French Cottage Christmas DIY projects

by on Nov 8, 2011

Jane Milford’s house didn’t become a home overnight. It has taken many years of collecting, crafting and decorating to achieve her eclectic style. We wanted to try our hand at Jane’s look, so we started with a few DIY projects.

Chalkboard paint transforms an old window into a gorgeous sign.

Window Frame Chalkboard
We’ve made this vintage window frame decorative and functional simply by brushing on a couple of coats of chalkboard paint, which is available at craft stores. Two eye screws and a few feet of rope created a personalized display board. To keep with Jane’s rustic look, we’ve left the frame in its natural state. It looks quite charming placed on a kitchen wall displaying the night’s menu.

Materials:
1 vintage window frame
1 foam brush
1 small can rust-oleum chalkboard paint

Instructions:
Prep the surface by thoroughly cleaning the glass. Smoothly paint on one coat of chalkboard paint. Let dry for 2-3 hours. Paint another smooth coat of paint. Let dry for 24 hours before drawing on the board.

These DIY burlap napkin rings start with a simple toilet paper tube.

Burlap Napkin Rings
We fell in love with Jane’s decorative use of burlap and stenciling. To get her look, we designed these napkin rings to give our dining table a touch of texture and character. You might be surprised to learn that this project gets started with a cardboard toilet paper tube. Using a hot glue gun, add a few strips of burlap, some patterned ribbon and an embellished fabric button — and there you have it — personalized napkin rings for your guests.

Materials:
scissors
glue gun
1 cardboard toilet paper roll (makes 2 napkin rings)
12″x12″ piece of burlap
1 yard of ribbon (about 1/4 inch thick – your color choice)
2 buttons
2 – 2″x2″ fabric squares (to cover buttons)
letter stamps

Materials needed for the napkin rings.

Wrapping the toilet paper tube with burlap.

The strips of burlap.

Making the beginnings of a bow.

Glueing the bow pieces together.

It's almost done!

Instructions:
Cut cardboard toilet paper roll in half. Cut two pieces of burlap to wrap around rolls (approx. 2″ x 6″). Glue onto roll. Cut six strips of burlap into 1/2″ x 6″ strips. Fold each strip into a bow and then glue in the center. Using three bows, glue on top of one another to create a flower-like shape. Glue flower onto roll. Next, cut six strips of ribbon, each 6 inches long. Fold each strip into a bow and then glue in the center. Again, using three bows, glue on top of one another to create a flower-like shape. Glue the ribbon flower on top of the burlap flower. Cover button with fabric by snipping the edges and then gluing them around the button. Stamp letter on button and then glue button to the napkin ring. Fold napkin and then place the napkin ring over it.

Thrift store wine glasses turn into tea light holders with a vintage look.

Decoupaged Wine Glasses
Using old sheets of music and vintage book pages, Jane adds character and whimsy to everyday items — like glassware and storage boxes. This is done using a process called decoupage. It’s actually quite simple, too — if you can cut and paste, you can decoupage. We quickly transformed these thrift store wine glasses into decorative votive holders using pages from an old book and remnants of ribbon. We love their timeworn elegance and DIY flair.

Materials:
Mod Podge
foam brush
old book
3 wine glasses
3′ ribbon
3 tealight candles

Wine glasses, an old book and a bit of Mod Podge make adorable rustic tea lights.

Instructions:
Tear pieces of book into strips and squares. One piece at a time and using the foam brush, place glue on the back of the strip, place strip on the wineglass, smooth out, brush more glue on top of the strip (glue will appear milky, but dries transparent). Repeat to cover the entire wineglass. Let dry 24 hours. Tie bottom of wineglass with ribbon. Light candle.