The secret to good Christmas DIY, is to buy in bulk! That’s right, from ribbons to colored balls, to butterflies and birds. Buy lots of it, and buy early, like in September for a larger selection. My favorite place to shop here in Los Angeles is GM Floral above the LA Flower Mart, and next door at Moskatels. I always shop early so I can beat the crowds and get the best selections of color. Buying in bulk also allows you to get so much more for your money. They charge about $6 for a medium sized spool of ribbon, like the aubergine ribbon seen above, and you’ll get about 25 yards. That goes a long ways. Their larger spools of ribbon cost about $17, and you get upwards of 50 yards. They also sell small boxes of the Christmas balls in matte or shiny colors for about $12. I buy a few boxes in multiple shades of the same color, and then mix and match them.

Another little secret is to buy on sale. The black wreath above was a Halloween ornament that I found on sale for about $10 in November. And since I’m one of those odd ducks that actually loves to use black for Christmas, even though my spouse thinks it’s a little to Morticia Adams, it provides a great contrast to whatever color is my theme color for the season.

To create a more restful ensemble,  try using tone on tone color palettes  like shades of taupe, white and chrome seen above. The acrylic chairs are miniatures from France and can be used to hold business cards, place cards, or even small cupcakes on a table setting. The Holiday candles are by Aquisse: Vanilla Smoke and Cinnamon Tabac. Once the candles have been burned, set them in the freezer, chill the wax, and then pop the wax out. Clean the containers and then reuse them for cotton balls or Q-Tips on your bathroom vanity. Or, refill them with disposable votives from IKEA.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these fun tips, and I hope your holiday  is everything you’re looking for. We’ll see you in 2019!!