Holidays and Birthdays

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Joyous — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:55:02 GMT

I spend most of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons checking out what I want to buy once its on sale in January. If I don't get it because it sold out, then I just consider that it to be less stuff for me to keep up with!

It's neat, too, because I forget what I got last sale season, so when I open my Christmas decor boxes the next time, I have all this "new" stuff and it's a surprise what's inside! I really love it.

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

thyme2save — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:28:00 GMT

Every day is a celebration for someone. The seasons are cause enough to decorate. American flags are in the yard during the Olympics. I like door wreaths because they welcome.

A faux Christmas wreath came to me this year from someone who passed. I have been unable to part with it, yet I do not know how I will use it because I prefer wreaths with dried elements. It is August, but this week I rearranged my family room in preparation for Christmas, all the time questioning myself why so soon. Oh, well, it is something to cross off the to-do list.

In summers past, I filled the house with flowers from my yard, but this year, my houseplants' greenery met an aesthetic need.

I move photos, candles, stones, assorted glass, China, pottery, books, and other mementos according to the time of year.

-thyme2save

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Virginia Needlewoman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:17:43 GMT

Years ago Mom made us all Christmas stockings. I would love to know where mine is. It was fake fur

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Edey — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:42:21 GMT

I used to do tons of decorating for Christmas, but not so much now. I hate putting it all away afterwards and sometimes it's still there in February. Each year I put out less, and almost feel guilty because of it. I don't decorate for any other time of year. Edey

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

gayla50 — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:47:06 GMT

We have decorate for almost every holiday , My DH is Mr Christmas he decorates for Christmas we have lights all over the house he does one tree in front yard that is so pretty .. we have a tree in the livingroom and a big one in the family room

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Pat — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:05:06 GMT

MarthaMFI:
too late Pat!! us long timers know you outed yourself last year

Shhh....

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

MarthaMFI — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:41:34 GMT

too late Pat!! us long timers know you outed yourself last year

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Pat — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:11:42 GMT

I've been avoiding this thread because I hate to admit what a Christmas decorating nut I am. Half of my store room is filled with Christmas decorations. Most of it's for the inside. I love Christmas and love the colors so every room in the house has at least a little decoration and usually more than a little.

A lot of the Christmas decorations are hand made, from plastic canvas or knitted. There are a few from when the kids were in school, and a set of bright red bows. Natural pine cones and real candy canes go on the tree as well as in baskets around the rooms. I have a collection of Santas that continues to grow, several from thrift stores and a some gifts, as well as more expensive ones. I allow myself one each year. They're usually displayed on the piano, but it's getting crowded!

Easter is much less, and only for one day. I do like to change things like wreaths and area rugs in the spring, summer and fall and I really enjoy decorating for fall with "winter" bouquets and so on. I don't do Halloween, but Thanksgiving is another one or two day thing that I add to the general fall decorations.

I spend very little money on decorations, preferring natural or hand made instead.

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

arianasilver — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:36:37 GMT

Sorry, I'm already mentally hung-up on Christmas (its just around the corner, argh)! In the springtime I have a lavendar themed welcome flag that goes out front, along with a resin frog, turtle & snail that go around it. I need to work on something for the door.

Halloween is big decorating outside, nothing really inside. Lots of webbing, orange & purple lights. Porch light is exchanged for a black-light bulb. Skeletons that stick in the ground and look like they're crawling out, etc. Most of the kids love it (some are too scared to come ring the bell, so we wait to hear them whining and come out with candy - maybe this year I'll dress up mwahahahahah!). We're been considering throwing a small halloween party for the kids this year, and doing "haunted houses" in some of the units. If so we'll decorate inside.

Thanksgiving we put pumpkins and grouds out front. I have a thanksgiving door hanger with "real" teddy bears holding it dressed as pilgrims for the door.

I think we decorate a little less because we don't have kids of our own. It'll be different once we have some that are old enough to get excited about the holidays, I'm sure.

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

babs — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:18:07 GMT

Tracy, I, withyou. The older kids used to decorate everything. I still have the Christmas village sitting on the piano from last year. No point in putting it up now. Will dust it in the fall and add a few things. we do a tree and door wreath. Here with the snow, wreaths stay up on houses until Easter. My MIL used to have a fit over that one. She always lived in the South. Decorations were all put up on New Years Day. Babs

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

latenightleader — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 04:40:37 GMT

I used to think I wanted to be a decorating type person, but have decided I am not that person! We have stockings and a tree for Christmas, the kids make cut out snowflakes and I have an Advent type stocking decoration. I have things people have given me that I don't take out. We like to cook and do things, that's the kind of family we are.

I admire decorated houses, I've just stopped striving to do my own! We also have a few gingerbread boys outside, and I still have a string of chili pepper lights up in my family room.

What's the term, born organized? That, I am not. I really enjoy the holidays, and like to have lots of people over for dinner-

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Keriamon — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:31:47 GMT

For cheap decorating, nothing beats Victorian tree decorations. Pop corn and string it. When Christmas is over, throw it out for the birds and then there's nothing to pack! If you have a source of nuts and/or pine cones, spray paint them gold or silver and hot glue ribbons to them to hang them up on a tree, or do as I do and lay them out loose in some pine boughs on the mantle. Make cookies (just flour and water) in Christmas shapes (put a hole in the top before you bake!) and let them go stale and then spray them with a sealant. You can paint them and then hang them up. You can also find pretty pictures on the internet or from magazines and glue them to posterboard and cut them out.

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

MarthaMFI — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:53:08 GMT

I decorated but not over the top. no breakables at the moment I have wreaths for each season/holiday and change them every other month. besides the holiday wreaths I have for easter/valentines day. I made a xmas on from a mary maxim kit, and glued flowers etc on a grapevine wreath for summer. wrapped a grapevine wreath in strands of gold beads with a big wired gold and burgundy bow for odd months like January.

I have one more grapevine that I will decorate with poppies for Nov for remembrance day. I got my spring wreath with fiber optic butterflies for $5 at liquidation world last year.

I have gotten items at dollar stores, michaels end of holiday clearouts are great. made some, thrift stores, kids crafts too. dd made a very cute navitity scene at preschool. cling vinyl window decorations etc.

Got two fancy big santas for $8 a couple of months ago from value village. Also I loved the moving decoration from avon. the plush ones that play music.

Halloween is a weakness. between xmas and halloween that is the most boxes. besides the wreaths the rest of thanksgiving,easter, st patricks and valentines day fit in one tub.

After a couple of years I had lots of xmas stuff. My mil was a great crafters so lots of xmas ornaments and decorations. The only thing that runs out is the lights.

have a small artifical tree because dh is allergic to pine. my xmas theme is colourful!

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

arianasilver — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:09:57 GMT

Our tree is done in tones of reds & golds. The tree is actually a bit "slim" and it fits perfectly in our living room. We might get a bigger room for the basement once we finish it off into a family room. The rest of the living room matches the tones in the tree. I need a new nativity, mine was left in MD with the ex-husband. I used to sell Partylite, and I have several gingerbread house candle-holders that go in the kitchen, along with ornaments that look like gingerbread. I'm thinking of making a garland that looks like candy and maybe some homemade gingerbread ornaments. The kitchen has a holiday treat theme. The guest bathroom off the kitchen (1/2 bath) is done in blues. I have several blue blown-glass ornaments that sit on the sink on stands. A holiday-scented candle goes on the toilet tank. We have blue guest towels with embroidered snowmen on them.

I'd like to get a Christmas quilt this year for our bed. And maybe a small tree or some decorations for the office. I'm also keeping my eye out for Christmas fabrics at yard sales to make some throw pillows, and some fleece to make a few easy throws, all for the couch. I'd also like to make some table clothes, runners & napkins. Easy things to practice my sewing skills on. If all else fails I'll get some at Walmart or JoAnne's. (Heck if I do good I could give sets of napkins & runners are presents. My folks and neighbors would appreciate them!)

Every year we do go out together and pick one special ornament. Then we drive around with a hot chocolate and look at lights. We have a wreath for the door that I made. It needs some desparate reworking this year. Because of all the snow & ice last year, all of our outside lights are non-working so we need to buy new ones this year. We've been doing blue & white lights, but maybe we'll stick with just white this year. I'm not sure yet.

Re: Holiday Decorating on a Budget

Edey — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:54:35 GMT

Besides finding supplies in thrift stores, look in the their book sections for old craft books and magazines. If you find ones pre-1970's there will be lots of good ideas about how to use ordinary things to make some colorful and fun ornaments. More modern craft books all seem to rely on fancy things bought from Michael's to make decorations and ornaments. The older books use basic household things like cardboard, fabric, paint, yarn, foil, glue, paper, etc. along with some purchased glitter. If you search back thru older threads here you will find lots of suggestions for holidays. Do a Google search for Homemade holiday crafts and you'll come up with so good ideas also. Edey