A Handcrafted Woodsy Christmas

I have been challenging myself to make and repurpose Christmas decorations this year. I don’t need to add to my ever-growing stash of store-bought ornaments from many years.

I enjoy tweaking the theme or colors from year to year. I have been favoring decorations of a more rustic vibe the past couple years since we moved into a cottage styled home. I have started by creating decorations inspired by nature or the woodlands.

This year I decided to bring down my white flocked Christmas tree in the living room. I wanted to add touches of blue to go with my living room furniture so I decided to see what I could make on my own, using what I already had. I found some deep blue velvet and scraps of material in variations of blue and white. These were some pieces I found in a box I have saved all these years from my grandmother’s things. They are a part of the sentimental keepsakes that I have kept because they remind me of her and her love for sewing. First, I made a bunting garland out of the fabric scraps. Then I made some signs, using a stencil for the lettering. I already had the striped stars from a project in the past. I made the cardboard stars from toilet paper rolls another year. I cut out the velvet in circles, glued them to cereal box cardboard and embellished them with stenciled snowflakes and silver tinsel pipe cleaners. I found some decorative wooden furniture circles in my craft supplies. I painted them blue and aged them with white paint which I dry-brushed on them. They turned out looking like denim which I liked a lot.

In my kitchen, I always have a rustic tree. I use red, green, black and white decorations in there. I added woodland creatures to decorate that tree last year. One year I made some elves with pinecones, red felt and pillow stuffing. Another year I made some ornaments with miniature figures on top of old spice tins. This year I added the mushroom decorations that were from my stash of gardening items in the garage.

I found a porcelain village collection in my attic. I painted it white with silver accents for a winter wonderland display on my mantel. I added fairy lights to give it a little sparkle and magical feel.

Here is what it all looks like. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!