As we slip into the final month of the year, the 2021 holiday season is officially underway! It’s time to take a step back and focus on gratitude. It’s time to celebrate life with holiday traditions. Today’s blog post is packed with holiday inspiration—it’s a roundup of previous posts about holiday travel, decorating, traditions and gift-giving. Let the festivities begin!
Holiday Travel
Some destinations are known for their holiday celebrations. The attraction may be garden light shows, winter scenery, beautiful decorations, Christmas markets or special holiday events. Unfortunately, travelling for pleasure has not yet returned to the openness we enjoyed pre-COVID-19 but those able to travel safely within the US Southeast might want to consider a visit to Savannah Georgia, Madison Georgia or Asheville North Carolina. All are known for their festive holiday events and décor.
Graceful public squares, moody oak trees and beautiful historic homes are the hallmarks of Savannah Georgia. This charming city is a delight to visit any time of the year but it’s even more appealing during the holiday season. Here are a few photos of this special destination. Check out the post, Holiday Visit to Savannah, for more.
Madison Georgia, a lovely southern town close to where I live, is also known for its historic homes and holiday hospitality. The annual Holiday Tour of Homes is a treasured tradition and, although the 2021 home tour was cancelled, it’s still possible to enjoy the sights on a self-guided walking tour. Here are a few photos from previous home tours. Check out the post, Madison Decks the Halls, for more holiday finery.
The city of Asheville North Carolina boasts many attractions and reasons to visit but none are as awe-inspiring as Biltmore. The owners of this large, private, Châteauesque-style mansion and astonishing, 8,000-acre estate have been celebrating the holidays in style for over 125 years. Here’s a peek into what Biltmore holds in store. Check out the post, Holiday Wreath Inspiration from Biltmore, for more.
Holiday Decoration
Decorating our homes and surroundings for the holidays distinguishes this time of year. Some folks embrace traditional holiday décor while others decorate in their own unique styles. I favor traditional décor but I take this opportunity to try a few new and different things. Here are a few examples from previous posts.
See the post, Diamonds and Beads Wooden Wreath, for a full tutorial.
See the post, Starry Stitched Sphere – DIY Tutorial, for step-by-step instructions.
See the post, Stitched Wooden Bowl – DIY Tutorial, for step-by-step instructions.
Moving away from wooden décor elements, I’ve found a way to temporarily introduce cheerful colors and patterns with decorative pillows. This Festive Pillow Cover-up dresses up regular, decorative pillows for the season. See the post, Festive Pillow Cover-up – DIY Tutorial, for easy step-by-step instructions.
Some holiday decorations are associated with treasured traditions. The advent calendar, for instance, is used to countdown the days to December 25. A few years ago, I created my own version of advent calendar as a gift. Check out the post, 25 Moments of Joy Tabletop Tree/Advent Calendar, for a detailed tutorial.
One more holiday decorating project I’d like to share in this roundup is a glass, mosaic, tealight candle holder. This project has become my most popular blog post. While these Turkish Mosaic Candle Holders are not limited to the holidays, they are a great option for adding color and sparkle. Check out the post, DIY Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder Tutorial, for detailed step-by-step instructions.
Holiday Traditions
Decorating is, of course, not the only holiday tradition. Special foods and enjoying delicious meals together is a universal way to celebrate. Exchanging greetings and giving gifts are other special traditions.
In the post, Win-Win with your Holiday Cards, I make the case for sending old-fashioned greeting cards featuring the work of local artists.
One of my favorite holiday traditions has always been gift wrapping. Check out the post, 8 Tips to Jazz Up Your Gift Wrapping, for some inspiration.
Holiday Gift-Giving
Speaking of gifts, I’m a big proponent of handmade gifts. So this is the ideal time to roundup the DIY tutorials I’ve shared during the year. All of these projects are made by hand resulting in unique, one-of-a-kind items that make ideal gifts.
Check out the post, Make and Give DIY Tutorial Roundup, for a variety of make-and-give ideas from 2019.
There are even more ideas in the post, Make & Give 2020 Roundup.
I’ll roundup the 2021 tutorials for another Make-and-Give post but, in the meantime, check out this Tutorials index.
UPDATE Dec 7, 2021: Check out the new Make & Give 2021 Roundup here.
I hope today’s Holiday Inspiration post sparks some ideas for this holiday season.
More Info
Here is a summary of the FanningSparks blog posts shared in today’s post:
Holiday Travel:
. Holiday Visit to Savannah
. Madison Decks the Halls
. Holiday Wreath Inspiration from Biltmore
Holiday Decoration:
. Diamonds and Beads Wooden Wreath
. Starry Stitched Sphere
. Stitched Wooden Bowl – DIY Tutorial
. Festive Pillow Cover-up – DIY Tutorial
. 25 Moments of Joy Tabletop Tree/ Advent Calendar
. DIY Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder Tutorial
Holiday Traditions:
. Win-Win with your Holiday Cards
. 8 Tips to Jazz Up Your Gift Wrapping
Holiday Gift-Giving:
. Make and Give DIY Tutorial Roundup
. Make & Give 2020 Roundup
Today’s Takeaways
1. It’s time to take a step back and focus on gratitude. It’s time to celebrate life with holiday traditions.
2. Decorating our homes and surroundings for the holidays distinguishes this time of year.
3. Unique, one-of-a-kind handmade items make ideal gifts.
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