Wreathdiculously Easy and Cheapo Christmas Display

This year it was my goal to be really good about staying away from the giant Christmas departments at the stores, because I can so easily be loomed in and all the sudden, I have a $100 of decorations that I really don't need... Ok, slight exaggeration, but seriously!  Some of that stuff is ridiculously priced!

So this year, I decided to use all of the ideas I have seen from you uber talented individuals in the blog world, and mix and match the ideas in my own home.  And I wasn't allowing myself to leave my home or spend a dime.

How did I do?!  I will let you decide!

Since we are basementless this year {and that is where a lot of our mantle and Christmas magic always happened}, I decided that our floating shelves in the dining area, were screaming to be made over!  So that's where I focused most of my holiday decorating energy so far.

I started off by completely removing everything from the shelves and wiping them down.

Then, I printed off this incredible subway art I found here on the eighteen25 blog.

And popped it into an 8 x 10 frame.

This seriously set the mood for the rest of the display and the color theme.  Love.

When I was rummaging through my clutter cabinet for items to use, I came out of there with a glass hurricane, some white vase filler sand and some small mason jars.

The glass hurricane got the Christmas bulb treatment.

And the mason jars got filled with the white sand, which I thought resembled snow, and topped with a tea-light candle.

Then, I found more inspiration on the Real Simple Simply Stated blog in which I saw some paper cones.  I instantly thought they would be perfect and SO easy to replicate.

So I did!  Using the subway art colors for inspiration, I just picked out some pretty scrapbook paper from my scrap stack.

I flanked them on either side of the mason jars... leaving me with this setup:

I was loving where I was at, but needed even more.  Back to more inspiration from you fine blogging friends.  I have seen coffee filters being used all over the blogosphere to make all sorts of incredible decor, including wreaths.  So I used the tutorial I found at crafty texas girls here.

Lucky for me, I was planning on making my own DIY wreath for indoors last year, that I never got to, so I still had a wreath form laying around.  The coffee filters were my only purchase, only because I had run out of my own halfway through.  So far, under $2 spent for the whole project!

I started the wreath by making a flower like shape with the filters, and used boatloads of hot glue...

It was really what the top shelf needed to feel more substantial.  And it only took about 2 HOURS and some burnt fingertips!  So if you have oodles of time and fireproof fingers, I say go for it!

But I still wasn't completely done.  A couple final touches.  I went outside, clipped a branch from a tree, let it dry for about 4 hours and gave it a coat of white spray paint.  Once the spray paint was dry, I used Mod Podge to add glitter to the top the whole branch, giving it a snow like glimmer.

Which when paired with some bird salt and pepper shakers, is as perfect as Peanut Butter paired with Jelly!

Then I decided that the buffet table needed a little color to pull it all together, but it took me a minute for me to realize the most perfect and obvious green and red solution...

How do you like them apples? hee hee!

And that was all it needed to be called complete!  YAY!

No worries, candles will be moved upon lighting...

The best part of it all, is that I am really liking the new display better than the previous.  And it has inspired me to re-look at our kitchen color scheme... It's so much more fun and fresh and actually a lot more balanced than the regular day to day display.  That really makes me giddy!

So there you have it!  How did I do?  I think I accomplished my goal.  And I have a little more up my sleeve to share, however, we aren't hosting any Christmas celebrations, and we already celebrated as a family away, so I am keeping things on the simple side this year.

What blogs did you snag some inspiration from this year?  What is your favorite piece of holiday decor?  What is the most impactful DIY Christmas project you have done?