Festive 4th Decor: The Easy, No Measurement Way

Do you decorate for the holidays? I grew up with a Mom and a Grandma that decorated each month. I loved and looked forward to our festive homes, with fall/Halloween and Christmas being my favorites.

Since the house reno a couple of years ago, I’ve significantly downsized the amount of decorations I have.I kept just what reflected my style and only what I really love (I practice what I teach in those Feng Shui classes!) I also do not buy new decorations. I use what I have over and over and over. The only thing that I have been adding is ribbon. I put ribbons everywhere. I love ribbons. They are bright, festive, colorful, fun and REUSABLE. They also pack really well.

My sis-in-law made a Hobby Lobby run recently to stock up on baby shower décor and supplies. I found four roles of ribbon at 40% off. Adding the ribbon with an old piece of gauzy red, white and blue covering, I whipped up a table cover. Yes, it was an incredible feat, considering it was oblong on a round table. I solved the problem by cutting off four pieces of ribbon and tying the corners together. (I DO amaze myself sometimes, please don’t check the “even-ness” of it though!)

I took an old candle holder, threw in the blue star ribbon on bottom, added a red candle on top and plopped this on the table for the center piece. Next I took the same blue star ribbon and tied a few “Robyn Style Bows” to each of the light fixtures. “What’s Robyn Style you ask?” Simple: I just cut off a piece, tie it in a knot and “floof” it up. I DO NOT MEASURE ANYTHING, EVER! Just ask my husband, he hides the drill and promises he will oblige if there is anything I want to hang on the walls. He is all about precision and accuracy. I’m an excellent (well, not really excellent), I’m a great eye-baller (well, not really great either) I just take a guess, when it comes to placement, and call it good.

The whole look costs a little over five bucks, since the ribbon was on sale. I used everything else I had on hand, in new ways. I’ve never set the candle holder on that table and I hadn’t put the cloth there either. Come to think of it, I’ve never used those two items together before! Instead of shopping, I looked around my home to scan for what I have that I can use different ways. I haven’t found a new purpose for the children or dogs yet (sorry, bad joke, it must be from the drone of scooters and toy pistols constantly going off in the other room!)

My decorating took an entire 15 minutes. I’ll have it down to five next year, since the ribbons are already cut! Then again, next year, I may have a different idea altogether. I like to change things up and change them out often, so who knows what my dining room may look like then?

If you have spare ribbon on hand and don’t know what to do with it, send it my way. I have endless uses for ribbon. (Where this comes from, I do not know? Another mystery!) And, if someone could come to my house and show me how to tie those fancy bows, that would just make my day! I still can’t figure that out even after watching endless You Tube “how to” videos. I believe it is because I use both sides of my brain and I can’t tell which hand is which most of the time. Oh, please help!

If you are not the decorating type, no worries, there’s just as much enjoyment and pleasure outdoors, sitting by a flowing river, soaking up the sun, and taking in the amazing greenery of Mother Nature’s summer dress. This is my favorite time of year; HOT summer days, dreamy, steamy, moon-lit nights and fireflies. I am celebrating that this suck-tastic month is about to end. I think I might be coming back to life………….

Here’s wishing you a fabulous and FUN, Fourth-of-July Week!

And doesn't Cap'N Jack complete the look? He may just live in my dining room all summer. I am quite fond of him!