easy Christmas projects and recipes

I’ve been contributing to Country Sampler Farmhouse Style for more than 6 years now, and today I want to share some of my favorite Christmas projects and super yummy recipes with you.

First up is this hot cocoa bar that was in the 2023 Winter issue. I wanted to create a sort of campfire vibe for this shelf in my kitchen. I gathered several vintage spice tins and plaid accessories as the start to this whole look.

My secret to delicious and easy hot cocoa is to just buy your favorite carton of chocolate milk and then keep in nice and warm in a small crockpot or “slow cooker” as they now call them.

 

If you don’t have the room or the budget for even a small Christmas tree, then this project is for you! It starts with a fun vintage crock, but any similarly shaped container would work.

The secret is to add a little pyramid shaped piece of floral foam, the wet kind, to the crock. Water it, and then add small little branches and cuttings of foraged evergreens and winter berries. I like to start at the top with a strong leader branch and then fill it in from there.

 

Covering a small crate with festive plaid wrapping paper is another fun project. I decided to create a little farmhouse winter scene in mine, complete with a cheery red barn and lots of bottle brush trees. A little moss around the bottom of the landscape finishes off this idyllic scene. 

Now for a couple of non-Christmas projects… they both involve thrifted treasures. The first one is a little lamp made from a small ironstone pitcher. 

The bottom of this lamp is actually a spare metal chandelier medallion that I had on hand in the garage. It was the perfect size for the base of the lamp. I bought a lamp kit online and put this little beauty together. The shade was an extra little chandelier shade I had left over from another project. 

During the pandemic, I found a whole box of Fiestaware on the curb that someone had set out for free. I took a long wooden board and decided to glue the cups and saucers on the board for a fun and colorful utensil holder.

 

A few little “s” hooks do the trick for holding whisks, wooden spoons and other kitchen gadgets.

 

recipes

I'm currently working on four more projects for the Autumn 2025 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, and then we head straight back into some winter and Christmas projects and more recipes for 2025.

 

What a surprise it was to have my picture selected for the Winter 2024 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style...

 

Did you read this one? I have several projects and recipes in this one too! I’ll share those with you all in a few weeks’ time.

 

ciao fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

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the best Christmas table linens on sale!

 

The prettiest new pattern from Pacific & Rose debuted this week. It’s called Charlotte Berry and is just so perfect for setting the most gorgeous Christmas tablescape.

Best of all, this brand-new pattern and all the other gorgeous patterns from  Pacific & Rose are now 30% off  for the holidays.

 

Just use the Promo Code GRATEFUL30 to get your discount at checkout.

  

There are lots of options for this print too: tablecloths, placemats, runners and napkins. 

For the holidays, I love a layered, luxurious look as you see here with the Charlotte Berry tablecloth, placemats and napkins all working together at this pretty place setting, above.

 

Here’s my table set with the gorgeous Charlotte Berry tablecloth. I made a festive centerpiece from a faux evergreen garland, some eucalyptus, and baby’s breath. 

A few vintage glass ornaments in soft gold and silver were added for a touch of sparkle, along with a small collection of vintage brass candlesticks.

I think it’s the perfect a punch of holiday greenery to bring out the festive red and white of the table linens.

 

This pattern is meant to be used all year long, and I love that about it. You can see here how easy it is to set an elegant table, any time of the year…

but it really shines at Christmas time!

It’s just such an easy way to instantly add that red and white Christmas charm to any table. Just add a centerpiece and your favorite dishes, and you’re all set!

 

In addition to Charlotte Berry, I have several other charming tablecloths from Pacific & Rose that look lovely for the holidays.

 

This one is called Belita. One of my all-time favorite patterns, Belita has the prettiest combination of colors in the hand block-printed paisley and floral pattern.

 

An alfresco Christmas is hardly ever out of the question here in Southern California, so we set up this little table in the backyard for an intimate and chic December garden party.

 

For a fun twist on a coastal Christmas theme, I’ve got two different whimsical tables to show you.

 

The ever-popular Red Crab print can easily be transformed to represent a really memorable holiday table.

 

We pulled from the red of the crab and matched it with individual stocking utensil holders at each place setting. 

A few cheery red pomegranates from my neighbor’s garden also adds a pop of red! 

I love using stars at Christmas, so these pretty white starfish naturally fit in here at this table as a darling seaside accent.

 

Blue Anchor also works surprisingly well for the holidays. 

Just add lots of greenery and other green and gold festive touches to the table, and you’ll be surprised at how this pattern transforms into a coastal Christmas look.

 

 

To add a hint of nautical holiday charm to this table, we once again used our darling white starfish, a little Christmas tree “message in a bottle” and my favorite shell-trimmed placemats at each place setting.

 

All these little details add up to the most fabulous Sea-sons Greetings for all!

 

Gayatri Blue works so beautifully for setting a showstopper of a Hanukkah table.  

I love the combination of blue and white with gold tones for a stunning look that combines tradition and style in the most beautiful way.

 

I saw this idea for Star of David napkin rings years ago in Better Homes & Gardens magazine, and I recreated this look with blue construction paper.

 

This is a really inexpensive way to add special Hanukkah details to any table.

 

My special fan-fold with a twist napkin style is always a winner and really shows off the pattern of the Gayatri Blue napkins nicely. Pretty blue glass goblets are from CB Lifestyle are the perfect color for this table.

 

Round raffia placemats also add a hint of gold, and they really help set off the blue and white pattern of the tablecloth. 

Mazel Tov to all my Jewish friends! 

 

Umbria Olive Tablecloth with the Gayatri Buti Green Napkins

During the holidays, the possibilities are endless with different ways to combine patterns from Pacific & Rose. 

The Umbria Olive tablecloth combines beautifully with the Gayatri Buti Green napkins at this table, as you can see above.

 

The Umbria Olive pattern on its own is just so chic! Again, I’ve layered the tablecloth with vintage wicker placemats and matching Umbria Olive napkins for a cohesive look.

 

Just a few special accents... snow-covered trees, another deer or two, and soft green and white details are enough to bring that hint of nature to the table that is so endearing and warms our hearts in the most special way.

 

I absolutely LOVE how the Umbria Olive pattern works with the darling deer plates seen here.

 

Gayatri Green Runner, Placemats and Napkins

Table runners offer a more casual and informal look, and all the pretty tablecloth patterns are available in the table runner format. 

Belita Runner, Placemats and Napkins

Layering the coordinating or complementary placemats and napkins is pretty fun and turns out perfect, every time.

 

Wouldn’t this be a cute look for a Christmas morning brunch?

Another gorgeous color combination is the Lilibet Cranberry Mint tablecloth and napkins with some of my vintage red and white Christmas transferware plates and soup bowls.

 

For a vibrant, unique and absolutely gorgeous holiday table, this is the pattern to choose!

 

To contrast with this vivacious Lilibet pattern, I used natural woven placemats from CB Lifestyle and bamboo flatware, which always look lovely with Pacific & Rose’s table linens.

These beautifully lacey Arte Italica "Finezza" dinner plates are also from CB Lifestyle. They're handmade in Italy, and just absolutely stunning on the dinner table!

 

Candles in soft shades of cranberry and peach accent this table perfectly and provide that perfect ambiance for a December supper at home.

 

Pomegranate Red is the cheeriest pattern for Christmas… don’t you think?

 

Umbria Olive Runner with Red Pomegranate Napkins

Personally, I love playing around with these beautiful patterns with my collection of red and white transferware dishes. They look so pretty together!

 

Gayatri Green Runner and Gayatri Green Buti Napkins

These patterns make setting the table at Christmas just so easy because of the festive prints and colors, which by the way are all created and printed by hand in Jaipur, India.

 

I love having lots of options for setting the table during the holidays, and as you can see, these patterns just work so great with each other that it makes tables setting a real pleasure.

 

If you’re looking for the perfect hostess gifts or stocking stuffers, look no further than the brand-new Charlotte Berry kitchen towels. 

They’re sure to brighten up spirits and kitchens in the most fabulous way!

 

And of course, if you want to channel the chicest Mrs. Claus vibes, donning this stylish Charlotte Berry apron is just what you need. Just add a darling Santa hat, and you're all set!

Why not buy one for yourself and one for your best friend?

 

 Check out PacificAndRose.com for more!

Remember, all these gorgeous table linens from Pacific & Rose are now 30% off for the holidays.

 

Just use the Promo Code GRATEFUL30 to get your discount at checkout. 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!