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Perhaps there is no better setting for holiday decorations than the White House, at least in the United States. And this year, Pinterest partnered with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to help decorate the hall at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with a chosen theme of “Magic, Wonder, and Joy.” In short, it means looking at the season broadly. Children's eyes and open hearts.
Pinterest, along with the first lady and her staff, selected 12 talented creators from hundreds of talented creators to work with 300 volunteers to cut down trees and restore mantels for about a week, including Thanksgiving. At the top, we are working hard on creating our works. Create a holiday vignette from scratch.
Selected for their technical know-how and can-do attitude, the creators span a variety of specialties, from crafts to household goods. These include Small/Cool NYC alumnus, designer, author, and certified therapist Anita Yokota. Decoration expert Marite Espinoza. DIY enthusiast, crafty lumberjack. Kelly Marcello, decorating and self-care expert. Brittany Jepsen, creator extraordinaire of The House Lars Built. more.
Touring the glitz and glamor of the White House is always popular during the holiday season, but through this partnership, you can get a behind-the-scenes glimpse without having to wait in line. Each creator will share static and video pins documenting some of his DIY projects and smart ideas that transformed the White House this season. The collaboration will also be featured on Pinterest's search landing page starting December 11th. There you'll find tons of inspiration for your own craft projects and holiday celebrations, and you can also purchase some looks directly from Pinterest. In the same way.
I spoke to some creators to get their tips for White House-style holiday decor. Each of the 10 festive scenes on display was impressive in size and scope, including 98 Christmas trees, 72 wreaths, more than 350 candles, nearly 15,000 feet of ribbon, 34,000 ornaments, and 142,000. More than 100 lights were used to decorate the White House. Inside and out, many of the materials used and the finished project were very simple and inexpensive. Each space quotes classic holiday metaphors or features iconic holiday symbols, from the winter candy wonderland in the China She Room to the grand menorah in the Cross Hall was doing. Have fun with books too.
Credit: Daniel Blundell
Make DIY ornaments without spending a fortune and be a huge success.
“Large ornaments are very expensive, so I thought this was a great hack. Just by collecting many small ball ornaments and hot gluing them together, you can make an ornament that stands out,” said Yokota, who was stationed in the state. says. Dining room (top of page and photo above). His oversized gingerbread was themed around the White House and Santa's Workshop. To that end, she also suggests raiding the toy bin, or toy aisle, for more inspiration or tree cutting. “We used teddy bears, wrapped presents in ribbons, and even made robots out of cardboard and washi tape,” Yokota says.
Credit: Daniel Blundell
Reimagine classic craft materials and give them a modern shine.
Traditional popcorn garlands are lovely, but do you know what makes them unbreakable and even cozier? Made with chenille and incorporating red beads instead of cranberries. The entire Red Room of the White House is dedicated to holiday craft fun, so Pinterest was the perfect partner here.
Credit: Daniel Blundell
Upcycle old book pages and volumes for a literary holiday look.
What better theme for the White House Library than a holiday bedtime story? Whether you have a dedicated reading room or nook in your home, this space can be anything from decorating the tips of book pages with gold leaf in the shape of a tree skirt to displaying several rows of hardback titles. Lots of easy DIY ideas came into play in this space. Trim them with molding to create a bespoke tree collar. Craftsmen also made tabletop trees using pages from old books.
Credit: Daniel Blundell
Cutting the ribbon may deform the mantel.
Fancy fresh garlands or faux garlands are gorgeous, but simple ribbons can also add a festive feel when hung over a mantel ledge, draped along a staircase, over a doorway or window. In the East Room, inspired by an advent calendar, a fringe of colorful ribbons added a handmade touch to green items adorned with oversized numbers symbolizing the anticipation of the countdown to Christmas. And yes, each of the advent calendars in this room was fully functional, from the tiny one pictured here to the larger-than-life one in the same space.