When it comes to decorating for Christmas, do you go for a designer look or vintage? Rustic or refined? Minimalist or maximumist. Yes, spell check, I know it’s not a word.
I love decorating for the holiday season. I may have a tendency to go a bit overboard.
A friend recently mentioned that she and her husband would be visiting a grown child in another state for Christmas so she didn’t have to decorate. To me, that would be punishment. I don’t HAVE to decorate. I GET to decorate. We almost never spend Christmas day at our Texas home because we visit Kansas family and Plum Prairie Ranch, but I always climb up the attic ladder to pull out box after box. I trim the tree and the mantle and the shrubs and the fence…
Sorry to all you who prefer a designer minimalist look, but I’m a hard core sentimental fool who holds on to ornaments that prompt many a stroll down memory lane.
The salt dough girls playing soccer because my girls played soccer. The elegant little seahorse bought on a sunny Christmas Day in Florida after a family cruise. Wooden name ornaments made for my daughters by their grandpa.
Call my style stubborn traditional. My Christmas tree looks much the same as it did 10 or 15 years ago.
As a present for our December wedding in 1986, my sweet Aunt Ann gave me a hand-quilted tree skirt and a set of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” ceramic bells. I’m proud to say that we’ve only broken one of the twelve in a house full of kids, dogs and a cat who liked to climb.
Every year I add an ornament or two, which I justify because a good portion of the collection belongs to my girls. My mother in-law bought them ornaments in her travels, and those will go with them when they have their own homes and trees.
Long ago, I added red wooden beads and the buffalo check ribbons to my tree, and the pattern is back in fashion. I’ll have them whether they’re in style or not. Snowflake ornaments I made maybe 20 years ago also adorn the tree. They’re handy for setting a loose theme and filling in holes.
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How to make easy snowflake ornaments
The snowflake ornaments are one of the easiest crafts ever. I got the idea for them out of a magazine, but I don’t remember which one. They are quick and cheap to make but don’t look chintzy.
All you need are small crocheted lace doilies, some type of white glue, glitter and thread or string. You can find this four-pack of doilies online. I purchased a few recently at Hobby Lobby so I could demonstrate the simple process.
- Use a small paintbrush to slather the doily with glue on both sides. I used Mod Podge.
- Sprinkle on shiny white glitter.
- Allow to dry before tying on a loop of thread or string.
- Hang it on your tree.
That’s all you have to do. I love how the white snowflakes stand out against the dark green tree.
You can make this snowflake in less than 5 minutes (not including drying time). It would be a great craft for kids old enough not to throw glitter everywhere.
Do you go for designer, minimalist or traditional style? What is your favorite Christmas decoration?
