Blog Parties

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Bottle Brush Christmas Mantel

Enjoy this encore presentation as part of Funky Junk's Christmas house tour.


It's December already? Where did the year go? I'm not ready for Christmas. And for some odd reason, I'm not in the Christmas mood.

I thought decorating would help. But NADA. NOTHING. I still feel all BAH HUMBUG.

At least my mantel is decorated.


I'm calling it my "Bottle Brush Christmas Mantel" as it is sporting lots of bottle brush Christmas trees. Including these knock off waterless snow globes that are the rage this Christmas.

I also decided to go with traditional Christmas colors this year. But I still wanted a vintage feel.

This putz style schoolhouse was a new purchase from Tai Pan Trading on Black Friday. I used my 25% off coupon on it. The mini white feather (at least that is what I am calling it) tree is a vintage find from an antique store in downtown Riverside a couple of years ago.

I have a smaller version of this schoolhouse that is an ornament that came from Mervyn's many a moon ago. I will show you later in the week when I share my china hutch.

And speaking of china hutches, hubby bought me another one for Christmas from the Habitat ReStore. So now I will have two. I am so excited. Somewhere else to display pretty dishes and holiday stuff. I just need to move furniture around to make room for it. And it needs to be painted. But I may just wait until after Christmas to paint. I'm itching to decorate it.

Don't you just love this tree? I actually found 2 of them. And they were quite inexpensive since they were in a booth that had everything 40% off.

I added more bottle brush trees.

The tall red one in the back was a new purchase from Tai Pan Trading. The white tree came from either Marshall's, TJ Maxx or Home Goods. The green tree came in a package of 21 trees that either came from Big Lots or Michaels (I purchased sets from both stores). You can't have too many bottle brush trees.

The bottle brush wreath hanging from the mirror was a thrift store find a few years back.

The "Merry Christmas" came from Walmart last year or the year before. At least I think it came from Walmart.

Here is my version of the knock off waterless snow globes. You can find lots of tutorials on the web or Pinterest. I just spray painted the lids. I stuck the trees to the bottom using some "Sticky Tack". I didn't want it to be permanent and the sticky tack is holding just dandy.

I then added some fake snow (that I already had on hand), screwed on lid. And called it done. And the best part is that I had pretty much everything on hand. I just had to pick up a few bottles at the thrift store for 75 cents a piece.

Since I didn't have room for candles on my mantel, I added these snowflake lights. I think I've had these lights for at least 15 years or more. And they still work (knocking on wood). And I've only broken one of the snowflakes.

And what did I do with the light that no longer has a snowflake cover?

I placed it in this putz style cardboard house. See the light coming through the window? I picked up this house and 5 others from Grandin Road two years ago. I got them on clearance for something like $5.00 each. A steal! Grandin Road can be affordable when they have a sale or clearance an item out. I'll show you the other houses later in the week. I still need to take photos.

My original mantel plan was to have all the putz style houses on the mantel. But most of them were too big. So they were banished to the sofa table instead. Only this one made the cut.

Besides, I needed room for my forest of bottle brush trees.

Did you notice the other mini feather tree on the left?

And that my friends, is this years Christmas mantel. I'm pretty happy on how it turned out. Except for the wreath in the middle. I need some different ribbon to hang it from. Or some other adornment. What do you think?




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19 comments:

  1. love all those snowglobes. so sweet!

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  2. your mantle looks great. our snowglobes are adorable..

    I do understand how you feel. A few days ago I was all revved up about it and now , not so much.
    Luckily the family room is all done so if thats all that happens, it'll be fine.

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  3. I'm in the same "bah humbug" boat with you! This has been a rough year for us and I'm just ready for the holiday season to be over so we can move on to a new year and a new start. Sad, but true. Anyways, your mantle looks awesome. You'd never know by looking at it that you aren't in the holiday spirit! Love those bottle brush trees!

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  4. Hi Kim! I really like those little bottle trees. I got two last summer from GW. I don't have a fireplace anymore :[ so I will have to improvise.

    I just can't get moving. At least you have a good start! So far the only Christmas pictures I have posted are from my other house, two years ago! They never got posted because I was on a break from blogging.

    I am wondering about that new hutch and where it will go.

    xoxo Bunny Jean

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  5. I love your vintage mantel! The snow globes are great! I love how you found so many items at the thrift store or on sale! I love it all! I'm a new follower!

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  6. Cute display! I forced myself to do my decorating and just finished today. Took me from Saturday til Tuesday- too long but I move slow! I love your Putz style homes and bottle brush trees! Cute stuff!
    I haven't seen the jars that you made before but they are cute! I'm dragging on enthusiasm to- hopefully it will change soon! I'm looking at everybody's mantels- I didn't post mine yet, I'm late on the party!

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  7. Your decor ins't saying bah humbug! I love your style. I too am loving bottle brush trees and putz houses this year,but I only started with a few, which I put in my dining room...
    Beautiful!
    have fun with your new hutch!
    Theresa

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  8. I know that bah humbug feeling, it visits every year about this time! I am usually over it by Christmas Eve, though...
    I am in love with your beautiful mantel...oh, those bottle trees are just so cool...never have found them, they are always sold out!
    Have a great week, Kim.

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  9. Kim, I think the mantel looks gorgeous!

    I am also feelin' kind of Humbug this year. My mantel is "almost" done. I need to kick it into gear. I have a bunch of friends coming to tea one week from today. Yikes!

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  10. I love your mantel Kim and your snow globes are just adorable!

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  11. I have a serious bottle brush tree addiction (I have them all over the house)so I'm loving your mantel with all the pretty tradition colors mingling together. It all looks so pretty.

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  12. I like the red and green this year, but I also like the teal/silver one from a year or so past that you did. Would hate to have to choose between them. What a good husband you have to get you another hutch. Lucky for you!

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  13. I don't think it needs anything! I LOVE your mantel...I'm trying to get this look for my Christmas dinner table. You have it mastered...really nice. I think this is the nicest mantel I've seen yet. :) Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Kim I Hope the Christmas Spirit catches up with you so that you don't feel so bah humbug this Season... you wouldn't guess that you weren't 'feeling it' with this Lovely Mantle Vignette. I really like the Waterless Snow Globe Knockoffs... will have to make some of those now! *Winks*

    Christmas Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

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  15. Looks great, Kim! I bought my first bottle brush trees this year. Some I left green and others I bleached {I got the large package from Joann's}. I love them and think I will have to add to them. They make for such a great display when you have a good size grouping of them.

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  16. Hello!

    I am new to your blog and wanted to stop in to say how much I enjoyed seeing your bottle trees, snow globes and Putz Houses!!

    How my style!

    Debbie From A Debbie-Dabble Christmas!

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