The Rural Legend
Dec 5, 2023
Updated: Dec 13, 2023
Blue and White is a big trend for the 2023 winter season and I have been embracing it in my own home with dusty blue velvet ribbon and other silvery blue accents that make our home feel like we stepped into a European Cottage in the countryside!
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I struggled a bit with what to call this particular style because I have heard the terms toile, chinoiserie, and chintz used to describe blue and white decor - but what's the difference?
Toile is a fabric that originates in France in which pattern depicts a scene (e.g. a landscape that often involves figures)
Chinoiserie is similar, but has a decidedly Asian (specifically Chinese) flare – patterns of which are frequently found on classic ginger jars
Chintz is a pattern that originated in India and is most often a floral design (which is a “cottage style” favorite!)
The simplest style to recreate and my personal favorite is Chintz and that's what I'll be showing you how to create in this tutorial! Tiny leaves, vines and florals, look so sweet in a blue and white colorway mixed with other elements of cottage design! Let's get to it!
+ White Glossy Ornaments - This is a great craft to upcycle old ornaments! If you don't already have white ornaments in a glossy sheen, a few coats of this spray paint will give you a beautiful base layer for your Chintz Ornaments!
+ Blue Permanent Marker - I bought this pack to play around with the variety of blue tones!
+ Optional - gold spray paint or rub'n buff for the ornament tops
+ Glossy Clear Coat Spray - optional - For the shiny look of a traditional blue and white ornament if your ornaments are not already glossy. I used flat white paint because it's what I had on hand, so a clear gloss gave me the look I wanted.
1. Make sure you're starting with a clean, dry ornament.
NOTE: if you are using a clear coat to make your ornaments glossy, SPRAY BEFORE YOU DRAW! I made the mistake of drawing before spraying my clear coat and you can see what happened in the image below.
2. Use your blue marker to draw small designs on your ornament in either straight lines and patterns or randomly based upon your desire!
Here are some basic designs to copy:
NOTE: Don't be intimidated by the hand drawn detail in this tutorial. You DO NOT need to be an artist to create these beautiful chintz baubles! Essentially, you're making little doodles and as long as you keep in mind a few simple shapes, you can't go wrong! If you still don't have a lot of confidence, use some paper to practice your designs before diving in. And when all else fails, you can simply paint over your ornament and start again with a clean slate!
3. Make sure your ink is completely dry before touching to ensure no smears.
4. Display in a bowl or on your tree tied with a complimentary ribbon. This blue and red are my favorite velvet ribbons this year!
xoxo, L