Decorating for Christmas used to be a four day affair. From morning to night for days after Thanksgiving all I would do was put up villages, vignettes, stuffed animals, light up Santas and snowmen, and figurines all around the house. I decorated the formal living room, dining room, family room and kitchen. It's a good thing I did little to nothing in the rest of the house; I might be decorating till after Christmas! I don't do near as much anymore, but what I do I thoroughly enjoy.
I have decor from years past and a few new pieces as well. Some of the items are from the years that I sold Christmas Around The World and Kingdom Treasures. Both these companies did home parties similar to Tupperware. I probably did this for 10 years, and in that time I accumulated a vast amount of decorations. Many of these I no longer have; I knew coming into this house there would be considerably less space, and I wouldn't have a place to put most of it. Choosing what to keep wasn't a simple task; I loved pretty much everything I owned. Some items I couldn't part with, while others I couldn't decide so I kept them "just in case." I'll be posting my Christmas home decor and explaining what I did, why I did it, and if this look will continue in the future.
I was so thrilled to have stairs and a bannister to hang garland from. I decided not to decorate the bannister going up the stairs, just the rail at the top of the stairs.
This garland is part of a collection from Christmas Around the World. I've had it for many years; House of Lloyd, the company that created Christmas Around the World, closed its doors in January 2002, so this garland is over 20 years old. The collection also included candlesticks, a decorative horn, and a wreath. The pieces are decorated with greenery, red velvet ribbon, and frosted fruits. If I recall correctly, it was part of the Victorian Christmas. This garland goes across the whole railing so the length is perfect. I attached it to the railing with twine so as not to scratch and damage the wood.
This also gives it a bit of a rustic feel, which is more in line with my decorating style.
It isn't a pre-lit garland, but I knew it needed some lights, so I picked up a strand from Hobby Lobby and added them to the garland to liven it up.
In the past I would hang our stockings from the fireplace, but now that we added another family member to the mix, there wouldn't be enough space on the fireplace for 6 stockings to fit comfortably. I also had the issue that, once filled, the stockings and stocking holders tended to fall of the fireplace. So this year I had an idea, and I love the way it looks.
All six stockings, hung with the same twine, fit perfectly and look so festive! There's one thing missing though; last year I decided it was time to retire the wreath that went with this collection. It pained me to get rid of it, but I had to accept the fact that it was looking the worse for wear. The fruits kept falling off, the ribbon had faded, much of the greenery had also fallen off and it didn't look as regal as it had once looked.
As I put up the garland, I realized this is probably the last year I will use it as well. I fluffed it as best I could, but the ribbon isn't velvety anymore. It has done its job for these 20+ years, but it doesn't even fit my style anymore. I have a more rustic vibe going on in my home, and little by little I hope to transition some of my Christmas decor to reflect that. Not all of it, though. There are some items that will stay with me. Come back to see what else I've done!
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