Contains affiliate links
We’ve officially had our first snow in the Bronx and Christmas is in two weeks. Despite everything happening in both the world and our little bubble, with two kids I try to make the holidays as magical as possible. Seeing the joy on their faces really keeps me going. I love finding things to do all throughout the month to keep the kids excited for Christmas and happy to be with each other. They are five years apart, so bickering and annoying each other is inevitable. But when they love, they love hard. And it makes it all worth it.
I usually don’t go too crazy with decorating for Christmas, a nice tree and some touches throughout the house is the norm. But there’s one thing I have always wanted- a fireplace to hang stockings! So this year I finally decided to let all of the beautiful farmhouse pages I follow on Instagram inspire me. With a pallet that the neighbors down the block threw out, the hubby and I got to work.
We first took a look at a tutorial on Youtube on how to take apart the pallet without splitting the wood. I then chose two pieces of wood for each side and cut them to the height I wanted. We took another two piece to go across the top (overlapping the wood underneath) and then used a piece for the shelf part of the mantle. We used screws to mount the entire thing onto the wall, and left some space to hide the TV wires behind it.
I then used leftover white paint I had and randomly painted then sanded the wood to create a distressed look. I placed the leftover small pieces of wood on the floor in front of the mantle to create a look of firewood. It was then time to decorate!
- Pallet: Free
- Stockings: Burlap Christmas Stockings Decoration – 4 Pcs Set Plain Fireplace Decor
, $16.99
- Garland: Trader Joes, $6.99
- Stocking holders: Target, $3 each
- Christmas Tree Sign: Target (I think $3)
- Wood labels: We got these from Nature Club at the Bronx Zoo but they are available on Amazon for $7.89 for 12)
- Pearl garland: I cut a plastic pearl necklace to create this garland effect
- Santa Sacks: I ordered these adorable customized sacks from local Bronx mom Christina over at Chrissy’s Creations, $12 each
, $16.99The tree we cut down at a farm in Jersey, and the ornaments are a mix of pine cones we’ve collected, burlap I’ve cut, woodland themed ornaments from Big Lots, and some dollar store finds.
I even had enough wood left over to build a cute bench for the foot of my bed.
And a shelf in the kitchen- where I placed a wreath made from free tree scraps at Home Depot. My pies sign from the dollar section at Target fit perfectly here.
I scored this cute pink tree at a Staples event last month, so the girls can hang ornaments they collect and rearrange to their heart’s desire. How cute is this unicorn ornament also from Chrissy’s Creations?!
My biggest expense was the $40 farm sign from Homegoods that I hung above the TV. Knowing with enough time and patience I could probably make it myself, I cringed but decided to splurge and just bought it. I really love the end result. It’s still a work in progress, but the cozy feeling we have while sitting together as a family every night is priceless.
You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg or have a huge space to create some holiday magic around your home. Work with what you have and use apps like Pinterest and Instagram to inspire you. Our home isn’t perfect, but it is perfect for us! What’s your holiday decor style? Tag us on social media- we’d love to see!
Have any DIY projects you’d like to share on Bronxmama? We’d love to feature you!