Retro Reindeer Stocking

After making my Retro Christmas Tree Skirt, I was inspired to update some of the other decor around the ‘ol house for Christmas. This picture from 2009 shows Biceps’ stocking in all of its ridiculous glory. His stocking is far left, Cowboy is in the center and mine is far right.

Notice the sheer enormity of his stocking? He believes it entitles him to more presents…
Not only does his stocking stretch as the weight increases, but the knit of the stocking allows you to see anything inside of it-thus you must wrap everything. After years of dealing with this silliness, something had to be done.

With the leftover material from my Retro Christmas Tree Skirt and the green light from Biceps, I decided to make us Retro Reindeer Stockings that were the proper size a stocking should be.
This is the man’s version of a Retro Reindeer Stocking….

And this is the lady’s version of a Retro Reindeer Stocking.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a pair of you very own Retro Christmas Stockings:

Felt-several different scrap colors that float your boat and enough to cut (4) pieces of approx 2’ stockings-8’ squared of total material
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Ric-rac or other desired embelishments
Card Stock or your favorite stencils

Trace a simple stocking shape onto the material and cut out four total pieces. Mine measured approximately 16” tall and 10” wide. With two right sides together, sew a seam around the stocking, 1/4” away from the edge and leaving the top open.

Cut a 7” loop of ric-rac. Turn the sewn stocking right side out. Fold the top down a 1/2”, turning it inside of the stocking. Insert the loop of ric-rac on the edge of the stocking and sew a 1/4” seam around the top of the stocking.

Use your favorite stencil, or draw a shape onto cardstock that your little heart desires. I chose a tree for each stocking and also a boy deer with antlers for Biceps and a girl deer sans-antlers for yours truly.
Cut out the shapes that your little heart desired on you felt scraps.

Hot glue your felt shapes onto your stocking. Add ric-rac on the toes, heels and the top of the stocking.

I gave a little ric-rac embellishment to each deer’s neck…

…and added a bow to my ‘girl’ deer.

And then, I hung my Retro Christmas Stockings up by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nick can fit a ’66 Mustang in there.
Or a diamond tennis bracelet.
Or just some gum. I’m easy to please.

Whimsical Christmas Wreath

My two naked front doors forced me to do it. (Yes, we like to buy houses with two front doors, rather if we own them or to rent them). The front doors had basically been ignored during the decorating process for years. So, they locked me in until I came up with something cute, modern and above all, ‘Christmasy’.

I made two different types of wreaths-this being the first in a two-part intense wreath series I will be sharing with you.
Ok, truth be told, it’s not intense. It’s rather easy.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:
Styrofoam wreath
Metallic Spray Paint-I used silver, but you can go gold, red, whatever!
Hot Glue gun
Scissors
Brown Paper bags, drop cloth, etc
(ignore the rest of the stuff in the photo. I didn’t end up using it.)

Also:
Beads (these were from Mardi Gras)
Handful of small twigs
Metallic discs (found in the hobby section)
-OR-Any other decor you have laying around-tiny feathers, bells, sequins, gems, etc

Lay out the brown paper sacks or some sort of a drop cloth. Spray the styrofoam wreath and the twigs with the metallic spray paint. Don’t inhale…

Shove the twigs into the wreath until they fit snuggly. Show those suckers who’s boss. Hot glue the metallic discs (or the decor you have on hand) to the wreath with a bit of whimsy on your side.

Lay the beads around the wreath, intertwining them with the twigs. Hot glue the beads at various points around the wreath, so that they are secure but still have the capability of movement.

Proudly display your one of a kind ‘Whimsical Christmas Wreath’ on the door of your choosing-if you have more than one, like we do. ‘Cuz, we’re weird. And we buy weird houses.

But watch out-the neighbor’s with the boring old evergreen wreath might be jealous.

Retro Christmas Tree Skirt

I cherish Christmas.
It’s my absolute favorite time of the year. I anxiously await a reasonable time to launch into new crafty Christmas ideas, as soon as the first leaf begins to turn. This year I made it to the second week of October before I pulled out the decorations.
Ridiculous-I know. Fun-definitely.

This tree skirt was made out of scraps of felt fabric, an hour of my time and a bit of vintage inspiration.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Retro Tree Skirt:
2 Christmasy colors of scrap felt (I had red & green on hand)
1 circle piece of felt-about 2’-3’ in diameter (I used black)
Hot glue gun or ‘Heat n Bond’
Scissors
Ric-rac
Card Stock with your desired image drawn & cut out

Pin the cut out images to the chosen Christmasy felt. Cut out 4-6 of each image, depending upon how they are distributed around the skirt.

I cut out four felt deer for my tree skirt. And named them (from left to right: Template Deer “Ed”, Prancer, Dancer, Blitzen & Rudoplh).

And, I cut out five sparkly felt Christmas trees for my tree skirt and named them, too (from left to right: Gerry, Edna, Harry, Bob & Alice). But, I ended up only using four of them, however.
‘Alice’ was very upset.

Cut out a 2’-3’ in diameter tree skirt base. Then, cut a slit from one corner of the circle to the center, so that it can wrap around the tree. Using either a hot glue gun or the ‘Heat n Bond’, distribute the images around the tree skirt however looks best.

I added red noses to the deer and a bit of ric-rac around their necks for that extra vintage feel.

I hot glued two different colors of ric-rac around the edge of the tree skirt for some Christmasy pizzazz

And Tah-Dah! A one-of-a-kind, vintage-inspired tree skirt.
The deer were happy, the trees were happy, my wallet was happy…Now, all I need is the tree.

Vintage Gloves

Grandma blessed me with several pairs of her fancy gloves.
I love slipping my hands into the soft fabric and prancing about the house, pretending that I am a proper lady.
I envision myself as Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly.
What happened to women like that?

I might try to start a new trend of glove wearing. These are just too dang cute to leave sitting in my dresser drawer.

And, they compliment all of my vintage dresses. I think gloves would be rather cute with the right purse, heels and a vintage dress.
I think the public is ready for gloves to come back into fashion.

This soft yellow pair is my favorite. I just love the detailing around the bottom.

Wearing the gloves thrust me into doing everything in a very dramatic way.
I walk with my head held high, saying things to Biceps like, ‘Oh, Dahling!,’ and ‘If only you knew how very much I love you,’ while batting my eyelashes incessantly.
It’s probably best that I don’t wear these out in public, on second thought.