Australian website Homelife has lots of sweet inspiration, starting with their gift wrapping gallery on their site. I like their layouts because they remind me a lot of Leslie Shewring’s beautiful work here on decor8 with her Color Me Pretty column that she’s been writing since 2009. Like you, I love looking at fun crafty projects and plan to experiment a bit and get my hands dirty next week since I’ll be taking time out to chill, be a domestic diva and do all the stuff that I don’t always find (or make) the time to do otherwise.
Do you plan to do any crafting at all between now and new year’s? If so, what? I will make curtains out of some Liberty fabric that I picked up a few days ago… and then I plan to decorate and move around my furniture until things look and feel “right”. I also want to do some paper crafting and in addition, frame a bunch of prints and maybe paint a shelf I’ve had my eye on sprucing up…
(images: homelife)
December 24th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Yes! I want to bind some books and make a few boxes of cards for Chinese New Year!
notabilia´s last [type] ..Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
December 24th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Just Love your Blog, so many amzing ideas-love all the gift wrap-tag ideas…
SO Clever… Thanks for so Much Inspiration.
Merry Christmas
Karryann
December 24th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
These are so inspiring! :)
Merry Christmas! xo
Shokoofeh´s last [type] ..HAPPY WINTER
December 24th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
this is lovely, Holly! happy holidays to you and your family! xo
Ludmila {creamylife.com}´s last [type] ..Merry Christmas and happy weekend!
December 24th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Probably not here. Hopefully we’ll ski and enjoy quiet time! Merry Christmas to you, Holly.
liza´s last [type] ..Christmas Wishes
December 24th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
great ideas! have a lovely christmas!
December 24th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Yes Ma’am! I’m just taking a little break right now from painting my PIY (paint it yourself) kits for 2011. What, you ask? Ah, red cardinals. January/February always a little tricky – too early for Spring and blah after Christmas. So lots of nature stuff.
Have a wonderful Christmas, Holly. Thanks for all the inspiration you provide each day!
ColleenwithMurals&More´s last [type] ..Behind The Scenes – Part 4
December 24th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Incredible eye candy and makes me want to unwrap every thing and start over!
Gorgeous and inspirational.
I can’t wait to see you Liberty curtains (my bridesmaids wore Liberty back in ’87 and i had a smoked green floral dress as a little girl)
Have a wonderful Holiday~
and thank you for brightening our days and all the inspiration all year.
Tina
December 24th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
You read my mind! I crafted all my gifts as well. You can see them on my blog!
Samhain Moon´s last [type] ..SARITAS GIFT CRAFTY CHRISTMAS
December 25th, 2010 at 2:11 am
just stoppin’ by to say: happy holidays, holly!
December 25th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
I hope you have warm, festive and happy holidays. Enjoy!!!
Iris
Iris´s last [type] ..Fijne Kerst!
December 25th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Love the tree on the wall with the stockings! Pretty pkg’s and wrappings too!
Penny Patten´s last [type] ..Snow Princess
December 25th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Love the tree ideas and the animal stamps. Great inspiration, thanks!
Sigrid´s last [type] ..because
December 25th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Hi Holly: Merry Christmas to you! I would be interested to find out how you will make your curtains – I have been going in and out of my local Jo-Ann Fabrics store and am thinking about taking a sewing class so I can make some basics for the house. Do you have a sewing machine? Tips? Have a wonderful holiday! :))
Sarah´s last [type] ..Merry Christmas!!
December 25th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Awesome ideas… Merry Christmas to you and all your loved ones..
Patricia Torres´s last [type] ..Christmas Cheer!!
December 25th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
i plan to sew til my hearts content. i must restock my shop before i go back to work! i just found your blog and am smitten.
:)gina
December 25th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Gah, just gorgeous! And yes, some of the spreads remind me of lovely Leslie’s work as well :) Even though I have wrapped and given away all of the gifts I had to give for Christmas this year, I love these ideas for any sort of gifting, and now that I think about it – it would be so nice to start collecting for a little fun/creative gift wrapping kit to use throughout the year!
Laura Gaskill´s last [type] ..Happy Holidays Things Making Me Happy -
December 25th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
I’m away from home so i might have to wait to get my hands dirty again… but I have a list of other digital projects to get started in my mind. Thank you so much for inspiring:)
xo
-wakako
wakako´s last [type] ..little roo Saturday first flight
December 25th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Sarah: I have two sewing machines! :) I make very easy curtains, I do not line them, and they take a few hours to do a set of panels. I simply measure my window, then cut the fabric and sew seams on all four sides (1/2 on the sides and then the bottom are about 3″ and the top is a seam and then I fold it down to make a rod pocket OR I just use clip hooks and avoid the pocket altogether. I just eye everything when I sew to be honest, I am not fussy and certainly not a pro seamstress but with curtains, as long as you watch the patterns (it’s like hanging wallpaper, the patterns on both panels need to line up) and make them both the same length any other mess ups are not noticeable.
December 26th, 2010 at 6:30 am
Hi!! Love the owl cookie! I am going to crochet some bottle holders so that they can hang in front of my windows and grow plants or at least hold cut flowers. Brighten up the windows for winter!
C
Beautifuldarklight´s last [type] ..Window Arches – 12×12 Original Photograph
December 26th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
just popping in to wish you peaceful and more creative holidays.
December 27th, 2010 at 12:15 am
These are so sweet. Thanks for sharing, Holly! I am going to be doing a little sewing as well – I have some gorgeous fabrics from Istanbul that I am going to make some soft, subtle pillow covers with. I am also on the look-out for a nice faux fur throw (hopefully grey!) for a lovely new rocking chair I ordered …
Izabella´s last [type] ..I Like Smile Time Mini Print – 900
December 27th, 2010 at 12:22 am
How charming! Thanks for the link, always excited to find out about new Australian sites.
Probably not so much crafting over the holidays, more like finishing off odd jobs, like painting that window frame, hanging that painting, potting those plants…
Alicia Parsons | Atypical Type A´s last [type] ..Happy Monday!
December 27th, 2010 at 1:09 am
Hello,
Love your blog. very inspiring.
I was looking at the photo on the top and wanted to buy scissors like the one on it. do you know where one would go about getting a scissor like that? does it have a special name? I looked around in the local gardening and hardware store and couldn’t find anything like that. especially like the large finger holes.
thanks
arun
December 27th, 2010 at 10:06 am
I didn’t even wrap my presents this year. Feeling guilty haha
Lela London – Fashion Blog and Shoe Blog
Lela London´s last [type] ..The Weekend Wonder – William Morris
December 27th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Their site was definitely a source of inspiration both for one of my blog posts and for the gift wrapping I did this year – such great ideas!
I made a tree skirt last week, but this week I think I’m finally going to make some pillow covers for our LR. I’ve had the fabric forever, but finally feel ready to jump in and try a few new techniques! It’s so nice to be home and know that ‘out there’ is on chill mode for a while =)
juliette´s last [type] ..Advent Blog Calendar- Projects and Freebies 24
December 27th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
As a christmas present, i got the new dutch magazine Flow. Its a very crafty magazine and it always includes some paper goodies in it! This time it got a 365 days paper calendar that you have to put together yourself. So I’m planning to make a great “7 days a week” calendar of it with a wooden plank and some nails. Very simple idea but i’m looking forward to paint and hammer it… although i might leave the hammering up to my bf ;)
Also I got an Instax 210 camera from bf as a present and i’m definitely going to make some pictures with it!! Lots of! I’m so excited to own an instant camera!
December 27th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
I love wrapping/decorating with sweet vintage buttons and twine… lovely!
laura trevey´s last [type] ..Monday Inspiration
December 27th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
The giftwrapping is so inspirering. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
December 27th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
So, so lovely!
December 27th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Such pretty images! Gift wrapping is one of my favorite parts of the holidays. I just love sitting down in front of the tree with piles of wrap and tags and ribbons around me. I pop in a good movie and in a few hours there’s a pile of pretty packages under the tree. *happy sigh*
Diana´s last [type] ..Cozy Day
December 27th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
This was the first year in many years that I didn’t craft many gifts, other than a few pieces of jewelry, because I was too busy with my business. Hopefully next year I will be able to find the time. Homemade things are just so much more meaningful than most store bought ones. I love the photos you have shown us today! Each project is inspiring as well as beautiful!
Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor´s last [type] ..Polymer Clay Color Recipes Campfire Palette Premo Sculpey
December 28th, 2010 at 9:12 am
I was thinking about painting my living room in grey… i love these photos here, it really looks great!
December 28th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I was just trying to wrap a gift for tomorrow and your blog came as a blessing, as I don’t have leave home to find cute but original wrapping.
December 30th, 2010 at 12:34 am
I love Homelife too Holly, and I LOVE that you love lots of Australian things! Amazes me, gives us hope that we’re not a design backwater after all – hurruh!
January 3rd, 2011 at 8:11 am
how does one make those kraft paper/grocery bag stockings!?!?
January 4th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Where is that mushroom giftwrap from? It’s adorable! Any leads would be enormously helpful. Thanks!
January 4th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
This post makes me want to whip out my wrapping paper and wrap anything I can find in my home, all for fun! I just have to visit Homelife! Their photographs look so beautiful! I can’t get enough of decoration/giftwrapping. Thank you so much for sharing! Happy 2011! xo
January 5th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
My in-laws family are great wrappers, but I can totally hold my own with your ideas! I’m definitely trying some of this wrapping for the next gift I have to buy. Thanks!