After our Thanksgiving events each year, it has become our family tradition to decorate for Christmas. It mainly stemmed from the fact that this is the only weekend my husband, JC, gets an extra day off. And I figure since I take it down the day after, why not start a bit early. My main goal is for simple Christmas decor and this quilt I found at a garage sale is the key my whole scheme this year.
When I saw it at a garage sale I got excited. I love old handmade quilts! However, I wasn't to excited when I saw how worn it was with holes everywhere, even burns. I felt the history it had and bought it anyway knowing I could use it for some other purpose. While my original intent was to make things for
my shop, I decided to cut it up to make stockings for my gang of 8. It wasn't until I found these three oil paintings at the thrift store that made up my mind they would make the perfect soothing Christmas mantel decor.
While
last year I went with traditional reds and greens, this year I wanted to have decor that I could leave up after Christmas that had a winter theme. I love the cozy feel this has and my whole family enjoys it too.
Each year I have made
my bird tree toppers that fly out of my shop, but decided to take a break this year. This is the one I kept for me after 3 years of making them. Isn't he cute?
THE TREE
Our tree is a hand-me-down and I use cut up thrifted tablecloths to make garland. Almost all the ornaments are handmade, and I even use thrifted lace tablecloths for my tree skirt.
Below is my childhood rocking chair with the lapghan I made my oldest son. Everything in my simple Christmas decor is not perfect, and that's the way I like it. I really don't understand the drive of some for magazine-worthy decor. It's fun, but I like lived-in, loved-on, stuff.
This rusty buck was at the bottom of a thrift store bin. (love me some trashure!) I bought all the little woodland type decor on clearance after Christmas last year.
Up to the right on my bookshelf, I created a little village of barn wood scraps from our kitchen remodel. These are actually the ends of hand-hewn posts that we're using to build our peninsula. I can't tell you how excited I am to get that silly kitchen done!
To the right of this is my Buck - my firewood and railroad spike dude. I have the tutorial on how to make him
HERE. He's so cute he had to come back this year.
I had intended to make more for my shop again this year, but my ol' shoulder ain't havin' it currently. I am doing much better, but playing it smart.
DINING
Now, if you do an about-face, you'll see our dining area.
Here is the hub of our home where meals happen, but also homeschooling, and just simple fun times. I've shared how I made
our repurposed lighting with those farmhouse clamps and how I made
our window treatments too. It's a fun read on both accounts.
Oh, and don't forget how I came about that antique pew. (I got it for FREE!
You have to read the story.) The afghan, pillow, baskets, and crocks all came from the thrift store. All except the smaller crock that was my mothers.
CENTERPIECE
My table was going to have a different look, but since I'm taking it easy, I pulled out
my barn wood (aka weathered pallets) centerpiece with my canning jars and candles again. It's so nice to have a stash!
I just took a piece of scrap (cheapie) garland and wrapped around, took a few cuts of my pine and holly bushes and we're done. Nothing smells better than my beeswax candles.
The room I never really show you is our living room. That's because it's my furniture storage place for now and is always a wreck. It is on the list of to-dos, but my oldest daughter always loves to decorate our piano with our favorite simple Christmas decor.
The tiny houses are paper and have flameless votives behind them and look so pretty at night. Those velour trees I made last year and share the
tutorial in this post. The mirror was my mother's and the lamp was a hand-me-down from a neighbor.
Funny story about the mantel scarf. I bought my mother this exact one a few years ago and she has used it every year. She is known for updating all the time, so when I found this scarf at Goodwill I thought for sure she had donated it. ha! Turns out I found another just like it and now we each have one. Fun!
PEACE
For me, Christmas is about the birth of our Savior and what I tell my children is this...if his mother, Mary (or Jesus himself), were to peek in our window, would she be happy with the way we are celebrating her son's birth? Are we focused on things or on His coming. While it's easy to get caught up in the season with it being thrown in our faces at every moment, I try to keep it focused on simple.
Do I think highly decorated homes lack Christ? Not at all. Simplicity is what does it for me and my family. God created us all unique and it is the flavor of variety that makes life fun. My greatest prayer and hope for all of you is to find Peace.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
I hope you have enjoyed this mini tour of our home as we prepare for this special season. Do pin and share to encourage others that their home doesn't have to be magazine-worthy, just full of people and things they love.
In the meantime, be sure to sign up for my newsletter because I'll be sharing later this week how this dresser got a new look.
HEAD HERE.
Have a blessed week!
To get these DIY tips & tricks in your inbox, be sure to
sign up for my newsletter. PLUS, you will get your FREE Furniture Buying Checklist and special discount to
my shop. Until next time!
MEWE | PINTEREST | GAB
Also, more simple Christmas decor tutorials for you:
When I saw it at a garage sale I got excited. I love old handmade quilts! However, I wasn't to excited when I saw how worn it was with holes everywhere, even burns. I felt the history it had and bought it anyway knowing I could use it for some other purpose. While my original intent was to make things for my shop, I decided to cut it up to make stockings for my gang of 8. It wasn't until I found these three oil paintings at the thrift store that made up my mind they would make the perfect soothing Christmas mantel decor.
While last year I went with traditional reds and greens, this year I wanted to have decor that I could leave up after Christmas that had a winter theme. I love the cozy feel this has and my whole family enjoys it too.
Each year I have made my bird tree toppers that fly out of my shop, but decided to take a break this year. This is the one I kept for me after 3 years of making them. Isn't he cute?
This rusty buck was at the bottom of a thrift store bin. (love me some trashure!) I bought all the little woodland type decor on clearance after Christmas last year.
Up to the right on my bookshelf, I created a little village of barn wood scraps from our kitchen remodel. These are actually the ends of hand-hewn posts that we're using to build our peninsula. I can't tell you how excited I am to get that silly kitchen done!
To the right of this is my Buck - my firewood and railroad spike dude. I have the tutorial on how to make him HERE. He's so cute he had to come back this year.
I had intended to make more for my shop again this year, but my ol' shoulder ain't havin' it currently. I am doing much better, but playing it smart.
Here is the hub of our home where meals happen, but also homeschooling, and just simple fun times. I've shared how I made our repurposed lighting with those farmhouse clamps and how I made our window treatments too. It's a fun read on both accounts.
Oh, and don't forget how I came about that antique pew. (I got it for FREE! You have to read the story.) The afghan, pillow, baskets, and crocks all came from the thrift store. All except the smaller crock that was my mothers.
I just took a piece of scrap (cheapie) garland and wrapped around, took a few cuts of my pine and holly bushes and we're done. Nothing smells better than my beeswax candles.
The room I never really show you is our living room. That's because it's my furniture storage place for now and is always a wreck. It is on the list of to-dos, but my oldest daughter always loves to decorate our piano with our favorite simple Christmas decor.
The tiny houses are paper and have flameless votives behind them and look so pretty at night. Those velour trees I made last year and share the tutorial in this post. The mirror was my mother's and the lamp was a hand-me-down from a neighbor.
Funny story about the mantel scarf. I bought my mother this exact one a few years ago and she has used it every year. She is known for updating all the time, so when I found this scarf at Goodwill I thought for sure she had donated it. ha! Turns out I found another just like it and now we each have one. Fun!
I hope you have enjoyed this mini tour of our home as we prepare for this special season. Do pin and share to encourage others that their home doesn't have to be magazine-worthy, just full of people and things they love.
In the meantime, be sure to sign up for my newsletter because I'll be sharing later this week how this dresser got a new look. HEAD HERE.
Have a blessed week!
To get these DIY tips & tricks in your inbox, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. PLUS, you will get your FREE Furniture Buying Checklist and special discount to my shop. Until next time!
