We’re rounding up Week 3 of A Handmade Holiday, Balsam Hill’s special design project in partnership with Cricut. In this feature, we learn more about talented blogger Melaine of My Sweet Savannah.
Melaine plays many different roles: that of mother, blogger, and market editor of a popular lifestyle magazine, among others. This multi-tasker states that her passion for interior design has its roots in her childhood, when she would accompany her mother to garage sales and thrift stores, and learning how to redesign her room on her own. That love for decorating is what prompted her to start My Sweet Savannah, where she hopes to inspire others to create the home of their dreams. See what Melaine has to say about her design aesthetic and inspirations in our Q&A below.
1. Tell us a little bit more about your decorating style in general, and what the story is behind your passion for decorating.
I have always been interested in decorating and DIY. I love making projects that I see at high-end stores, recreating them on a dime.
2. What’s your source for design inspiration?
For design inspiration, I look everywhere! Blogs, magazines, neighbors’ houses, nature, you name it!
3. For A Handmade Holiday, did you find it difficult to integrate any of the colors into your design? How did you tackle it?
Blue was a little different for me, so I took a look around my rather neutral house and took a cue from all of my blue and white pottery.
4. 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?
If you are going for a new color scheme, use it in areas that can be changed out easily. Think throw pillows, picture frames, dishes, etc. Don’t paint walls red for the holidays, for example, because come Dec. 26th you might be over them!
5. What’s your favorite way to personalize your holiday décor?
I love, love, love anything monogrammed.
6. What’s your current favorite project to do with your Cricut machine? Any advice for new Cricut users?
I found the machine pretty easy to use. I think I will make some signs with wording using the Cricut as a stencil.
7. What was it like decorating with Balsam Hill products? What did you like most about them?
I love how realistic the balsam hill foliage looks and the unbreakable ornaments I used are amazing with kids and dogs!
8. Was there a Balsam Hill product by which you were particularly delighted? Why?
The ornaments, and the wreath because it has a gazillion lights on it!
9. What’s your favorite part of the scene you created? Is there something different that you did this year that you particularly like?
It was fun creating something outdoors. A welcoming entry. I love the way the lit wreath looks from the street. The curb appeal is great!
10. If there’s one piece of advice you can pass on from all your years of decorating, what would it be?
Stick with a look that goes with your home. If you live in a coastal cottage, don’t try and decorate it to look like a lodge. Pull inspiration from around you, nature and all.
Melaine wanted to create a welcoming entryway, so she put together different elements to create a beautiful nook in her home. The timeless Balsam Hill Norway Spruce wreath was adorned with Shatter Resistant ornaments in a shimmering metallic hue to enhance the space.
She embellished some ornaments with vinyl decals that she created using her Cricut machine, adding eye-catching details that pulled the look together. Visit My Sweet Savannah for tips on how Melaine achieved this look, and drop by over the next few weeks for more updates on A Handmade Holiday.
