Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

This year I might have taken the tree decorating a bit far. I couldn’t stop at just decorating the tree. No, I had to decorate up the walls around the tree and onto the ceiling. The tree is literally surrounded by a multitude of shimmery vinyl stars!

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

What do you think? Overkill? Or do you like the emphasis those stars place around the tree. If you like it, here is a link where you can purchase your own set of stars from Leen the Graphics Queen (affiliate link.)

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

My idea started when I was gazing at my favorite tree topper I bought at Target a few years ago. At night when the light is turned on, it casts a multitude of lit stars all over the ceiling and walls. I was thinking how sad it is that you can’t see all those stars in the day. I wanted a more permanent way to keep the stars on the wall and ceiling 24/7! That’s when I called my friend Leen the Graphics Queen on a whim. That girl is the sweetest thing. She put up with my crazy idea and promptly shipped me several sheets of stars in different colors to create my vision. Proof that she’s truly a wonderful friend, she sent me both a set of gold and silver stars for me to choose from. As you probably guessed, I used the gold stars.

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

Now, behold our blue, white and gold Christmas tree! The gold is the prefect touch of warmth against the cool white and blue color palette.

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

The feather boas and icicles were from Michael’s last year. The larger aqua blue embroidered ornament balls and silver tree skirt are from Lowe’s (yeah—I know—Lowe’s the Home Improvement store!) The rest of the ornaments I’ve had for a while.

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

At night when the tree is lit, you can see that I wrapped the tree with several strands of white and blue mini-lights.

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

The British horse bridal medallions were a gift from a dear friend a few years ago. They have made the rounds in my home decor, but this year I added them to the Christmas tree.

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

What do you think? Do you like my idea of surrounding our tree with its own constellation of stars?

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

You don’t have to use them on the ceiling. You can use them to decorate your desk, your door, holiday gifts, your refrigerator, your kids (okay maybe not them) or anywhere you want to decorate for the holidays! Best of all, when you are ready to remove them they peel off and leave no damage behind.

Starry Night Christmas Tree | Pretty Handy Girl

Happy Decorating!

PHGFancySign

Disclosure:

Some affiliate links appear in this post, if you click on them I earn a small percentage from the purchase. You are not charged any more.

Here’s the scoop, I wasn’t paid for this post. Leen is a good friend of mine and I love her graphic vinyl. I approached her about using her graphic stars. Yes, she sent them to me for free, but she’s a sweetheart like that. Leen and her husband run a small shop near the coast of North Carolina. They are the type of business that you want to support around the holidays and the rest of the year. I’d tell you more about how wonderful they are and how they are raising four wonderful children, but then it would sound like I’m gushing. So, hey, just know that I wasn’t paid and I want to see Leen succeed ;-)! 

 

Pin for later!

Chalkboard Gift Tags | Pretty Handy Girl

Chalkboard Gift Tags | Pretty Handy Girl

Want a great way to dress up gifts? Make these easy chalkboard gift tags for your holiday or birthday gifts. Purchase some inexpensive wood plaques or cut some masonite scraps and paint them with chalkboard paint.

Drill a few holes and thread them onto the ribbon on the gift. After the present has been opened the recipient can hang the chalkboard tag on their door or use them to label bins.

Materials:

  • Unfinished wood plaques (I bought mine at Michaels)
  • Small rectangular scraps of masonite
  • Chalkboard paint (spray or brush on works fine)
  • Screw eyes
  • Pliers
  • Drill
  • Drill Bits
  • Ribbon or rope
  • Chalk

Instructions:

Prep your tags by painting them with chalkboard paint. Typically I like to use two coats.

Drill holes in the top of the plaque (slightly smaller than the screw eye.)

Chalkboard Gift Tags | Pretty Handy Girl

Turn a screw eye into the hole. Pliers are helpful when it gets tough to turn. Read more

Sew Easy Anthropologie Cloth Napkin Gift Bags | Pretty Handy Girl

Sew Easy Anthropologie Cloth Napkin Gift Bags | Pretty Handy Girl

When I want to give a small gift as a thank you or to make someone’s day I like to dress it up by presenting the gift in a little fabric drawstring pouch. These cloth napkin gift bags are “sew” easy to make and they cost about 1/3 the cost of the cloth napkin! Gather a few simple supplies and your sewing supplies and join me.

Materials:

  • Cloth napkin
  • Thread
  • Baker’s string or thin ribbon
  • Seam ripper
  • Scissors
  • Safety pin
  • Chopstick, paint brush or other stick type object

Instructions:

Fold the cloth napkin into fourths. Cut along the folds to yield four squares.

Sew Easy Anthropologie Cloth Napkin Gift Bags | Pretty Handy Girl

Fold the napkin fabric in half right sides together. Read more

DIY Lemonade Lip Balm | Pretty Handy Girl

DIY Lemonade Lip Balm | Pretty Handy Girl

Happy Summer! Warm days and soaring temperatures always put me in the mood for lemonade. For a little end of the year gift for my sons’ teachers I whipped up a small batch of DIY Lemonade lip balm. But, this is a fabulous gift to make for a girlfriend or anyone who needs a little ray of sunshine. I’m joining in with Kristen Duke’s Birthday Celebration Blog Hop with 101+ Birthday Gift Ideas for your Friends!

Lemonade Lip Balm Materials and Ingredients:

(contains affiliate links)

DIY Lemonade Lip Balm | Pretty Handy Girl

Yield: Recipe yields enough to fill three 1/2 oz. jars. Feel free to double the recipe to make more.

Lemonade Lip Balm Instructions: Read more

free printable blog hop

I’m excited to share 101+ Birthday Gift Ideas for your Friends. I am joining creative forces with Kristen Duke in her Birthday Celebration Week along with over 100 talented bloggers sharing lots of inexpensive ideas and free printables! The collection is live now, so be sure to jump out of bed and find a fabulous gift idea for that special person in your life.  A lot of these gifts are versatile for any occasion, and can be a gift to your friends, family, or even that gal that you’d like to get to know better. Even more fabulous—most gifts are under $5, and have coordinating printables to make it super simple!

101 Birthday Ideas for Friends

{Blog Hop Birthday designs by C {dot} love}
 

I’m sharing a recipe for DIY Lemonade Lip Balm because I know a little handmade gift of lemony goodness will brighten anyone’s day and let them know that you care enough to pamper them on their birthday (or any day.)

DIY Lemonade Lip Balm | Pretty Handy Girl

Are you ready for some inspiration? Join in on the BLOG HOP! Click on each of the links below each collage to see the instructions on how to make them and their free printable. I like to open a bunch of new tabs and Pin my favorites for later. Don’t forget to follow the Gift Ideas Pinterest Board as well, to save future great ideas. Read more