A Stylish Steed Christmas – Day 5

One of the most exciting things about the holiday season is participating in family traditions.  For as long as I can remember my family has shared in two particular traditions that always take me back to my years as a child.

One Steed family tradition occurs on Christmas Eve night.  For as long as I can remember, we pile into our car and as a family we venture into the surrounding towns and look at Christmas lights together.  We have our annual stops that we love to make, but also veer off our scheduled path to see some new places that we have heard about during the season.

The second tradition takes place on Thanksgiving night.  After the meal is put away and our bellies are full, Dad and I bring in the Christmas tree (normally with much grumbling because of the ordeal) and we begin to pull out all the ornaments that we have accrued over the years.  Most of them have a story associated with them.  It’s always fun to reminisce as Mom meticulously places each ornament on just the right branch.

Ornaments are such a huge part of Christmas for most families.  Whether they are handmade items from years past or expensive ornaments that are exquisite and delicate, they all bring to mind memories that bind families together with thoughts of good times and holiday cheer.  Sometimes placing those items on the tree amidst all the other tinsel and lights is a waste.  They are all lost in all the busyness.  Oftentimes, some of the ornaments we love simply don’t match the style of our tree decorations.  Regardless the reason, some ornaments need to be uniquely displayed for all your guests and family to see throughout the holiday season.  It is with that thought that I decided to share a few special ways to display these precious ornaments in your home.

On the fifth day of Christmas The Stylish Steed gave to me, creative looks for ornament hanging.

Raking in the Memories
With such rich memories surrounding your ornaments, what better way to display them than a vintage item from generations past.  This rustic way of displaying your ornaments may take you out to the shed to find your grandfathers old metal rake head.  By removing the head of the metal rake from the wooden handle you are left with a rich piece of family history from which to hang your ornaments.

 Depending on the size of your rake head, you can choose to hang an ornament on each prong or alternate them to show off just a few ornaments.  This would be a great addition to a wall in your dining room that is sure to get a lot of traffic during the holidays.  I simply hung this rake on a door from a wreath hanger.  For photo purposes, I left the rake very bare.  In real life I would liven it up with a bow up top.

And on a side note, this is a neat piece you can use after the holidays to house your nice wine glasses for an unconventional wall hanging.

A Window to the Past
I am constantly in search of old windows.  I don’t care if the glass is broken, panes are missing, or the paint is chipped…I love to find them and reuse them for multiple things (we’ll discuss those purposes on a later date).  One of those great ways to re-purpose windows is to use them for framing your holiday ornaments as artwork.  By simply suspending the ornament from ribbon that is attached to the back of the window frame, you highlight those pieces for all to see.  Display your window over in a corner with other decorations or prop it up in the kitchen or in a shelving unit for all your guests to see.  Wherever you decide to put this, it will get attention and also showcase your valued pieces.

My precious god-daughter, Lilly, handmade these beautiful ornaments for my family.  There is an awesome place in Fort Payne, Alabama called Orbix Hot Glass.  Orbix creates some amazing pieces and they have been featured in publications nationwide.  Lilly created these for us and they are just too special to be hidden in the branches of our Christmas tree.  I staged my window with a chenille throw over a chair, greenery, an old suitcase, and some grapevine pieces.  I love the vintage look created here with all these pieces that work together to highlight my Lilly’s hard work!

This is me and my little Southern Belle (literally) at Halloween!  I adore this little girl!!!  I just had to show you how cute she is.  Now back to the ornaments!

Shedding Some Light
Many times during the holiday season we gather around the dining room table for food and fellowship.  What better way to present your ornaments than by hanging them from the light fixture.  By cutting ribbon and cords at various lengths and dangling the ornaments from the chandelier, you add to your tablescape display and spotlight your prized Christmas possessions.  I chose to suspend my ornaments with a combination of glittered rope and jute to best compliment the existing decor of my home.

There are many variations to this you could explore.  Be creative and use your space to showcase your winter wonders.  If you don’t have a chandelier, consider suspending a branch from the ceiling with fishing line and hang your ornaments at varied heights from the branch.

Now that you have these ideas for displaying your favorite ornaments, maybe you will be inspired to look around your home for other unique ways to showcase your items.  Don’t let limited space restrain you from showing your friends and family your important memories.  Stay creative, stay resourceful, but always…stay stylish!