Category Archives: Holidays

Cozy Christmas Cottage Planters

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If you’ve been on my Instagram in the past year you know I’m obsessed with my Cozy Cottage planters. My collection of cottages continues to grow, and I’m so excited to add these little gingerbread houses to the mix!

Since I released the pattern for my Cozy Cottage planters earlier this year, I’ve made cottages for all seasons!

Winter:

SpringSummer:

Fall:

But from the beginning I had these gingerbread cottages planned for Christmas! My inspiration for these planters was partially the ceramic village I put up on my mantle for the holidays, and these fit right in!

This post serves as a supplement to my Cozy Cottage Planter pattern and will go over the changes and additions I made for the gingerbread version. So, before you continue reading, go grab the pattern here, then come back and create your own cozy gingerbread cottages for your tiny trees (real or fake!).

Yarn used (per cottage):

-45 yards of super bulky yarn in your brown shade of choice (pictured is Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in Chocolate)

-a few yards of super bulky yarn in white (pictured is Loops & Threads Lush Alpaca in White)

-a few yards of super bulky yarn in red (pictured is Loops & Threads Cozy Wool in Claret)

-a few yards of another color, like green (pictured is Buttercream Alpaca in Green)

I used a 6 mm hook for both the cottage and the wreath additions.

Changes to pattern:

No changes are made until you finish the main body and are ready to move onto the roof. Your brown yarn will be Color A, and then you can choose which colors to make your details with.

Change to the roof section: Instead of detaching Color A and continuing with Color B, detach and continue the roof section with Color A (brown) per the pattern. Instead of crocheting around the edges of the roof and sides with the brown yarn, detach and complete the second side of the roof up to the edging. Detach brown yarn and attach white yarn to a corner next to a roof side. Single crochet evenly around the roof sides and the cottage sides, then tie off and weave in all ends. Move onto wreaths and details below.

“Icing” on the top of the front window and door:

Using your white yarn, thread a sewing needle and whip stitch along the top of the door and window, keeping the stitches loose and fluffy. Add a doorknob if desired.

Wreath directions:

Using a color other than brown, make two wreaths for each cottage.

Circle Wreath:

Using super bulky yarn and a 6mm hook, chain 6. Slip stitch to 1st chain to create a ring. Chain 1 and make 14 single crochets inside the chain ring. Slip stitch to the first single crochet and leave a medium length tail. Attach a short strand of red yarn and tie a bow. Attach the wreath to the top of a roof side using the two tails.

Heart Wreath:

Using super bulky yarn and a 6 mm hook, make a magic circle. Into the MC, CH 2, 2 DC, 3 HDC, CH 1, DC, CH 1, 3 HDC, 2 DC, CH 2. Pull magic circle partially closed and slip stitch into the center. Tighten MC and attach wreath to the second roof side using the two tails.

I hope you love your gingerbread cottages as much as I love mine! If you need the link to the pattern, it’s here. And if you make your own cottages, please share them on Instagram with the hashtag #cozycottageplanters and tag me @Februaryskydesigns. Happy Holidays!

Rustic Winter Engagement Party

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Rachel and Hugh's Engagement Party Collage

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life -Confucius (smart guy)

I feel this is never more true for me than when I’m working on decorations for a loved one. One of my best friends since we were 13 recently got engaged to her beau and her mom wanted to throw her an engagement party right after Christmas while friends and family were in town for the holidays. This made a very busy month for me between Christmas shopping and working on decorations, but I loved every minute of it.

I wanted a winter theme that would tie in the Christmas decorations that would still be around the house for the party. I went with a winter woodland theme with birch trees and pops of red and turquoise.

These beautiful invitations were ordered from Oh Happiness Cards on Etsy. Everyone loved the back detail!

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I purchased these awesome birch tree straws for the mimosas at the party, simply displayed in mason jars with ribbon.

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Speaking of mason jars, I also used them as accents around the house filled with cranberries and floating candles.

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Along with mimosas, we also served coffee and tea, so I made custom hot cup sleeve covers with a birch tree stamp and the couple’s initials.

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I love the way covering cups and bottles with printed paper makes them that much more special. I created little custom labels for the champagne bottles that made them really stand out.

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I decorated the drink table with a painted burlap banner.

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And I added a little festivity to the doorway with simple paper cones strung between the dining room and living room

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Something I don’t usually tackle for parties (except those I host) is desserts. For this party I actually made two desserts- a cake and sugar cookies.

First the cake: chocolate with vanilla icing, decorated with cranberries and rosemary

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With a custom burlap cake topper!

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The cookies are of Vermont, with a little sprinkle heart on Burlington where Rachel and Hugh met and fell in love.

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(These gave me a very hard time. I wished I could teleport Clara to help me!)

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Thankfully, the cake went easy on me.

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Love the birch round I found at Michaels to use as a cake stand!

Lastly, I painted a sign for the couple that sums up the feeling going into the new year and celebrating their lives together.

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Love you guys!

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Oh, Christmas Tree

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Like many people, the smell of a real Christmas tree is one of my all-time favorites. Maybe it’s the memories of childhood associated with it, but it never fails to bring a smile to my face.

This year, however, I decided to go an untraditional route. I’d like to share with you my Christmas ‘tree’-

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This, my friends, is a branch I found laying on the ground in the park near my house. I can only imagine what people thought when they saw me dragging it back to my apartment (in the snow, mind you). But once it was dried out and hung up it was ready to be trimmed with special ornaments and presents underneath.

I have to admit, I’m smitten with it.

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Did I mention it lights up?!

I used little fairy lights that attach to a battery pack (hidden behind the ornament on the far left). When it’s lit up and a spruce-scented candle is burning, it definitely feels like Christmas around here.

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Friendsgiving 2013

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Every year my friends and I make a point to get together around the holidays to celebrate our friendship in the midst of family gatherings and the general busyness that occurs this time of year.

I offered to host Friendsgiving this year, choosing blue, orange and gold for the decorations. I made a few simple things that created a festive atmosphere for the grown-ups to sip white sangria and the littles to run around/lay about bringing joy to our growing friend-family.

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I used paint to add color to the setup, including the vase filler, gold accents on the orange votives, and giving a few little pumpkins a colorful makeover.

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I made the banners with brown card stock and paint, and found some pretty orange flowers to brighten up the table.

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Finally, I sent my friends home with simmer jar favors filled with oranges, cinnamon and cloves so they can continue the festivity in their own homes.

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I’m so thankful for the good people in my life. Enjoy celebrating with yours.

 

DIY Holiday Wreath!

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My idea of the perfect wreath is one that is beautiful and is neutral enough to be hung throughout the holidays and well into the cold, holidayless months of winter. Of course, the wreath could be tweaked to be more holiday-specific if that suits your fancy!

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I had a few materials lying around (as usual), so I used the leaves and feathers left over from my dreamcatcher, and I gave the berries from the baby shower a little makeover using white paint and gold glitter.

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I made the bow from some burlap ribbon, but you could also buy one while you’re at the store gathering other supplies (although I think it’s usually cheaper to make your own, and it’s not that difficult if you cheat and use glue to make the ribbon look perfect!).

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The flowers I made are a little strange since they are made out of pistachio shells, but clearly I am not the only person who looks at a pile of shells and thinks they should be refurbished into craft supplies.

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Alright, time to start gluing! I knew I wanted my wreath to be free form and asymmetrical, but to give myself a little guidance I started by placing the berries around the wreath and attaching the bow.

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Pause to yell and curse when I burn my finger on the glue gun. Crafting is dangerous business.

And we’re back. I glued the largest items first, eying where they looked best to me. No rhyme or reason, just going with the flow.

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Here you can see the mess I was making of my work area. Crafting is also messy business 🙂

Once I had the big pieces attached I went back in and stuck leaves and feathers wherever there were holes, working my way along the left side and tapering off at the top to achieve the asymmetry I was looking for.

Done!

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The finished wreath, ready to hang on the door!

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I hope you are inspired to create your own wreath to brighten up your door for months and years to come. Happy holidays!