I was honored to be asked to take part in A Country Christmas Memory by host Carole at Garden up Green.
We all share a common bond…we live in the country 🙂
Together we will share what living in the Country means to each of us and something heartfelt.
So join me and these lovely ladies as we kick off
Simple Christmas Swag
ho ho ho
When I was asked to take part in this blog tour I pondered what I would talk about.
The one thing that kept coming to mind was simplicity!
When I think of country living I breathe easy…life is hard if you farm, but there is something about old dirt roads and a life lived in rubber boots!
It is hard to describe the feeling of peace that envelops me when I look out over our property and see the cows grazing peacefully and the windmill blades gently navigating the breeze.
I knew the moment we purchased our home that I was a country girl at heart.
During the holidays I enjoy using what we already have and turning to nature.
My mom doesn’t realize that she taught me that…she is amazing at making something out of nothing.
She’s the first to pull the fir branches from her yard and quickly put together a simple swag for the door.
Many years later and I still love the simplicity of freshly picked greenery, ribbon, and a few bells…in this case a row of antique cow bells 😉
I guess it reminds me of her!
So here’s to the mom’s that give us warm Christmas memories…
To get started, grab your gloves and head outside!
First I picked some fresh greenery from a few trees on our property.
(I like to wear gloves…branches can be prickly little suckers)
Choose a couple different trees if you can for contrast and texture.
If you don’t have a yard or any greenery you can usually get cuttings from the tree farmers.
The local tree lots selling Christmas trees will also have some and they will usually give it to you at no cost.
I then gathered up some berry sprays, a set of antique cowbells, and a rusty old hook.
Keep in mind that making a swag is supposed to be fun…and simple!
Use what you have in your yard or on hand.
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Just start building your swag.
I like to have the middle longer so I slowly build on that.
Once you get your greens in place tie it at the top with an elastic band or duct tape.
I used duct tape because I wanted a large swag and an elastic band would not hold the weight.
Duct tape is not pretty, but it will hold your greenery in place.
Add ribbon to hide the tape and then I then tucked the cowbells under the ribbon.
You can secure your bells with some twine or florist wire.
I had an old hook that was perfect for hanging the wreath.
You can also use a traditional door hanger.
I hope you have fun making your own Christmas swag
and before you go
let’s take a Country Christmas stroll together to see what my friends have shared 🙂
Carole from Garden Up Green
Jemma from At Home with Jemma
Judith from Botanic Bleu
Kindly, xo
Jane
19 Comments
Love this and swags are my favorite. My mom gave me a string of bells some cow that she collected over the years. Now I’m thinking how could I incorporate them in my decorating. Enjoyed This Jane and thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Carole, I also used some cowbells inside the house…dangling from a sleigh and on my goat wagon.
Thank you for organizing the tour. I have been filled with Christmas memories and have loved meeting the other ladies 🙂
Good Morning Jane,
You summed up Country living perfectly! Even now I too am listening to the cows mooing and an occasional screech of a Hawk.
Love your swag, it is beautiful and I have some faux cow bells that I could substitute.
I so enjoyed this!
Blessings to you for a wonderful week,
Jemma
Jane,
Love your cedar swag with cow bells on an old rustic wall! Thanks for sharing how you put together the swag, including using duct tape, one of the staples of farmers, carpenters, car mechanics, DIY-selfers everywhere. That and bailing wire… I really honored to be on the Country Christmas Memory blog tour with you.
Hope all is going well for your barn show…
Judith
Hi Judith,
I have loved this tour and I’m so happy I’ve met you in the blogging world. All the posts sparked magical Christmas memories 🙂
Yup duct tape and wire…can’t do without…Lol!
Thank you for visiting and I look forward to posting again with you, xo
I love your weathered wood and real greens decor. Love the bells too!
thank you, Carlene 🙂 I believe we enjoy a lot of the same things! I just adore your gardens and all the rustic touches!
A lovely swag, especially made with greens from your yard. The wood and cow bells are the perfect touch. A great story with lovely memories from your childhood.
Hi Linda, I think we all enjoy saving a little so anything I can find in nature to decorate with is a bonus 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to visit and loving my swag, xo
Oh, how pretty! I am visiting you from Carole’s blog. I love the simplicity of country living, and even if we live in town, we can still live a very minimal, simple, peace-filled life. So grateful to meet you today, Jane!
Hi Cheryl, I agree. Before we lived in the country we lived the same way. I have always loved simplicity and I love how you put it 🙂 Simplicity does feel peaceful.
Thank-you for your lovely comment and taking the time to visit, xo
Warmed my heart & soul reading all the memories in the blogs. Your wreath is gorgeous, sometimes simplicity is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
my heart was warmed as well. the gals reminded me of so many happy Christmas memories. We share a similar style Geniece and a love for vintage…for simplicity.
thanks for visiting, xo
I love the swag you created, it’s beautiful! I used to make them when we lived in Tennessee, we had a lot of pine trees around, I miss that..xo
Hi Courtney, I also miss all the greenery from back home. I managed to get a little on our property, but I imagine I’ll be buying some as well. It is still funny to me to need to buy it depending on what you want.
Thank-you for visiting, xo
Nice blog jane, Great photos..So pretty those swags. I’m still cutting cedar branches hah . Those fresh branches smell so nice on the mantle or in a vase. Good idea with the tape..
Hi mom, I know Dad will have duct tape…Lol! I think the smell is one of the best things about Christmas. If you had to close your eyes and smell those trees it would take you right back to Christmas memories.
I love every kind of fresh greenery for Christmas. Your swag is just beautiful. Thank you for sharing your warm memory.
aw, thank you for your sweet comment 🙂 love those warm childhood memories!
thank you for visiting, xo