It\’s only a few days until the beginning of December, and at the log house, the preoccupation with Christmas decorating has come into full swing. Here\’s how it goes: tubs of ornaments, glass balls, antiques and rustic stuff is hauled out of storage – we ponder it all and then take to the outdoors to cut the boughs, dig up the pinecones, wrestle pots, pails from their frozen beds and retrieve the well rusted horseshoes from the fences they\’ve been resting on all summer and fall. Then we mix it all together to create our own version of country Christmas. Along the way, we create a few ornaments and greenery arrangements to give to friends. Because of their western touches, these often turn out to be some of my most loved gifts.
This year I\’ve been gathering inspiration all year at the Western Christmas board at the magazine\’s Pinterest page. Here\’s a bit of inspiration for you.
In the boot genre, try filling an old pair with greenery and a few ornaments . . .
Attach a boot to a door or wall, fill it with decorations and greenery.
Or, drape a string of lights, in and around a pair and set on a ledge. . .
Wreaths provide a perfect attachable canvas for horseshoes, old tack and in this case, baler twine.
Horseshoes find a great repurpose around here in wreaths, mantles and centrepieces, but here\’s an idea we haven\’t thought of yet, a horseshoe tree!
Horseshoe ornaments are easy to put together with a bit of glue and greenery.
Take it one step further and create a bit ornament!
Even I\’m handy enough to bend old barb wire and turn it into a beautiful keepsake to attach to gifts or hang on the tree.
You might need someone handy with electrical work to complete this project, stuff a string of lights into an old lantern and wire it up to warm up a front entrance or mud room.
A simple arrangement for a front gate or driveway.
Repurposing an old garden rake with pretty glass bulbs.
Christmas in a barrel with a Texas star touch.
Or, in an old pail – this one reminds me of the calf feeding pails we employed regularly at our farm.
Old containers hold so much character, and with a few candles and greenery make a beautiful and rustic centrepiece. For more ideas in this vein, have a look at this autumn centrepiece.
Set a number of small containers together and stuff them with greenery from your shelter belt.
Create an entire simple and soft coloured vignette with the simplest of items. Add lights.
Finally, a lariat door wreath great for a barn or shop door.
For more western decorating ideas, visit the Western Christmas board at the Western Horse Review Pinterest Page. (You’ll also find the links for the sources for the photos I’ve employed here.)
AND – we\’re giving away two tickets to Cavalia\’s new production, Odysseo, soon to open in Vancouver, B.C.! All you have to do to be entered in the draw is comment below on what your favourite application of western, as depicted in the pictures above, is, or just mention one of your own.
To receive a double entry into the contest, just head over to the Western Horse Review Facebook Page, and enter there as well.
14 thoughts on “4 Weeks \’till Christmas: Great Gift Ideas”
I am taking old baskets, filling them with greenery, light strings, pine cones and poinsettias and hanging them in a row inour walkway to the front door.
I had a lot of favorites but the best one for me is the bit and horseshoe wreath!
Love the Christmas in a barrel and the decorated old bits. 🙂
I love anything rustic. Rusty bits, old boots, old harness, and greenery. Got some great ideas from this page!
Do I have to only have one?! I like the boots with Christmas lights–I think that is really simple yet stands out and really says “Cowboy Christmas”
I also like the horseshoe Christmas tree! What a neat idea!
And last but not least is an idea I see a friend of mine has, wrapping an existing vase with an old lariat and then adding some Christmas bows and greenery to it!
Love your ideas–will have to make some of them here!
I like the barrel with the Texas star, also the wreath and old container with candles
I really like the horseshoe tree idea:)
My favorite is the lantern stuffed with lights.
I LOVE the horseshoe tree. Our depiction of western at home is John Deere ornaments 🙂
Every year I hang a wreath made of an old roll of barb wire, a pair of last years boots, and greenery for the deer to eat out on the road so folks driving by, or into, our yard get a ‘taste’ of our lifestyle! Pun intended!
Love the bit with the bell hanging on the doorknob. Great idea.
I love the creativity of the wreath hung on the fence post…from the old rusty horseshoes…to the reused baler twine for ribbon! I love it and may make one myself!!
I love the horseshoe tree with ornaments. I also love the lariat rope wreaths, I have one every year!
So many great ideas 🙂 I love the boots with barb wire, lights and the wreath’s!