Paper Rose Garland

Hey everyone! I'm back with another installment of

Today's project is DIY Paper Rose Garland

You'll need: 1) Paper 2) Twine 3) Scissors 4) Glue

• Start by drawing a spiral on your paper. If you have a good eye, you can skip this step and head right for your scissors to cut the spirals like I did. I'm using pages from an old books & dictionaries.

 

• Now sit in front of the TV or turn on some good music as you do this repeatedly. Make as many as you want. More spirals = more roses = longer garland. So go to town!

        

• Once you've cut all your spirals, start rolling! Take one sheet. Begin from the outside of the spiral and tightly coil until you get to the end. Now release it. Don't be afraid to do this part - this is how your paper will expand & allow your rose to look more realistic. Using a glue gun, add a dollop of glue and press the flower part into it - once dry, this is how your rose will be held secure. 

    
• As you go along, realize that these are meant to be imperfect. Don't be alarmed to notice that your roses are turning out differently each time. No two are the same, just like real flowers. Another tip? Sometimes to speed things up I wind all of my flowers, then get out the glue and secure them all at once. You really can't go wrong with whatever system you adopt.

• Once you have a pile of roses, unwind a length of twine. Add your roses by turning them upside down, putting another dollop of glue on the backside, then pressing the twine into place. Hold each one for a few seconds before moving on to the next to ensure a snug bond.

            

You can make your garland as long as you wish. And now that you are an expert at paper rose making, get creative with adding flowers to other projects - picture frames, present toppers, or even a bunch wired to sticks in a vase. I put my garland on a Christmas tree in our dining room, but I like it so much I might keep it out all year long :) Thanks for stopping over today. If you try this project, I wish you success!

Keep creating, DIYers!

Old Elm Christmas Decor

Season's greetings! Here are a few snapshots of our house all decked out for the holidays. Enjoy!

Fall is Just Around the Corner

Hard to believe there are only 30 more days of summer. Between cookouts, ballgames, ice cream runs, weekend trips & family vacations, it's definitely been a season jam-packed with fun. We've been able to conquer a decent amount of tasks on our To-Do List plus take time to enjoy our favorite aspect of warm sunny weather: recreation, rest, & relaxation {when we aren't at work, that is!} Although we have no children, when I heard it was time for kids to go back to school I thought to myself, "can't believe it's that time already!" Fall is just around the corner.

Zipping through the Smokies on our summer vacation to Asheville, NC

Fall brings a lot to look forward to…bonfires, football, Halloween, changing leaves, boots, pumpkin flavored everything, and then Thanksgiving. It's nice to see how nature takes on a different look out in our yard. Andrew always loves Fall best because of football {of course} and he secretly also loves mums & sedum, two plants that stick around to look awesome while everything else withers away in preparation for snow. This Fall will be especially great because we'll be celebrating his 30th birthday in October. We both set aside a week off work to mark the occasion with a special trip for just the two of us. Can't wait!

From a decorating standpoint, I'm also getting excited to get Old Elm all decked out for the season. 

Here are some of the seasonal things I like most:

From the top // a great little spread + banner from Pottery Barn // Jack O'Lantern shades from Ballard Designs // Did you know you can bleach pinecones?! Click here for the must try tutorial // I don't know about you guys, but I never miss The Great Pumpkin! // And finally, two fun party ideas- candy in vintage glass canisters & squash bowling for your fall yard party fun!

What are your favorite Fall traditions & home decor items?

Valentine's Day-cor

After a long and courageous hunt, we {finally} found a round mirror for our mantle! It's the Stabekk mirror by IKEA and we purchased it in Charlotte, NC. The mirror is only $99 and the perfect size for our space - 29 1/2 inches. Andrew hung it up last night & I'm in love.

Last week when I realized Valentine's Day is this month, I got out a few decorations. I don't really know why it didn't cross my mind until the second week of the month, but it probably has something to do with the fact that I am not good at calendars.

For lesser holidays, decor is limited to our mantle. This year it has some photos of Andrew & me, a sparkly pink garland, assorted candles, and a hand-lettered print of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

Oh, and a cardboard heart that I made after sifting through our recycling. It's true.

Speaking of NC… Shout out to my sister, Maris, who showed us a wonderful time this past weekend in Charlotte. We had a tremendous time. It's 30 degrees warmer there! No ice or snow!!! Grand weather, food and fellowship. The trip was good for my soul. To read more about our trip, check out her blog: flour & oil

Costume Party Recap

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! (a few days late)

On Friday night, we went to a party dressed as:
Sheldon & Amy from "The Big Bang Theory"

I think we nailed it. Andrew looked creepishly perfect and people at the party loved him. Luckily for me, he's 100% less odd than Sheldon. And in my opinion, exponentially more handsome! (Hey, when you're dressed up as smart people, you get to use words like exponentially).

I hope all of you had a fun Halloween weekend. Ours was jam-packed! The whole month of October flew by, and I didn't do much DIY. But I have {several} projects in mind for November, so stick around!