Today I am trying my hand at easy, no-sew pet silhouette ornaments. These are the quickest and easiest of all.

These ornaments can be personalized for your pets or you can make them for friends and family as gifts. If you can find an image online, you can turn it into an ornament.

Materials

• Small embroidery hoop
• Fabric – this is a great project for using up leftover material scraps. I have lots of leftover small pieces of ticking
• Black Felt – I tried to use denim for the animal shape, but it didn’t have clean enough lines. I saw they sell adhesive felt, which might be really easy
• Fabric glue
• Ribbon – I used a black watch plaid, but there are lots of ribbon options that would be cute.
• Scissors
• Printer and paper

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this. Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Search on the internet to find animal silhouettes. You can choose anything you like, whether it is a silhouette of an entire dog or just a dog head. I found the best results by searching for specific breeds, like “french bulldog head”.

Choose background fabric. I tried a bunch of different options and fabrics lighter in color work better.

Using the embroidery hoop as your template, trace a circle around the outside of the hoop onto your fabric

Cut the fabric about 1/2 inch outside the traced line. The extra 1/2 inch allows you to secure the fabric inside the embroidery hoop.

Shrink your desired image to fit the hoop you have chosen then print the image on paper. If the image is intricate you will have more success printing on stiff paper.

Cut the paper image then tape it to your felt and cut around your paper template.

Press your background fabric into the embroidery hoop and tighten the hoop to keep the fabric in place. if your fabric is striped you need to decide if you want the stripes vertical or horizontal.

Place the silhouette in the center of your fabric and determine how you want it oriented.

Apply fabric glue to the back of the silhouette and adhere it to your background fabric. I tried stitching them on, but it didn’t look as good (and took 2x as long as glue).

Add ribbon for hanging. These are that easy. You can make them in less than 30 minutes. The most time-consuming part is finding the shape that you like because there are so many choices.

If you have pet lovers in your family, consider making a few of these this year. You can see the Christmas tree with all the dog ornaments here.

The post Pet Silhouette Christmas Ornament appeared first on Design Morsels.

Make the holidays even more special by including your furry best friend! My niece, Riley, is a chef and avid animal rescue advocate and she made these adorable dog Christmas cookie dough ornaments. Check out her newsletter if you like vegan cooking.

This is an easy project for kids and adults alike. Even though she is a chef, I asked her give me the beginner options like store-bought dough, royal icing using a kit and simple icing options. There are more advanced ways to ice cookies, this is simple enough for beginners.

Supplies to Make Dog Cookie Ornaments

These ornaments could also be made with salt dough instead of edible dough.

1. Store-bought cookie dough (you can make your own if you prefer).
2. Royal icing  (royal icing will last FOREVER but you can use just a basic thick powdered sugar icing too)
3. Gel-based food coloring
4. A few piping bags (I like to use the disposable ones)
5. Dog (or cat) shaped cookie cutters
6. An edible ink pen/sharpie to make noses and eyes
7. Toothpick for spreading out the icing
8. A straw for making a hole to hang the ornament
9. Yarn, ribbon or string for hanging
10. A straw (for making a hole to hang the ornament)

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this. Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

You can get sooo many cute dog-shaped cookie cutters on ETSY. If you have a specific breed of dog, search by the breed. I got a variety pack to test out which ones turned out the best. One looks like a gopher, more than a dog.

Steps-by-Step Tutorial

Roll and Cut

• Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the cookie dough package.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it’s about 1/4-inch thick.
• Using your dog-themed cookie cutters, cut out your desired shapes.

• Place the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Use the straw to create a small hole near the top of each ornament. This is where you’ll thread the ribbon or string for hanging.

Baking

• Place the cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking so they hold their shape.
• Bake in the preheated oven according to the package instructions or until the ornaments are completely dry and hard.
• Allow the ornaments to cool completely before decorating.

Make the royal icing

• If you buy the package of royal icing it’s very easy to make, just follow the package instructions.
• It can be easily thinned out by adding small amounts of water. Tip: use a spray bottle to control the amount of water.
• Separate the icing into as many bowls as you want to make colors. Wisk in the color and then fill your bags.
• You can easily decorate a dozen cookies with 1 cup of royal icing.

Decorating the Cookies

• Divide the royal icing into small batches & color with gel-based food coloring. Use as many colors as you like. I made red and green and left the last bit white.
• Snip off a tiny bit of the tip of each piping bag.
• There are lots of ways to decorate your pooch. With Royal icing, one of the keys is to make an outline of the shape you want to fill. Then you can use a thinner “flood” to complete the base. For the sweaters, outline the sweater first.
• You can get a feathered effect by dragging the toothpick through the icing. Place a piping bag in a drinking glass to hold it upright then fill it with royal icing using a spoon or spatula. Repeat this process for each color of royal icing.

You can get a feathered effect by dragging the toothpick through the icing. Place a piping bag in a drinking glass to hold it upright then fill it with royal icing using a spoon or spatula. Repeat this process for each color of royal icing.

Adding the Finishing Touches

Once everything is dry, thread the ribbon or string through the hole and tie it off, creating a loop for hanging.

Hang your Dog Christmas Cookie Dough Ornaments on your tree or gift them to fellow dog lovers!

If you liked this post you might like this one on how to make felt dog ornaments and see the final tree with all the dog ornaments.

The post Dog Christmas Cookie Ornament Tutorial appeared first on Design Morsels.

I decided to make a few easy fall pillows using spray paint.  I am not a huge fan of orange, but you can decorate for fall using different colors.  I used blue, mostly because I’m not a huge fan of orange.

They sell special spray paint made just for fabric, but I didn’t have that on hand.  The best spray paint is what you’ve got already.  The best way to wash spray-painted fabric is by hand, but as this video shows, you CAN wash painted fabric.  

Supplies Needed

I want to talk a little bit about the type of paint I used, vs what’s available.  There are LOTS of spray paints out there.  Spray paints come in acrylic and enamel.  

• Fabric – I used 100% cotton fabric because I think it makes the softest pillows
• Vanilla Folder
• Scissors
• Spray Paint
• Sewing Machine
• Adhesive spray

Pillow – If you have some pillows around that are beat up, this is a good way to recycle them with a new cover.  You don’t even have to remove the old one.  

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this. Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

Steps to Make a Pumpkin Pillow

The process for making this pillow is simple and doesn’t take a long time.  Click here to see a short video.

1. The first step is the cut the fabric for your pillow, so you can figure out the center for the stencil.  This helps you to know where to place the stencil.  If you want to spray paint an existing pillow, that makes the craft even easier.

2. Decide what shape you want to transfer onto your fabric.  I wanted a pumpkin, but you could do anything in the season, a leaf, a ghost, a crow.  You could do words like , “It’s fall y’all”.  The best way to find what you want to make the stencil out of is to search online for the subject, print an example, and draw that onto your folder.  

I used the vanilla folder to create a stencil.  

3. Once you have the stencil cut iron your fabric.  Apply the adhesive to the stencil, and don’t skimp.  You want your stencil to be firmly stuck to the paper so you don’t get any bleeding on the fabric.

4. In a well-ventilated area, spray paint your stencil.  Wait 30 minutes for the paint to dry and peel off the stencil.

5. Complete the pillow.  I like to use this envelope pillow method because there are no zippers, just a few seams.  It’s a pillow you can literally make in 10 minutes.

If you liked this quick and easy craft, check out how to make a ghost light and how to create a mummy door decoration.

The post Spray Paint Fabric: A Quick Fall Transformation appeared first on Design Morsels.

Halloween season reminds me of the annual Halloween party that my sister used to throw.  Every year was a different haunted house.  I tried this once, but it’s a LOT of work.  

Hanging up a ghost is a great idea because it’s so easy and inexpensive.  This is a good decoration for your front porch or inside the front door. It would NOT work in your front yard because the paper lanterns are a little too fragile.  

Supplies Needed

Most of these supplies can be purchased at IKEA, but if you aren’t near an IKEA I’ve listed alternate sources.

• Paper globe light IKEAs Regolit (aka paper lanterns)
• Plug in light, IKEAS Havsris,
• Black felt for the ghost eyes and nose
• Tape
• Gauze fabric (or any sheer fabric)
• Scissors

You could use a white sheet, but the gauze is inexpensive and gives the ghost a little bit more of a creepy look.  You could also do this with a styrofoam ball, but the paper lanterns have a built-in light.   

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission, which helps me to be able to keep writing.  

Easy Steps to Assemble Your Ghost’s Head

This is one of the easiest Halloween crafts you’ll ever make. There are just three steps. 

1. Assemble the paper lantern according to instructions.
2. Cut out two felt circles for the ghost’s eyes and a nose.  Tape them to the lantern.  You could use a hot glue gun, but if you use tape you can remove them easily after the spooky season is over.   You could also use a black permanent marker.  
3. Mount the light.  I used a hook included in the light.  Once it’s up you can drape the gauze or an old sheet over the lantern.  I didn’t cut a hole in the gauze. I used two pieces of gauze, one draped over the front and the other over the back.  

You sen see the easy tutorial in this video.    

This is a fun way to add a little spook to your Halloween night.  Happy decorating!  

For more Halloween decorations, check out this mummy door (a fun Halloween project you can make with leftover fabric) or this simple Halloween table.

The post Easy DIY Halloween Ghosts Lights appeared first on Design Morsels.

If you’re hanging stockings for family members, you shouldn’t forget our four-legged friends. After all, they’re part of the family too! What better way to make them feel special than with their own Christmas stocking?

For all the pet lovers out there, here’s a DIY plan to craft the perfect stocking for your beloved pet.

Materials:

1. Fabric.  You can use any festive fabric.  I used remnants from my stash of Christmas fabrics.
2. Sewing machine.
3. Fabric Pen or paints
4. Thread
5. Cotton batting (optional)
6. Scissors
7. Iron

I made several different stockings, so I will outline instructions for each. 

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this. Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

Instructions for the dog stocking:  

• Trace a template of your Christmas stocking pattern.  You can do this on a paper bag, piece of paper, or a scrap piece of fabric.  Play with it until you get a shape and size you like. 

• Cut various fabrics into 2 1/2-inch strips.  The number of strips you need will be determined by the size of your stocking.   

• Sew the strips of fabric together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance.  You will sew them right sides together with the seam along the long edge of the fabric pieces.  If your fabric strips are long enough you can just continue to sew strips together.  Because I was using scraps I had to stagger the strips at one end to accommodate the toe of the stocking.

• Place the template on the strips and trace around it then cut along the traced line. 

• If you want to add any decor to the front of your stocking, now is the time to do it. You could add dog ears, a dog paw, a dog face, or your dog’s name.   I cut several dog bone shapes from a contrasting fabric and sewed them to the front of my stocking.  You could also use fabric glue for this step.  
• ​Choose a fabric for the back of the stocking.  Use the stocking template and trace and cut the backing fabric. 
• Now it’s time to add the top cuff to the front and back panels.  Again I chose a contrasting fabric.  The size of your cuff depends on the size of your stocking.  I cut 2 identical pieces, the same width as the top of the stocking and 3 inches long.  
• Press a 1/2-inch fold along the bottom of the cuff piece for both the front and the back of the stocking.
• Sew the right side of one cuff piece to the wrong side of the front stocking and sew the right side of the second cuff piece to the wrong side of the back of the stocking. 

• Flip the cuff pieces over to the right side of both the front and the back and press flat.
• Sew a seam along the very edge of the cuff piece to attach it to the front of the stocking and do the same on the back.

• Place the front and back stocking pieces right sides together and sew a 1/4-inch seam along the edges, leaving the top of the stocking open. 

• Turn the stocking right-side out.

• Add names to your stocking using a paint pen or you can stitch them on.

Instructions for the cat stocking:  

1. Trace a template of your Christmas stocking pattern.  You can do this on a paper bag, piece of paper, or a scrap piece of fabric.  Play with it until you get a shape and size you like. 
2. Place the template on the fabric and trace around it then cut along the traced line.  Do this for both the front and back of the stocking.
3. If you want to add any decor to the front of your stocking, now is the time to do it. I made a cat face with contrasting fabric.  I made a triangle nose and ears on a white face and added whiskers made from broom bristles (you could use a fabric pen). 

1. I decided to quilt the front of the cat stocking. To do this I cut a piece of cotton batting using the stocking template. I used topstitching thread and joined the batting to the back of the front of the stocking using simple diagonal lines.

1. Now it’s time to add the top cuff to the front and back panels.  Again I chose a contrasting fabric.  The size of your cuff depends on the size of your stocking.  I cut 2 identical pieces, the same width as the top of the stocking and 3 inches long.  
2. Press a 1/2-inch fold along the bottom of the cuff piece for both the front and the back of the stocking.
3. Sew the right side of one cuff piece to the wrong side of the front stocking and sew the right side of the second cuff piece to the wrong side of the back of the stocking. 
4. Flip the cuff pieces over to the right side of both the front and the back and press flat.
5. Sew a seam along the very edge of the cuff piece to attach it to the front of the stocking and do the same on the back.
6. Place the front and back stocking pieces right sides together and sew a 1/4-inch seam along the edges, leaving the top of the stocking open. 
7. Turn the stocking right-side out.
8. Add whiskers. I used broom bristles, but you could use a fabric pen.

Variations to consider: 

1. For the stocking cuff, use faux fur, an old sweater, or any fabric that complements your pet’s fur or coat color. Attach it to the front of the stocking.
2. Add a personal touch! With embroidery threads, stitch your pet’s name onto the front of the stocking. Whether it’s “Santa Paws” for your dog or a simple design that matches your cat’s fur, the goal is a personalized Christmas stocking.
3. For the final flair, consider using fabric paints or adding Christmas decorations like a paw print, ensuring it’s a special Christmas stocking.

Pet Christmas stockings are a great way to show your furry friend that they’re on the “nice list” this year.

They also make great gifts for friends and family who are pet lovers. They can be personalized with your pet’s name. It’s a fun way to get into the holiday spirit.

If you liked this, check out the dog Christmas ornaments.

The post DIY Pet Christmas Stockings: A tutorial appeared first on Design Morsels.

I often try to do a themed tree every year.  I don’t have a huge tree, so I can usually do that without spending a fortune.  One year I did a Star Wars theme and another year I used only ribbon bows.  This year I’m going to do a pet theme.  

My family is full of dog lovers so why not try to make a bunch of ornaments for all the different dogs and cats in our family?    

I’m sharing the steps involved to show you how you can make your own personalized dog ornaments for any breed of dog.  They make great gifts for the pet lovers in your life, too.  I’m not trying to leave out cat lovers, but I did find those a little more challenging because of the tail.  Maybe next year.  

Materials Needed

The materials you will need for any felt Christmas ornaments are pretty minimal.  Here’s what I used:

• Assorted squares of felt depending on the breed
• Fur fabric
• Needle
• Embroidery thread
• Glue gun
• Assorted pompoms – I found the best option at Joann’s
• Freezer paper – This might seem strange, but read on to see why
• Scissors – A small pair that can really cut details works best
• Assorted ribbons – You don’t need large pieces, so you can probably use leftover ribbons
• Stuffing
• Eyes – assorted sizes

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this.  Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

Before you choose colors, think about what dog breeds you want to make and the colors you will want.  I picked up grey, white, black and several shades of brown.  I think this covers most breeds.  

I made a dachshund, a shepherd, a French bulldog, a labrador, a poodle and a doodle.  Y can choose your favorite breed, but if you stick to dogs that have a recognizable shape, it’s easier to find a good silhouette. I had a harder time finding good silhouettes for fluffy breeds like an Australian Shepherd.  

Creating Your Dog Templates

Before you start making the felt ornaments you will need to get a good template.  The best way I found to do this is to search for the dog breed plus the word “silhouette”.  I printed the silhouette on a regular laser printer and used that as my template.  

This is where the freezer paper comes in.  It can be challenging to cut the dog shapes out on felt.

First, print your template out on regular paper and cut the template out.  Now use that to trace the shape onto the non-waxed side of the freezer paper.  

Using an iron, press the wax paper onto the felt, with the waxy side down.  It doesn’t still permanently stick, but just enough to make it easier to cut the shapes out.  

Sewing and Decorating Your Dog Christmas Ornaments

Once you have the ornaments cut out, you can begin sewing them together.  I used a blanket stitch (demonstrated in this video) to sew the bodies together.  Once you get them about 75% sewn together, stuff them and sew them the rest of the way.

If you want to add color patches to your dog, it’s best to sew that one before you sew the two sides together. I cut a few separate small patterns for the ears and a forward looking face.

At this point, you can be done, or you can add LOTS of embellishments to them.  Here are a few of the fun things I glued and sewed on:

• A forward-facing face (to contrast the side view). I did these mostly on the doodles.
• eyes
• nose
• ears
• eyebrows
• patches of color for fur
• dog collars/scarves
• furry legs
• tail fur

I will share the finished tree with these guys later this year. If you liked this post you might like the dog stockings, dog cookie ornaments, pet silhouette ornaments or the DIY ribbon bow for the tree topper.

The post DIY Dog Ornaments: A Themed Christmas Tree appeared first on Design Morsels.

If you are joining me from, Chas, I’m so glad you stopped by. She has so many creative ideas, and they are things I actually feel like I could make. I loved the idea of ornaments for the porch. Be sure to join all the participants by clicking at the end of this post.

Before you know it Christmas will be here, so take a look and see if anything gives you some ideas for this year. If it’s too soon for you, it’s still something you can do in the coolness of the indoors.

Three Things I Decorate

I am not the kind of person who decorates all the rooms in my house. I don’t have the space to store a lot of decorations so I like to limit my Christmas decorations to the Christmas tree, the mantel and my dining room.

Getting these three things done each year makes the house feel like it’s the holidays. Limiting my decorations allows me to choose a different theme each year, which helps make each one a little more memorable.

Here’s a look at a few of the themes from my Christmas Past plus a taste of what I’m thinking about doing this year. This year involves the pets in our life.

Past Christmas Themes

For my tree I have tried a few different themes. These are a few from the last few years. This tree is mostly decorated with ornaments from my childhood.

This is the year Star Wars was big in our house, so I made a bunch of Star Wars ornaments to go with it.

Another year I had a simple tree with just ribbons and a salt dough star garland. I had just discovered that salt dough ornaments could be reused every year.

My favorite mantel from the past was the year that I made a magnolia garland. I really wanted to buy one, but they are so expensive. And I love to use this Christmas card holder every year (an easy DIY project)

Past Christmas Tables

The tables are challenging because I don’t have a lot of dishes, so it’s harder to do a different theme every time. My most recent one was the most different, it was a dark moody Christmas table.

I’ve also done the opposite, using mostly white for Christmas dining.

I hope you enjoyed all of these Christmas decorations from the past. This year I’ll be trying a new theme. Here’s a hint (it’s full of dog ornaments).

Join the Christmas In July Blog Hop for more holiday inspiration. To follow along, click the highlighted blog name. Next up is Kelly at The Tattered Pew. You are going to love seeing her gorgeous home in Colorado.

The Ponds Farmhouse / Cottage on Bunker Hill / Chas’ Crazy Creations

Design Morsels (you are here) / The Tattered Pew / White Arrows Home

Midwest Life and Style / Bricks N Blooms / Simply 2 Moms

Shiplap & Shells / Down Shiloh Road / Country Road 407

Celebrate & Decorate / WM Design House / Peacock Ridge Farm

Robyn’s French Nest / Life At Bella Terra

The post Christmas in July: A Time to Plan a Theme appeared first on Design Morsels.

I grew up in a house where my mom switch out ALL the decor four times a year. She still does that even living in her senior apartment. She has different slip covers for every season, different dishes, different art, throw pillow covers. It’s the works.

I honestly DON’T do a lot of seasonal decor. I’m going to share my LAZY approach. This is for all the ladies (and gentlemen) that don’t have a lot of room to store seasonal decor.

I try to concentrate my seasonal decor in just a few places. I put something on the front door, I swap out my throw blankets and pillows from wool to cotton and I add some lighter colors to the table in my entry and my buffet OR my mantel. That’s it!

Summer Decor In the Entry

Here’s what that looks like in my house. In my entry I’ve added cotton turkish blankets and a few seasonal faux branches.

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this.  Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

Summer Decor in the Dining Room

The hutch in my dining room is the one place where I like to add something seasonal. This summer I decided to add touches of pale pink and green.

Nothing says summer like lavender. I love it for a live centerpiece instead of the standard flower arrangement. We will see if I can keep it alive after the dinner party.

Summer in the Kitchen/Breakfast

And here’s my kitchen table for July 4th of July. I used blue hydrangeas, blue napkins, a red runner and red check plates. It’s not all starts and stripes, but I tried to make up for it with the lantern.

Summer Outside

Even in the summer I like to add a few light throw blankets outside and some pillows that are washable. It just makes sitting outside in the evenings a little more comfy.

Now it’s time to take a peak inside some other homes that are all decorated up for summer.

• Summer Home and Garden Tour – Celebrate and Decorate
• 1891 Cottage Summer Home Ideas – Tatertots and Jello
• Summer Garden Tour – Southern Alabama – Zone 8B – Happily Ever After Etc.
• California Backyard Living Outdoor Home and Garden Tour – WM Design House
• 10 Inspiring Summer Home Tour Decor Ideas – Craft Klatch
• Welcome Home Summer Traditions Kids Love to Come Home to – White Arrows Home
• Ultimate Summer Decor Ideas Home Tour and DIY Inspirations – Chas’ Crazy Creations
• Gathered and Found Summer Screen Porch Tour – Red Cottage Chronicles

The post Summer Home Tour appeared first on Design Morsels.

This valentine’s day garland is one of those DIY projects that any beginner can do. It involves only cutting, no sewing. There are adorable stitched heart garlands with yarn pompoms, but I don’t have a pom-pom maker or time to make pom-poms.

This is a quick 20-minute craft that doesn’t require any special tools. Valentine’s is NOT a holiday that I spend a ton of time decorating because I’ve just finished taking down Christmas decorations.

Supplies for Valentines Garland

The supplies for this are pretty limited. You can get the supplies at Michaels’s stores or Joann’s. I like to use the stiffened felt sheets vs the soft ones because it’s easier. If you already have felt, you can cut a cardboard backing.

• Red stiff felt sheet
• Red and natural twine – you can use any string or ribbon you have sitting around
• Scissors – the small sharp scissors are much easier to use on the stiff felt

I use affiliate links so I can afford to keep doing this. Hope it saves you time. See my disclosure policy.

The heart garland is so easy to make. You don’t even have to draw out the hearts. It’s cuter if they are all slightly different, instead of all the same perfect size.

If you don’t have stiff felt you can cut a heart-shaped piece of cardboard and glue it to the back of the heart. For this, it works well if you use really thin cardboard, like a cereal box or a gift box.

1. Make a fold in the felt and cut a heart shape
2. Cut a small slit in one corner of the heart, not in the middle of the heart because you want them to hang at an angle
3. Run the string through the corner of each heart

That’s it. The hearts don’t tend to move around on the twine because they are made from stiff felt.

You can watch a video tutorial here.

If you’re more interested in buying a garland, here are really cute options that are inexpensive and most have free shipping.

Vintage music heart garland, wool ball and heart garland, wood beads garland, scrapbook paper garland

Places to Hang a Strand of Garland

What’s nice about garland is that you can use it in so many places, besides a mantle or down a staircase rail. Garlands are a simple way to add seasonal decor without a lot of work because you can simply drape them over things.

If you have a shorter garland you can hang it over a picture frame or a window or doorway. You can also place it over a mirror or in a house plant. They also look nice hung over the front door.

Quick Ways Get Into the Valentine’s Spirit

I’m terrible about blowing off holidays, but I realized it’s because it’s a lot of work. It doesn’t have to be. You don’t need bins of decorations to make holidays memorable.

As women, we compare ourselves to every other person we know, and even those we know only virtually. We set ourselves up for such an unreachable goal around every holiday. That’s not even how “influencers” live their lives, it’s just the pretty picture that they share of the one perfect thing.

I want the feeling that holiday traditions give you and the memories that go with them. You can build small meaningful traditions around each holiday without it taking over your calendar. Try adding one thing for each of your five senses.

• Sight – A garland, heart mugs or a simple red centerpiece or make these really cute Valentine gift bags.
• Sound – Valentine’s day playlist. Thanks to Apple music and Spotify, there are already great playlists if you don’t want to create your own. Music more than anything else sparks memories.
• Touch – This is an easy one for Valentine’s day.
• Taste – I like to make heart-shaped french toast
• Smell – I am not a candle person (don’t hate me) but I like to use essential oils and I have these wool balls that are used to hold the smell. Check Trader Joe’s. For Valentine’s I like geranium, which is a floral smell.

How you feel is greatly influenced by all your senses, not just what you can see. Take advantage of that.

Happy Valentine’s day.

Before you go, you might be interested in reading Simple Valentines Breakfast Table, Easy Valentines Centerpiece or Valentines Inspiration from Around the Web.

The post Quickie DIY Valentines garland, one of five ways to make it memorable appeared first on Design Morsels.

I love tartan plaid, so what about a black table setting? This color scheme doesn’t really fit for Thanksgiving dinners, but I think it will be a fun table for Christmas.

Almost every plaid goes with black. I usually add these bows to my chandelier, but they work on candle sticks too.

Here’s how you can set a dramatic black tablescape on a budget. You really only need a few basics to get a

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Black plates – There’s no getting around black plates if you want to set an all black table. I found these at Amazon and they are really affordable, and I think I will use them for other things.

Black tablecloth – My dining table is already black, but if yours isn’t you can add an inexpensive black tablecloth like this one. You can also use a black runner or just a piece of black material, I had a small piece of black velvet. I bought black napkins, too.

Black candlesticks – I have these black candle holders from IKEA (similar ones here) so I added black candles to them. Black taper candles, too. Warning: DON’T buy candles on Amazon. The first ones I bought were not really black. I found a much better selection of beeswax candles in Etsy. Here are the candles I bought from a small business.

Flatware – I originally bought black silverware, but ended up returning it because it was so flimsy. I used my silverplate instead and to tie that in I used silver goblets (only have 4 though).

I think a great way to add visual interest is to add natural elements to the table. I used green garland pieces, but I think fresh flowers in deep rose colors would be really pretty.

Here are some amazing tables that inspired me to try an all black-table.

• All Black Halloween table (but you could do for any time) – this was the table that inspired me.
• Moody black fall table
• Winter Solstice Dinner Party
• Dark Winter wedding table (table is at the bottom)

Before you go, if you want something outside of the norm, you might like a Boho holiday table.

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