yes, the No-Sew Burlap Ruffle Tree Skirt that took me a solid eight hours to complete needs to last us at least 8 years to have been a worthy time investment.  Luckily, even though it was no-sew, it’s still holding up well.  Hot-glue-gun power!

DIY No-Sew Burlap Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt!

Twine Ball Tree Topper!

And yup, that’s the Twine Ball Tree Topper you see way up yonder.  And it’s the very project that inspired my Glitter Twine Ball Ornaments this year.  The bigger ornaments really help fill up the tree and up the WOW factor.  A reader told me that!

DIY {Glitter} Twine Ball Ornament. Add some "rustic glam" to your holiday!

Another creation from this year was our Gratitude Garland, which was a great transitional piece from Thanksgiving into Christmas.  The two garlands I sewed just perfectly wrap around Paul Bunyan.

Gratitude Garland and Gold-Brushed Pine Cones!  Way to amp up the rustic glam factor!

And you’re a fan of the Gold-Brushed Pine Cones?  Yay!  Nope, I haven’t shared them yet on the blog.  But the tutorial is about as easy as you can imagine.  Of course, I’ll still post on it because I can’t resist the opportunity to belabor a good tutorial, but now you have some inspiration in case you want to incorporate rustic glam pine cones into your holiday decor, too!  {Update: Click HERE for the tutorial!}

Gratitude Garland and Gold-Brushed Pine Cones!  Way to amp up the rustic glam factor!

Okay, now you’re getting a sneak peek at a project I’ll be sharing this upcoming Monday.  It’s the grand finale project to my 12 months of Silhouette Challenge posts: A Deer Head Garland…featuring Santa’s Reindeer!  Yep, that’s Rudolph with a sparkly nose on the end there.  I’ll share the whole run-down of how I made this guy on Monday!  {Update: check out the tutorial & free cut file HERE.}

Deer Head Holiday Banner featuring Santa's Reindeer!  Full tutorial coming to The Thinking Closet on 12/9/13!

Deer Head Holiday Banner featuring Santa's Reindeer!  Full tutorial coming to The Thinking Closet on 12/9/13!

What kind of a hostess am I?  I haven’t even offered you something to drink!  Well, let’s head over to our hot drinks station, which I temporarily moved from our guest room into the living room on our buffet.  We’ve been hosting so many gatherings since our Costume Party, we’ve just left it out here.  I believe the scientific term for that reasoning is inertia.

Hot Drinks Station for Guests!

As you enjoy your drink, I’ll introduce you to a few new characters we’ve incorporated into our buffet decor, which is a fantel of sorts!  (Fantel = fake-mantel.  Gotta give Lil Mrs. Tori props for introducing me to that fitting term!)

We have Mr. Deer who was an impulse-buy at Target along with the Gold Christmas Tree next to him!  Mr. Deer was just too stunning too pass up in his all-white coat, and the Gold Christmas Tree reminded me of an aluminum Christmas tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas…one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time!  I added a mini tree skirt to cover up the ugly plastic base…but other than that, these two pieces were plug-and-play.

Fantle decor items...a white deer and gold Christmas tree with mini burlap tree skirt!

And then, you’ve got Mr. Snowman, who I DIY’d at a Pinterest Party hosted by Keri from Shaken Together Life!  Keri is a friend I made at FL Blog Con this past fall, and she invited myself and several other Central Florida Bloggers to attend an in-person party where we just spent several hours crafting projects found on Pinterest.  She had all the projects pre-selected and the supplies pre-purchased and organized.  Every crafter’s dream right?  Well, Mr. Snowman was one of the many projects we made that day; he’s simply three wooden blocks glued together, painted with a coat of white, followed by black paint detailing and a glued on orange paper nose, and topped with Glitter Mod Podge and a strip of fabric for the scarf!

Oh yes, help yourself to some festive red & green M&Ms.  I sure am!

DIY Wood Block Snowman - - quick and easy Christmas craft!

"Fantle" on a buffet and an Instagram Advent Calendar to countdown the days till Christmas!

Oh, and you spotted our Instagram Advent Calendar up on the way!  Today is the 5th, so we’ve got five of our Instagram highlights from 2013 revealed.  It’s so much fun to re-live those memories with each new day of December…and it builds our anticipation for Christmas!

5 days of December down...20 to go till Christmas!  (Love counting down on our Instagram Advent Calendar.)

Oh, and hang tight for two shakes of a lamb’s tail while I run outside and get something ready real quick.

{Bop your head to the music.}

Okay, thanks for waiting.  I think the effect will be so much greater with the lanterns lit.  So, step out onto the deck…and check out…

Winter Mason Jar Lanterns...filled with epsom salts and glitter!

Yep!  It’s my Winter Mason Jar Lanterns!  I know it’s still sunny and 70 degrees here in Orlando, but trust me, this feels like winter to us Floridians.  And glittery epsom salts are about as close as we get to snow.  We’ve gotta take what we can get down here in the tropics!

Well, friend, I know you’re going to want to make the rounds today to other house tours, so let me start to lead you out.  Oh, but on your way out, peek down the hall on your left to where our Christmas Card and Photo Display hangs.  Pretty soon we’ll be trading out last year’s cards for new ones.  Can you believe we made this from an old pallet and burlap ribbon?

Christmas Card & Photo Display from a Pallet!

Thanks for blessing my home with your illustrious presence today, friend.  {Hug.}  You come back now, y’hear?

Farewell!  Thanks for stopping by my Holiday House Tour!

Flashback?

In case you missed my Choose Your Own Adventure Fall House Tour, you can check that out HERE.  Yup, it’s structured just like the Choose Your Own Adventure books of your youth!

Continue on….

Or you can continue on in the Christmas Party Tour of Homes, which has been taking place all week!  I’m one of 24 different bloggers who are all sharing our Christmas-ified homes over the course of 4 days.

Christmas Party Tour of Homes Thumbnail Graphic

Tuesday, December 3rd

Christmas Party Tour of Homes Tuesday December 3rd

1) Krista from The Happy Housie 2) Laura from The Turquoise Home

3) Amy from Commona My House 4) Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog

5) April from House by Hoff 6) Shayna from The Wood Grain Cottage

Wednesday, December 4th

Christmas Party Tour Wednesday

1) Jenna from Rain on a Tin Roof 2) Jen from Migonis Home

3) Rachel from Maison de Pax 4) Jamie from So Much Better With Age

5) Molly from The Poor Sophisticate 6)Tanya from Twelve O Eight

Thursday, December 5th

Christmas Party Tour of Homes Thursday December 5th option 2

1) Amy from The Blissful Bee 2) Heather from The Southern State of Mind

3) Candace of Vintage News Junkie 4) Lauren from The Thinking Closet

5) Amber from Averie Lane 6) Sarah from Life on Virginia Street

Friday, December 6th

Christmas Party Tour of Homes Friday December 6th

1) Chelsea from Making Home Base 2) Aniko from Place of My Taste

3) Christy from Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer 4) Corey from Tiny Sidekick

5) Patricia from Little Cottage on the Pond 6) Emily from Two Purple Couches

I had such a fun time participating in this Tour of Homes!  Thanks to Krista from The Happy Housie for all her hard work in coordinating this!

And thanks again to you, dear visitor, for stopping by!  Enjoy the rest of your tour.

{Linking up here.}

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50 Comments

  1. That Paul is a total rockstar with the fancy tree skirt and the glittery accents, but he keeps it real with some pine cones and burlap. I Like that. Also, your house tours are super inviting and listening to Christmas tunes while viewing it really brings it all to life! Everything looks beautiful, Laure. I love that there is wintery magic happening in your Floridian home!

    1. Aw, thanks, Megan! And I’m glad you’re excited about the pinecone tute. I am, too! (Mostly because it’s so simple and hardly any of my tutorials are super simple. Lol.) Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season thus far!

  2. So I’m pretty sure that this is the most adorable thing to have ever happened on the internet. And now I really, really wish it would rain money for Christmas so I could come see you.
    Loved this!

    1. Aw, thanks, Johanna! And yes, I’ll start doing my world famous rain dance in hopes of conjuring such a forecast. I’d love to be able to give you this house tour IN PERSON! (And then gab with you on the dock for about three hours straight while sipping chai lattes.) Sound good? Good.

  3. Lauren, your home looks so cozy, I could just make myself a chai latte and hang out for a while! 😉 Your new garland is darling; can’t wait to see that tutorial. And the fact that you named your tree?! Love it! Hope Paul brings you plenty of joy this holiday season 🙂

    1. Thanks for saying that, Emily! I’d love to have you over sometime for some couch chatter under cozy blankets with mugs of chai in hand. And considering you might be in the area in 2014, maybe we can make it happen?! Ha ha. Paul thanks you for referring to him by name…and yes, he has been such a joy-full addition to the family. We’ll be sad to see him go when the time comes. 🙁

    1. Aw, you are too kind, Rose! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and to take the tour! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Hugs!

  4. Lauren that was a sweet tour. I loved the advent calender and the reindeer garland above the couch where the previous garland was in all those cute languages! I also remember loving that tree skirt and so many other things. Happy holidays !!!!!!

    1. Good memory, Kelly! Yes, I still have my burlap love banner, and I’ll definitely be hanging that back up in the new year in time for Valentine’s Day! Might even need to add “Love” in a few more languages to keep it fresh! Ha ha. Happy holidays to you, too, friend!

    1. Aw, thanks, Tanya! It was so much fun to be a part of this blog hop with you and the other gals. Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words (and pin!).

  5. Wow, such great DIY projects I’ve never seen before from Christmases past. I love that tree skirt!! Love your tree, the Christmas card holder, garlands, rustic twine balls. You did an amazing job. Sharing on my FB page today 😉
    Hugs,
    Jamie

    1. Jamie, you’re the bestest! Seriously, I feel like I can never repay you for all the sharing you’ve done on my behalf. Sigh. Guess I just have to grin and bear it? Oh, and leave you some MAJOR comment love!

  6. i LOVE the golden umbrella you have hanging up on your wall!! Umm, adorable! What a great idea! And that beverage station? Yes, please! Too cute! And what a cute reindeer garland! Well done my friend, your place looks SO cute!

    1. Aw, thanks, Dusty! It does look golden in the photos…but it’s more like off-white, and it was a paper parasol that I had as an accessory for our wedding day photos! You can see it in action HERE. Rather than have it collect dust in a closet, we decided to add it to our gallery wall! Now, we can enjoy it day in and day out.

      Thanks for your enthusiastic response to my house tour! Wish we could have you over for a hot drink and chat on the couch beside the reindeer garland! (A girl can dream, right?)

      1. what a wonderful idea! (p.s. i loved your wedding photos! I actually was showing them to a friend the other day and oohing and awing over them)

        and of course we can dream! that sounds so marvelous! all of it, marvelous.

  7. What beautiful rustic glam holiday decorations! I love those gold dipped pine cones and the deer banner! Your fantle looks great too! 🙂

    1. Thanks, Tori! The pine-cone tutorial will be coming soon to a blog near you (wink). Though it really is almost too easy to justify a tutorial. Ha ha. And I just love the fantel term. Had to embrace it! (Thanks for the inspiration there, friend.)

    1. Aw, thanks, Rosemary! It’s true – – walk outside, and you might think it’s summer some days! So, we have to remind ourselves of the season with our indoor decor! #floridaproblems Hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas!

  8. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint, Lauren! I LOVE the Instagram calendar. What a great idea! This is the first year I haven’t done an advent for my kiddies, but I think they would have liked this …filled with fun pictures from the past year! Love your outdoor candles too and your view is spectacular 🙂 Thanks for sharing your beautiful home and fir the soundtrack!
    XO,
    Christy

    1. Aw, you’re too kind, Christy! Thanks so much for the enthusiastic response! It was really my joy to share it all with you lovelies. And hey, maybe an Instagram advent calendar is in the cards for you and the kiddos a future Christmas! Hugs and kisses back!

      P.S. Just came back from your home tour (I’m clearly so behind), but I just put two and two together that you’re the same Christy with the amazing sectional DIY. That seriously remains in my mind one of the most ambitious projects I’ve ever seen on a blog…and it turned out fabulously! (I left you a comment on it way back in January! Ha ha.)

    1. Thanks so much, Jen! Those are some of my favorites, too! Now one of these days, I’ve actually gotta try out snow-shoeing for myself…. 😉

    1. Ha ha. Thanks! Paul receives your compliments with a tip of the twine ball tree hat! Lol. (I’m such a cheese-ball when it comes to personification. But you already know that.) Off to check out your home tour…at long last! (It has been a busy few weeks!) 😉

    1. Why thank you, Tricia! That was a last minute creation last year that has served us so well. We cleared the decks, and have been pinning new cards and photos to the burlap ribbon…they’re rolling in!

  9. Love your home it looks beautiful!! I’m in love with that rustic Christmas tree you did a great job with all the decorations. And the mason jar lanterns, I’m a huge mason jar girl!! I’m might have to make some of those for my backyard.

    As a fellow Floridian I know about the 70 degrees feeling like winter here, ha. It’s time to put on our scarves and knee high boots because its not to often we get to wear them! Have a great holiday Lauren!!

  10. Your room looks great! Although I’m used to have the christmas tree not inside the house a day before christmas, it really makes a christmassy (is that a word?) feeling. Maybe I have to change my family tradition in the future, when I buy christmas trees myself……

    Love, Midsommarflicka

  11. Loved your home tour and am so thrilled to have been a part of it with you! It has been so fun getting connected with such talented women! I LOVE your snowshoe wreath! Ah so GORGEOUS! Your whole place looks simply amazing! xo

  12. You are the cutest ever! Love your rustic glam holiday home! That tree skirt is DARLING and I especially love the star paper garland! I love paper garland 🙂

  13. Thank you for the Rustic Glam Holiday House Tour! The only thing better than this virtual tour is an actual tour in real life, which I am totally honored and thankful to be able to do at this holiday season.

    Thank you for your awesome hospitality!! All of your decor just comes together beautifully, including the tree, your advent calendar, and the “endeeearing” touches! I look forward to the deer banner tutorial on Monday. Your Indie CD is great for ambiance during the tour….I’ve enjoyed it for many days so far.
    Thanks for putting your decorating skills to work to help your grandparents decorate their apartment for Christmas! God Jul!

  14. Love the music in the background – fun addition! So amazing to think about Christmas in the tropics…especially as I gaze out at our first snowfall of the year. LOVE your reindeer banner – look forward to reading about that. (I think I’m going to finally buy a silhouette on the current sale:) about time! Thanks for the fab tour Lauren!

  15. oh! very nice Lauren, your Christmas tree and I enjoyed reading your post with the Christmas song in the background 😉 your house looks beautiful with all the small details you added to it and it feels very welcoming too! love your instagram calendar & the card & photo display too 🙂
    your deer banner; LOVE it!

  16. Rustic glamified!! Just the way I like it!! I love that pallet wood card display! Don’t think I saw that one before!! And that banner… oh deeer! Ha ha! Looking forward to the tute for that!! Nice work, friend! Everything is so festive!! I am honored to be on this tour with you!!

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