Nov
16
I have always wanted a winding staircase. I think they remind me of fire escapes — Francie Nolan, the heroine of my favourite novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, spends a lot of time on her fire escape, so maybe that’s it. My new apartment does not have a winding staircase (though I’ve probably lead you to believe that it’s a magical Toronto apartment with everything you could ever want and this is not true) but it does have a white wooden railing that was just SCREAMING for holiday decor.
I know it’s traditional to swag your staircase, but I wasn’t feeling the garland. To be honest, I only use greenery when I have to. Recently, the florist for our wedding looked at me like a martian when I said I didn’t want any filler greenery. Instead of garland, I opted for ribbon. And instead of swagging the ribbon, I opted for weaving. I threaded thick gold and red ribbon in an alternating pattern to give the woven effect on our staircase. I’m happy with it, I think, though next year, I think I’ll add different textures, maybe throw in some fabric. I think I’ll also use brass pushpins instead of clear ones (the newel posts look a little Frankensteinish with the pins sticking out, and that’s the wrong holiday.)
Not bad for a first attempt, I think. The ribbon is sparkly and catches the light. There’s definitely room for improvement, though. Tell me, what’s your crafty holiday decor?
