It's no coincidence that Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor is coming to an end on Christmas Day. Here is one final tip: Day 12: Relax and Celebrate Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Yule. Happy Kwanzaa. Don't sweat the small stuff, and enjoy the time with family and friends. Blackbird Design Studio will be taking some time off for the holidays and will return just after New Year's Day with new projects and ideas. Many thanks to everyone for their support! Until next year, - Laurie
Welcome to Day 11 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! In this penultimate chapter, it's time for a little table talk. Let's get to it! Day 11: Gather 'Round the Table As the Big Day approaches, hosts and hostesses are scrambling to make sure that the halls are decked, the stockings are hung, and the dinner table is set, down to the Who-Pudding and Roast Beast. Here are a few tips to showcase the big holiday meal without breaking the bank! - Make use of Mother Nature's bounty! To echo the sentiments covered in Day 5, the holidays are full of opportunities to bring the outdoors in with little if any added expense. Evergreen boughs and holly make beautiful accents for cente
Welcome to Day 10 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Today's topic: how to make friends and family who take the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" literally feel at home for the holidays! Day 10: Santa's Not the Only One Coming to Town AAA estimates that over 100 million Americans will be traveling during the holidays in 2016. For many people, this means setting up the guest room for visiting family and friends. Here are some quick tips to help visitors feel at home for the holidays. - Add some personal touches to the guest room! Framed candid photos from past visits lend a familiar air and also make a nice souvenir for visitors. - Spread the holiday cheer! As mentioned
Welcome to Day 9 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Today's topic focuses not on what's on the Christmas tree, but what's under it: presents! Day 9: Christmas Wrapping No, not this one. Now that the tree is decorated and, with any luck, the shopping's complete, it's time to disguise the gifts so carefully chosen for family and friends until The Big Day. Here are a few quick tips to make giving even better than receiving! - To distinguish at a glance which gifts are staying under the tree and which are traveling to other homes, choose specific papers or wrapping styles for what stays and what goes. - Natural or rustic materials like brown craft paper and twine are very p
Welcome to Day 8 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Today's topic expands on the notion of creating unexpected vignettes and bits of holiday cheer around the house. Read on for more details! Day 8: Big or Small, Deck Them All With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, many people find it easier to focus their holiday decorating efforts on the areas guests are most likely to see. Efficient and practical as that strategy is, the downside is that the private areas of the home are shortchanged. Why not add a little whimsy and fun in places that are just for a home's residents? Both online and brick and mortar retailers have a plentiful assortment of fun holiday bedding, an
Welcome to Day 7 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Now that the Christmas tree has been covered, it's time to move on to decking the rest of the halls! Let's go! Day 7: Things Are Looking Up Aside from what hangs on the tree, a lot of the typical home's holiday décor is of the tabletop variety. End tables, entertainment centers, bookshelves and the like are perfect spots for a little holiday cheer. Today's tip takes that idea a step beyond: create some surprises for family, friends and guests by placing greenery, ornaments and other items in unexpected places above eye level. This vignette above a set of upper kitchen cabinets has pops of red and green, along with a li
Welcome to Day 6 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! It's the halfway point of the mini-blog series, and today's post revisits the tall, (usually) green elephant in the room: the Christmas tree. Day 3 was all about what to do without one; Day 6, the opposite! Day 6: Again with The Tree Whether it's freshly cut from the farm or brought down from the attic and assembled, the Christmas tree is the showstopper in most homes during the holidays. Christmas trees are usually set up in the most visible place in the home, in front of a picture window or by the fireplace for family and friends alike to oooh and ahh over during holiday celebrations. Most websites, YouTube videos, m
Welcome to Day 5 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! As promised, today's mini-blog post will focus on bringing the outdoors inside when sprucing up for the holidays. Let's get to it! Day 5: Act Naturally Christmas trees aren't the only natural symbols of the December holidays. Many popular holiday songs -- "The Holly and the Ivy", "Winter Wonderland", and "White Christmas", to name only a few -- use imagery from nature to get listeners into the spirit of the season. Why not take a cue from Mother Nature herself and take advantage of her bounty when decorating indoors? It's easy and it's free! Gathering holiday ideas and supplies from nature doesn't have to wait until th
Welcome to Day 4 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Today's topic is an important one, but it's not about Christmas; it's about recognizing the rich cultural tapestry of America and of the world. Day 4: There's More to December than Christmas As the popular acapella group Straight No Chaser noted in their popular song, "The Christmas Can-Can", Christmas "ain't the only holiday" in December. Nearly 15 million people worldwide celebrate Hanukkah, the annual 8-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Each year beginning on December 26, many African-Americans observe the seven days of Kwanzaa. Saint Nicholas' Day, St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day, the Winter Solstice...all are celebrate
Welcome to the next installment of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Today's post tackles a situation that's more common than people may realize: what to do when putting up a Christmas tree isn't an option! Day 3: No Christmas Tree? No Problem! In a perfect world, every home would have an tall, full, and fragrant fir in the foyer or great room, with plenty of space underneath the tree for presents. In the real world, though, people live in studio apartments, third floor walkups and tiny houses where a real tree isn't practical or readily available. Live trees can also pose a challenge for families with allergies, animals or small children. Artificial trees look a lot more
Welcome to Day 2 of Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! Today's tip is an especially useful one for families striving for a budget-friendly holiday. Day 2: Reuse and Repurpose When it's time to decorate for the holidays, most folks pack away their everyday accessories in favor of snowmen, Santas and other seasonal staples. This can be a challenge for homeowners with limited storage. The good news: it doesn't have to be that way! Vases, bowls and other vessels can easily be transformed into festive additions to a holiday decorating plan. At the Studio, a white pitcher and wash basin from the late 1960s (pictured) got a makeover with lights, small ornaments, faux branches and
Welcome to Blackbird Design Studio's 12 Days of Christmas Décor! This mini-blog series will offer daily tips and tricks to help make the holidays more beautiful on any budget. Let's get started! Day 1: It's Not a Competition "Keeping up with the Joneses" is a pressure point for many families throughout the year, and even more so at the holidays. There's always one house on the block that is determined to shine brighter than La Salette Shrine's Christmas Festival of Lights. Don't panic if this happens! When it comes to holiday cheer, remember that the goal is not to outdo the neighbors, but to share the spirit of the season. Do what makes sense and is budget-friendly! Looking for more tips fo
