Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Christmas Garland and Swag Decorating Ideas

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Graceful Christmas bows with long tails dramatically enhance a simple evergreen garland. Cut extra-long strips of wide ribbon or fabric, tie into bows, and attach to the stair railing about 3 feet apart. For a pop of Christmas festivity, try red ribbon.

Craft a simple Christmas garland with a mix of yarns. Make tassels from chunky twisted yarns in colors that match your Christmas scheme, and attach them to a length of yarn. Drape your DIY Christmas garland along a wall, banister, or even your tree.


Turn your Christmas greeting cards into a cheery garland for your mantel. Swag yarn or ribbon between the corners of your fireplace and attach Christmas cards with decorative clothespins (available at craft and paper stores). For an extra special touch, cut out Christmas ornament shapes and have your kids decorate them and add them into the mix. 


Go lush with a layer of flocked garland along your fireplace mantel. Intertwine this Christmas garland with eucalyptus, dusty miller, or bay leaf garland. The icy greens look positively stunning against the silver-brushed Christmas evergreen. Use flocking spray to bring the beauty of freshly fallen snow indoors without any of the winter wonderland mess.

These cheeky Christmas lights offer pops of color without running up an electric bill. Get the look by screwing pilot holes in the ends of wooden light bulbs (available at a crafts store). Twist in eye hooks. Dilute watercolor paint in a bowl and submerge the wooden bulbs halfway into the solution. Stand in florist's foam to dry. String the bulbs onto twine and wrap around your tree.


White faux doves are a beautiful way to spread a peaceful message during the holidays. Create a colorful backdrop for the white doves and use green garland with a jewel-tone ornament scheme and beautiful ribbon bows. 

Garlands used to be pretty basic holiday decor -- evergreens draped on mantels and stairwells. Now you can go bigger, like this room: Pretty evergreens add texture on top of the mantel, but a ribbon garland draped through miniature wreaths accents the large corner bank of windows for a festive pop of color.


Beautiful red cranberries have long been a symbol of Christmas. Create a sugared cranberry garland by tossing berries in a bag filled with crafts glue. Then add a handful of white sanding sugar and toss to coat. Lay out the berries on wax paper to dry, and finish by threading the berries onto bakers twine using a tapestry needle. (image credit: Leah Bergman)

You'll forget you're entering the kitchen when you walk through this wintry evergreen arch. The garland around the doorway is as decorative as it is useful — just try using it to holds Christmas cards with simple clips.

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