Are you looking for some non-traditional decorating inspiration for the holidays? Hi everyone, this is Anke with some festive tabletop ideas for you for the month of December because now is the time to think about decoration. “Well that happened fast”, is basically what I think this time of the year, you too? Suddenly, the year is coming to a close and the spirit of Christmas season is upon us. And how could it NOT be with so much Christmas activity and inspiration on blogs, Instagram, Pinterest and in the magazines?

I have already tried out many crafting projects in the past; the “Fröbelstern“ (Advent star), to give an example, is definitely a DIY goal of mine. I love these stars (watch how they are made here) but did not manage to fold it in a neat way so far so I can’t show it on here to all of you… Maybe this is one reason why I opted for a paper star decoration that is easy to make and won’t frustrate you. I also like the stars I’ve made because they stand out with a strong look, particularly when you choose black paper!

To make the stars, simply pick any star template you like (you will find countless ones on the internet) and cut out stars in two or three different sizes. I sewed several stars one by one with my sewing machine and hung the garland above the table.

I attached others to glass bottles with the same black yarn. When using bottles or glasses for tall candles make sure you use wax dots to fix them properly!

On my December table, you see black plates and cutlery, napkins and some small details like a vase and candleholder in a color PANTONE calls “Dusty Cedar“, which I would describe as a mix of terracotta and dusky pink. This one is clearly my current color crush! What is yours?

It also made me happy to decorate with Eucalyptus again. And if you have a look around you will notice Eucalyptus is still the darling of stylists at this time of the year! I fixed several branches loosely onto my table clamp (you will find more information about this gorgeous tool here).

I also made six tiny and simple wreaths to circle the bowls for salt (the kind of salt you see is black fjord salt) and combined a few twigs with Amaryllis, Chrysanthemums and a velvety flower/ branch named Kangaroo Paw.

What else? Just this… Thank you very much for stopping by today to read my column! I wish you a wonderful Holiday season just the way you like it best, contemplative and calm or sparkling and cheerful or a little bit of both! Have a beautiful month of December and see you again safe and sound in 2018! Love, Anke

(Photography, Text and Ideas: Anke Illner)

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