Handmade Holiday Inspiration: A Decorating and Gift Guide for You

Hello Friends,

The holidays are just around the corner, and of course I've been very busy creating and preparing for my holiday trunk show at my dad's gallery in Manitou Springs, along with decorating the house for thanksgiving, and all the while having fun dreaming about what I will do with our mantle for Christmas...

Turns out I LOVE decorating the mantle. I don't think I could ever live in a house without a mantle again, because I find it so fun and creative and fulfilling to change the mantle decor with every season, using a combination of things found on Etsy.com, shops around town, and of course, things I make myself, and my favorite findings from times spent in nature.

Before every season, I begin to dream up what I will create for the mantle, and start to collect things little by little until the time feels right for putting it all together. And even after I put it together I usually continue to change it around throughout the season until it is just right. It becomes like a sacred altar at the center of the home honoring all the things that make each season special to me.

Here are some photos of my Spring mantle in case you missed them...

I love ranunculus flowers and put them in little vases throughout the Spring...

For summer, I gathered some beachy items, and they were some really cool unique things too found in little shops in Ventura and Carpenteria, CA where my sister Annie and her husband live, but I never got a photo or piece of artwork for the center so it never felt quite finished or right to me, so I don't have a good photo to share of that one.

Here are some pics of my fall mantle...

Here is my white pumpkin (yay!), and a candle that my sister gave me when she came to visit that makes the house smell like something amazing is baking in the oven!!

You can see the pot of little yellow mums that my husband brought home to me one night...they made me so happy...beside them a little leaf-shaped bowl filled with autumn nature findings...acorns...feathers...pinecones...

This mantle feels just right. I ended up using the same photo of my husband's for the fall that I did for spring, because I had another of his in mind, but we haven't gotten around to printing and framing it, so I thought this one would do just fine. And I LOVE it. I feel joy every time I look at our fall mantle.

Just wait until you see what I have in store for my Christmas/Winter mantle. I can hardly wait!

But for now, a few things to inspire you...

Here is a special "Decorating the Mantle" Treasury my garland was featured in recently by another Etsy member, Aurealious.

Etsy is just full of amazing handmade things. When I browse around, I am awed by the creativity and beauty that can be found. And it is SO wonderful to know that each item has such a connection to its source--a person, out there somewhere, who has created it with their own two hands using their own unique creativity-- and how wonderful to have so many unique things created by artists all over the world at our fingertips!

I just recently joined a Treasury Team called Selection Perfection on Etsy, having been invited by ShelleAnne. A Treasury is an Etsy member-curated list, or more like a virtual display case of beautiful things found on Etsy, often related to a theme, and usually coordinated by color to look as beautiful as possible. Treasuries are often what appear on the front page of Etsy. To me it is a work of art in itself, and a really fun way to browse through and support other Etsians' shops. Being on a Treasury Team, those of us on the team curate a number of treasuries each month focusing on featuring each other to help one another gain more exposure. So far it has been a wonderful experience, and I am really excited to be part of a team and tap into the wonderful community that Etsy is. So needless to say, I have been doing a lot of browsing, and along the way, I have found so many amazing shops, and amazing items I want to share with you...

So...

I thought I'd put together two little collections of absolutely wonderful items to inspire you.

I've created one collection of Handmade Holiday Decor for your home. The other collection I've created is a Handmade Holiday Gift Guide.

I hope you will take some time to visit the shops from which these exquisite items come. Each artisan featured has an array of wonderful things even beyond what you see here. You can visit each shop by clicking on their shop name in the caption for each photo. You can see the listing for that particular item by clicking on the name of the item in the caption I have provided.

With these collections, I hope to inspire you to explore the world of handmade goods when you do some of your holiday shopping this year. You can find all of these items, and so much more by browsing on Etsy and in other handmade marketplaces. You may also visit holiday craft shows and locally owned shops around your town to find unique, artisan made gifts for your loved ones.

How wonderful and meaningful a handmade gift is.... How beautiful to decorate your home with something created by an artist. Just think how lovely your holiday could be...

A Collection of Handmade Holiday Decorations

Here are some beautiful things to help you deck the halls this season...

Just look at these beautiful stockings... perfect for a wintery mantle... These and many other beautiful things can be found at Tuuni.

I've already ordered myself a set of these ADORABLE gift tags. Check out Whimsypics shop, to find these and many other beautiful designs to help you make your packages special. I love the attention to detail on these, and can hardly wait to use them!!

You may want to get some real mistletoe from FiveSisterz to hang around your home and inspire some holiday romance...

Start a special tradition with this precious, beautifully madeMini Stocking Advent calendar... visit LilTulip to find this unique creation...

Having spent a good part of my childhood in Maine, I was especially drawn to this lovely Fresh New England Christmas Wreath. You can find it at NorthEastNature.

Baby feet are the best. Keep those little toesies warm on Christmas morning with these sweet little Mistletoe Booties by BisonGirl. These would also make a fun gift for a baby you know! These booties were recently featured on the front page of Etsy!

This Ornament Tea Towel by TheHeated will look wonderful in your kitchen! What an awesome design...

Handmade Holiday Gift Guide

Here are some ideas for unique gifts for everyone on your list!

I've had my eyes on the awesome InTouch Clutch for a while. You can find it at DownstairsDesigns and it comes in many different fabric styles. What a great gift this would be for someone you know who loves to write, or travel...

Check out this awesome men's t-shirt. It says "Ride Me" on the back and would make a great gift for the bike loving guy in your life. I think its so cool. You can get one at OneGearClothing

Here is some Pumpkin Apple Butter Handmade Cold Process Soap from SouthernVermontSoap that would make a perfect stocking stuffer...

Visit this absolutely beautiful shop, MySelvagedLife, where you can find this necklace and other really special and unique pieces...

These handmade Eco-chic Mary Jane shoes are Amazing! Visit TheGeneration to find a great variety of shoes for the shoe-lover in your life...

These are the perfect earrings to celebrate winter...these beautiful Silver Snowflake earrings, by ShySiren would make a lovely gift for a friend or co-worker or even a special treat to buy yourself to wear to your holiday parties...

I love this shop, Uzura. What lovely items can be found there. This bag is one of my personal favorites, but be sure to check out this shop to find an array of beautiful and eco-friendly clothing and accessories to give your loved ones!

Look at this great necktie! Who needs boring ties when you can get amazing screen printed ones like this and so many other cool designs at Toybreaker. This one happens to be vegan too!

Help a friend or family member warm up on a cold wintery day with this lovely cowl from KittyDune. And its made with vegan-friendly yarn, in beautiful earthy colors...

Help your friend or sister beautify and protect her Ipod/Iphone with a wonderful case like this one! Visit Nimoo for this and other great Ipod/Iphone cases....

For the one who loves to pamper themselves with wonderful, natural bath and body products, visit FlyingBirdBotanicals for this Rose Cacao Bliss Kit that will make a wonderful gift...

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Hopefully, you have been inspired as I have been by these beautiful creations. To browse Etsy and find even more amazing things, you can either type what it is you are looking for (and you can find almost anything) into the search box on the home page of www.Etsy.com, or you can look through the member-curated Treasuries to see lovely collections of items found when searching Etsy.

I will be doing a lot of my Christmas shopping this year on Etsy and at local shops around Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, and I'm so excited to give gifts that have a lot of heart this year.

Much love to you this holiday season and happy browsing....

Abbey