Hi, I know it's early, but my DH will be gone most of Devember so we are puuting our tree up now. Do you have a theme for your tree? What do you use for garland? I was thinking of trying popcorn. Anyone done this? Sorry, i have too many questions! Any Christmas stuff on sale anywhere? This is our first Christmas in our own house, so I want it to be special. Thanks!
There's probably not much on sale since they're just starting to put it out. A home-made (decorations) tree would be really special. You could do the popcorn strings and those paper chains. There are some recipes on this page that you could make ornaments out of. :) They dryer lint one sounds cool, we might try that one.
http://www.theholidayzone.com/recipes/dough.html
I've been living on my on for a few years now, so I've had time to collect stuff.
My very first Xmas in my own apartment, I went to Pic N Save and my decorations there.
Here are pictures of my house LAST YEAR:
The PEACE stocking holders were purchased at TArget the year before, the day after Christmas, so they were more than 50% off. The stockings were $1.99 each and we wrote our names on them with glitter pen. The light-up tree was $12.99 at the craft store, we painted it ourself. Strings of lights are like $1.99. The mechanical stuff on the fireplace and the garland were given to us, the nutcracker was purchased at the grocery store. I replaced my notmal over-the-mantle picture with a Christmas pic of my kids, and holiday cards are on the mantle.
This garland came pre-lit, I bought it at Target. i tied it to the stair case using ribbon I bought at target for about $3-4.
The balls can be purchased at Target or Pic N Save for under $3 for a dozen. I bought the silver star at Cost Plus World Market for $12.
My menorah is backwards. I bought it and the candles at Target.
The mini tree is from my childhood, it belinged to my Barbie dolls. The green pic frame was $2.99 at target, I tied a ribbon around my lamp, and collected some pine cones from outside to decorate the book shelf.
Outdoor lights are really expensive. Luckily, my inlaws gave us some things, and I found stuff on freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org)
Thanks for the ideas! I bought loads of "filler" ornaments at walmart for like 10 cents a dozen a week after Christmas. I have all my fancy ones that are vintage style. I am definetely going to use the dough ideas to have the kids (well, joey anyways) make ornaments. I love the mantel and the outside pics! unfortunately, we are in military housing, so no fireplace( nowhere to hang stockings! on the wall maybe?) and outside lights can only go on the first story. I dont want to buy too much full price, so i will do what i can this year and load up at the after christmas sales.
BCPR- Gorgeous!!! I wish I was that good at making things look pretty!! Your house is beautiful:)
BCPR - Your house is soooo gorgeous!! Can I move in?!
As for inexpensive decorations and such...do you have a Christmas Tree Shop where you live? They might only be in the Northeast, but I don't really know. They have great prices and great quality merchandise. Also, dollar stores have cheap things, but the quality isn't usually that good. Hmm...I'd say search Target or HomeGoods also. They usually have awesome choices and if you catch a sale or clearance rack, prices aren't too bad.
I don't live in that house anymore. Decorating this year will be a challenge, but I don't start deocrating until after Thanksgiving, but when I do I will post.
We usually put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. The ornaments/theme last year was gold/garnet... we'll probably keep the same theme going this year:
how do you keep toddlers (15-17 months) from messing up the tree?
I put the harmless, unbreakable ornaments on the bottom and the more dangerous, breakable ones on the top. Chloe's 2 and took a few off the tree (yes ours is up, A is an odd one. My rule is after Thanksgiving but he's a Christmas nut) and I showed her how to put them back on and said "beautiful!" after she did so she left them and now every once in a while points to it and said "beuful!"
I also have Christmas-y books and toys and decorations she can play with (like a train set) so she has something she can be hands on with :D
For whatever reason, my kids as toddlers never got into thee tree or opened gifts early as I expected they would. Bella was a few days short of 12 months her first Christmas and Gavin was 16 months on his second. They were normally very active toddlers who got into just about everything.