Last minute Christmas decorations

It is almost Christmas and I finally got my mantel decorated.  I am so excited - our first Christmas in this amazing house with an amazing fireplace - it was begging to be decorated.  Recently I was inspired by a "NOEL" sign that I saw in Pottery Barn.  It was adorable so I decided to try and make one myself.  The one in Pottery Barn is made from fabric or wood but I decided to use what I have and make one from branches like curly willow. 

First I used 4 small aged terra cotta pots to hold the letters.  Then I cut pieces of green florist foam (found at any craft store) to fit tightly down inside the pot - make sure the foam is lower than the rim.

 Then I began cutting the green curly willow branches - any semi-straight branch would do - remove leaves to give a clean look.  I decided on an approximate size for the letters and took 3-4 branches for each section of the letter.   I then bound the branches together using small pieces of wire.

And finally I attached a longer piece of branch to each letter so that the letter could be inserted into the foam.  After I pushed the "holder" branch down inside the foam I took some green moss (also found at a craft store) and covered all of the foam - to hide it.  I cut a few small lengths of wire and bent them into a "V" shape to help secure the moss.  Once the moss was in place I finished each letter with a bright green ribbon.

The final product is festive, inexpensive and mantel ready!

And on the mantel with our wheat reindeer and twinkle light garland the NOEL sign is rustic with a modern twist.  A fun project ready for Santa's annual debut!