Easy DIY Christmas Decoration Ideas

It is a Pinterest kind of Christmas around here.  I mean really, do you even remember what the world was like before Pinterest?  


Last year, I gave away an entire bin of decorations, in an effort to just have less stuff.  We live in a house with over 2000 sq feet and in a matter of 7 years, we have filled every inch and corner with stuff.  


It all started last July, when I started packing, when we were about to move to Chile.  I just gave away everything I had packed up, because I realized I didn't even need it or miss it!  I have been slowing clearing out stuff, ever since.


So this year, I reduced down again, and gave another two boxes of Christmas stuff away.  I only kept the stuff I really, really loved or that was a family heirloom.  Has anyone else gotten rid of Christmas decorations this year to simply life and have less stuff?


Of course, I also wanted to make room for a few new pieces, but overall I still have way less stuff in the house.


Ok, so the felt Christmas tree.  Took all of 20 minutes.  Cut out a big ole tree, mine is about 3 feet tall.  I got the green felt for a couple of dollars in the remnant bin at Joann's last Christmas.  I had enough to make two trees and gave one to my friend.  Miss P is not the biggest fan of it yet, but I really like it.  She likes to make Mickey Mouse's out of the ornaments.  I just did circles for the ornaments (I used some of my gorg bamboo felt) but if you get really inspired you could make fancy ones like these.

As I was cleaning out all of my decorations, I realized I had 9 boxes of red glass ornaments in one bin.  I slightly remember buying them, thinking, they are so cheap!  I could do a ton of different projects with them!  And never did.  Because there was no Pinterest back then to light a fire under my arse.  


I finally put them to use and made a wreath.  I used this tutorial, it called for more balls (hee, hee that's what she said), but I was not about to run to Micheal's just to get one more box, of balls, so I made due.   You can see that mine could have used a couple of more (can I get away with another that's what she said joke here?) to make it more full, but whatever. 

I saw this idea from the one and only Martha.  I used all of Penelope's old Christmas socks and went out and bought the rest.  You can get Christmas socks at Target for $1.  I hung it up in front of her play room.  It is not exactly functional this year, because I didn't put anything in them.  But baby steps!  I was thrilled just to get it done!

I put stickers on the socks instead of embroidering on them.  Less time and if for some reason I want to use them or repurpose them, I can just rip the stickers off.


See that little red and white stripe one with the green ball on the heel?  I bought those for Penelope her first Christmas.  Her feet were so small then!  Sigh.  

Yes, here is Miss P, at 4 weeks, in jeans.  There was no lounging around in plain onesies for her.


I also made Christmas trees with lights for the front porch.  I had both the tomato wire and the garland already.   I couldn't get a good picture of mine, but you can sort of see them in the background here.

I was also inspired by my Candy Cane board and instead of putting cranberries into my glass vases like I normally do, I put candy canes inside. I also wrapped red ribbon (that I had on hand) around the big white columns on my front porch and made them look like candy canes.


And lastly, I changed up my shelf/mantel from last year and did a couple string of lights instead of pine tree branches.   


So there you have it!  Do you have any easy, cost-effective holiday decorating ideas to share?  






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Christmas Bucket List!

                                                Free printable here.

Oh, I am so excited it is December!  Last year, I wrote down a list of everything holiday themed we did, and the things we didn't get to, so I could remember for this year. 


I am big on traditions and consistency.  I think kids thrive best when they can depend on not only a daily rhythm but a yearly one (a little flexibility is good of course). 


I want to give her memories and traditions that I never got, or didn't get consistently.


I want to try and do a Christmas themed thing every day, even if it is something super simple.


I am so excited that she is 2 now and can really start to participate and experience the joy of Christmas and that my husband and I will get to relive that magic through her.


Ok, so here is my list.  Please let me know if I am forgetting anything, like I said a lot of these traditions are new to me!

• Open some new christmas jammies on Christmas eve.
• Make and advent calendar (did this already, I will show you soon!)
• Put up lights outside this year.  Papa, this is all you.   And you better do it soon.
• Put up a second Christmas tree in the kitchen for our salt dough ornaments.
• Make salt dough ornaments 
• I would love to take Penelope to disney to see all the decorations and lights.
• Some sort of volunteering that is age appropriate.  I need some ideas! Maybe go to an assisted living home?  Shop for toys for underprivileged kids?
• Go see the Christmas lights in our neighborhood.
• Go see the Christmas lights at Dorothy B. Oven park
• Go to Thomasville's Victorian Christmas (Dec 8 & 9).  We went to Tallahassee's last year and it was meh.
• Get our Christmas tree at Tallahassee Nurseries.  We have gotten our tree there since 2005.  Peter likes the stands they sell because they are really sturdy and that they put the tree on the stand for you.
• Bake Cookies!  I am going to try and make ginger cookies this year, from a recipe from Peter's great-grandmother, wish me luck!
• Go get our turkey from the farm for Christmas Eve dinner
• Christmas Eve Mass
• Take Penelope to see Santa.  Last year the restaurant in our neighborhood golf course did a Santa brunch.  It was a really relaxing way to see Santa, so I hope they do it again.
• Watch holiday movies, last year Polar Express was her favorite.
• Get a special ornament for Penelope (this is done too, I will show you on Monday!)
• Get a wood or plastic nativity scene so Penelope can play with them.  Teach her the story. 
• Make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning.  Usually I buy store bought, but I would love to figure out an easy recipe to make them from scratch.  Anyone have any easy ones?
• Eat pan dulce on Christmas day.  This is an Italian tradition from Peter's family in Argentina.  His family is of German and Lativan descent, even though they are Argentian.  There are so many Italian-Argentians, that the tradition has stuck.
• Handprints on the tree skirt.  The year Penelope was born I bought a tree skirt from Red Envelope and you make hand prints each year and then in twenty years its full.
• Crafts!  I have several all ready planned out, but still looking for a few more ideas
• Make a gingerbread house.  We did this last year, well Papa took it over and we watched, it was really fun.
• Make Penelope a Christmas outfit.
• Make one of her gifts.
• Put cookies and milk out for Santa on a special plate, I bought one last year, so cute!
• Sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas day.

So there you have it!  What am I missing?  What is your favorite Christmas tradition?



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