5 steps to create cozy Christmas decor

26 Comments

1. Thank you for this much-needed dose of holiday spirit and inspiration! The “Christmas baton” quote really resonated with me; I feel like it’s up to me to play that role in my family, and I gladly accept that assignment. As my second Christmas without my mother approaches, along with the purchase of a new home, the sale of my current house, and houseguests from New Zealand for three weeks right after Christmas, it feels like a LOT. In a way, I wish I could take a long winter nap and just hibernate until February, but then I would miss all the joy the holidays bring. I love all your tips, and plan to start implementing them right now. First, I will update my Christmas shopping and task list using last year’s list as a template. Then I will try to create a realistic schedule to accomplish it all. Your old house was Christmas perfection, but I know your new one will be just as special when you add all these personal touches. My daughter had a winter-themed wedding, and we found some beautiful deer to add to the decor at Hobby Lobby. They have had a whole aisle of “woodsy winter” decor for the past few years, and I always find another piece or two to add to my daughter’s collection. Hoping you find a very special deer for your new ranch kitchen, and that it will oversee the creation of many delicious holiday meals and treats. Operation Christmas is hereby underway in north Texas!

2. What a lovely post! I’m looking forward to decorating for Christmas as well, and have never paid attention to “the trends.” Everything here is steeped in family tradition, and I know my children and grandchildren, while all adults now, look forward to seeing their homemade ornaments on my tree. Our newest tradition is having a new puzzle on the table that everyone gravitates to. Lots of laughing and conversations happen there. Thank you for the tip about throws at Marshalls. One of my daughters-in-law crawls under a throw as soon as she gets to my house, so I need to get a few more. No matter what the current trends are, Christmas here will be first and foremost about my faith and family traditions. Definitely looking forward to it!

3. I love the puzzle idea! I may borrow that one…thanks Karen. Love to see you pop up here.

4. Hobby Libby is on my list to stop by this week! You can do this!

5. Great post! I have already started by twining my bannisters with greenery and lights but loading it with Thanksgiving leaves and such. My Thanksgiving wreath is on the front door and my outdoor window boxes have pine cones , twigs, fall grasses, cut pods, bittersweet, etc. I have placed my collection of little decorative pine trees around my gourds and on the sun porch in the house. The day after Thanksgiving, Christmas will replace fall. Since we rent a place for my family to go to (this year we are going to old Quebec City), we don’t have a live tree. The smaller one we have will be picked up, boxed, and travel with us with yards of twinkle lights to decorate when we arrive. I love the idea of Christmas throws. That would certainly cozy up the rented apartment. Can’t wait to read everyone’s ideas!
   (Pam, I posted late last night. I had a question about the shoes if you don’t mind going back to yesterday.)

6. Pam, I love this quote from “A Christmas Pearl.” It is one of my favorite Christmas books. All your holiday ideas are magical. We anticipate getting out the same decs each year. Everything has a story. All beverages taste better in a Christmas mug.

7. As Texas Aggie mentioned this will be her second Christmas without her mother, this will be my first. I plan to get myself a record player so I can listen to my mom’s old favorite albums throughout the season: Julie Andrews, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby. I will pull out her old cookie book, read through her hand-written notes, and make family favorites. My dear friend, in anticipation of this being potentially a difficult time, has signed us up for a wreath making class so we can add a new skill and tradition to the season.

8. I answered early this morning, Deborah! Will start your idea of adding pine cones to our door boxes this week! Love that!

9. Yes! All beverages are better in a Christmas mug!

10. I know it is a bittersweet season for some. It is my first Christmas in a long time that half of my family won’t be here. But I plan to celebrate any way. So funny, Connie. I am about to buy a turntable. We found our old albums when we moved and I am ready to dance. Enjoy that fabulous line up of Christmas classics!

11. Great quote in the beginning. This is so true. We usually go visit family at Christmas so I sometimes feel why decorate? But I’ll do something and also I’m going to look for ways to take Christmas traditions elsewhere.
    Thank you i needed this. Love all your decorations.

12. We can do this, Paula…I have brought my traditions to a new place! I am glad you liked the post.

13. Even though its just the 2 of us I still enjoy going all out for Christmas decorations. And I agree with all your suggestions. Cozy is the way to go with the decorations I’ve had for many decades. I love getting them out and reminiscing about each one’s history, especially the handmade ones made by nieces and nephews when they were little I’ll add one more step: Christmas Carols. I love everything from Medieval chants to Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. Really puts me in the mood. I think this year we in western NC need some cheer. I’m already seeing Christmas lights and a few wreaths on doors. I will wait, as I always do, until after Thanksgiving though because I love fall decorations almost as much.

14. I agree…I love my fall decorations too. So Christmas happens right after Thanksgiving and, yes! Music is a must!

15. I love that one of my boys has all the old Christmas music on Spotify and plays it constantly over our days together. I am also going to bring a puzzle to where we are going!

16. It is just Brent and I for all the holidays and my birthday. We decorate lightly with wreaths with fairy lights and a small rustic table tree I bought about 20 years ago. My candles are flickering LED but add warmth. My nativity will be put up first right after Thanksgiving. We have a lot of wind and our front door is a glass storm door over our door with little space for a wreath. How can I safely put a wreath on the glass? Hangers don’t work with this door. It is very windy today and almost all of the snow has melted away. It is 46 degrees and sunny here. I lost my mother in 1997. She had lived in Florida for 20 years while we lived in Iowa and moved to Colorado in 1995. You are very lucky if you live near your family.

17. I love memories at Christmas. Share with us sometime memories of her Sydney. Would love to hear!

18. I agree that trends for Christmas should be tossed aside. When I decorate, I love thinking about how each item came to be in my collection. Some were gifts, some were hand made by sweet children in my life, most of whom are adults now, & I have a collection painted wooden tree ornaments from a kit I purchased the first Christmas I was married. We lived in a small apartment, so our tree was small & the ornaments were inexpensive because that’s what our budget allowed. All these things are precious memories. I also agree that any beverage tastes better in a Christmas mug. Because Thanksgiving is late again this year, I will start decorating a bit next week & am looking forward to it. Cue the Christmas music!

19. Your comment made me smile and think of our early Christmases, Becky! Yes! Cue the Christmas music!

20. 5 good steps, I think I have one, two and four covered. I will work on three and five. While I decorate with lots of nature outside I love the idea of little trees inside, I’ll be on the look out for a few of those. I also do make a variety of Christmas baking but have not thought to have plates ready for company. What a good idea instead of having to pull out all the tins when someone knocks on the door. I’m fortunate to have a set of Christmas dishes which includes mugs and which I use daily during the season. I pack up my everyday dishes in the Christmas box and celebrate Christmas at every meal.

21. I had not thought of using my dishes for every day! I might try using them more this year! Thanks Linda!

22. I used to use my holiday dishes from Thanksgiving through Christmas when my kids were little. There is no reason I couldn’t do this now. Thanks to Linda D. for this additional inspiration!

23. Yes! Use the dishes…if even for you or one other. Our time is short…so use the dishes! I plan to.

24. I’m thinking about Christmas, but I’ve still got to get through Thanksgiving!

    I had about 20 Christmas plates arrive from my Mother-In-Law’s estate and I want to do something with those. If you’ve got any photos of decorative plates post’em! I’m got a Pinterest board for them.

    I think getting children’s schedules worked out, and setting expectations is really big, and I’m happy to say that it looks like we know when we’ll get together with our children. As a new Grandmother I’m on-board with celebrating the season as it works for new families, and not being overly tied to certain dates or traditions of the past. The holidays are a time to come together, not split apart over minor things.

25. Our new babies are changing everything this year…but next year will be tons of fun! I will keep an eye out for ideas for your plates!

26. Pam,
    There is no better role for a grandmother than to be the example of kindness for your children and grandchildren in the family. We have lived a lifetime of turbulence politically and often personally, so let’s just be an example of grace for our children and grandchildren. How marvelous you are there for your daughter’s family–not as just a caregiver, but as an example. I have differences of opinion from some of my kids and their spouses, but I respect them and hope I can offer a point of view that is loving and hopeful. Thank you for continuing to do what you do best–making aging women feel empowered and positive about themselves.
    Cathy

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