Caroline's Essentials For A Holiday-Ready Home

Here we are! Holiday season has officially kicked off and I’m filling our home with all those rituals that create magic and spread joy. It’s a favorite time of year in our household and I love stocking up the stores with all the festive goodies. This week, I’m showing you how I use dried flowers to create a garland centerpiece for the dining table, all my favorite decorations for the tree and our new one-of-a-kind handcrafted stockings. Cue the carols and mulled wine…

You can always count on me to get a Christmas tree up, even if it's last minute on Christmas Eve. This year, I managed to beat a personal record, and get a tree up before Thanksgiving... call it making up for lost time over the last couple of years. I love the tradition of lighting a fire, cranking the music, stringing the lights and hanging up ornaments. I started with two of my favorites, the Angel Puff and these two blown glass ornaments (here and here). Together they give the tree whimsy but still feel elegant. Then I draped in these Wooden Sphere Strands to add a natural element, and topped it off with these Felt Nutcracker and Felt Dog ornaments.

Gathering around the table to feast at a leisurely pace is something I look forward to during the holidays – it's a day away from work and a day well spent enjoying the company of the ones I love. To make my tabletop feel extra special this year, I created a garland centerpiece using dried foliage and our new sumac wax candles. Since fresh flowers aren’t as readily available this time of year, I’m enjoying decorating with dried flora and fauna. And just in time for the holidays, I’ve added a whole new batch of varieties to our DIANI Dried Flower Bar.

For this festive centerpiece, I used preserved eucalyptus stems in a burgundy color, dried poppy pods and dried pomegranate stems, mixed in with preserved rice flowers. I kept with mostly warm red and pink tones, as well as a few neutral stems weaved in. I also added a few fresh pomegranates and gourds to round out the centerpiece. 

These traditional Japanese Sumac Wax Candles are made from all natural plant-based waxes and each one represents a different plant that grows in the region. Each style is designed to fit the cast iron candle stands, which are available in a small, medium and large size. 

This year, I’m using this beautiful Wooden Charcuterie Board. It’s crafted out of natural acacia with hand-etched detailing along the edges. And the best part is the rotating feature, which is perfect for using in the middle of the table. I also like the shape of this long Raw Wood Board to serve fresh fruit or other appetizers. It adds an earthy element and the large shape offers endless food display options.

For glassware, these Crystal Whiskey Glasses are elegant, yet timeless and work well on any style of holiday table. They're handcrafted and feature a round weighted bottom with etched detailing along the sides. I'm pairing them with my newest set of organic napkins. This vintage fabric is block printed by hand in India and is a lovely, yet subtle way to add holiday color to your table. 

Lighting the first indoor fire of the season is one of my favorite ways to welcome the holidays. And to keep it going, I like to use a woven basket for storing logs. This particular basket is handwoven from the totora reed which is super durable, and comes in three different sizes. I’m using the small size here and have a second one by our wood burning stove.

And to make our home even merrier, I decorated our mantel with a mix of seasonal candles, like this set of beeswax Wee Pine Cone votives. I used a couple of sets mixed in with the Molecule Candle and this new Round Volcanic Bud Vase from Yokwe Ceramics filled with bunny tails from our flower bar. New this year on our holiday mantel are these beautiful, one-of-a-kind stockings (see similar here) made from 100% wool vintage textiles, with a cotton lining. More of these are coming soon, so keeping checking back on the website or in store!

Adding touches of holiday decor throughout your home, whether it be a Christmas tree or a festive centerpiece, is a great way to welcome the spirit of the season. For me, these rituals are what make the holidays the most memorable and something I love sharing through my stores and I look forward to helping you welcome in the holiday season with all those little details.