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

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on Instagram!

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

a tablescape in a box!

 

A tablescape in a box! What could be better?! 

Delightfully charming and sophisticated, this holiday setting can be used all winter long. 

J’adorn J’cor makes it easy with completely curated tableware that arrives in a beautiful box and includes everything to make your table the star during this holiday season.

Dinner plates in textured blue can be paired over and over and the adorable salad plates will have you dreaming of snow angel fun. 

Table runner, napkins, plates, glassware, flatware and accessories are all selected to make tables setting so easy during the holidays, or any time of year.

 

Reminiscent of an old-fashioned snowy ❄ day, the plates show how fun snow angels are to make.

The statement wine glasses (sold separately) add to the refined but playful feeling and hob nob water glasses bring texture and versatility.

 

Extra flowers and evergreens are from Trader Joe's and look great with this “Snow Much Fun” package.

 

There’s even a cute sleigh breadbasket that can be added to this set! I made my special Cranberry Orange and Almond Muffins for this celebration brunch.

Italian flatware with either bright red or light blue can be added to this box as an “extra” to finish the look of your table! 

 

Here’s what’s included in the "Snow Much Fun" Collection:

 

·    4 snow angel salad porcelain plates

·    4 blue stoneware dinner plates

·    4 porcelain angel bud vases for a thin Candle or holiday sprig

·    4 berry & pine sprigs for angel vases

·    4 blue highball glasses

·    4 dinner cotton napkins in red with white stitching

·    1 cotton Scandinavian winter sweater pattern table runner

 

Check out J'adorn J'cor for more info.

ciao! fabiana

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

getting in the Christmas mood

To be honest with you, I haven't added one stitch of Christmas décor to my home this year. I'm trying to motivate myself this week, but I've been lazy, with a capital "L"! 🤫 

I've just finished discarding my huge collection of pumpkins that I've somehow been acquiring since September, and I finally feel like I have a clean slate and can now focus on Christmas.  

In the meantime, I'm sharing my favorite snapshots of my home from last year as it was styled in anticipation of my Christmas photo shoot with Cottages & Bungalows magazine. I’m hoping revisiting these pics will motivate me to get my act together this year! 

These are shots that I took with my own camera showcasing some of the details from my family room, breakfast room, dining room and living room. 

You know I do love a fabulous tablescape, and this one was inspired by wanting to wake up on Christmas morning to feel as though we’re in a “Winter Wonderland”.  Can you see the snow covering the center of the table? BTW, the fabulous brass candlesticks are from Serena & Lily.

  

This large lantern is so fun to use during any season. It's also appeared in Country Sampler Farmhouse Style as a 4th of July vignette, seen below. 

You can catch a glimpse of the twinkly tree here in the dining room mirror. I love the simple use of fresh greens and not much else to keep thing simplified. The aroma of evergreens in itself, gets me in the holiday spirit.  

Our tree will not be in this spot this year due to some work we’re having done in the living room. It’s definitely going to be a simplified Christmas this year! 

I'm thinking of just getting a smaller fresh tree to have in the family room so we can enjoy it from the kitchen, as well. Do you have your tree up yet?

I’m working on a fun holiday project that I’ll let you in on soon... until then I’m just gathering inspiration and doing a little window shopping. I’m thinking of heading to Ikea today. They always have some fun, inexpensive goodies.   

And remember, you can see the whole layout of my home in the current issue of Cottages & Bungalows. 

ciao! fabiana 

P.S.  I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table. You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

*affiliate links used.