Continuing with our special series on the talented people participating in Balsam Hill’s collaboration with Cricut, we’re rounding up the three bloggers who opened their doors to us in Week 2 of A Handmade Holiday. Let’s get up close and personal with Mariah of Giggles Galore in this feature.
1. Tell us a little bit more about your decorating style in general, and what the story is behind your passion for decorating.
My decorating style is fairly traditional with rustic elements and a touch of glam incorporated throughout.
2. For A Handmade Holiday, did you find it difficult to integrate any of the colors into your design? How did you tackle it?
While blue and silver color aren’t my typical colors to decorate with for Christmas, I loved incorporating them into our holiday décor this year. In order to make it work with my current decorating style, I incorporated rustic elements with a touch of sparkle and glam.
3. Do you have any tips on how to go about incorporating new colors into an existing holiday color scheme, or coming up with a new holiday color scheme?
Changing out your seasonal décor year to year can get expensive. If you are looking to incorporate new colors or change up your holiday décor, I suggest starting slowly and adding a few new elements that will work cohesively with your current décor. Invest in some of the bigger quality elements like a tree or garland, and sprinkle in elements that help add that extra bit of magic, like ornaments or florals. Of course, one of our favorite ways to add or change our holiday décor is by creating handmade elements with paper or vinyl using our Cricut. Again, this is an easy and inexpensive way to get the look you want.
4. What’s your favorite way to personalize your holiday décor?
I love incorporating elements that have personal meaning or family history. Combing family heirlooms with beautiful new décor is a great way to personalize your holiday décor. And of course, you can never go wrong with monograms. I love using my Cricut to personalize everything from presents to stockings with pretty monograms.
5. What’s your current favorite project to do with your Cricut machine? Any advice for new Cricut users?
I love using vinyl and my Cricut to create custom signs and décor for every season. I think it’s a great way to quickly update your décor, and when you change your mind or decide to incorporate a new color, you can quickly and inexpensively change it out.
6. What was it like decorating with Balsam Hill products? What did you like most about them?
It was so much fun working with Balsam Hill products; the quality was extraordinary and made everything feel extra special. The ornaments were beautiful and really helped add that extra sparkle we wanted for our rustic holiday décor.
7. Was there a Balsam Hill product by which you were particularly delighted? Why?
I loved the garland from Balsam Hill, not only was it the perfect fit for our mantle, it was well made and truly captured the beauty of real evergreens.
8. What’s your favorite part of the scene you created? Is there something different that you did this year that you particularly like?
I think my favorite part of my holiday mantle was the simple rustic wooden sign nestled in among the beautiful ornaments and the pretty evergreen garland. This truly is a wonderful time of year with so much to be thankful for and to celebrate, and this simple sign is a beautiful reminder.
9. If there’s one piece of advice you can pass on from all your years of decorating, what would it be?
I would say that when it comes to decorating you should do what you love and use what you have. I like to repurpose items I already have and give them new life by adding new elements or designs. Incorporating items you already have or that have special meaning to your family can help you achieve that perfect look that will also create joy and happiness each time you look at it.
Here’s a look at the elegant mantel display that Mariah envisioned for A Handmade Holiday. Notice how she used Balsam Hill’s shimmering Crystal Palace Glass Ornament Set to enhance her Colorado Mountain Spruce garland.
Handmade embellishments created with the Cricut machine added interesting detail, completing the festive scene. For more photos and tips on how Mariah put it all together, drop by Giggles Galore. Visit us over the coming weeks to get more updates on A Handmade Holiday.
