Gardening and Crafts...in Winter!!

 I love gardening...the smells, feelings - both the physical and the emotional - and the gratitude of being able to harvest my crops and enjoy the beauty and solitude my garden creates. But now that winter is upon us, it's hard to work outside and be able to sit and enjoy our works when our creation is in dormancy and it's far too cold to start anew!

So, my solution for this short lull: crafting! Anything and everything is fair game!! Just as gardening allows me to create something beautiful and new, beginning a new craft does the same!

So, seeing it has been below freezing as of late - and the days reach in the 40's but encompass unbearable winds and rains - I have been somewhat house-bound in the evenings. This has allowed me time to think about different projects I want to try out. Some I have conceived have been far fetched...I wanted to install a fireplace but, with finances as they are right now, it's not  something we can do. So instead, my dear sweet husband bought me a cheap little fireplace heater on black Friday from Wal-mart. It was such a good deal, he couldn't resist! I was THRILLED!!!!

Once home, we had to decide on where the best place to put it would be. Our house has a different set-up; we have an upper, more formal living room, and we have a sunken living room, which houses our TV and entertainment systems. I wanted that little "fire place" in my more formal room next to our tree!!So, noticing that I had several spare tiles (from a leftover tiling project in our bathroom) I created a small hearth for our little fireplace! It looked so cute!

I have LONGED for a mantel. It hasn't been something we needed, had room for, or could afford. But with our new fireplace, I knew we needed something. So, I took matters into my own hands and created something just as good...at least for now ;-). This is what I created!!

I found an old door in the field beside our house when we first moved in. Unable to think of what to do with it at the time, I placed it into my serenity garden and let it act garden art. There it sat, for three years, as I contemplated its use. With the arrival of my new fire-place heater, I wanted a backdrop befitting it. Since no mantel was available, I began considering all options and realized how astonishingly an old door would look (not to mention, act) behind that fireplace.

I brought it in. It required a complete overhaul. In the three years it spent in my serenity garden, it fell apart. The entire frame and paneling lay in pieces in my side yard. As determined as I was, I would not quit until that door was back to what it was. With almost two hours of work and many screws, I was able to get that door back together! I then stood it up behind my heater!

I embellished it with twig and holly garlands and a handmade ornament wreath and swag! For the swag, I simply took a length of ribbon (long enough to span the door plus a little for overhang) and tied to it several mercury glass ornaments I have accumulated throughout the years!

The result was amazing! When the tree is lit and the fireplace is turned on, my upper living room is aglow in magnificent light...not to mention the magnificent backdrop of my rustic door that can also be seen!

Having completed this project, I have created another! I am starting a 25 days of Christmas banner. Each will house a  bible verse on its back instead of a present, and each day will be held by decorated clothes pins attached to vintage shutters I found at a thrift store! I'm nearing completion on this project as well and can't wait!! 

My clothes-pins for my 25 days of Christmas project!

Step out and try your hand at creating something new! Now is the time, literally. Our gardens are at rest for the season, so we now have a small widow of opportunity to try our hands at something new! Get out there and experience it!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Enjoy!!