Etsy Finds of the Day: Garlands Galore

Whether you're in the market for holiday decorations or simply looking for pretty, wintry adornments for your home, these handmade garlands will look magical twined around the tree, draped over the mantle, or strung across a window or wall. Above: Dogwood Flower Garland, $32 from Middleburg Folk Art Studio

Starry White Sparkle Garland, $32 from Marilyn Healy

Snowflake Garland, $17 from The Looks

Let it Snow Garland, $20 from Sugar Britches Company

Extra Long Snowflake Garland made from vintage book pages, $8.50 from Geek Details

Silver Oak Garland, $16 from Royal Buffet

Antique Mercury Glass Christmas Garland, $70 from Ruby Fig Atelier

Winter Garland, $18 from Cat and Fiddle

Snow Flurries Banner, $22.50 from Cottage in the Sun

Blue Snowflake Garland, $7 from Little Glowing Lights

Icy Winter Garland, $15 from Miesmama

Snowflake Garland, $13 from Lemon Tree Studio

How To: Make a Holiday Wreath from Vintage Books

Blog reader Mary-Ellen Kelly (she of last week's snowflakes-and-pinecones window hanging) was kind enough to share another super-simple holiday craft project with us:

You’ll need:
• Wire hanger
• Old book pages in various sizes
• Stapler
• Hole punch
• Ribbon

Instructions:
• Unwind the handle of the wire hanger so that you have an opening, but be sure to leave the top of the hanger in a hook shape. Carefully bend the body of the hanger into a circle, rounding out the corners as best as possible.

• Tear 50 or 60 pages (total) from a variety of books; pages of slightly different shapes and sizes work best.

• Roll a single page in half from top to bottom (not left to right).

• Staple the edges together where the top and bottom of the page meet.

• Punch a hole through the center of the rolled-and-stapled page. Tip: Once you get going on the pages, try hole-punching purposefully left or right of center to slightly vary the pages’ position on the wreath.

• Thread the open end of the wire hanger through the hole you've punched in one of the rolled book pages. Repeat with a second rolled page.

• Secure the two pages by stapling them together. (Staple from the underside of the top page so the staple doesn't show.)

• Repeat until the wire circle is full.

• Bring the first page and last page together at the top of the circle with your last staple. Make sure that the hanger hook is hidden behind the rolled book pages.

• Re-twist the open end of the hanger around the base of the hook to close your circle.

* Hang the wreath on a small nail or tack. If you wish, you can mount a decorative ribbon above the wreath so it appears to be suspended from that.

Finis!

Thank you so much for sharing this fun project, Mary-Ellen!

(Readers: If you have a simple DIY project to share, send me photos and instructions and I'll be happy to feature it here.)

How To: A Snowflake Window Hanging Variation

More Ways to Waste Time reader Mary-Ellen from Memphis, Tennessee, just wrote in to show me the window hanging she was inspired to make after reading yesterday's tutorial on creating a snowflakes-and-oranges hanging.

I love the petite pine cones in place of the dried orange slices, and think the results are absolutely beautiful. Well done, Mary-Ellen!

How to: Make a Snowflakes-and-Oranges Window Hanging

I'm off to run a bunch of errands this morning. (Ugh -- DMV, anyone?) In the meantime, I'll leave you with a rerun of a fun and simple holiday craft project from last year, in case any of you missed it:

Atomic Garden, one of my favorite shops here in Oakland, has the prettiest window displays. Just like the store itself, they're simple, natural, and lovely.

The eco-friendly housewares-and-clothing boutique's current window candy is a clever and beautiful assemblage of crocheted snowflakes, yarn pom-poms, and dried oranges hung from a gently gnarled tree branch.

Here's how to make one of your own -- perfect for dressing a window for the holidays or simply brightening up the view during the dreary winter days ahead.

You'll need:
* A tree branch measuring three-quarters of an inch or more in diameter and about the width of the window you want to hang it in. (Pick up a fallen branch the next time you're out for a walk or a hike, save one when you trim your trees, or buy one from a floral-supply shop or online.)

* Two to three ceiling hooks for suspending the branch. (You could also slip the branch into wall-mounted curtain brackets.)

* A spool of fine twine, waxed cord, or fishing line.

* A large, sturdy needle, such as an embroidery or darning needle.

* A selection of crocheted snowflakes. (You can create your own if you're especially crafty or simply use cloth doilies -- I spotted several for a couple bucks apiece at my local fabric store yesterday -- paper snowflakes made from medium- to heavyweight paper, or snowflake-shaped ornaments.)

* Fabric starch or craft glue.

* A section of golfball- to tennis-ball-sized pom-poms. (Make your own with yarn, craft them from tissue paper, pick up a bag of fuzzy pom-poms at a craft store, or simply substitute a few white ball ornaments.)

* Dried orange slices. (They're easy to make at home, or you can buy them from a specialty grocer. Dried pineapple slices would also work.)

Instructions:
* Screw the hooks into the ceiling, making sure they're anchored well. Loop lengths of twine, cord, or fishing line over the hooks, tying them securely. Tie the other ends around the tree branch so that it hangs across the top of your window. (Or simply remove the curtain rod from the window and slip the ends of the branch into the curtain brackets.)

* Depending on the width of your branch and how many snowflakes, pom-poms, and oranges you want to hang, tie several lengths of cord around the branch with the ends trailing down. Vary the lengths randomly so that the longest hits the bottom of the window and the others are shorter.

* If you're using cloth snowflakes or doilies, douse them with laundry starch or dab them with craft glue mixed with a bit of water and pin them flat so that they dry stiff.

* Once they're dry, tie the snowflakes onto the cord at varying heights.

* Using your sturdy needle with the cord threaded through, hang the pom-poms at varying heights. If your window is wider than it is tall, one pom-pom per length of cord is fine. If the window is tall and narrow, hang a few pom-poms from each cord, spacing them out randomly and tying the cord beneath each to keep it in place. (If you're using ball ornaments, simply thread the cord through the loop at the top of the ornament and tie it securely.)

* Finally, thread the remaining lengths of cord with orange slices. Poke the threaded needle through the flesh of the orange near the top and tie the cord to hold the orange slices in place.

Enjoy!

(Thanks to Jamie and Erin at Atomic Garden for walking me through this.)

Readers: If you have a simple DIY project to share, send me photos and instructions and I'll be happy to feature it here!

Cool Stuff: Flat-Pack Pine and Fir Trees

Made from flat-packed birch veneer, these laser-cut tree silhouettes -- each measuring more than 18 inches tall -- will add a natural, modern touch to your holiday decor. Left to right: Jack Pine Tree, Suba Fir Tree, and Mexican Pine Tree.

They're $52 to $58 each, including shipping, from Jayson Home & Garden.

Psst -- for a more affordable option, check out Cardboard Safari's 24-inch recycled cardboard Alpine Tree, $28.

Cool Stuff: 12 Days of Christmas Plates

Normally, I shudder at the very thought of holiday-themed dinnerware. It's just so ... nauseatingly twee. But these caught my eye in a museum shop today, and I was actually quite charmed by them. (I must be going soft in my old age.)

Each of the 12 appetizer-sized plates depicts -- with sweet illustrations and fresh, not-too-Christmas-y colors -- the gifts that one's true love might bestow in the days leading up to December 25, from the lone partridge to the 12 drummers drumming.

The set, by Seattle's Rosanna Bowles, is $96 right here.

Etsy Finds of the Day: Hang It

Now that you have your Etsy wrapping paper, gift tags, and holiday stockings, the only thing left (other than the gifts themselves, of course) is a collection of handmade ornaments. Luckily, those busy Etsy crafters don't disappoint.

Above: Bird Ornament, $14 from whatcha buildin

Three Turtle Doves Ornaments, $40 for the set from Kitchen Sink Handcrafts

Charming Bird Ornament, $10 from Raw Goods

Owl on a Branch Tree Ornament, $15 from Jessica Rose Cashmere

Mustard Bird, $8 from Jessica Jane

Porcelain Dove, $10 from Purple Petunia

Porcelain Lace Ornament, $15 from Deb Babcock

Mimiga Ornaments, $22 each from kwoozy handmade

Matryoshka Softie Ornament, $12 from Little Miss Acorn

Ugly Doll Ornaments, $22 for three from CraftVillage

Dotty Felt Ornaments, $22 for two from handmade by lupin

Felted Wool Ornaments, $14 for four from Maddyrose

Knitted Acorn Ornament, $6 from Burtonwood

Contemporary Christmas Baubles, $10 for two from moocow

The Pure Universe Origami Ornaments, $14 for seven from the Star Craft

Silver Foil Omaga Star Origami Ornaments, $25 for two from Fanshefolds

Flake and Ball Ornaments, $3 to $15 each from silvercocoon

OK, I swear that's it for holiday stuff on Etsy. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Etsy Finds of the Day: Stuff It

Indie-designed gift wrap? Check. Sweet handmade gift tags? Check. Now you just need something in which to sock those small, adorably wrapped holiday trinkets.

Above: Natural Wool Felt Stockings, $12 each from appetite

Felt Stockings, $17 each from rikrak

Big Brown Blossom Stocking, $22 from Candy Argyle Designs

Floral Chenille Stocking, $29 with free personalized embroidery from With Love From Alabama

Felt Skull and Crossbones Stocking $9 from Sugarfoot

Old Yellow Quilt Stocking, $15 from My Little Byrd Nest

Etsy Finds of the Day: Tag It

Now that you have all your independently designed, handmade, eco-friendly wrapping paper squared away, it's time to stock up on some equally charming and unique gift tags from those crafty Etsy sellers:

Top: Modern Gift Tags, $5 for six from mel829

Let It Snow Gift Tags, eight for $6 from kiss 'n tell

Pinwheel Gift Tags, $4.75 each from Whimsy Love

Snowflake Gift Tags, $5 for ten from made by them

Pattern Gift Tags, $3.50 for 18 from Elfrida Paper Goods

Chartreuse and Olive Gift Tags, $1.80 for four from Modern Card

Hide and Seek Silhouette Gift Tags, $6 for 12 from amelia mae

Silver and Blue Screenprinted Gift Tags, $5 for six from UglyKitty

Mod Pod Merry Christmas Tags, ten for $4.25; French Text Christmas Tags, six for $3; and Orange and Turquoise Swing Tags, ten for $4 from the Craft Pantry

Cherry Blossom Tags, $2.75 for five from AlignwithDesign

Great Mistakes Scrap Tags, $5 for 20 from Suzanne Buchanan Designs

Snowflake Circle Tags, $3.50 for 22 from Elle's Studio

Peppermint Holiday Gift Tags, eight for $3 from Pinky Creations

Flower Mix Gift Tags, $8 for 24 from SpaceDog Studios

Vintage Green Christmas Tree Tags, $3 for three; Festive Poinsettia Tags and Green Ornament Tags, $2 for eight; and Grand Assortment Holiday Tags, $9.50 for ten from Petite Pear Paperie

Fawn Tags, $8.50 for 16 from charliemotel

Square Holiday Tags, 24 for $5 from Spinlady

Modern Gothic Gift Tags, eight for $5 from mack (delicious) handmade goods

P.S. Many of these would make fun tree decorations, too.

Up next: Etsy Stocking Shopping