Category: Holiday Mantel

Repurposed Picture Frame Wreath

Posted on by

Are you ready for Christmas? This repurposed picture frame wreath is the perfect final decoration for your home, and is an easy DIY Christmas décor project using things found at Goodwill.

What you’ll need:

  1. Frames
  2. Greenery
  3. Hot Glue Gun / Glue Sticks

Supply Run!

You’ll want to start out this repurposed picture frame wreath project by going on a supply run to your local Goodwill Store. They will have a ton of picture frame options for you to choose from!

Once you’ve picked out your frame or frames for this easy DIY Christmas décor project, head over to the Christmas aisle at Goodwill for some greenery. This is where you’ll need a little vision. Any donated Christmas arrangements will work as long as they can be disassembled.

Here’s What I Used

For my wreaths, I found a rustic wood frame, an elaborate gold frame, and a lighter wood frame. I also used an evergreen centerpiece, a potted poinsettia arrangement, and some red poinsettias I found on a previous trip. With those I was able to create three repurposed picture frame wreath decorations!

I preferred mine to be more minimal, and so was able to stretch the greenery farther. If you prefer a fuller look, you can easily add more to your own DIY Christmas décor project.

Pull It All Apart

The next thing you’ll want to do for your repurposed picture frame wreath, is disassemble your supplies. Remove any pictures and glass from your frames, and separate the greenery you found.

I pulled mine apart and piled all the similar kinds together to see what I had of each. Then I organized which piles I wanted to go with each frame. Feel free to mix and match or stick to only one. Design it however you’re inspired! The beauty of this easy DIY Christmas décor project is that you can personalize it for your own preferences.

Lay It All Out

Once you’ve decided what greenery goes with each frame, you’ll want to lay it all out to make sure you have enough and perfect how it will be arranged on the frame. Find a center point that you will be working out from. For mine, I used the corner of the frame as the center point and laid it out so the greenery met at that point.

When that’s done, you can pull out the hot glue gun and get it warmed up.

Finishing Touches

When the glue gun is all warmed up, you can start applying the greenery to your repurposed picture frame wreath. Start with the farthest greenery from the center point and work toward the center. That way, you will hide any stems or glue under the next piece. Once you get to the center, you can nest the stems and glue under pieces that are already glued down so they aren’t visible.

If you are nervous about being able to disguise the glue points, you can add your own embellishment to the center point like a ribbon or bulb. You may even have one laying around after disassembling your greenery!

Get Hanging!

After the glue dries, your easy DIY Christmas décor is ready to be displayed! You can hang your repurposed picture frame wreath, or display it from a shelf.

I was so happy with how mine turned out! They look great on their own or as the focal point of your holiday wall arrangements! Enjoy your DIY Christmas décor pieces! You can find tutorials for the DIY Winter Décor Glass Trees and picket fence DIY Stocking Hanger on my website www.ThisGrowingHome.com

Or go directly to the posts:

https://www.thisgrowinghome.com/diy-winter-decor-glass-trees/

https://www.thisgrowinghome.com/diy-stocking-hanger/

Hopefully you enjoyed this fun and easy DIY Christmas décor project and are already getting started on your own repurposed picture frame wreath! Check in later for more fun and easy projects supplied by your local Goodwill! And… Happy Decorating!!

DIY Holiday Mantel Decorating Ideas

Posted on by

I can’t believe that the holidays are upon us and, if you are anything like me, the house is just begging you to decorate it for the season. I love beautiful holiday decorations, but I prefer simplicity, affordability, and smart investments that can be used over and over again. In our house, for example, we are decking it out with my favorite burlap wreath and my handmade yarn trees and we are even buying our first REAL Christmas tree this year (which I am awfully excited about).

I love to make handmade items that we can pull out from year to year so that is why I am excited to showcase some DIY Holiday Mantel Decorating Ideas from some of my favorite DIY bloggers. Of course, I am going to weave in some great deals found at Goodwill this holiday season too to round these mantels out.

Add a Little Typography

I am a big fan of typography and the roots of that just might come from being married to a web designer. I love this LET IT SNOW banner from The Proper Pinwheel that you can create with just a little cardstock and some scissors. To help balance out the piece, consider adding a mirror or scrap paper covered books from Goodwill to round out the mantels. I happen to love these little silhouettes too that would be beautiful in spray painted white frames to match.

Embrace a Scandinavian Theme

There is something so sweetly simple about red and white paired together and there are so many fun elements that could be added from your local Goodwill store in this Scandinavian Red & White Mantel. From spray painted candlestick holders and accessories, to vintage ice skates, to a simple red painted door, to stockings made from sweaters…there is just so much to love about this one created by Tatertots & Jello. The addition of paper garlands and pom-poms add those perfect homemade touches.

Light It Up With Snow Globes

Even as a grown-up, I find snow globes just as beautiful and magical as I did when I was a kid. I am also a big fan of terrariums so I really love this idea of pairing the two and creating a Snow Globe Terrarium to light up your mantle. This inexpensive idea adds a lot of holiday magic and would be a fantastic craft to create with a few of your favorite holiday helpers. Check Goodwill’s houseware selections for jars to keep it budget-friendly thanks to this fun idea for Pink Pistachio!

Embrace Mixed Metallics

If there is one thing I love this year it is metallics and mixing them together. Luckily, it is easy to gussy up a vase or add a touch of paint to sticks from the backyard thanks to the metallic spray paints on the market. I love this mixed metallic mantel from Centsational Girl because it is so elegant and also looks very easy to achieve with a little spray paint or even glitter tape (as Kate did)  from your craft tool arsenal. How easy is this?

Add a Traditional Garland

Pre-made garlands can be expensive and may not have the color scheme you are after. I love a traditional mantel with evergreen garland and this tutorial recreates the Pottery Barn style at a fraction of the cost. Between Naps on the Porch illustrates one struggle that I have had with ordering garlands from PB…the length just isn’t there. You have to buy many to achieve the length you need for a decorated porch or mantel. Making these yourself gives you the flexibility to create your own desired length and add in the perfect colors to bring it all together. The best part is that you can use these year after year!

Add Chalkboard & Marquee Details

I am such a big fan of chalkboard paint and almost anything at Goodwill can be transformed into a DIY chalkboard from photo frames to mirrors to cupboard doors. I love the idea of mixing and matching words in front of your DIY chalkboard for an elegant holiday mantel! The Crafted Sparrow shows off her style with a handmade MERRY marquee that she whipped up. Consider hunting the store for a basket for snowballs and for boxes or luggage to round out a corner.

Keep It Natural

As I get older, I appreciate more a simple touch provided by nature instead of fake greenery that requires packing and storing for the season. I love this simple mini wreath garland from the merry thought that you can create to decorate a mantel created from a little pine and adding berries, pine cones, and sticks from your backyard. This mantel isn’t fussy and relies on all the beautiful things that nature provides to achieve a simple & clean modern look.

What are your favorite ways to decorate your mantel for the holidays?