Transform Your Entryway: A Charming Christmas Bench & Free Winter Botanical Prints for a Stunning Gallery Wall
The holiday season is knocking, and whether you’re channeling Buddy the Elf’s boundless enthusiasm or taking a more “bah humbug” approach, it’s undeniable that Christmas discussions are officially underway! For many of us, the joy of decorating for the festive period is a cherished tradition, a chance to infuse our homes with warmth, cheer, and a touch of seasonal magic. This year, we’re diving in early to share a delightful project that combines the practical charm of an entryway bench with the serene beauty of a free printable winter botanical gallery wall.
While a part of me always clings to the vibrant hues of fall and the anticipation of Thanksgiving feasts, the world of home blogging often demands an early start on holiday preparations. And, let’s be honest, being an “early bird” for anything is a relatively new concept for me! However, a few years ago, we broke our steadfast “no Christmas before Thanksgiving” rule, and I’ve discovered a secret weapon for a truly enjoyable December: getting the holiday to-do list done ahead of time. This proactive approach means my family—Robert, Olivia, and I—can truly savor our time together, creating cherished memories without the stress of navigating crowded malls or untangling a frustrating mess of lights.
Today, I’m thrilled to be participating in Kristen of Ella Claire Inspired’s annual Christmas Printable Hop! It’s an incredible opportunity to collaborate with some of the most talented home decor bloggers, all sharing unique and beautiful printables to help you adorn your home for the holidays. (If you’re curious, you can also check out last year’s contribution here for more festive inspiration.)
Seasonal Style: The Enduring Charm of Botanical Gallery Walls
My botanical gallery wall has become a beloved fixture in our home ever since its debut earlier this year with a collection of refreshing summer greenery prints. It’s now a delightful seasonal tradition to simply swap out the prints to reflect the current foliage outside our windows. This simple yet impactful decorating trick allows for effortless transitions between seasons, keeping our decor fresh and aligned with nature’s beauty. For those of you still firmly on “Team Fall” and deep in Thanksgiving decorating mode, don’t worry—I also shared a gorgeous set of fall botanicals back in September that you can still enjoy!
With the chill of winter just around the corner, a dedicated set of winter botanical prints was absolutely essential to complete our seasonal rotation. These prints offer a sophisticated and natural way to bring the serene beauty of the colder months indoors, creating a tranquil backdrop for your festive celebrations.
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Download Your Free Winter Evergreen Botanical Prints!
Ready to elevate your holiday decor? You can easily snag this beautiful set of winter botanical prints for your own home by clicking here to subscribe to our newsletter! By joining our community, you’ll gain instant access to these stunning prints and a wealth of other creative home decor inspiration delivered straight to your inbox. Alternatively, simply click the convenient button below:
For those who are already cherished members of our blog subscriber family, you should have already received these free downloadable prints directly in your email inbox! If you can’t find them, simply refer to the printable library link and password conveniently located at the bottom of all my emails to access this and many other exclusive resources.
One of the many reasons I adore these particular evergreen botanical prints is their inherent simplicity and freshness. Designed without any overt red tones, they boast a timeless elegance that allows them to seamlessly transition beyond just Christmas. This thoughtful design means they can gracefully remain part of your decor all the way through February, offering continuous natural beauty during the colder months.
For my gallery wall, I housed these prints in these versatile 16×20 frames, which I found at Michaels earlier this year for an incredible price, around $12 each on sale. They possess a surprisingly realistic wood-like appearance, even upon close inspection, despite being durable plastic poster frames. This makes them a fantastic budget-friendly option! Plus, they’re available in a variety of finishes including black, white wood, and gray wood, ensuring there’s a style to complement any decor palette.
A clever trick I’ve adopted for efficiency and space-saving is to keep all my seasonal botanical print sets – summer, fall, and winter – within their respective frames. This means I simply rotate them as the seasons change or whenever I desire a refresh, eliminating the need for any extra storage space for bulky artwork. It’s a game-changer for maintaining an organized and aesthetically pleasing home! I’m even contemplating creating a beautiful set with vibrant spring blossoms in March, which would truly complete our year-round botanical collection.
How to Print Your Large-Scale Botanical Art Affordably
For those desiring to print these beautiful botanicals in larger sizes, specifically 16×20, I highly recommend sending your image files to Staples. There, you can have them printed as color engineer prints, which are surprisingly affordable, costing around $3 each. This method offers a fantastic way to achieve large-scale art on a budget, providing significant visual impact without breaking the bank. Of course, if convenience is your top priority, simply printing them in an 8×10 size directly from your home printer works perfectly well too, allowing for instant gratification!
Detailed Printing Directions for Staples Engineer Prints:
- Begin by downloading your chosen botanical prints from the Bless’er House Printable Library (remember, your password is in your subscriber email).
- Navigate to Staples.com in your web browser.
- Follow these steps on their website: Click “shop services” -> then “print services” -> select “engineering prints” -> choose the “18”x24″” size (this is the closest option for our 16×20 prints) -> click “design now” -> finally, select “engineering prints in color.”
- Next, click “add files” and proceed to upload your downloaded botanical print images.
- Crucially, ensure the “orientation” is set to portrait to maintain the correct display of your prints.
- Once everything looks correct, click “add to cart” -> and then “proceed to checkout.”
- Here’s an important tip: In the notes section of your order, make sure to explicitly write “do not scale to fit.” This prevents Staples from automatically resizing your image, ensuring it prints at the desired 16″x20″ dimensions. This step is vital for achieving the perfect size for your frames.
*A note on printing: Some readers have reported that their local Staples locations may not always offer engineer prints for this purpose (as services can vary by store). If you encounter this issue, a fantastic alternative for high-quality, affordable prints is overnightprints.com. They offer reliable and professional printing services.
Alternatively, for ultimate ease, you can always choose to print these beautiful designs directly from your home computer as 8x10s. These smaller prints fit perfectly into standard 8×10 frames, or if you prefer a larger framed look, you can easily mat the 8x10s within larger frames. While there might seem to be a bit of “technical mumbo jumbo” involved, I wanted to provide comprehensive guidance to ensure everyone can successfully achieve these beautiful large-scale prints. The effort is truly worth it, as I’m confident you’ll be enjoying these prints for many years to come!
Styling Your Christmas Entryway Bench: Cozy & Welcoming
With the gallery wall set, I moved on to styling our wonderful $35 Craigslist bench, which remains one of my favorite finds (I wish I could find another one for you all, but no such luck online!). My primary goal was to create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, largely using items I already owned. This approach not only saves money but also ensures a cohesive look with existing decor elements.
I love adhering to a largely neutral palette, drawing inspiration from my home decor capsule wardrobe. This strategy makes it incredibly easy to swap out seasonal accents without having to overhaul the entire space. Key pieces include these elegant lanterns, which add a warm glow; simple white or canvas pillows for plush comfort; and our functional water hyacinth baskets, perfect for neatly storing shoes and other entryway essentials, keeping clutter at bay.
To introduce that unmistakable touch of Christmas cheer, I effortlessly incorporated a vibrant splash of red. This came in the form of this cozy red throw blanket, a delightful find from Target, and a charming pillow cover from Linen and Ivory, which I simply slipped over an existing pillow insert from my stash. These small, impactful additions instantly transform the space, announcing the arrival of the festive season without overwhelming the elegant, neutral base.
My genuine hope for this holiday season is to keep the “stuff” to an absolute minimum, focusing on utilizing the beautiful decor pieces we already possess. It’s a wonderful challenge to be creative with what you have! However, I must confess, I get incredibly excited about holiday decorating, and sometimes my enthusiasm gets the better of me. 😉 (As Buddy the Elf wisely says, “I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.”)
During my last trip to IKEA, I couldn’t resist these charming $12 boxwood wreaths. They were an absolute steal and perfectly suited for adding a touch of Christmas greenery to the wall of French doors in our living room. While they are lovely on their own, I already have plans to “jazz them up” even further! See? My goal of “using what we already have” is already facing some delightful challenges. Sigh… an “A” for effort, perhaps? Haha! It’s all part of the fun of holiday decorating, embracing new finds and integrating them into our evolving home aesthetic.
Shop the Look: Entryway Decor Sources
For your convenience, here’s a comprehensive list of all the sources I used to style this festive entryway space. Whether you’re looking to replicate the exact look or simply find inspiration for similar pieces, this guide should help you on your decorating journey:
- “Wood” gallery wall frames (versatile and budget-friendly, available in various finishes)
- Red cable knit throw blanket (adds a vibrant pop of holiday color and cozy texture)
- Cream pleated pillow (adds sophisticated texture and comfort)
- Canvas pleated ruffle pillow (similar to my HomeGoods find, a great way to add soft detail)
- Lanterns (perfect for adding warm, ambient lighting and a touch of classic charm)
- Water hyacinth baskets (similar options for stylish and practical storage, ideal for shoes or blankets)
- Water hyacinth tray (similar for an organized and decorative surface)
- Birch logs (similar, to bring natural, rustic elements indoors)
- Faux cedar garland (provides realistic greenery that lasts all season)
- Faux boxwood wreaths (while my IKEA finds were a steal, these are great online alternatives for that fresh greenery look)
- White curtains (classic and versatile, brightening any space)
- Wall paint color: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (a warm, inviting neutral)
- Door paint color: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (a sophisticated, deep contrast)
Embrace the Holidays Your Way: Early or Later!
So, are you feeling inspired and ready to start decking your halls and infusing your home with holiday cheer? Or are you perhaps still savoring the last lingering moments of fall, enjoying its crisp air and autumnal beauty for a little while longer? It’s a delightful dilemma, and truthfully, I often find myself torn between the two seasons, loving them both for their unique charms. Regardless of when you choose to begin, I hope this post has provided some valuable inspiration and tools to make your holiday decorating joyful and effortless!
Looking for even more enchanting Christmas printable freebies to adorn your home? Be sure to explore all the gorgeous offerings from this year’s incredible printable tour here:
O Holy Night by Ella Claire | Winter Botanical Gallery Wall Print Set by Bless’er House | Christmas Wrapping Paperby Craftberry Bush | Repeat the Sounding Joy by Nest of Posies | Christmas Star Garland by A Burst of Beautiful
Watercolor Wrapping Bow by Zevy Joy | Merry & Bright by Live Laugh Rowe | Joyeux Noel by So Much Better with Age | Snowflake Christmas Tags by Happy Happy Nester | Santa Ornament Gift Tag by anderson + grant
Lovely, Glorious, Beautiful Christmas by Making Home Base | Oh Come Let Us Adore Him by My Sweet Savannah | Peace on Earth by Maison de Pax | Holly Jolly by Shades of Blue Interiors | Christmas Gift Tags by Taryn Whitaker
Love is What’s in the Room with You by In My Own Style | Winter Favorites Watercolor by Finding Silver Pennies | Merry Christmas Gift Tags by Refresh Restyle | The Nutcracker Printable by My Someday in May | Oh Come Let Us Adore Him Watercolour by The Happy Housie
Christmas Cards by TIDBITS | Snowman Snacks Tags by Just Destiny | North Pole Cookie Co. by Clean and Scentsible | Nutcracker Watercolor Series by Nina Hendrick Design Co. | Watercolor Christmas Wreath Gift Tags by Home Stories A to Z
Bread Wrapper by My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | Christmas Coloring Fun Page for Kids Table by Unskinny Boppy
Wishing you all a very Merry (and perhaps early) Thanksgiving! From a slightly confused Southerner who’s still enjoying T-shirts and flip-flops, but whose heart is already filled with holiday spirit!
Don’t forget to save this inspiring post for future reference and holiday planning! You can easily pin it here:
