Frugal Christmas: Using natural materials

I love to use natural greens and pinecones to decorate for Christmas. We use an artificial tree so adding the real greenery adds the Christmas touch and smell. Mmmmm!

I asked my dad to keep an eye out for some greens to trim to make a wreath… he came through for me and brought me a few armloads of spruce branches! We have a couple of holly bushes that put out beautiful berries just for Christmas! I love using them in my Christmas decor.

I made a hanging to hang under our mailbox… I would have put it on our door but was afraid the berries would fall off my holly and Miss Priss would get a hold of them.

 

I filled my two tier wire baskets with greens and added a bow too!

I love the festive touch it adds to our porch (and I love that cute face peering out at Momma!!!)

I stuck sprigs of holly and spruce throughout the house.

I stuck them in my ceramic ware on my hutch… don’t worry, I removed the berry garland after taking these pictures. It was awful!

I love my vintage musicians courtesy of my dear granny along with my vintage postcards!

And here is my natural goodness FAIL. I waited too long after my greenery had been harvested to try to form a wreath and the branches were stiff and brittle… thus giving me this hideous square-ish shape… Yeah, it’s still hanging on my fence- that’s how redneck I am!

I normally use pinecones but couldn’t find my bag of them this year… such a cheap way to decorate! Happy decorating!!!

Teacher Gifts

Here is a peek into a few of my recent teacher gifts…  I had fun coming up with ideas that are hopefully useful for these special ladies!

I appliquéd some tea towels that I picked up at Dollar Tree. I love the polka dot one… it almost didn’t leave my house. :)

 

I bought large canvas bags at Hobby Lobby (using 40% off coupons). I initially planned on appliquéing them but realized that might be impossible to do with the pockets on the front. Plan B involved freezer paper stencils and acrylic paints. I added bows to girl-ify the.

Lastly, tissue packets. I’m in love with these and hope the ladies all get lots of use out of them. Something cute to carry those travel packets of tissues in!

Christmas Advent Calendar

Ok, I know, I know. I am EXTREMELY late posting an Advent calendar but I’m just now getting around to blogging about it… you know, a couple weeks after it’s completion.

This project was on my radar from last Christmas and I planned on doing it over the summer. *Dies in laugher* Yeah, right. The base is a large reclaimed cabinet door that my hubby & son painted for me.

I painted paper mache boxes from Hobby Lobby green & red. Then I cut out papers and worked out the pattern I wanted on the door. I tweaked it a little at the very end before gluing the boxes down.

Next, I painstakingly, traced each paper, cut it out, Mod Podged it on and finally got to decorate. It was fun but very time consuming. I really hope this will be a family tradition for many, many years!

I tried unsuccessfully to get a good picture of the snowflakes I punched from vintage sheet music and accented with glitter.

The tags and numbers were cut with my Cricut. I distressed the edge of the tags with ink.

We are using a lot of the verses and ideas from this list at My Insanity. It’s great to see Cayson connect Jesus’ birth with Christmas!

I'm linking to Get Your Craft on at Today's Creative Blog

and

Stylish Christmas Bibs

 

I appliquéd a few bibs for Christmas while I was working on projects. Makes for festive dining for little ones!!!

Christmas Projects: Pajama Pants, Scrappy Appliquéd Christmas Onesies

I am constantly working on projects around this place but rarely get the time to blog them… much less tutorials on them. Sorry for the lack of posts!

I had the “genius” idea to make matching Christmas lounge pants for our family. I bought this flannel fabric at Joann’s a month or so ago and just now got around to making the kids’ pants. I used existing pants as my pattern for them. Note: Do not use stretch leggings as a pattern… not that I would know but the pants will turn out entirely too small especially since flannel has no stretch. Not that I did this, or anything.

Cayson was thrilled with his pants and broke them in the first night! Hubby wants me to appliqué a Christmas tree to his shirt so I need to get that added.

 

Taryn’s pants got some ric rac trim… I think I might add a ribbon bow to the top too.

 

I also made these scrappy Christmas onesies for Taryn along with a matching bow.

   

I have plans for some in red/greens too! I might offer a few for sale in the next week or two.

Christmas, Anyone?

I picked up a few more Christmas items the other week when a local boutique's Christmas in July sale went to 75% off! My son had been eyeing this firetruck music box. It plays music and the ladder moves up and down and Santa’s head turns. Super cute since hubby is a firefighter. It was regularly forty bucks and I got it for $10. The ornaments were a little over a dollar with the discount. Fun stuff I can’t wait to use!

Christmas in July

I found this cutie at a local gift shop. They are having a Christmas in July sale with Christmas decor 50% off. I saw lots of cute things but fell in love with this little guy. So cheerful!

Anyone else thinking ahead to Christmas? I have lately since I realized I’ll be 9 months pregnant huge come Christmas so I need to get my Christmas crafting and shopping done now!

A little more decorating to show

A few glimpses into my bathroom... don't mind the dust... I dusted after I took these pictures (promise!).

A couple of my treasured vintage looking trees from Target. I love these things!!!

I made a circle garland for my mirror and hung another one vertically in the bathroom... it was a quick project using my circle maker thingy from Creative Memories. It isn't holding up too well to the humidity though... I'll have to revise for next year.
Snow sign that I pinned to my towels. Speaking of snow... I really wish we'd get some for Christmas. I've bought the tot all the snow clothes just in case... though we rarely see snow in Oklahoma.

JOY that I made a couple years ago using a kit from Hobby Lobby. It was easy to do though the instructions had several mistakes.... now I realize I could have easily made this without the kit... just letters, spray adhesive, scrapbook paper and embellishments!

Did you notice another Target tree? Love them!

Hope everyone is enjoy the Christmas season!!! I am busy making my first ever batch of home-made rolls. Pray for me! I'm making enough to feed 30+ people at Christmas. I also have to make 15 lbs of mashed potatoes!

It's all in the packaging...

I've been in a wrapping fury. I love wrapping presents! No gift bags for me this year... I usually end up throwing several things in gift bags, but this year, it will all be wrapped.

Thought I'd share a couple of things.... a use for a paper towel core or the cardboard core from the foil/plastic wrap, etc. My dad asked for us to donate to a charity for his Christmas. I made a little certificate up on Photoshop and then rolled it up and stuck into the cardboard tube. Makes for some interesting packages. I'm also doing one of these for a gift for my hubby.

These babies are jewelry boxes covered with scrapbook paper... what's hiding in the cute pink boxes will have to wait until after Christmas to show off.

A set of chubby little hands kept trying to get into my pictures.... those hands were trying to rearrange my boxes into a visual appealing combination for a 19 month old.

Ha... just cracks me up how he thinks they should all be lined up. He's a little obsessive compulsive like his mother.

This box is my gift card holder.... I covered the outside and inside with scrapbook papers and added a few embellishments to the top. I also wrapped a bit of scrapbook paper around the gift card... just to make it a little handmade and special.