Inspired: Christmas Light Wreath

Since we decided that we were going to put colored lights on our tree this year(and by we, I mean me) and (I'm positive my Mom just gasped) we didn't have a need for the white lights from last year's tree.

Yes, I said we were putting colored lights on our tree Mom. You read it right.  I have ALWAYS been a white Christmas light person. Always.  So, what brought on this sudden change in the traditional light choice?  

Well, we (again, I) have decided that Christmas this year is going to be different. It is going to be casual, colorful, quirky, and (mostly) handmade. Life is too short to be taken too seriously, and I can be guilty of being too serious sometimes.  I am a worrier.  I worry about what other people think, I worry about things I can't control.  I laugh often, but who couldn't use more laughter in their life?  Alan knows how to make me laugh and reminds not to take life too seriously.  

So, this year, Christmas is going to be funny...it's going to have character, it's going to be whatever we want it to be.      

So, when I came across the spare strands in that measly Christmas decoration bin, I remembered this post that caught my eye.  The post is actually about the little recovered love seat, but I remembered it for the whimsical wreath.  I loved the fact that it wasn't perfect and it just looked fun! I don't know why, but this isn't something I would normally like, but there was something about it that inspired me.

I picked up a green wire wreath for a few bucks at Michael's a few weeks ago in hopes of being able to recreate this wreath when the holidays rolled around.  I spent about 20 minutes wrapping the lights around the wreath and one minute hammering a nail into the wall, hanging the wreath, and plugging it in. Yep, it took less than 30 minutes.

After getting it on the wall, I made a few adjustments to get the lights exactly how I wanted.  I love shadows, and the lights cast great shadows on the wall, along with Alan's deer antlers that were already hanging on this wall, just waiting for something to join them.

The wreath gives off the perfect Christmas glow, however, I like lights so much that I would be happy to keep it up all year around. 

So, have you started decorating for the holidays yet? I have a ton of handmade decorations in the works and can't wait to get them up around the house!