Recently I shifted focus from preparing the studio for the season to decorating at home, and I wanted to share a small project I completed in our living room. Normally I don’t start decorating until December, but this year I decided to get a head start and create a relaxed, slightly festive look early.
I partnered with Snapfish to create simple, affordable ways to bring winter warmth and holiday spirit into a home without making it feel overly staged. While glossy holiday catalog looks can be beautiful, they’re not always realistic for everyday living rooms. My goal was to create a comfortable, attainable aesthetic using a few key textiles and accessories, plus a quick DIY accent you can make in about an hour.
To keep the look natural and cozy, I added a couple of stockings, a few well-chosen decorations, some soft textiles, and a handmade pillow. The DIY piece is a hand-lettered pillow that reads “I WOKE UP LIKE THIS,” paired with printed pillow covers for a personal touch.
You don’t need calligraphy experience to make this pillow—your handwriting will likely look better than you expect. Below are the materials and simple steps to create your own version. For the pillow covers I used Snapfish to print abstract photo-based patterns directly onto 18×18 pillowcases, which come with the insert for convenience. They also offer other canvas and decor items, like printed blankets, if you want to coordinate more textiles.
Materials:
– Printed pillowcase (18×18 recommended)
– Pencil
– Fabric paint in your chosen color
– Paint brush
How to make the hand-lettered pillow:
1. Remove the pillow insert from the case and decide on a color palette. I worked with a teal-green print and chose a warm orangey-red paint to introduce a subtle holiday accent.
2. Pick a short phrase, word, or message. Lightly sketch the lettering and spacing on the pillowcase with a pencil so you can adjust alignment before painting.
3. Trace over the pencil lines with fabric paint. Allow the first layer to dry, then add a second coat if needed to increase opacity and make the lettering pop.
4. After the paint fully dries, reinsert the pillow and zip the cover closed.
With the DIY pillow finished, the rest of the room came together quickly. I started with a small arrangement on the coffee table—a gilded pedestal bowl, a handful of ornaments, a couple of books, and some plants—then layered additional pillows in varied textures and colors and draped a chunky knit blanket over the sofa. A few stockings hung on the wall completed the seasonal vibe without overwhelming the space.
For balance, I added a second pillow that isn’t strictly seasonal—just a playful accent to keep the arrangement feeling fresh beyond the holidays. The hand-lettered pillow is easy to recreate, so you can swap messages or colors as the season changes.
Hand lettering by Rachel Brewer
Process photos by Amelia Tatnall
Styling and interiors photos by Brittni Mehlhoff
How are you preparing for the holidays? Are you decorating yet or waiting until later in the season?
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