Homemade Christmas

Thanksgiving is over, which means it's time for Christmas decorating!

I really don't like buying Christmas decorations until after Christmas. So weird. I know. But I don't want to pay full price. Call me cheap. It's true. 

Anyway, I pick up decorations here and there, after Christmas has passed, to add to our collection. 

Last year, I didn't have anything to decorate our mantel, and somehow it slipped my mind to find things for it this year. 

So while flipping through the newest issue of Disney's Family Fun Magazine, I came across this adorable mantel display

and was inspired to recreate it myself (minus the garland).

The Recycled Forest

The cone "trees" were super simple. 

Simply roll paper into cone shapes. Secure with tape (or I used a glue stick), and trim the end.

A-Bottle-Able Snowman

Find the instructions to create these little guys here.

This is my first attempt at decoupage. And I made my own "mod podge" (in the mason jar). The instructions from the Disney website pretty much tell you how to make it, they just don't call it mod podge. You can also find a quick and easy tutorial on the Do It Yourself Divas blog.

Advent Calendar 

This is where the muslin bags I posted about last week come in. 

I bought my off of Amazon. You don't have to use muslin. I also considered burlap, and cotton bags; but found the best price for the muslin. 

As you may remember, I got this idea from Pinterest. The blog that it came from (House and Home), doesn't give to many instructions...so here is a quick tutorial.

Once you have your bags, all you need is stencils and paint (and probably a paint brush would be useful).

Be sure to place a thick piece of paper or card stock inside the bag. The paint will seep through, and you don't want it getting on the back.

Center the stencil on the bag, and paint on the numbers. I alternated between red (odd numbers) and green (even numbers). 

I didn't want the wet paint on the front to get on the back, so I placed them upside down to dry. It took less than 10 minutes to completely dry. 

Fill with your desired gift for advent. I'm putting an ornament in each bag, so Little Man can decorate his own little tree. 

Hang from your mantel with string or cord.

Here is how it all turned out:

The snowball in the center was made out of plastic bags. 

And up close of the snowmen:

I will add that I didn't use orange tissue paper for the noses. I didn't want to have to buy it, so I just cut out little triangles from orange construction paper. 

Happy Decorating!