Young House Love

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How To Make A Holiday Window Banner From Felt Ornaments

There are a few more holiday projects going on (aka: getting crossed off the list – woot!) so let’s get right into it. Last year I grabbed four of these 3-packs of white felt tree ornaments from Target. I picked them up about a week after Christmas when they were marked down to ten cents per set instead of a dollar, which meant that in total I had 12 mini felt trees for 40 cents. They seemed kinda perfect to make a casual little banner that looks like hand-cut paper but is actually felt that I didn’t have to cut (which is win/win). Sidenote: this is my hand but it looks so much like John’s that it’s scary. Are we becoming one person? Can that happen? Should the person that we’re morphing into be called Shon or Jerry?

Banner1

Anyway, next I grabbed a random ribbon remnant from the box of leftover ribbon in the closet that I recycle for gift wrapping and laid it out on the floor with my little trees under it to see the spacing. You can see that they had little gold strings around the top of them for hanging, so I just clipped those off.

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Then I grabbed 12 paperclips from the office supply drawer. Bada bing, bada boom. Sure, I could’ve sewed them each in place or used smaller/cuter clips (like mini clothespins or something) but I didn’t want to be fussy about it and just wanted to make the window look festive using things we already had around the house. Call me crazy but there’s something deliciously casual and sweet about white felt trees, navy ribbon, and little silver paperclips. But if you’re feeling fancy you could get cute binder clips or teeny tiny clothespins instead.

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Behold… another mini tree!

Tree Far Away

Yup, our tabletop tree is ba-aaack! You can check out last year’s mini tree here (and the 38 homemade ornaments that I whipped up for last year’s Pinterest Challenge). Or you can just feast your eyes on this year’s beauty. Oh but don’t mind that mangled little gray pashmina I tossed under it for the time being (I think using some sort of silver faux fur could be awesome).

Tree Closer

As for the ornaments the only theme is: meaningful, sweet, handmade, and treasured. Basically in the words of Clara, it’s full of our “special special favorites.”

Tree Closer Again Again

We piled on a ton of ornaments that we love love love – whether they were from a local craft fair – like the Virginia ornament below – or even from a few amazingly crafty readers at book tour stops, like this sweet one with Clara’s baby silhouette…

Ornament Detail

Look at this fun felt YHL one that someone else made for us at another book tour stop. So cute, right? And in the background above it you can see John’s bike ornament that I got him last year and an old disco ball from Target over five years ago (along with a small brass french horn, which is what John played in high school band – mah man).

Yhl Ornament

This odd little moose-related ornament might be our favorite. It’s two freshly wedded moose snuggling up to each other. We picked it up on Alaska on our honeymoon. Cue the collective moose aww.

Wedding Detail

Another favorite is this burger one that we bought in honor of none other than the Burg-meister a few years back. And check out that cute felt owl above it (another reader-made ornament from one of our tour stops- have I mentioned how crafty you guys are?!).

Burger Ornament

Basically it’s a tree full of awesomely mismatched and meaningful treasures. You can see that our homemade antlers, spray painted animals, & glass bulbs full of brightly colored paint still have a spot up there, they just get to be surrounded by everything from preserved gingerbread cookies to an old empire state building ornament that reminds us of our time spent in NY where we met back in 2005.

Ornament Detail1

And of course we had to bring our new DIYed chalkboard into the festivities, so John faced his chalk-is-screechy fears and made a little Starbucks-ish drawing, complete with a snowman (he dipped the chalk in water before writing, which you guys suggested for vibrant colors and less chill-inducing screechiness – which seemed to work well, especially with the colored chalk). You might have seen it on instagram last week. I added some snowflakes and then Clara got to work drawing “a pretty rainbow for Santa.” The family that chalks together stays together.

Chalkboard1

Now this formerly un-festive corner makes me straight up jolly.

Chalkboard Tree

Oh and in the spirit of holiday updates, here’s how the little ornaments that I glued to magnets are now faring with three holidays cards up there to keep them company. I’m happy to report that they still look just as cute as they did without cards. And since we snapped this pic yesterday afternoon three more cards came. Woot! I love finding them in the mailbox. #cardnerd

Kitchen Magnets

Oh and check out this amaaazing advent calendar we got from our friends the Pohls in Germany (their three year old daughter named Clara is our Clara’s penpal – more on that here). They sent this traditional German advent calendar where you unwrap each envelope or box to find little treats like a tiny doll, candy, stickers, even a small package of colorful tissues. So far Clara has been having a blast opening one thing per day.

Advent

So there you have our holiday updates.

  • set up the big tree (gradient, baby!)
  • get a live tabletop tree again (like we did last year)
  • decorate the mantel, the built-ins, and the entryway console
  • hang our outside lights & decorate the front porch
  • shoot a Christmas picture of Clara & Burger for our annual holiday card 
  • make an advent calendar for Clara? Ahh I’m behind already!
  • shop for slash make all the gifts on our Christmas list (I’m about 90% done, can’t wait to cross this sucker off!)

We still haven’t hung any lights out front (ack!) or finished all of our Christmas shopping/wrapping, but maybe this weekend we’ll get there. What’s left on your Christmas to-do list? What have you euphorically crossed off already? Is it not amazing to drag a pen across things that you’ve completed? Maybe I need List-Crossers Anonymous. Anyone else having fun with a tabletop tree, homemade banners, or anything else that feels sweetly handmade? Spill the holiday beans.

Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15! 

Comments

    • Kara says

      Is it working strong, or do the magnets attach weakly? I tried using magnetic primer before, and I think we applied 2-3 coats. And those cheap flimsy magnets (think business card sized that places like pizza joints and doctors give out for free) are the only ones “light” enough to stick. Anything else kept sliding down.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The magnets grab hold if they’re good magnets. Maybe that’s the key: good strong magnets and a few coats of magnet paint (you have to apply it correctly too, like if you don’t shake it well the particles are at the bottom so it won’t be as strong).

      xo
      s

  2. Diane says

    Sooo disappointed to get another e-mail from Amazon saying there’s an unexpected delay from their suppliers and our book is now estimated delivery 31 Dec – 7 January !!! Boo hoo. Ordered it back in October!! Gutted it won’t be here in time for Christmas and wishing you guys were not so popular, ha ha!!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      What the heck?! That’s so annoying! I’m so sorry!! What the heck is going on there? According to our publisher they have over 2000 books, so I hope they surprise you and have it in your hot little hands a whole lot sooner!

      xo
      s

  3. Holly says

    Love the chalkboard backdrop! Especially with the Clara art!

    Sherry – I was at the Living Social craft and book signing and you guessed my baby’s gender as being a boy! YOU WERE RIGHT!!!!!! Little baby boy comes in April and we are over the moon. Happy Holidays!!

    Reply

  4. Annelies says

    This is why I like Christmas ! I love the banner, such a clever idea. And a table top tree it such a great idea to put all the meaningful and special ornaments. And chalkboards are the best! I have two small ones in the shape of birds and I love writing small messages or drawing stuff on it. Also love the advent calendar, so nice they made time to create all these little gifts and send it over to you. Good luck with the final to-do’s on your list !

    Reply

  6. Linda Williamson says

    Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me!

    I woke up this morning, and my hubby surprised me with your book for my birthday! He is always making fun of how I reference you all like we’re best friends. When stuff comes up in the house, I’m always saying, “Well, Young House Lovers say…” and “oh, I think John and Sherry have dealt with that before!” Poor man just fed into my little obsession :)

    Reply

  7. Melody says

    I had to laugh at your Shon and Jerry comment. One of my old art professors taught me that married people start to look more and more alike the longer they are together. The reason being that you adopt the other person’s facial expressions which in turn develops the corresponding muscles in your own face.

    Reply

  8. Rebecca says

    I did almost the same thing with those felt trees from Target! I bought them in all 5 colors, tied two of each on some hemp twine, and hung them by the kitchen.

    Reply

  9. jessica says

    great minds this alike! i also purchased those target tree ornaments for .10 each last year in white, teal, purple & green – and they are my ‘garnish’ for all of my presents this year. pays off to be “those people” shopping for christmas 358 days early! merry christmas!

    Reply

  10. Jeremy says

    John-Just when I thought you couldn’t get any cooler you go and totally redeem yourself. HIGH SCHOOL FRENCH HORN PLAYERS UNITE! I know that in the normal world this is considered, well, geeky. In my world infinite coolness!

    Reply

  11. Dawn says

    Hey there! Love the tree garland and the mini tree. “Special special favorites” make for the sweetest trees! I wanted to ask about your painted chalkboard. I recently painted my pocket door the separates my kitchen from my formal dining room with chalkboard paint. I used Valspar. I put three (or four??…I lost track at some point) coats and let it dry for almost a week before I showed my girls. The very first time they wrote on it, it started chipping. In several places. Not huge spots but very noticeable since the door underneath was white. I’m repainting it this weekend but wondered if you had any advice? Have you had any problems with yours? I’ve googled it and don’t find much on it. What I did find said that it happens and you just have to be willing to repaint. ?? I don’t like that answer. :(

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh no, maybe you got a bad batch? Did you shake it a lot before applying it (the magnetic particles can all settle to the bottom unless you shake it)? Did you apply thin and even coats? I think thick ones might be more apt to chip. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  12. Jayme says

    Oh my goodness!! That’s my squirrel front and center on your tree! I’m so excited and happy that he’s nestled his way onto your “special special” tree!! Thank you!

    Reply

  13. Koliti says

    Just love the pic of your “Jolly Corner”.
    It’s a perfect shot of John’s crafted chalkboard which is an ever-changing art/creativity center and your family mini-tree with the sweetest ornaments.

    Also love that Clara is a lefty! (I’m a lefty ,too.)
    Is there anyone else in your family who’s a lefty?

    Reply

  14. Angela M says

    Your banner is so cute and so much easier than the one Im doing for my sons room! He has one of those white floating Ikea shelves in his room that I’m trying to make time to decorate! I printed a Christmas flag template I found online and mod podging it to thicker card stock type paper then gluing it to ribbon so I can hang it across his shelf. Im about 30% done… but I did get some yarn pom poms made with deep red colored yarn to hang! Also glued some green felt balls to a styrofoam Christmas tree and glued a ribbon tied in a bow on top! Im so excited! Its the little things :) Love crafting

    Reply

  15. Diane says

    Love the mini tree!

    We have a mini tree tradition in our family as well. When we were first married my mother-in-law had trouble remembering which ornaments belonged to which child to send with them to their own homes. So, when we starting having kids we kept their ornaments separate and they each have their own mini tree in their rooms for their own ornaments that they made or received as gifts. Each year they could not wait to get their trees up!

    Reply

  16. Diane says

    Oh, almost forgot. I also saved their first pair of baby shoes to hang on their tree as an ornament! When they wear men’s 11, it’s hard for them to believe their feet ever fit in those adorable shoes!

    Reply

  17. Christy Niebaum says

    I did a very simple fishing line garland thing with purple and silver ornaments of various textures for our mantel. It’s simple, but very jolly!

    Reply

  18. Dana says

    John, how have I “known” you for so long and never knew you played French horn?? Fellow horn player right here – started in 4th grade and played through high school (and yes, I was the only 4th grader lugging a French horn back and forth to school). #bandnerds4ever

    Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

    Reply

  20. Heather says

    Have you guys heard of Chalkboard Pens? I just read about them on another blog yesterday. They sound awesome and would eliminate that chalk squeak that makes you cringe! Google them! :)

    Reply

  21. Michelle DuPuis says

    So happy to see the Clara ornament I made for you up on the tree! Have you guys been collecting ornaments from the states you’ve visited on the book tour? By next year you’d probably have enough for a book tour/places we’ve been tree.

    I love the felt garland too. So simple! And Clara’s rainbow is adorable. I’m sure Santa will love it! ;-)

    Reply

  24. Holli Anne says

    I’m pretty sure I’m going to need those mini-trees in my house! (The first white ones). That concept would also be cute with those paper snowflakes that kids (and me) like to cut out.

    Reply

  25. Chris-Ellyn says

    I picked up these trees after Christmas last year too! I was planning to use them as gift tags/tie-ons, but I like your idea better.

    Reply

  26. Sara Hamilton says

    I absolutely love the ornament magnets! Did you just super glue magnets to the bulbs? I tried to search around for a tutorial but couldn’t find anything. So cute!

    Reply

  27. Maidless Wonder says

    I love how sentimental you guys are and incorporate it beautifully (and tastefully) into your everyday decorations (or in this case your Christmas decorations).
    I’m not terribly sentimental, but my hubby and I of 12 years buy an ornament on every vacation/getaway to hang on the tree. We’ve amassed so many that I am inspired to get my own mini tree just for those ornaments.
    Btw, I am so excited that you are coming to Atlanta on your book tour but I will still be recovering from c section then. I am bummed about that and so is my 12 year old daughter – she loves your Clara and Burger post.
    Thanks for all you do!

    Reply

  28. Sarah says

    Hey guys!
    Always a pleasure to read your blog!
    Today I smiled about your “Burg-meister” since the German word for “major” is “Bürgermeister”, which is quite a promotion for Burger ;)
    Have a very nice day and happy holidays!
    Sarah from Germany

    Reply

  29. Nicolette M says

    I love everything about this post. I am lucky enough to have four mantles to decorate and always looking for new garlands. I need to keep an eye out for these to go on sale again! I also have a mini tree with ornaments from my childhood on it. Mini trees are a good excuse to do a theme you wouldn’t commit to your big tree.

    Reply

  30. Beth says

    I found those same trees at Goodwill for 25 cents a pack the day after I read this! Great timing for a fun project :-) Thanks!

    Reply

  31. Patty C. says

    List-Crossers Anonymous… Hmmm. Ever finish something, realize it’s not on the list, and add it just so you can cross it off? Me too! Guess I’ll see you at the next meeting.

    Reply

  34. melissa says

    I crafted your fridge Christmas ornament art for our fridge. We had hung some lighted garland around a door in the kitchen that we thought we’d hang the Christmas cards from. When I hung the garland I was like, no I like it how it is. Then I decorated it with small silver and gold balls and snowflakes, more loving it. Made bows for the top corners. Didn’t want to hide it with cards. Your idea solved it. Our pretty cards look beautiful on the fridge with ornament magnets. I’m going to send you a pic in appreciation for your reader inspired ideas. Thanks for making our home a little brighter with a place to display our Christmas cards. They are a dying tradition that I will hang on to till the bitter end. It’s so often you hear, “Thanks for your card, we don’t do that”.

    Reply

  35. Carolyn says

    I loved your little trees when I saw this post, and was tickled to find them at my local Goodwill (Target donates their overstock). I was too cheap to buy them at 3 for 59 cents so I waited until after Christmas when all the ornaments were 75% off. I ended up with 24 trees for $1.18. Probably not as good a deal as yours, but pretty spiffy! I wanted purple and pink ones for an Advent themed banner next year.

    Reply

  36. Kim says

    I picked up a bunch of snowflake shaped felt ornaments for 90% off (making them only 10 cents a piece!) at Target yesterday with the plan to use them for a garland for next year. I was reminded on the December Superlatives where I had seen the idea. To sum it up, you’re the voice in my head.

    Reply

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