Warm your house up this winter and add a little rustic charm with a DIY garland for your fireplace mantel, bookcase or stairway.
Just choose a cookie cutter and grab the air dry clay to whip up this adorable decor.
Every house has something special. It's that one feature that really tugs at your heartstrings as soon as you walk through the door.
In our first home, it was all the sunlight. A southern exposure and huge windows lit up every inch of that 900 square foot cottage. Dreamy.
In this house, a mere hundred or so feet from that darling cottage, it was the fireplace.
Floor to ceiling stones that were met with strong wooden beams on the ceiling.
And a rustic wooden mantel that was just begging to be decorated.
Of course, there were many other features in this 1920's charmer that pulled me in...but that fireplace was the clincher.
It reminded me of the lovely inns and historic hotels we've always adored.
So I never take it for granted and decorate it whenever a new season rolls around. The winter months are always the most fun, since we actually use the fireplace.
Delightful.
At the moment, that mantel is covered in a moose banner, in an ode to the cold.
Banners have always been one of my favorite holiday crafts, because you can get really creative with them.
In recent years I've used:
- Puzzle Pieces
- Crochet Pot Holders
- Fabric Cutouts
- Notecards...and more.
For this one, I used the same process I used to make my patterned clay ghost banner and my gingerbread men ornaments. Super simple.
I started by cutting a chunk of clay with a plastic knife.
Next, I pushed the cookie cutter into the clay.
Banner style.
I needed about 7 moose cutouts to cover the span of the fireplace.
Once I had them all cut out, I placed them on a flat surface to dry.
Air dry clay takes at least 24 hours to dry.
About halfway through, I turned them over to give the backside a little more exposure to the air.
It's easy to see when they are fully dry, as the gray clay turns a chalky white color.
The clay also gets very hard and doesn't bend. At that point, I was ready for a little bit of embellishment. I covered each moose with two coats of a light brown stain.
In the past, I've used both acrylic paint and chalk paint. They all work equally well.
Once the paint was fully dry, I was able to string them up with twine and drape them across my fireplace mantel.
For a little extra texture, I added a thin ribbon and small pieces of a red checked remnant I had in my stash.
And when I was done, I had the cutest moose banner in my living room.
A tiny rustic touch for the winter months in my little beach cottage.
And that fireplace I love so much.
😌
What's your favorite feature in your home?
Happy Crafting, Friends!
That's so cute!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Joanne! I’m more of a crafter than a baker!!
DeleteWhile I don't lean heavily into crafts, I so enjoy your posts because you present the 'opportunity'. I know I can go back to this post (or any another) and there is the 'opportunity' that you will teach me to do something I never even dreamed of doing. So, pease know how much I appreciate that about your posts! (Now I'm off to drag out my sewing machine or hit the thrift shops!!)
ReplyDeleteKristine, that’s a lovely compliment! You just made my day since inspiring people is my goal! ❤️
DeleteLOVE the moose banner!!! It looks so good with the ribbon and with the fireplace stones!! I knew you had to have that cookie cutter! 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for my treasure! I adore it and I promise, one of these days I will bake moose cookies!! 🥰
DeleteI've never crafted, but that's cute and looks like it was fun! I would have to say my favorite feature is the bamboo shades I bought for three big windows in the den - I love the touch of natural fibers and materials in a home. They have kind of a boho feel to them.
ReplyDeleteCrafting is my zen, Gina, especially when it’s chilly outside!! We have bamboo shades in my daughter’s room and I agree, the natural fibers add so much warmth to the room and the perfect amount of boho for this tiny cottage!!
DeleteThe red really makes them pop! Happy crafting Kim! It’s too cold to do anything else.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary!! You just know I had to add some red!! Heehee!!
DeleteSo adorable! What a cute idea! I would have never thought ti make a banner with clay!!
ReplyDeleteThank you my friend! I know you’d be baking with that cookie cutter!!
DeleteLove these Kim. So cute and a fun winter garland. Ohhhhh seeing your pretty fire going in that awesome fireplace of yours. Ahhhhh. Stay warm and cozy. We are -7 today for a temp. Ugh! Hope Spring comes early. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris!! I feel badly that we don’t spend a lot of time in that room during the warmth months…but boy do we make up for it in the winter!! Especially this weekend!! 🥶 Stay warm my friend!!
DeleteWhen the grandgirls were little we made tons of banners for every season and occasion. They loved taking them home and hanging them up.
ReplyDeleteI love your little moose banner. So sweet. I haven't worked with that clay in a long time-but still have a bunch of it ---along with crafting materials for any occasion! lol
Have a wonderful day. Minus 30˚-40˚ depending on which weather channel you listen to (with wind chill). We have a real HIGH of minus 7 today --thermometer temp. Ugh...hate it!
xo Diana
Thank you, Diana! I love that little herd of moose...is that right? A herd? Well, that's what I've been calling them. They're so cute. I'm surprised I haven't named them yet! Haha. Now let's talk about that cold. Those temperatures just don't seem real. They are way, way too cold. I don't know how you function under those circumstances. It's just too much. My goodness, I hope you are staying warm!! ❤️
DeleteI love the craft Kim, I think I could do this craft all year long using various cookie cutters I currently have - Beth
ReplyDeleteYes, Beth!! Exactly!! Cookie cutters and clay make a perfect crafty pair for anytime of year. I hope you'll share if you decide to make one of your own. 🥰
DeleteKim, the fireplace looks so nice decorated with the cute moose garland you made! I love your fireplace and mine is one of my favorite features in my home. I hope you enjoy crafting and stay warm and cozy this week.
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie! Fireplaces are the best, aren't they? This winter we've been using ours almost every day. I love it, but boy do I miss summer!! Stay warm!!
DeleteKim!!! This is just the cutest! I always try to decorate a little for winter and it's hard to find things that are winter without looking Christmasy. This is perfect. We are thinking about putting small gas fireplace in our living room, and then I would finally have a mantle to decorate. If we do that, I need to make this for next winter! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, Mari, it’s so hard to find things that feel wintery without giving a room that Christmas vibe. This moose fits the bill! My cousin sent it to me after we visited her lovely home in Vermont this summer with hopes of seeing a moose. The cookie cutter was my consolation prize!! Stay warm!!
DeleteThose moose are so cute Kim; if I had a mantle, I'd so do that here - it's so Canadian! The thing that drew me to our house was all the walk in closet space lol. A girl can never have enough storage - especially if she's an upcycler!
ReplyDeleteStorage is key, Sara! We certainly don't have enough. A walk in closet sounds dreamy...of course in this cottage, some of our rooms are closet sized! Haha!!
DeleteCUTE ... have you ever seen a wild moose? I have not.
ReplyDeleteAnd you know I LOVE your fireplace.
Love, Carla
I have not seen a wild moose, Carla, but I have always wanted to! When we went to Vermont we looked, but there were none around...boo. Oh well, we'll just have to keep looking! xo
DeleteThis moose garland is so stinkin' cute Kim! I agree, your fireplace is divine. I have always wondered what is behind the plaster with our mantel, but I am too afraid of tearing it out to see. Is it brick? Stone? How badly do I want to find out? Apparently not that bad, since I have not ventured to see, but yours is quite lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Cara! I have to say, I'm not sure I'd be in a rush to tear that plaster away either. It sounds like a big risk, but there could be a big reward...either way, it seems like a big job, so I get it!!
DeleteKim ...this is just so cute :)
ReplyDeleteLovely.
I hope 2025 has started well for you.
All the best Jan
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much, Jan! They do make me smile.
DeleteThat has to be the sweetest banner, Kim. You'd think you were back in the Adirondacks! I so miss having a fireplace and I keep hoping maybe, one day soon??
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann! I have to say, I’d love to see a real moose one day, but for now, this will do. I hope there's a fireplace on the horizon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!!
Delete