Christmas Decorations

[Trillian]

Bath, my MIL makes tree decorations using a foam ball and then she pins folded tartan ribbon all over it, working in quadrants - she draws lines down the ball and follows them down then glues a small bit of holly or pinecone to the top. They look really effective.

We don't do decorations around here because DH loathes Christmas and I've given up tring to convert him. So we only have a tree that goes up on the last day of school (the less time the better so he doesn't have to spend the entire month whinging about it being Christmas again ) But this year I am working on cross stitching the Bucilla tiny stockings for the tree - there are 30 of them and I am getting through one a night.

[Bathsheba]

oooh trillian they sound lovely! yes! some cross-stitched tree decos would be great to do... I've got too many unfinished projects to do it this year though.

[{sarah}]

Oh BG...... How much would you want for it? Oh actually, will PM.

[Butterfly Child]

We a different coloured theme each year we get inspired inthe myers stores lol( i love going in when they have all the xmas trees up im still a kid at heart lol
and we have lighthearted comps between friends at who has the best xmas tree

My mums verry fanatical about having it pretty perfect lol
i cant wait to go on a myers xmas decoration spree
We dont really do much outside maby some lights on the verander

[Trillian]

Bath, I'd actually brought them to do last year LOL but there was just too much other stuff going on and I didn't get motivated enough to do them.

[{sarah}]

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I don't have anything like a lot of you ladies, we have a tree decorated in red & silver, i use the left over baubles in little vases to 'decorate' and i have a few little santa deco's.
This year i bought the girls some cheapo leadlight things to hang for their windows and a WELCOME sign with a santa (quite cute).
We have some fairy lights for the tree and some star lights for inside (wherever they will fit now we've moved).

DD1 has a bauble with her name on it and i will TRY and get the same for DD2.
DD1 also has some gorgeous my 1st baubles etc from her 1st x-mas and a really cute x-mas carousel music snow ball.

HERE is my attempt at the tree last year
HERE is my left-over deco's.

At the moment am just using the plastic baubles etc as i don't want the girls breaking anything

Will update once the tree and any new deco's are done this year

[Bathsheba]

Well THIS is going to be a different Christmas here in our house... or very possibly another one interstate if by some miracle we move before the 25th!

DH has had a verbal confirmation that he has been accepted for a new role... but still no paper work so essentially we don't really know where we'll be spending this Christmas. My guess is that we'll still be here... BUT.... I packed away all the Chrissy decorations last Easter (when DH was almost accepted into another role interstate... that fell through).

I refuse to unpack anything... not even the decos. So I've pre-warned DH and the kids that we'll buy a small but real tree and MAKE all the decorations this year. My teenage DD should love the challenge (she hasn't been told yet... she gets back from boarding school this Wednesday).

Fortunately we just so happen to have stacks of coloured A4 paper. The first plan is to make lots of loop chains. All the kids should be able to help with that. DD (15) can cut the strips, and my 7yo can form the loops. My 4yo will probably get bored but might get him decorating some cut out circles by sticking on some glitter to make "balls".

I think in the olden days they also used to thread popped corn?

Any other home-made deco tips?

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Make your own hanging angels decorated with glitter
Do your hand prints on paper, cut them out and hang them on your tree with the date etc.

Make your own Santa using cotton balls for beards etc

[Bathsheba]

Ahhhh! Yes! I have stacks of cotton balls that need using up! Thanks for the reminder ZF!

Smiles (Lorelle) also sent me down a pressie last year that had a clear plastic cone inside that i haven't thrown away yet... it will be perfect for the basis of a big star or angle for the top!

[Kazbah]

plastic cut from ice-cream containers in angel shape with cotton wool to soften it ...
wreathes made from twisted ivy & native trees

Collect pine-cones and decorate them with glitter glue as tinsel, and little paper balls as baubles, hang with fishing line.

[Bathsheba]

Thanks Kaz Yes! We have a pine tree out the back with small cones... i'll send DD out to gather a heap up when she gets home. We've also got lots of clear thread. So far i don't need to buy a thing!!!