Tinnies..... revisited...

I don't know how I could forget about these. Tinnies! I remember when I first saw them in the pages of Somerset Studios created by Lisa Kaus! These are the most adorable little containers that offer up a lot of possibilities for organizing within a creative space but what their use as a decoration within one's home?

I can see the smaller mushroom and black olive cans being used as Christmas tree ornaments. Remember my circular box ideas..... adding in a syrofoam snowball or a wooden round bead? What about filling the inside with florist foam, adding in a few small floral picks and topping with one of these for a face? Adding in a cone shaped hat? and hanging on the branches of a tree?

Of course, these could be used on a tabletop as a centerpiece too. Filled with lights, potpourri, and a candle. And what about tiering them? Wedding cake style? Okay, you'd have to turn them upside down, use a few different sized tin cans but you could hot glue them together so they wouldn't easily be knocked over. Punch some holes in the surrounding sides of the can above and poke some floral picks in there, layer as many as you'd like and add a small wooden candle holder to hold a taper candle or skip that and simply use a small pillar candle!!!

Another idea....... gosh, where is this coming from???? What about a pastry-style plate? Use the tin cans in the same fashion as above, from the lagest to the smallest, and add a variety of sizes of plates inbetween. Of course, you'd decorate the tins with paper, or spray paint in silver or gold or whatever color theme you're using in your home. Line the plates with tissue paper cut in the circular shape {easy enough using the plate as a template!} and decorate with either fruits of the season or baked goodies! Yummm....

And while I'm one the subject of "creative" decorating, I remember years ago I filled with home with luminaries made of canning jars. I purchased a bag of children's sandbox sand to fill them 1/3 of the way full, added a candle to the inside, and piece of decorative Christmas ribbon tied to the outside of the tops of the jars. I used these both inside and outside of our home. The sand keeps them from toppling over and extinguishes any stray sparks from the candles. The ones I added inside of our home were additional decorated by simply laying some sprigs of greenery, floral sprigs, and/or placing a shiny ornament beside its base.

And I cannot forget dressing up gifts! I love the wide wire ribbon available at this time of year and tend to stock up on it after Christmas is over. I love to use it sparingly around a few specially choosen gifts to decorate.... it adds a festive feel to the gifts under the tree. Bows created are always nice but tuck in a floral sprig and it's heavenly. Cinnamon sticks wrapped with a thinner ribbon and a floral sprig add another simple yet elegant touch!