Friday, December 14, 2012

Christmas Home Tour 2012...

Christmas is the most special time of year and I love decorating for the season. I start decorating the Friday after Thanksgiving and go straight for 2 weeks. We have a huge party for all the ladies in our neighborhood, friends and family!! It's the most fun and festive time to see everyone each year.

Decorating for Christmas is like a hobby for me. I start thinking about next year's Christmas on december 26th. Where do I start?...the after Christmas sales this year. I always buy things on clearance...never full price. I bring the decorations home, organize them and find a place for them, so I know where they are next year. I change things up, move things to different rooms, so it feels like I have new things each year.

Let's start this year's tour from the front door  and end at the back door...

Last year I had the Snowman wreath on the front door, but this year I just have a wreath and some decorations off to the side.




My childhood sled and skates with some greenery.


Bucket of snowballs too...styrofoam balls covered in scrap quilt batting.


Our new family room tree...

The old one, which is in our master bedroom, was a narrow slim line. This one is from Walmart and has a much wider shape for the room.


This tree is our family tree...ornaments from friends, family and the girls get a new one each year.


The girls get a new ornament each year that means something special for that year. Courtney's ornament is a suitcase for her trip to Japan in January.


The metal ornament is for my husband's hike up Mount Washington this summer.


The tree is so wide, I used a new painters drop cloth for a tree skirt.


Decorations can be something as simple as a bowl of jingle bells and a candle. Click here for that post.


Large walls are a challenge for me even with everyday decorating. This "JOY" wall decoration really fills in the space.


Just take heavy duty wire and bend it in the shape of the letter you want, then cover it with evergreen garland.


I wrap garland around the railings going upstairs. I use zip ties to attach the evergreen to the wood railings.


I use the same garland over and over each year. I purchased the sugar fruit years ago. I try to add a little bit each year.


 I found a small box of sugared strawberries in a thrift store this summer.


I attached the fruit to the evergreen with ornament hangers or I use floral wire.

I made the bows, but neatly pack them away and just poof it up each year.


The coffee bar gets a little greenery too.


Pre-lit tree little tree was only $5.00 after Christmas last year. Just pop it in a old plastic urn I painted black for the front porch.


For parties, I serve coffee in the big coffee urns here.


Santa tree...lots of tutorials for this.


Santa ornament click HERE.

Peppermint garland click HERE.


Santa Tree click HERE

How to decorate a tree click HERE.


Vintage tricycle and wagon I bought at Goodwill under the tree holds presents and a teddy bear. Reminds me when our daughters were little.


Tree in the den...


Kind of Dr Seuss...


Pom pom flowers from the floral department for the top of the tree.


Mix textures, colors and shapes and fill in all the blanks.


Dollar tree ornaments look great mixed in with other glitter ornaments.


The packages of word ornaments work great too.




The tree skirt is a $5.00 red fleece blanket from Walmart.


I had extra green ornaments, so I made a wreath for the table.


In the middle of the wreath, I placed a glass bowl and filled with a candle.


For a wreath, use different types and shapes of ornaments.


Just thread ornaments on a sturdy wire and keep adding until it's all filled in.

Here's a picture of the wire.


The spots where the wire showed, I added little sprigs of glitter greenery I had from an old arrangement.

Seriously...I save everything!!


Just add a bow.

You could easily do this with one of those large packages of ornaments you might purchase at the after Christmas sales.


When I have our Christmas parties, our dining room table becomes a buffet table. I pull all the chairs away and use them throughout the house.

With all the chairs missing, the table looks blank underneath. I went in the garage and found my old wooden toboggan.


Added some wrapped packages and gift bags and a little tree.

Definitely fills in the space under there for no money at all.


Fireplace was simple too...wreath and basket of wood.


Add real greenery to basket of wood for the fresh scent of Christmas!!


Small set of battery powered lights too. Hallie seems to like the real scent of evergreen.


Up stairs we go...

Master Bedroom first.

Our old 12 foot family room tree is now our 9 foot bedroom tree...just took off the first bottom layer.


A piece of burlap for tree skirt and Dickens Village around the base.


This tree is in honor of my mom. She collected these Steinbach ornaments forever.


Wrapped packages on the ottoman and an old quilt for a little Christmas vignette.


 Wreath and trees for simple look around the bed.


Click HERE for coffee filter wreath tutorial.


Simple trees next to the bed with a few clearance items for sparkle. The mercury glass jar was from TJ Maxx. Lamps were my mom's from the 1960's with new $15.00 shades from Walmart.


Dickens Village on top of the armoire.

The burlap bag on the knob was saved from a coffee and tea gift set. Just filled with evergreen.




Even the bathroom gets a little green swag on the mirror and a wreath on the wall.


and a tree on the cabinet.


My husband's office gets a tree like the one from his childhood.


Colored glass balls, tinsel, popcorn garland and big colored lights.


You know those big colored lights that used to get so hot!!  This is his favorite tree!!


At the top of the stairs is the candy tree. This is the first year for this tree. The pre-lit white tree was $5.00 in the 90% off section.


Bought the wirery candy decorations after Christmas last year for 25 cents per sprig.


Used a combination of pastel colored balls I already had.


Pack it in there for a full look.




Fake candy gumdrop garland I found at Hobby Lobby.


Quilt batting under the tree for the tree skirt to make it look like Cotton Candy.


Wrapped packages to hide the electrical wire...plug was around the corner.


Courtney's tree is all silver...


Again...use different shapes and textures of silver. Glitter, shiny, matte finish and quilted.




Kelsie's room is silver and gold...the tree is in a big galvanized bucket from Home Depot $13.00. I usually use those buckets for chilling drinks for parties.






Shadow boxes in Kelsie's room have simple flat ornaments hanging from the nail.


Now the back door...

My mom always had a sign hanging on her back door...

"Back door guests are always welcomed best"


Click HERE for the Snowman Wreath tutorial.


I used big plastic candy canes for the arms instead of branches like I used last year.


I have one suggestion...be careful where you hang Mister Snowman

Last year I put the Snowman Wreath on my front door which is solid with no window.

This year it's on my back door that has a window. This is what I see each I come around the corner in the back hallway.

It literally scares the bajeebers out of me every time...looks like a person at the door. LOL

Sorry Mister Snowman...no more back door for you!!



I hope you enjoyed the tour for this year. Sharing these pictures here also helps me remember how I decorated each year.

If you want to see where I store and organize all this "stuff"...click HERE for that post!!

Remember...

  • shop after Christmas sales
  • think of a theme and shop for that over a period of time. You may not get it all at once.
  • store them away, so you know where they are next  year
  • think outside the box while decorating. You probably have all the things to make something new and different each year.
Happy Decorating,
~Karen~


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57 comments:

  1. In the words of Craig Revel Horwood "AMAZING"

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  2. I love it all! You have a great eye. Good idea to use a fleece for a tree skirt.

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  3. I enjoyed taking a tour of your home and decorations, so many beautiful trees and creative ways to decorate.

    Debbie

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  4. So many creative little touches, love it!

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  5. So, so, so pretty. I certainly hope you entertain with that beautiful home and all that work.

    Get the heck outta the way Martha.....Karen has this down and on a real woman's budget.

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  6. Much, much fun. :D Do you store the trees decorated? Or do you disassemble and remake them each year? I love the new candy tree!!

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  7. Fabulous job Karen so festive!! I agree with above back off Martha you aint got anything on Karen!!

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  8. i wanna celebrate xmas at your place... everything is so nice! congratulations!!

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  9. Thank-you for sharing a peek inside your home at Christmas. It is beautiful...

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  10. What an awesome job you did. Loved my tour. Thank you.

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  11. gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your home with us. Merry Christmas and enjoy your party!

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  12. WOW!! Overwhelming and amazing and throw in incredible! Absolutely gorgeous!!
    P

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  13. Just lovely... ALL of it... trust you are all enjoying it... hope you leave it up well past Christmas!

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  14. I have to ask! Where do you store all of your decorating items? I live in the Northwest where we don't have basements or attics, and closet space is mostly devoted to just the everyday items we all need. I miss living back east (where I'm from) where I had an attic and full basement. I have my holiday decor very organized, but it takes up a great chunk of our garage - and that's with only one regular size tree and one tabletop tree. I just love the decorating you've done, but I've wondered where it all goes off season!

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  15. Wow!! I lost count of how many trees are in your house! I loved them all =)

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  16. Thank you for the tour of your home. It is lovely.

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  17. Thanks for sharing. Your husband's tree makes my heart smile, and that candy tree makes me laugh :)

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  18. Beautiful, I love Christmas too but I haven't got that many decorations,
    Have a wonderful Christmas.

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  19. Your home is just lovely.
    Merry Christmas!
    Nancy

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  20. vraiment magnifique j'aime beaucoup toutes ces décorations de Noël, bravo !

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  21. It has been worth adding your blog to my blogroll just for the tip on cable ties to hang the swags on the staircase. (though I hang my swag on the lower part so the handrail is still useable)

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  22. So elegant and beautiful without being overdone. Thank you for sharing.

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  23. Your Wreath is Huge Karen but it does look Fabulous.
    Merry Christmas.
    cheers

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  24. Wow. Your home is gorgeous. I love everything!!

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  25. Just beautiful make me want to have a party.
    Merry Christmas.

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  26. omg, your home is incredible. When did you start decorating? I love the big gifts under the table with a itty bitty tree. You're amazing! Thanks for sharing your home with us.

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  27. Now this is what I call decorating the home for Christmas. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I learned a lot.

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  28. You have the MOST beautifully decorated home! Man, wish you could do my house. I really love how you have decorated each tree....thanks, as your trees reminded me of many memories from when I was a kid.

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  29. You get all this done AND work full time? Do you ever sleep? It's beautiful!

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  30. Where, oh where, did you find the MT. Washington ornament???? My husband and I climbed Mt. Washington right between getting married and starting to have babies! I'd love to get one.

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  31. Wow, incredibly beautiful. How many Christmas trees do you have? I lost count.

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  32. Thank you for the tour of your home at Chrismas. It's both beautiful and amazing. You must be so organized.

    Ali x

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  33. Thanks for sharing your wonderful Christmas house. I wish you lived around the corner from me so I could come see it in person and better yet, you could come help me with mine.

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  34. Your tour has been lovely!!:
    Thank you so much for sharing your tutorials Karen!!!.
    Hugs ,

    Silvia

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  35. Appreciate what you do. I also love decorating! If you get a chance I just did a 12 Days if Dedking My Halls over on my Kwilty Pleasures blog. 10 years of decorating ideas. Happy Hilodays!

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  36. Love, love, love everything! What a great tour! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. SO many ideas!!

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  37. All your ideas never cease to amaze me I don't know how one person can have so many ideas!, but your decorated house is just beautiful thank you so much for sharing it with us

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  38. I really enjoyed the tour of your home and Christmas decorations. Your trees are incredible. Thanks for sharing some great ideas!

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  39. Just Wow! That's a lot of trees. You and I like the same kind of decorating and you will see when you stop by my house tour! Yours is fun and beautiful!

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  40. All your decorations are beautiful and I like the organizing tips too!! Thanks for sharing. :)

    Marti

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  41. Your trees are really amazing. Mine never seems to make the grade. This year I did a Santa tree too. I have collected Santa ornaments for about 20 years. I thought I had more than enough. I need to watch for something that sticks out! My tree is nice, I added white plastic glittered icicles for texture this year. I like it!

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  42. Merry Christmas in advance! Great decoration ideas; pictures are also amazing. Thanks!
    Shiful Alam

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  43. Beautiful! Just Beautiful!

    How do you keep the kitty out of the trees? We have 3 cats and it's their favorite place!

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  44. Karen, your house is lovely! Thank you for all the ideas and for sharing them with us. Your blog is so inspiring!

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  45. Every tree and decoration looks fantastic. I really enjoyed the tour of your beautiful home.

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  46. I have my childhood sled with my ice skates on my front porch too. Everyone always comments on it. And my girls get an ornament each year too, they love putting them on the tree. Your house looks lovely.

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  47. I wait for this post all year. I think you're a little crazy, but in the most delightful way.

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  48. Thank you for inviting us into your lovely home. I just have one question? Are you for hire? LOL. This may be the first time I hit after Christmas sales...MAY BE. :)

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  49. Your house looks beautiful!
    We received an ornament each year too and now my son has his first few. In fact, my grandmother still gets us each an ornament every year and my youngest sister is a junior in high school. It's a wonderful gift, isn't it?

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  50. Better late than never on seeing your Christmas Home Tour -- that's just the way I've been rolling during this busy month of December. Your home is beautiful, and I truly love all your special touches and little memories to cherish!

    Happy New Year!
    Carol

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  51. Your decorating is breathtakingly beautiful!! I'd love to do that to our home, but I have 3 cats (1 is a young kitty) & by the time they got through terrorizing the decorations, there wouldn't be much left, let alone them climbing the trees. How do you keep your beautiful cat from getting into all the trees??

    Thank you for sharing,

    Beth

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment...I just love hearing from you!

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