Prairie Christmas

Celebrate

Dec 17

Ornamental Grass Mantel

I definitely lean towards pulling in inspiration from the outdoors when I’m decorating, especially around the holidays. This time I may have jumped all the way in rather then leaning in but lets just go with it! I have been eyeballing the ornamental grass outside our house for years and finally got the chance to pull it inside to create this ornamental grass-filled mantel. I think it speaks to the grassy fields and prairies that we have around here in Kansas City. I love that happy accident.

You can see how I built up this mantel structure from the pictures below. First, I started with some rolled chicken wire (anchored to the wall by a single command hook at the top). Then, adding faux pine garland and twinkle lights. Finally, the star of the show… ornamental grass placed in one blade at a time through the chicken wire support beneath. A few white faux flowers here and there and it is complete!

But why stop there?

I could have stopped adding ornamental grass with the mantel but I was having too much fun! When you give a mouse a cookie situation… I ended up adding some grass into the snake plant and then throughout the Christmas tree as well. I am especially excited about the grassy look in the Christmas tree- you hardly can see it but it adds so much warmth and texture that I’m really loving.

A few blades of ornamental grass in the tree goes a long way…

The Christmas Tree

Back in the day, when I had babies and toddlers, I needed a Christmas tree that was literally unbreakable. No glass ornaments for us with wild-at-heart little boys! The tree was inspired by them- to keep them safe while still keeping some style. The handmade Pom-Pom and Plaid Hoop ornaments were my solution to achieving the look of large sphered ornaments without the risk of my boys hurting themselves or breaking expensive treasures. Today, my kids have outgrown the house destruction phase (for the most part…) but these cozy ornaments keep coming back to stay. I hope it inspires you to continue to keep that warm and cozy holiday style, even if you have a young family- or fast moving, curious pets for that matter.

DIY Ornaments

Plaid Hoop Ornaments
Use literally any fabric (an old shirt, table cloth, blanket… you name it!). I chose to use leftover plaid fabric from another project so it would tie in with our plaid blankets. To make, simply place fabric into in embroidery hoops (I used 4 inch hoops and 6 inch hoops), tighten the clasp and cut off excess material. Add a ribbon or twine on the top of each hoop to hang on your Christmas tree.
Pom-Pom Ornaments
All you need is some thick yarn, a few pom-pom makers, and a scissors for this unbreakable ornament. Head over to my instagram highlight to watch the video of how I made mine. They are a bit time consuming so I’d recommend starting early in the season or get a friend to join you in the making.