Pallet for Home

O Holy Night from Chipping with Charm

 

Star ornaments from The Wonders of Doing

 

Paper stars from Eyes on the Source

 

And now, on the 12th day of Christmas Beyond the Picket Fence gave me...an unexpected centerpiece.

Candles, pine cones--not that unexpected I realize.  But an elk horn in a baby cradle is a little different.  The idea for this centerpiece came when I found a baby doll cradle at the local Goodwill for a few dollars.  I painted it cream. I am decorating in mostly whites and creams this year, with fresh rosemary for some greenery and wonderful aroma.

Luckily, teenage son came home with an elk horn shed he had found while hunting (a shed is the antlers that animals shed naturally every year), so I used it.  The funny thing is is that before dear hubby and I were married, I told him that dead animals and their parts would never be included in our decor and that they belonged in the garage.  But, I loved the whiteness of this elk horn and the height that it brought to the centerpiece and the unexpected element of placing it in a cradle.

After putting it in the cradle I added some empty ribbon spools for height for my candles. NOTE--this is highly flammable and should only be burned under close supervision.  I may be replacing these candles with battery operated ones.

I used a piece of burlap to hide the spools. 

I added some pine cones and white berries.

What unexpected item could you use for a centerpiece?  A rusty toolbox, a small suitcase or travel case, an enamel pot, an old boot, a weathered clay pot would all be fun items.  Don't have any antlers lying around?  Use a twig, a an old metal chandelier arm or base, or chippy wood dowels.  Instead of pine cones you could use grapevine balls, rocks, dried flower heads, rusty junk pieces.  Have fun, use something unexpected, and put things together that would normally never be found sharing space for a fresh centerpiece this year.