Ok so this is a double question here. I am looking for a fun, creative, decorative way to display Christmas cards. I usually just tape them to the pantry door in the kitchen but would like something more decorative and fun. I do not have a mantle but do have an open floor plan house which means I have a long (17 foot) kitchen counter top the opens into my livingroom. There are cabinets above as well so only about 2 foot opening above the counter. I usually hang a garland and some lights from there so thought about maybe figuring some way to hang cards there (but my sink is on the counter so there is a chance they get wet)>
Which leads into my other question (behind the kitchen cabinets) on the living room side is a low wall that is very ugly. Some of the wall paper has been removed but not all and it is a work in progress (one I was hoping would be done by now but alas it is on a long list of unfinished projects here). My christmas tree is at the end of that one wall (new place for it this year) and I need some ideas as to how to hide the ugly wall behind it. I don't really want the half stripped wallpapered wall showing in all our christmas photos and such. Do not have time to fix it so need ideas to hide it.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for all your help moms!
Thanks all of you for your reply... with the ugly wall i covered that with red wrapping paper and plan on letting the kids cut out snowflakes, color ornaments, etc. to cover it as well as get some of those cheap bows that you can stick to the top of presents.
The cards I think I am going to kinda scatter all over the house. The ones I already have I used the ribbon tied to evergreen garland along the railing at the top of my stairs (I have a raised ranch so the top of the stairs enters my livingroom). But not many are going to fit there so I think I will use other suggestions as well (like taping them to kitchen cabinets, may hang them along windows or even on the front door.)
Can't put them on the stair banister because we have a spiral staircase and everyone needs to hold on...I don't want to chance someone getting hurt because they grab a card instead of banister.. or have my cards pulled off and tore all the time.
Thanks again all of you for your wonderful suggestions. Merry Christmas
What if you taped some wrapping paper to the ugly wall to hide it but still be Christmasy?
Also you could make a garland of cards by using some yarn and paper clips to display them.
Tack up some pretty Christmas wrapping paper on the wall behind the tree - makes a lovely backdrop for family Christmas pics. A subtle metallic Christmas wrap will reflect the lights and won't detract from the color of the ornaments.
drape/fasten a holiday colored sheet or blanket along it, you can then safety pin the cards to the cloth.
For the wall: "Wrap it" with Christmas wrapping paper. Pick one you like. Use a giant bow if you can. Turn it into a gift box look. For the cards, post them on the paper. You have nothing to lose, the surface will not remain in its partial state. 2 problems solved!! Have fun!!!
If you want to get creative - or let the kids get creative - buy the large roll of paper and draw a fireplace and then hang. From there you can put the cards on the "mantle" - heck, you can make a whole Christmas scene :-)
Maybe cover it with some wrapping paper? Get some wide ribbon & make it a huge "gift" by the tree... That's all I've got. Good luck!
If it is not a very large section of wall, you could hang Christmas wrapping paper behind the tree, and display your cards on that wall on each side of the tree. You could use a plain red or green foil like paper, and that will reflect your lights, and be a plain back drop for the cards...just a suggestions...B. D
cheap plastic table cover- comes in a variety of colors or white, you can get duct tape in almost every color these days, just tape the plastic to the wall to cover it. (I am on team for high school after prom and we transform the school in a matter of hours using vinyl and duct tape. It's amazing how different things can look.
A friend was removing wallpaper from one wall of her kitchen at the time of her son's graduation and needed to have an open house and didn't want to have that wall showing up and she used cheap vinyl table cover and duct tape like after prom and it was amazing how good it looked.
(Disclaimer: The fire marshall will not let us use cheap vinyl table cover for this purpose at the school--we have to use treated flame-retardant vinyl.)
I lived in a split level house for many years and my husband took it upon himself to build a half-wall at the top of the steps where the living room overlooks the front entry/stairs. It took him eight years to finish that durned wall :P Anyway, at Christmas time I would buy some bright shiny Christmas wrapping paper and cover the wall with it and tape our Christmas cards to that. Not really all that creative, but it did the job and looked very festive.
The first thing that came to my mind is the same general idea that Jamie F has. Excellent minds.... lol :-)
You could also use plan red or green wrapping paper and large ribbon to make it look like a large present and tape the cards to it like decorations on the wrapping paper.
Good luck
J.,
Why don't you just tape the Christmas cards to the ugly wall...problem solved.
I was going to suggest getting those big rolls of paper like teachers use to cover bulletin boards with. I also like the other poster's suggestions of wrapping paper. You can just tape your Christmas cards to this. Or, put a wire under your counter and use clothespins to display the cards, like a clothesline.
For the wall, I would get some fabric that is Christmas colors or has a Christmas pattern on it and hang it on the wall.
For our Christmas cards, I hang a thin ribbon using those small, clear 3M Command hooks. I then use miniature, colored clothes pins to hang the cards. If you want me to send you a picture, message me directly with your e-mail address and I will take a photo and e-mail it to you.
I agree with some of the other posters that it might be easier to cover the wall with tablecloths, fabric, etc. I am not sure of the colors of your wall, but you could use a vinyl table cloth, the cheap kind and cut out huge snow flakes, snow men, Xmas tees, reindeer, Any thing that may go with you theme, etc. For the holidays.
As for your cards, there are a couple different options. You could take some of the wide - 3" or so stiff Ribbon and create a center line down your cabinets, walls, or on a door. You can add abow to the top or a sprig of evergreen and then use regular paperclips or shaped ones to hold the cards to the ribbon. Easy, and packs up well for the years. Or you could get one or more grapevine wreaths and decorate it to your theme and then then wedge he cards in the wreath - or get a foam wreath center cover with ribbon or fabric and pin the cards to it.
I actually use a wrought iron card holder that is for Xmas cards but I keep it up all year round to display artwork from the kids on a rotating basis.
Hope this helps.
K. O.
I used to run ribbon and hang my Christmas cards on it. Depending on your layout, it could be anywhere. In the last house where I lived, I strung the ribbon on a wall in a triangle shape, and hung the cards along it to make a my Christmas card tree. If you get too many, for the three sides you can add lines to the center to include more cards. You might combine this with the idea to cover the ugly wall with wrapping paper.
