My Classic Santa Christmas Tree

During the first Christmas in this house almost 4 years ago, it became a little apparent to me that we needed to redo our Christmas tree. The decorations I had done the previous year went with the decorations of our first house. Another factor was that we now had a fireplace in our main living space. In our first house, our family room didn't have a mantel to hang up our stockings.

And why does that matter?

Well I love our stockings. LOVE. Up until moving into this house I had never coordinated them with my Christmas decorations. Now I could. They are very classic, and a bit vintage like. They are in bright classic Christmas colors. They were lovingly knitted by my Grandma. Basically, they are perfect.

So my Christmas tree needed to match. I call it my Classic Santa Christmas Tree.

Every year I add just a few more decorations and switch out old ones. I chose to stay with classic colors. There is a lot of red and white with additions of green and blue.

This year, one of the new sets of ornaments are these plaster trees. I got them after Thanksgiving at Michaels. They were SUPER cheap. All I had to do to make them match the tree is to paint them. So easy.

There are a few things on my tree that I will be really sad the day they are too old to use. This gingham tree topper is one. I adore this. First, it is gingham. So glory be. Second, it coordinates with my tree perfectly and I searched for years to find it. So don't ever die gingham star!

This year I also added these vintage looking candy canes that I found at Target.

Another of my favorite ornament/filler to use is paper party products. Last year I started using these paper medallions.

This year I added these honeycomb balls. These especially are perfect fillers for blank spaces in my tree. I don't even hang them, I just shove them on in. I love the texture and dimension they add to my tree.

By this point, you might be questioning the fact that I call this a Santa tree. I promise there are Santas. These are from Target a few years ago.

I also have some vintage inspired ones.

This year I added these cuties. I found them in the Target dollar spot. They are actually gift card holders, but don't they make amazing ornaments. When I see stuff like this, I just have to grab it.

I love my tree. I don't plan on changing it at all for years and years. I know sometimes it is the "IN" thing to have a new tree every year, but I just can't seem to justify that. I also frankly don't want to. I love my tree. My kids have started telling me though that it might be getting too full of decorations. HA! TOO full?! What's that even mean???

Easy Paper Fan Ornament

Christmas ornaments can come from anything. I love these paper fans. They are inexpensive and come in lots of colors. They easily turn into Christmas ornaments too.

Seriously, how cute are these?

I love how they add whimsy to my Christmas tree.

I only used two things to make these Easy Paper Fan Ornaments- Mini paper fans and coordinating washi tape.

I picked up the mini paper fans at Zurchers Party Store. Then I raided my washi tape. This blue and white striped tape happens to be Duck Tape Washi tape that I grabbed from The Mart.

To make these ornaments, simply open the fan and tape closed with the washi tape.

See how ridiculously easy it is to make these. I actually have made another whole batch since this post. I think 10 mini paper fans is the perfect amount for my tree.

Now all I need are some tissue honey combs in red and green. Hehehe. Maybe next year.

Follow along with Just Another Day in Paradise

Instagram        Facebook        Pinterest

Christmas Print: Come and Adore Him

I am sharing this really simple Christ-centered Christmas Printable with you guys today. One of my favorite Christmas hymns is O Come, All Ye Faithful.  I took just one phrase from the hymn and made a printable.

I used Picmonkey to make this printable. I made a traditional red one for our home because the primary holiday color we use. However I made three other color options. I also made the Christmas print in black, gold, and turquoise.

Just right click on the image and save it to your computer. Then you can print it off in the size you want. Hope that this can find a place in your holiday decor.

I really love fun and Santa themed decorating, but I also know that the real reason we celebrate this wonderful holiday is to commemorate the birth of the Savior. I am trying to get better about also including some decorations that represent Him.

Merry Christmas!

Follow along with Just Another Day in Paradise

Instagram        Facebook        Pinterest

Embellished Christmas Flour Sack Towels

I decided my kitchen could use a little Christmas-fying.

Since I am running out of time it had to be a quick little project. I gathered a few of my favorite supplies--flocked heat transfer vinyl and trim. Lots and lots of trim.

Add those two things to a super inexpensive flour sack towel, and you my friend have just about the cutest kitchen towel ever.

The flour sack towels are under $2 for a set of two. I purchased my favorite trims in a bright and jolly red. I used my red flocked heat transfer (which I buy from Expressions Vinyl). I downloaded the Santa and Reindeer image from Silhouette and then cut it out.

First I took out the flour sack towels and I ironed them out flat. Then I ironed them in half lengthwise and then in half again.

First I laid out the trim how I liked. I made sure to cut extra on each side in order to fold it over the front flap of the towel.

Once I sewed everything in place it was time to adhere the vinyl.

And done!

Now here is the disclaimer, these towels are not really for using. These are just for looking. Hence the stripey towel hanging with the pretty towels. That is the hand wiping towel.

I have threatened my boys with sloppy kisses and hugging them in public if they touch those towels with their cute grubby little mitts.

They have totally kept these towels pristine, and it has already been FOUR WHOLE DAYS. Woot! Woot! Pshaw only 16 more days. Totally doable.

Good job, Little Men. Thanks for indulging your mom. I love ya.

Follow along with Just Another Day in Paradise

Instagram        Facebook        Pinterest        Twitter

Paper Doilies Garland: Gingham and Burlap Christmas

I love gingham.

This year in my dining room I decided to embrace my love of gingham for our Christmas decorations.

Simple.
A little country.
A little rustic.

I am more than a little in love.

I had the wreath, gingham fabric, and the burlap banner just hanging around.

The red snowflakes were from an after Christmas sale. I had originally bought them to use them on my tree, but then they told me they would rather be a lovely little garland. So I listened. I am nice like that.

The last garland is made from paper doilies. Seriously, it is the easiest, cheapest, and loveliest garland ever.

I simply bought a package of 4" paper doilies.

I laid them all out. Separating them from one another is the hardest part. They rather like to cling to each other. 

Then I just fed them through my sewing machine one right after another.

So easy. It take minutes. Minutes I tell you. Then it is all ready to hang up with the other Christmas lovelies.

I am pretty much in love with it all.

I love that when I walk in my house, this is one of the first Christmas scenes I see. A little country Christmas. Kind of my favorite.

I have one more project for this room and I can't wait to show it to you.

Merry Christmas! Happy decorating!

Fabric Wrapped Holiday Letters

I had a blank spot on the wall above my mantle that was super bugging me. The space seemed just right for a little holiday word.

Since I didn't have a holiday word just laying around, I figured I should probably either make one or come to terms with going crazy over the blank spot on the wall.

I have enough crazy, so I decided to make the decoration I needed.

I gathered some yarn and material that would coordinate with the rest of my decorations.

Are you shocked that it is black? It may not scream Merry Christmas, but it totally goes with all my holiday fun, including my Christmas Vintage Book Poster.

I also didn't want to spend the money on blank letters, so I grabbed some left over foam core to make my own.

I printed off my letter, J-O-Y in the font ChunkyRomanFive at 600. Then I cut them out and traced them onto foam core.  I used a exacto knife and cut the letters from the foam core.

I wrapped each letter in either strips of fabric or yarn, held in place with some hot glue.

Now my little holiday letters just had to be hung up and fulfill their destiny above my mantle.

I have intentions of showing you my mantle. I think it is rather quaint and vintagy looking, but alas I just can't get a good picture. So fingers crossed maybe soon.

Christmas Vintage Book Poster

Several months ago I came across this old Christmas book in a thrift store.

I was pretty giddy about it. Mostly because I never, and I mean NEVER find anything good at thrift stores. So super jealous of those who do.

Anyhoo, I digress...

When I found this book, I was immediately mesmerized by the pictures.

And I knew about as instantly that I wanted to use one of the pages as a Christmas decoration.

The hard part was choosing which lovely page would coordinate the best with my other decorations.

Since they were all so pretty I almost couldn't make up my ever-lovin' mind.

Then I saw this page.

Mind made up.

Isn't it gorgeous and perfectly traditional?

I scanned the picture I wanted.

Then I made some size adjustments using PicMonkey.

Basically in order to make a poster sized print you want your image to be large.

Once you have resized it, just save it.

Then order it through a photo service that will print enlargements. I used the photo center at a big box type store. A 20x30 sized poster print cost me under $10.

Woot. Woot.

Then I put my poster into a poster frame that cost me around $10.

A cute vintagy Christmas decoration for about 20 bucks.

Pretty reasonable.

Pretty fast.

Pretty fantastic.

Please remember to be courteous when using images from a book.

They are images created by someone else. 

Personal use only of course.

Linking Here:
Lil'Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely,
Simply Kierste, The 36th Avenue, Whipperberry, Tatertots and Jello

Sparkleville: A Christmas Village Revamp How-To

A little Sparkle at Christmastime is always a good idea.

I love little Christmas villages. I remember when I was younger, there was this one house that we would go to as a family. This house was insane with Christmas villages and Christmas trains. Now, we didn't know the owners of the home at all. In fact, most of the people that walked through their home were unknown to them.

The house seriously opened up at Christmas time to have merry strangers partake in the wonder that was their house turned Christmas village. 

I was enamored by the different vignettes. It was like I was a friendly giant coming down from my beanstalk to welcome in the yuletide with them. I still remember my favorite scene. 

There was a little neighborhood that had a small mishap. It would seem that a group of holiday adventures decided to take up their hot air balloon even though the weather was not favorable. Alas, the hot air balloon did not make it far. As luck would have it, the hot air balloon couldn't keep its altitude and it crashed right into the top of a sweet little Victorian house.

The balloon was literally embedded in part of the roof.

My curious mind was amazed that the balloon had actually made a hole in the roof. Then logic came sneaking in and figured that perhaps the sweet Victorian house had some how broken, so the owners of the Christmas village ingeniously came up with the little story of a hot air balloon crash to hid the broken roof.

Crazy how some things stick with us.

While I still love the little villages, they don't really fit in with my holiday decorations.

That is until now. 

A light bulb went off. Spray paint. Sparkles. Spray paint AND sparkles.

Ah, yes. Perfect.

This project is so easy (minus the vacuuming up of all the loose sparkles). With spray paint in whatever color you want and sparkles to match, you too can have an Sparkleville for you own home.

You simply need:

cheap Christmas village houses

spray paint

coordinating glitter

mod podge

clear acrylic coating spray

I got my little houses for a buck at The Mart. Sweet and simple.

I chose red. 

I lucked out that the glitter I wanted was on clearance at Michael's. Miss Martha has a wonderful variety of glitter to choose from, but then again did we expect anything less from her?

In a lot of places, it is starting to get too cold to spray paint. If you have a sunny day, even if it is a little chilly, seize the day and spray...

Hahaha...I think I might need that on a t-shirt!

Put the houses in a shallow box.

Spray a very quick and light coat first.

Let it set for about 10 minutes. Go back and spray a slightly heavier coat.

Let is set again for about 10 minutes. Repeat with more coats until heavily covered and you can see only a little of the original paint.

Since you are covering them with sprinkles the coverage does not need to be 100%.

Let them dry for 24-48 hours.

Lay out newspaper and get ready to mod podge.

Starting on the roof, and working in sections, apply the Mod Podge.

Then sprinkle over a generous dose of glitter. Move and gently shake the house around so that the loose glitter covers the Mod Podge. 

I gathered the loose glitter into a pile and then picked up small mounts with my fingers to ensure coverage was complete, and to make sure I didn't waste glitter.

Your hands will be a hot mess.

Repeat with each side. Go over areas that are not covered as well.

I was able to cover six small houses with less than a whole bottle of glitter. Make sure you are aware of how much you have used, how much is on the table, and how much you have to cover.

Let the newly glittered houses set out for a day. The glitter will still be loose, so be careful.

No sneezing around the houses...learned that the hard way...

Once they have dried, take them back outside.

Evenly coat each house with a clear acrylic coating. This won't ensure that there won't be some glitter that will still come off, but it keeps most of it in place.

Now you have a perfectly splendid Sparkleville all your own.

I promise you will love how the light catches on them. They are so sparkly I want to swoon. I have half on my mantle and I have the rest in my kitchen. I kind of want more, but alas that would probably be sparkle overload.

...if there is such a thing...

Enjoy, I hope you have fun making your own sparkle Christmas village.

Linking Here:

Lil'Luna, Ginger Snap Crafts, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely,
Simply Kierste, The 36th Avenue, Whipperberry, Tatertots and Jello