Hanging Christmas decorations, with Sam & Tamara 🎄
Need to get your home ready for Christmas, but need a helping hang? Sam and Tamara (@vintagecuratorinteriors) did too 🤔
Sam and Tamara (left & right) are iconic besties obsessed with vintage interiors, regularly getting together to share their homes and DIYs 🔧In preparation for Christmas festivities, Sam decided to hang handmade decorations. We sat down to talk all about HER project, as well as sustainable Christmas decorations and sourcing vintage pieces of furniture ♻An Edwardian treasure 🏴☠️
“I think my home is very early Edwardian. It’s got so many lovely period features including the original hallway floor tiles, and stained glass in the front door, ceiling coving, and sash windows. When we bought the home, it was these things that drew me to it. I grew up in a period home so I knew that’s what I wanted for my family too – to be surrounded by character and history.”Top tips for sourcing vintage furniture 🛒
“We’ve actually just shared a reel on our Instagram, giving people advice on how to source vintage furniture at an antiques fair. It’s part of a new series we’ve started, called 'Let us show you how to.' Our top 4 tips would be:Go armed with cashStay focusedBe nice to the dealersTake a trolley for all your finds"
Sustainable decor ideas 🌿
"I hardly ever buy new decorations. I’ve accumulated a lot over the years and I just style them in different ways each year. I also make a lot of decorations myself. For example, we’ve made decorations out of abalone shells this year, using string and antique chandelier drops."
"I’d also encourage people to forage for foliage. That means using fallen branches and ivy to make hanging wreaths, eucalyptus and rosemary for table decorations or even dried hydrangeas on your tree, instead of baubles."
Foraged branches, hanging stars and warm lighting make for a festive stairway 🕯
Choosing the hooks 🪝
“I wanted hooks there were going to be discreet yet sturdy. Something that could hold a bit of weight but not be too chunky. The PULLMAN hooks totally fitted the bill. They’ve been absolutely brilliant for my festive projects, plus I'll be able to use them after Christmas, to hang birthday cards or bunting."
The hanging process 🔧
"In the past, I’ve used nails to hang string across my kitchen to display cards, but I wanted something a bit more substantial that I could use to create a festive installation. The PULLMAN Hooks were perfect for this as they could take the weight of the string and the foraged branches and the decorations. It’s all about layering things up slowly. Take your time to build your display using florists wire and string to attach things. There’s no rush. The creative process should be a joyful one. I tend to keep the colour palette of my decorations quite muted and natural, but there’s no reason why you can’t be bold and sparkly!"
Sam’s D.I.Why 👷♀️
"I love to upcycle things. There’s a greater satisfaction in finding an old piece (keep an eye on your local skips!) and giving it a new lease of life, than in buying something new off the shelf. It’s often more economical and it’s a zero waste method, which is much better for the environment."Instagram inspo 🌟
“We love Instagram! We’ve just joined TikTok and we are trying to build our presence there, but Instagram is our spiritual home. We joined years ago when it was all about inspirational pictures, and there are so many people out there who are quite incredibly talented. Our favourites include the following accounts:Paula of @hillhousevintage
"We love Paula for the sheer joy she brings to the 'gram."Steph of @stephgowla
Kate of @myoldpub
Elle of @elle_the_home_bird
Sharing playlists 🎶
“Whilst Tamara and I are very similar in lots of ways, we have very different tastes in music! I love old school funk and disco and Tamara loves jazz and soul. That said, the introduction of music and video to IG has been a real game changer for us and we love the creative freedom it has given us.For this project, we focused on festive happy music to inspire us. We are both huge fans of the ballet, so Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker' was the first piece that we thought of. Here's a few tracks from artists that each of us like."A huge thanks to Sam and Tamara for joining us for a TEA BREAK ☕ Why not support their sustainable ventures over at @vintagecuratorinteriors?
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