If you have been around me long, you know I love to decorate for Christmas with gingerbread houses or mini Christmas villages. Anything I can transform into a village is one of my favorite things. In fact, years ago, I made an apple tea light Christmas village.

But recently, my daughter shared Anthopolgies Christmas village wreath with me, and I thought what a cute idea until I saw the price of around $200. So I decided this is worth trying to make where it fits my Christmas theme this year.

Next, after thinking about it more, I researched and discovered that Martha Stewart's putz house wreath might very well be the originator of this adorable idea. But then I found this Thomas Kinkade Christmas village wreath. So many ideas to pull from for our wreath.

Now all these wreaths are so cute, but I wanted to minimize it a little. With the help of my daughter, Hannah, here is how to make a DIY Christmas village wreath.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

Gather Your Supplies

• 24″ flocked wreath (I found mine at Walmart)
• Lightweight village houses (Mine came from Target dollar spot, but I found more on eBay.)
• Glue gun and glue
• Floral wire
• Blue Velvet Ribbon
• White sheer ribbon
• Wire cutters
• Bottlebrush trees (I got mine from Dollar Tree)
• Polyfil (used for snow)

How to Make a Christmas Village Wreath Step by Step?

Creating a Christmas village wreath couldn't be easier! Beautiful Christmas decorations don't have to be expensive. If you follow this step by step instructions, you'll have an inexpensive way to make your very own beautiful wreath this holiday season.

This may be your favorite holiday decor this year. The fun thing about this project is that each wreath you make will end up a little different, so they will be one of a kind.

Step 1: Wreath Form

Start with a 20″ flocked wreath on a flat surface.

Step 2: Village House Layout

Take your village houses and lay them out on the wreath to determine where you want them.

Step 3: Attach Village Houses

Once you're happy with the placement of the houses, take your floral wire and weave it through the windows on the back of the houses and wrap the wire around the wreath frame. If you use any three-story houses, put the wire through the middle windows to keep the house secure. Repeat with each of the little houses.

Step 4: Fluff the Greenery

Cut off the excess wire on the back of the wreath with your wire cutters. Fluff up the wreath around the houses. You want them lying flat against the wreath frame.

Step 5: Hot Glue Snow

Use your hot glue gun to place a little bit of glue on the bottom of the house, and use the polyfill to create “snow” along the house's base and out to the side of the house.

Repeat for each of your houses.

Step 6: Ribbon Bow

Next, I attached the ribbon in three layers to the top of the wreath, alternating blue velvet ribbon and a linen sheer white ribbon. To do this, I created several loops with each ribbon, secured them with the floral wire, and attached them to the wreath frame just like I did with the houses.

Side note – This is the same blue velvet ribbon I've used throughout my blue Christmas decorations ideas with hints of vintage Victorian. It is my favorite ribbon this holiday season and looks perfect on my winter village wreath.

Step 7: Remove Bottle Brush Tree Base

Next, I took the base off the white bottle brush trees and positioned them in the wreath until I was happy with the layout. I placed trees around the village houses and throughout the wreath to give it a mountainy vibe.

Step 8: Glue Bottle Brush Trees & Snow

Then I used my glue gun, dabbing a bit of glue into the wreath and nestling each tree into the glue. Next, I added more snow around the trees, securing it with my glue gun, and then fluffed up the greenery around the wreath once the pieces are in place.

That's it! Your beautiful Christmas village wreath is done.

Where to Hang your Christmas Village Wreath

I chose to hang my wreath project from a hook in my kitchen, but you can hang it over a large mirror, inside a frame, on your wall, or inside a door. You can get another look at my Christmas village wreath in my Christmas candlelight home tour.

If your village houses are cardboard, like mine, then I would keep it indoors, but if your wreath can withstand weather, then it would be cute hanging on your front door. This wreath would look amazing, with fairy lights woven inside the greenery.

This fun Christmas wreath looks fantastic! You can also check out how to hang your wreath from a window. Find other great ideas for decorating with wreaths here.

Final Thoughts

What do you think? Are you ready to make a Christmas village wreath for your own home? I was surprised by just how easy it was and so much fun.

This Christmas village wreath would also make a great gift for your friends and loved ones. You can personalize each wreath by designing it in different ways. It's sure to spread holiday cheer.

I'd love to hear how your wreath turns out or what other DIY Christmas wreath ideas you have to share. Happy holidays!

Happy Decorating!

How to Make a Christmas Village Wreath

Print

Learn how to make a Christmas village wreath. This DIY Christmas village wreath is so easy to make, and it takes only a couple of hours.

Active Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour

Difficulty Easy

Materials

• 20" flocked wreath (I found mine at Walmart)
• Lightweight village houses
• Floral wire
• Blue Velvet Ribbon
• White sheer ribbon
• Bottlebrush trees (I got mine from Dollar Tree)
• Polyfil (used for snow)

Tools

• Glue gun and glue
• Wire cutters

Instructions

1. Start with a 20" flocked wreath on a flat surface.
2. Take your village houses and lay them out on the wreath to determine where you want them.
3. Once you're happy with the placement of the houses, take your floral wire and weave it through the windows on the back of the houses and wrap the wire around the wreath frame. Repeat with each of the little houses.
4. Cut off the excess wire on the back of the wreath with your wire cutters. Fluff up the wreath around the houses. You want them laying flat against the wreath frame.
5. Use your hot glue gun to place a little bit of glue on the bottom of the house and use the polyfil to create "snow" along the base of the house and out to the side of the house.
6. Repeat for each of your houses.
7. Attach the ribbon in three layers to the top of the wreath, alternating blue velvet ribbon and a white sheer ribbon. To do this, I created several loops with each ribbon and secured them with the floral wire and attached them to the wreath frame just like I did with the houses.
8. Take the base off of the white bottle brush trees and positioned them in the wreath until I was happy with the layout. I placed trees around the village houses but also throughout the wreath to give it a mountain-y vibe.
9. Then I used my glue gun, dabbing a bit of glue into the wreath and nestling each tree into the glue. Then I added more snow around the trees, securing it with my glue gun. Fluff up the greenery around the wreath once all of the pieces are in place. That's it!

Notes

1. If you are using any three-story houses, put the wire through the middle windows to keep the house secure.
2. If you use cardboard houses like I did, you'll want to keep this wreath inside the home to protect it from weather.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

The post How to Make a Christmas Village Wreath appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

If you have arrived at this candlelight tour from Michele's blog at Vintage Home Designs, welcome. I am so excited you are here, and I hope you enjoy this Christmas candlelight, fairy lights, and lamplight home tour. While we are touring my house, I will also share ideas for decorating with candles.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the warm glow of candles nestled next to other decorations. Candles create a cozy ambiance like no other decoration. But I know not everyone can burn candles in their home or even want to light a live flame, so this post will show you how to decorate with candles and different kinds of candles, from battery-operated to old fashion.

Remember, this year's Christmas theme is Victorian with accents of blue. If you want to see more during the daytime, check out my blue victorian Christmas post.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

Victorian Christmas Candlelight Home Tour

Here are the candles and accessories you'll see on our tour:

• Battery powered candles
• Lucid Candles
• Fairy lights
• Christmas tree candles
• Candle clips
• Battery-powered candles for Nativity
• Charles Dickens house
• Pewter plates
• Candles on plates
• Candle clips on plates
• Candles in centerpiece
• Chamber lamps
• Candles hanging on hooks
• Battery powered candles
• Candle holders
• Ribbon (linen sheer white ribbon 1 1/2″)

How Do you Decorate with Candles?

There are as many different ways to decorate with candles as there are different candles. Candles are wonderful year-round, but they are an especially easy way to decorate during the holiday season, and with good reason. The warm glow of candlelight is a perfect accessory to highlight your holiday decorations, or you can create a focal point using candle centerpieces.

Don't forget lamps and fairy lights when you're decorating with candles. Lamp lights and lantern lights offer a vintage design, and the glass hurricanes protect your home from open flame. Fairy lights are a fun way to add sparkle and fun to your holiday decor. Some of the best places to use them are on mantels and woven with garlands.

Here is a list of my favorite ways to use candles.

• Candles on side tables
• Candles on the fireplace mantle
• Candles on Christmas trees
• Candle clip plate wall art
• Candle on a cutting board on your stove
• Candle centerpiece (nativity and entryway)
• Hanging candles from hooks
• Lantern or jar candles

How I Decorate with Candles

Let me give you a tour of my home and how I use candles to decorate.

Living Room

In my living room, I've used battery powered candles of different heights on the mantel. Battery-powered candles are a safe alternative to real candles, and you can leave them lit all day without worrying about messy wax, smoke damage, or things catching fire.

I've also woven fairy lights into the garland. This makes for a magical, sparkling atmosphere without being overwhelming.

I've used Lucid Candles for the side table, which enhances the atmosphere. These are some of my new favorite candles. They look just like the real thing.

Lucid Candles are refillable, liquid candles that burn a real flame and never melt down. They offer taper, pillar, and votive candles in different sizes and colors. They even have oils to create scented candles.

The pillar candles are perfect for end tables, coffee tables, and anywhere you want to draw attention to your Christmas decorations.

I love the look of these beautiful candles on Christmas trees, and I found the perfect candles and clips to hold them on the tree. I don't light these candles for safety reasons, but they're beautiful to look at and fit in wonderfully with my Victorian theme.

Dining Room

I'm starting in the dining room with the Nativity display on the dining table. I use battery powered candles for safety and surround them with cedar that I found in the woods.

On the shelves, I have a wonderful illuminated Charles Dickens house that's perfect for the season.

Entryway

In my entryway, I have beautiful pewter plates on the wall, and then I used the same candle clips on the Christmas tree and added a candle to the plates. This is a fun way to make an old-fashioned sconce that will magnify the illumination of your candles and create a festive atmosphere.

I created a centerpiece for my entryway table with cedar, ribbon, and battery operated candles so it can light up the room all season long. Here is a fun trick – I place candles in rice inside the bowl to hold them up and then cover the rice with greenery, bell garland, and ribbons.

Butler's Pantry

I set up two chamber lamps in my butler's pantry that work nicely with my blue Victorian Christmas theme. If you look closely, I also added gingerbread cookies inside my sugar jar.

This is one of many simple ways to change the atmosphere of any room in your house.

Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, I'm decorating the faux fireplace mantel I built with more cedar and candles from Lucid Candle. I love these candles!

The bottom of the candle is shaped perfectly for fitting into candle holders. I put one at each end of the mantel and weaved fairy lights and ribbon into the cedar.

I also added cedar to a small french pitcher I keep on the small heater under the mantel that usually houses lavender. You can find creative ways to transform many daily objects into holiday decorations with small changes like this. With the addition of a vintage picture I've hung over the mantel, it feels cozy and festive.

Kitchen

I used Lucid Candles on the stove with a sprig of cedar in my kitchen. Sprinkling candles, ribbon, and greenery throughout the room gives it a Christmasy feeling.

I used a hook to hang candles with ribbon, and on my coat rack, I hung a garland woven with fairy lights.

You'll also see some adorable, easy-to-make paper snowflakes. It's another example of inexpensive ways to decorate for the holidays.

Sprinkling candles into your existing accessories is a simple trick to make a room feel cozy. Here is where I added an antique mason jar candle to my Christmas decor.

Here is another spot where I cozied a candle. Even though this is not a big room I was able to add a few candles to illuminate the space beautifully. Do you see the adorable Christmas village wreath hanging up? You can make your own with these easy step-by-step instructions.

Back Porch

On my back porch, I have another Christmas tree to brighten the space. This year our back porch is designed by my daughter Hannah and her theme was retro so this tree is adorned with vintage looking ornaments.

And then to add to the warm and cozy feel are the battery candles standing sentry on each side of the door nestled in cedar branches. Adding candles and greenery is one of the easiest ways to transform any location of your home into a holiday celebration.

Final Thoughts

Decorating with candles is a fun way to bring a warm glow to your home and highlight your favorite decor. I hope I inspired you to try decorating with candles this year. Do you have any decorating ideas with candles you use in your own home you want to share? I'd love to hear them!

Be sure to check out my friend AnnMarie's home tour from Simply2Moms. You'll love her home tour filled with elegant Christmas decor. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Candlelight Home Tours

A home that’s decorated for Christmas always feels so special. When the sun has gone down and the lights are all twinkling it becomes so magical. Sit back and enjoy touring these beautiful homes by the glow of candlelight. You can visit each Christmas home tour by clicking the links below.

Monday

Simply2Moms: Anne // Cottage On Bunker Hill // Bricks’n Blooms

The Ponds Farmhouse // Southern Crush at Home

Tuesday

Simply2Moms: AnnMarie // The Tattered Pew // Pasha is Home

Midwest Life and Style // Vintage Home Designs // Life on Summerhill

The post Victorian Christmas Candlelight Home Tour & Decorating with Candles appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

Last Christmas, while visiting my daughter, she showed me an Instagram post where someone took brown lunch bags and made snowflakes. It was so cute! I wish I could remember where we saw it so I could share it with you. Anyways, we just had to make these adorable lunch bag snowflakes too.

We laughed and giggled while gluing bags together and cutting different shapes into the bags. Making paper snowflakes is an easy craft and a great family project!

After finishing the project, I made a YouTube video on making paper bag snowflakes, but I ran out of time to write a post so guess what? Yep! you guess it — today's post is about how to make snowflakes out of paper bags.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

How Do You Make Snowflakes with Paper Bags?

Making snowflakes with paper bags is easier than you think! I will show you how to make easy paper bag snowflakes in just six simple steps using items you probably already have at home.

Gather Your Supplies

• Paper lunch bags (you can use any brown paper bags, but in this case, I used white paper bags)
• Glue sticks
• Yarn or twine
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Patterns (optional) (Subscribe to Life on Summerhill to get access to this printable pattern)
• Stapler

Step 1: Glue Paper Bags Together

I'm using white paper lunch bags for my snowflakes today. Begin by drawing a T shape on the bags with a glue stick. The top of the T should be along the bottom of the bag.

Draw a straight line of glue to the open end of the bag. Place another bag on top, repeat this step with the next bag, and continue until you have nine bags glued together. The glue lines should line up on the same sides of the paper bags.

Step 2: Draw The Snowflake Pattern

Next, print and cut out the snowflake pattern if you plan to use them. Using a pattern is a great way to get a symmetrical design.

I found a pattern for the easiest way to make snowflakes out of paper bags, so I made them available to everyone. I offer free snowflake patterns in my subscriber-exclusive printable library. To access this library, click subscribe to our newsletter to access the snowflake patterns under the Christmas section.

Cut the pattern from the printed piece of paper and then place the pattern on the bags and trace the design.

Step 3: Cut Out the Snowflake Pattern

For the next step, cut out the design from the entire stack with scissors. It helps to use a good pair of very sharp scissors. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get it as close as you can.

Step 4: Open the Snowflake

Unfold the bags from the top and if any of the sides of the bags are not stuck together, secure them with your glue stick or hot glue gun. Open your snowflake, bringing it all the around.

Step 5: Add Twine or Yarn to the Snowflake

If it looks good, bring your snowflake back together. Cut a piece of twine or yarn about 24 inches long. Once again, apply glue in a T shape, open the snowflake, and put your hands inside the top of the bag on each end to press them together, adhering the glue.

Step 6: Staple Twine or Yarn in Place

Place the end of the string or yarn on the glue and staple it together. Your DIY paper bag snowflakes are almost done.

That's it! You now have a beautiful giant snowflake. I hope you enjoyed this DIY Christmas craft. Now that you have the hang of it, you can try making more in different designs using different patterns.

How to Decorate with Your Snowflakes

Now for the best part! There are many ways to decorate with your snowflakes this holiday season. You can set the snowflakes up on your bookcase; all you need to do is not include the string.

Do you like the red and white snowflake? You can make that using popcorn bags. I got mine at Dollar Tree and cut out the word “popcorn.” It makes a slightly smaller version than the white paper bag snowflakes.

As I did here, you could also hang them from a coat hook. Or you can use a command hook to hang them on a wall.

Try hanging your snowflake from the ceiling or as window decorations. Consider weaving fairy lights through them. They'd also be a cute and inexpensive way to turn a child's room into a winter wonderland. You can use different sizes of bags to create different size snowflakes for your winter decor.

Final Thoughts

What do you think? Are you ready to try to make these adorable snowflakes? I think this is such a fun craft!

I'd love to hear how you decide to decorate when you make snowflakes out of paper bags. For more fun Christmas DIY decor projects, try these ideas:

• How to Make Christmas Bells
• Dried Orange Christmas Garland
• Yarn Santa Hat Garland

And if you are looking for Christmas decor ideas, check out my ideas for blue Christmas decorations with a vintage flair or learn how to create simple farmhouse Christmas mantel. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy Decorating!

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How to Make Snowflakes Out of Paper Bags

Print

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make snowflakes out of paper bags.

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

• Paper lunch bags
• Glue sticks
• Yarn or twine
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Patterns (optional)
• Stapler

Instructions

1. Begin by drawing a T shape on the bags with a glue stick. Place another bag on top and repeat this step until you have 9 bags glued together.
2. Next, print and cut out the patterns if you plan to use them. Cut the pattern out on an extra paper bag. Place pattern on bags and trace the design.
3. Cut out the design with scissors. It helps if your scissors are very sharp. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get it as close as you can.
4. Unfold the bags from the top and if any of the bags are not stuck together, secure them with your glue stick. Open your snowflake, bringing it all the around.
5. If it looks good, bring your snowflake back together. Cut a piece of twine or yarn about 24 inches long. Once again, apply glue in a T shape, open the snowflake, and put your hands inside each end to press them together, adhering the glue.
6. Place the end of the string or yarn on the glue and staple it together. That's it! You now have a beautiful snowflake.

Notes

I offer free snowflake patterns in my subscriber-exclusive printable library. To access this library, go to https://lifeonsummerhill.com/subscribe. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to the snowflake patterns under the Christmas section.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

The post How to Make Snowflakes Out of Paper Bags appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

Each year I like to come up with a theme or color scheme for our Christmas decorations and this year we are using my favorite color blue and my daughter's favorite theme Victorian. Well, actually she pretty much loves anything vintage. LOL!

Christmas is the perfect time to try out different themes you're interested in and that's just what we did.

So since we are decorating for Christmas with blue and Victorian, I thought you would enjoy these blue Christmas decoration ideas with hints of vintage Victorian. This is going to be so much fun!

How can I Decorate my Christmas like a Victorian?

You might be wondering what decorating for Christmas in a Victorian theme means. Victorian Christmas decorations often included garlands and swags, holly and mistletoe, delicate glass ornaments and candles.

Firstly, you can bring a Victorian-style Christmas theme to your home by incorporating antique or reproduction ornaments, beadwork, garlands of greenery, and ribbon into your decorations.

Additionally, traditional Victorian colors included mauve, lavender, pink, rich red and burgundy, peacock shades of blue, green, and teal, and creamy white and ivory. I chose blue as the primary color for my decor. 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

Gather Your Supplies

Here are some of the things I used for decorating and where you can find them. Keep in mind that things sell quick at Christmas time, so move quick!

• Thomas Kincade print
• Mirror
• Cedar wreath by Threshold Studio McGee
• Battery-powered candles
• Brass candlestick holders
• Victorian Santa printable
• Mistletoe garland
• Bell garland
• Sock Stockings
• Vintage skates
• Light blue velvet ribbon
• Dusty blue velvet ribbon
• Vintage rocking horse
• Vintage sled
• King of Christmas tree
• Star for the top of tree
• Wool mice ornaments
• Christmas tree candles
• Jingle bells sanded and bronzed with Rub n Buff
• Homemade air-dry clay ornaments
• Glass ornaments

Blue Christmas Decoration Ideas

Let's Start with the Mantel

One thing you'll see in Victorian Christmas decorations is natural elements. So I'm starting with what goes on top of the mantel, like this beautiful print that was a gift from my sister years ago, and then we will talk about a mistletoe garland on my mantel.

Decorating the Christmas Art

This Thomas Kincade print will be the inspiration for the directions in our living room. It's the perfect complement to my holiday decorations.

Next, I'm going to place something on my mantel that was very popular during Victorian times, a mirror. I'm embellishing my mirror with a wreath with a beautiful ribbon. This wreath is from the Studio McGee Christmas collection at Target. In my best of Studio McGee at Target post, I feature other amazing decorations.

Decorating with ribbon definitely goes with the Victorian style. This post about decorating with wreaths will assist you in how to hang a wreath on a mirror.

Decorating the Garlands

I found a beautiful bell garland with a lovely gold patina at Kirkland's a few years ago. I'm adding them to the mistletoe garland by layering it over, keeping the string from the bells close to the “branch” of the garland. I occasionally weave some of the mistletoe around the bells to blend the two pieces together.

This bell garland is so versatile. Last year I used it in our farmhouse vintage Christmas table centerpiece on our dining table.

Decorating with Candles

Now I'm going to decorate the top of the mantel with candles in brass candlestick holders. I love these battery powered candles! I think these are a great idea, especially in areas where you have flammable objects like wreaths and ribbons. They're safe, realistic, and can be operated with a remote control.

The candlestick holders are the perfect way to camouflage the nails that hold the garland and bells in place.

Decorating with Stockings

Next, hang sock stockings on the mantel with a small nail. You could also use a command hook if you prefer.

Now we need something in the middle as a focal point. I thought about a small piece of art, but then I remembered these vintage skates. So I added vintage skates in the middle and decorated it with a beautiful velvet blue ribbon.

The thing I love about the sock stockings and the ribbon I used on the skates is that, rather than be perfectly polished like most modern decorations; they have an organic quality that goes wonderfully with the Victorian theme.

Lastly, I add a larger blue velvet ribbon in the middle of the mantel that looks adorable next to my printable of Santa Claus in an ornate gold frame. Using printables is a good idea as they're an easy way to change up your decor at an inexpensive price.

Isn't this Father Christmas print adorable? You can download and print him in our Etsy shop.

Decorating the Hearth for Christmas

In addition to the mantel, you'll want to consider decorating your hearth. I'm putting my vintage rocking horse on the hearth with a little garland and ribbon decoration around his neck for a finishing touch. Decorating the hearth is a great way to balance the decor around the fireplace.

Victorian Blue Christmas Tree Decorations

In the Victorian era, they used real trees for Christmas trees. I kept this in mind when I chose the artificial tree that I thought was the most realistic looking and appropriate for our Christmas tree theme, and I absolutely love this beautiful tree.

Artificial trees have come a long way to looking incredibly realistic. This lovely tree from King of Christmas has a rustic look and is pre-lit with small white Christmas lights and ready for Christmas tree decorations.

When it comes to Christmas tree decorating, Victorian Christmas tree decorations are simple and elegant.

This tree is decorated with the blue ribbons that I used on the mantel, wool mice ornaments, homemade air-dry clay ornaments, delicate glass ornaments, and jingle bells I sanded and bronzed with Rub n Buff.

I love all of these simple, beautiful ornaments. I also used my old Christmas tree candles that are perfect for the Victorian Christmas theme. Silver and gold ornaments are perfect for this vibe.

The best thing is that I'm topping the tree with a simple light wood star I found at Target that has an amazing clip device so it's super easy to attach to your tree. Ingenious!

Our vintage Christmas tree is complete and ready for Christmas presents.

Final Thoughts

Let's look at the fireplace and the tree together. How beautifully it turned out!

This was my first time decorating with a blue color palette, and I absolutely love it. Honestly, I do not know why I haven't decorated with blue at Christmas since it is my favorite color. To incorporate more of the blue velvet ribbon you saw in this post in my Christmas decor, I created an adorable Christmas village wreath and I wanted to share easy step-by-step instructions so you can create your own.

I hope you enjoyed these blue Christmas decoration ideas with hints of vintage Victorian. I think my living room has been transformed into a Victorian-era sitting room. Maybe you even got some ideas for your living or family room. You should check out my Christmas candlelight home tour to see all my holiday decor and how candlelight changes the ambience.

I'd love to hear how it goes with your Christmas decorations! Merry Christmas and have a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Decorating!

Blue Christmas Decoration Ideas with Hints of Vintage Victorian

Print

Here are blue Christmas decoration ideas for your fireplace mantel and Christmas tree, and they all have a modern Victorian twist.

Materials

Tools

• Thomas Kincade print
• Mirror
• Cedar wreath by Threshold Studio McGee
• Battery-powered candles
• Brass candlestick holders
• Victorian Santa printable
• Mistletoe garland
• Bell garland
• Sock Stockings
• Vintage skates
• Light blue velvet ribbon
• Dusty blue velvet ribbon
• Vintage rocking horse
• Vintage sled
• King of Christmas tree
• Star for the top of tree
• Wool mice ornaments
• Christmas tree candles
• Jingle bells sanded and bronzed with Rub n Buff
• Homemade air-dry clay ornaments
• Glass ornaments

Instructions

1. One thing you'll see in Victorian Christmas decorations is natural elements. So I'm starting with mistletoe garland on my mantel and a beautiful print that was a gift from my sister years ago. It's the perfect complement to my holiday decorations.
2. Next, I'm going to place something on my mantel that was very popular during Victorian times, a mirror. I'm embellishing my mirror with a wreath with a beautiful ribbon. Decorating with ribbon definitely goes with the Victorian style.
3. I found a beautiful bell garland at Kirkland's a few years ago that has a lovely gold patina. I'm adding them to the mistletoe garland by layering it over, keeping the string from the bells close to the "branch" of the garland. I weave some of the mistletoe around the bells occasionally to blend the two pieces together.
4. I'm going to decorate the top of the mantel with candles in brass candlestick holders. I love these battery powered candles. The candlestick holders are the perfect way to camouflage the nails that hold the garland and bells in place.
5. I'm hanging sock stockings on the mantel with a small nail. You could also use a command hook if you prefer. I'm adding vintage skates in the middle, decorated with some beautiful ribbon.
6. I add a larger blue velvet ribbon in the middle of the mantel that looks adorable next to my printable of Santa Claus in an ornate gold frame. Using printables are a good idea as they're an easy way to change up your decor.
7. In addition to the mantel, you'll want to consider decorating your hearth. I'm putting my vintage rocking horse on the hearth with a little garland and ribbon decoration around his neck for a finishing touch.
8. My lovely tree has a rustic look and is pre-lit with small white Christmas lights and ready for Christmas tree decorations.
9. When it comes to Christmas tree decorating, Victorian Christmas tree decorations are simple and elegant. I'll be decorated it with the blue ribbons that I used on the mantel, wool mice ornaments, homemade air-dry clay ornaments, delicate glass ornaments, and jingle bells I sanded and bronzed with Rub n Buff.
10. I also found Christmas tree candles that are perfect for the Victorian Christmas theme.
11. I'm topping the tree with a simple light wood star I found at Target that has an amazing clip device so it's super easy to attach to your tree. Our vintage Christmas tree is complete and ready for Christmas presents.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

The post Blue Christmas Decoration Ideas with Hints of Vintage Victorian appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

Every Christmas we sit down for a holiday feast in our dining room and in front of the same nativity centerpiece but this year I wanted something different that incorporates a vintage farmhouse Christmas table vibe.

While shopping in an antique store I came across this old rustic red toolbox and it reminded me of Santa. I could imagine St. Nicholas grabbing his worn-out toolbox to take on his sleigh on Christmas night. So I thought how fun would this be to incorporate it as a centerpiece. And that is how this table began.

DIY Vintage Farmhouse Christmas Table

When starting any project I always recommend beginning by collecting all your supplies. There is nothing worse than starting your DIY and then realizing you have to run to the store. So let's begin with these supplies.

Vintage Farmhouse Christmas Tablescape Supplies

• DIY wooden toolbox or you can use an old toolbox (other places to search are antique flea markets or thrift stores)
• White berry mistletoe garland
• Bell garland (I also found this one at Kirklands last year)
• Mini battery powered fairy lights
• Dropcloth table runner (I have directions on how to sew a table runner)
• Dollar Tree charger painted white with Dixie Belle chalkpaint (paint these ahead of time so they can dry)
• Dollar Tree white dinner plate
• Wooden salad plate
• Dollar Tree wine glass
• Salt dough homemade ornament
• Silverware
• White flour sack towels cut into napkins
• Wide ribbon
• White fur pillows if you have a bench
• Cranberries
• Rosemary

Shop Supplies:

How Do You Decorate a Christmas Table

Decorating your Christmas dining table or kitchen table is just like decorating your other holiday tables. But depending on your family's traditions you may have certain things you do every year. There is really no one specific thing you have to do but here is a list of the traditional Christmas table decorating steps.

First, add a tablecloth and or runner. You don't have to have a table covering but it makes the table a little fancier. If you don't have either you can use a clean blanket or bedsheet.

Next, add a centerpiece to the table. Many families use an advent wreath as a centerpiece and light the last candle on Christmas day. Then add your place settings, which are optional, placemats or charger, then dinner plate and other plates depending on what you are serving. Last silverware and glasses.

See how simple a Christmas dinner table is to create.

Farmhouse Christmas Table Centerpiece

Centerpieces can be fun, fancy, elegant, rustic, whimsical — I think you get the picture. One year I came up with Christmas table decor ideas that kids would love with a whimsical Christmas tree centerpiece using bottle brush trees. But this centerpiece is more farmhouse with a hint of rustic. This centerpiece, like most others, set the stage for the whole table.

Now that you have all your holiday table decorations let's begin with this vintage farmhouse Christmas centerpiece. First, place a natural colored tablecloth on the table. This can be linen, dropcloth material, cotton, or anything that is a natural fiber.

This ruffled drop cloth table runner I made years ago. It has a worn and weathered appearance which goes nicely with the rest of this rustic elegant Christmas table. However, I came across an inexpensive one and linked it to the supply list. It was so good until I decided to order one myself.

Next, sit your rustic wood toolbox or vintage treasures, I forgot to mention in the supply list you can use a rustic box too. Place in the center of the table on the middle of the runner and then fill it with a natural element like this mistletoe garland.

Start on one end of the table and let some of the mistletoe trails down onto the table from the toolbox. Then place it inside the toolbox and trail it down on the other side of the table on the runner.

This mistletoe is flocked with a dusting of snow. The flocking gives it a white Christmas feeling.

Once you have the mistletoe garland set do the same thing with the bells and the lights. This toolbox is the perfect Christmas farmhouse decor piece. It looks like it came right out of Santa's barn.

Country Christmas Place Setting

For the table settings let's make it more personal to each guest. I love a place setting centerpiece that is a gift or something the guests can use. For this Christmas plate setting, we have both.

First place a charger that you paint with white paint. If you noticed my note in the supply list go ahead and paint your chargers the day before so they will be good and dry. However, if you didn't apply the paint and dry them with a blow dryer. After about 30 minutes they should be good to go.

Now place the charger in front of each chair.

Then place the plate, flour sake napkin, and ribbon.

I cut my ribbon straight on one side and then angle on the other. Then I used my fingers or a knife and pulled on the ends to fray it.

Next, sit your silverware on the table. The fork goes on the left and the knife and spoons on the right. Pull the silverware towards the edge of the table. It should line up with the bottom of the plate.

Then place a wine glass to the top left between 9 and 12 o'clock and then nestle the salt dough ornament next to the wine glass base with the string sitting on the foot of the glass.

Last, place about 7 cranberries and a short sprig of rosemary in the glass. You will add cold water just before guests will arrive. This little detail makes your table even more special. Your guests will love all these Christmas decorations!

The table is ready all we need now are a few finishing touches.

Vintage Christmas Table Decorations

Whenever I create a table I like to stand back and ask myself are there any finishing touches I can add. For example, when I did my Hygge Thanksgiving table years ago I added pillows to the seating. It is those little touches that make the tablescape so warm and cozy.

So for this table, I added a fur rug to the bench. It looks so cozy and I love how comfy it makes sitting on the bench.

It makes all the difference when you add little details like this or other little vintage pieces. You can add cozy throws here too. Can you believe your holiday table is all finished? It is so easy to make once you have all the supplies.

Conclusion

Now that you have your table ready here are a few last tidbits to help you look polished, relaxed, and ready for guests.

Create this table the day before. You could even create it several days before. Ask my family how many times we get to eat at another table or in the living room because the table is set for a holiday feast. LOL!

Also, set an alarm to remind you to turn on music, Christmas lights and put water in the glasses. If you have an Alexa or Google Home you can hide it away in the room and set it to a Christmas station beforehand so it is ready to go to.

Last, if you have any food you can prepare the day before I would do that also. Again, make your life easier on the day of the event.

Here are a few last photos of the whole table. After you look at the table keep reading for some mouth-watering recipes with this Santa-inspired vintage Christmas table. If you like a vintage vibe to your Christmas celebration, check out blue Christmas decorations ideas with hints of vintage Victorian.

Now that I have added my secrets to planning a party where it looks easy I want to share two of my favorite recipes sites for the most scrumptious food for your family get-together. First look at all of Mel's recipes at Adventures of Mel. She has a whole Christmas recipe section dedicated to her mom and grandma's recipes. You know if they were mom and grandma's then they have to be good.

And then there is my friend Kelly who also makes savory delicious meals. You can find her on Eatpicks where she also has a Christmas recipe category. She has Italian blood running through her vein so need I say more? You will have so much fun planning your dinner with her recipes and Mels.

I hope your holiday breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner turns out amazing. And I hope this table sets the perfect ambiance for your Christmas season party. Merry Christmas, have fun, and enjoy your event!

Happy Decorating!

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The post DIY Vintage Farmhouse Christmas Table appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

One spot in my home that never gets overlooked at Christmas is our mantel. It is the heart of our home, the center stage, the place where my family sits on Christmas day. So when I decorate I always begin at the chimney and create a farmhouse Christmas mantel.

For many years now I have decorated in the farmhouse style but I love to change it up. One year it may be more cottage farmhouse style and other years it will be a simple modern farmhouse Christmas mantel. But this year we are leaning more towards a Cottagecore old-fashioned vintage vibe.

Since our farmhouse Christmas porch was decorated as if this house is the home of Santa Claus, then we thought it would be fun to bring this story inside, so welcome to Father Christmas's living room.

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using the links below. All opinions are my own.

How to Decorate a Farmhouse Christmas Mantel

With all projects, it is good to begin with collecting supplies and planning a design. A great place to start is with these Christmas mantel ideas or hop over to my Pinterest Christmas board. If you already have an idea of which farmhouse style you want then let's begin gathering supplies to decorate your beautiful mantel for Christmas.

This mantel design is a combination of old and new with a traditional Christmas color scheme. I love to bring out some old pieces from our attic that have many memories, I also love to search for vintage pieces over the year, and last I always add something new. You can also use this idea for a faux mantel too.

This year with the help of Home Depot I am adding several new pieces. They have many holiday decorations on their website. I think I barely brushed the surface when shopping.

But the part I loved the most about shopping online was how quickly I received all the Christmas supplies. I had everything within four days with some items arriving two days after ordering. I plan to do some Christmas gift shopping next on their website. But enough about my shopping let's start gathering supplies.

DIY Christmas Mantel Supplies

Here is a list of options to decorate your mantel for the Christmas season.

• Christmas wreath with lights (we used battery powered lite wreath with natural elements like pinecones, berries, and dried oranges)
• Hammer, nails or command hooks
• Christmas art depicting farm life in the winter
• Mirror
• Candlesticks and white candles
• Christmas garland with lights (battery powered lite wreath with pinecones, berries and dried oranges)
• Old books
• Rocking horse
• Crock (My crock is old but here is another crock on Home Depot's website)
• Small tree (we used our old small tree but here is another tree I liked very much)
• Christmas tree
• Cable knit blanket
• White ball ornaments and other ornaments

Our Santa Claus lives on a farm and loves nature. We incorporated dried oranges, red berries, and pine cones to bring nature inside and of course toys and gifts for the children. Because he has been around for a very long time he has lots of vintage goodies in his living room.

Let's get started decorating your farmhouse style Christmas mantel just like Mr. Claus.

Country Christmas Mantel Decorating Ideas

Start by clearing everything off of your mantel. It always helps to start with a clean slate. And if you have any DIY projects you want to do to your fireplace this is a great time to do it.

This year I decided to add a board and batten look over my mantel. I think the white mantel wall above will make my Christmas decorations, as well as other favorite holidays, stand out even more and I love how mantels in old homes run the woodwork above the mantel shelf. I have all the details on how to make this easy DIY board and batten fireplace in my other post.

Now that your mantel is cleared of all decorations and you have any DIY projects completed let's start decorating this white Christmas mantel with the wreath.

Fireplace Mantel Christmas Wreath

An easy way to add holiday decor to your mantel is with a Christmas wreath. I found this amazing wreath on Home Depot's website. It is a great size for a mantel because it is a little larger than the standard wreath size. I also loved that it incorporated pinecones and berries.

When the holiday wreath arrived in the mail the bow was perfect. I didn't have to fluff and try to make it pretty. But the best part about this wreath is its lights are battery-powered. So no unsightly cords.

For our mantel, we decided to hang the wreath on one side and layer art on the other side. So let's talk about how to hang a wreath over your fireplace mantel. If you already know how to do this simply skip this next part.

How to Hang a Wreath over your Fireplace

There are several different ways you can hang a wreath on a wall or over a fireplace mantel. If you have sheetrock or wood you can use a nail or command hook. I use nails because they are more secure and I can easily spackle the hole when I am done and touch up with white paint.

If you don't want holes in your walls then I would look for a command hook that holds enough weight for your wreath.

Begin by holding the wreath up over the fireplace and position it where you want it. It helps to have another person hold it while you direct them right or left and up and down. Once you have it in the right spot mark the wall with a pencil where the nail or command hook will go.

Next, simply hammer a nail into the wall using a 1 1/2″ or 2″ nail. I like to use thin nails so they don't make big holes.

If you are using a wreath command hook make sure you place the hook part on the bottom where your mark is on the wall so your wreath hangs from the right spot.

Now that your holiday wreath is hung let's work on layering the art and mirror to the sides or one side like ours.

Layering Art over Fireplace Mantel

I love layering art over a chimney mantel. I also like to reuse pieces in my decor when I do holiday decorating. So I kept the mirror that has been up on the mantel all year and brought in this new shepherd winter scene.

Because the idea was Santa's farmhouse Christmas mantel I thought a snowy image of a farmer working would fit right in. I also liked how this painting from the Home Depot online depicted a shepherd since the main story about Christmas included shepherds and it gives a vintage farmhouse vibe. A warm cozy Cottagecore aesthetic.

Begin by placing a larger mirror in the back and then layer a piece of winter art in front. Place the layered pieces of Christmas art in from the edge so as to leave room for some decorations to the right. Do the same on the other side with the wreath leaving a little room to its left for decorations.

Now you may notice an empty spot between the wreath and mirror. That little spot was too big to leave unfinished so I grabbed an idea from my Halloween mantel.

I love this vintage wall candlelight. It is so easy to make and I have all the details in my silhouette Halloween mantel idea post.

Farmhouse Christmas Mantel Decor for Shelf

Now for the fun part and that is adding the Christmas mantel decorations. Grab any candle holders you have around the house or shop for some if you don't have any.

Place candlesticks with white candles on the shelf and if you have any old books prop them up on one side of the wreath. This is easy decor because all you need is a mantel decoration here and another there. And the old books add a white rustic Christmas mantel detail.

I love mixing styles! We have a little rustic, classic, traditional, vintage and I think you get the picture.

Christmas Garland for Fireplace Mantel

Next, you will need to hang your holiday garland on the mantel. Just like the wreath I use nails because it is so simple to patch the holes with a little spackle when done. Simply tap small nails on each end on the top edge of the fireplace mantel and some in the middle too.

Now grab your Christmas garland and hook the end on one end. This is much easier if someone helps. Then place the garland behind the nail on the other end. Once you have the end nails holding up the mantel place the middle part of the garland behind the middle nail.

With this Home Depot garland, it comes with a battery-powered light source. The box is as big as a small book so I unstrapped it from the garland and placed it on the shelf hidden behind the garland.

Once the garland is secure on the mantel play with the long end and swag on the floor. I had to fluff and turn the faux greenery until it sat beautifully on the floor and the pinecones and berries faced forward.

Now that the garland is in place let's garnish it with dried oranges. I love repeating designs like the Christmas wreath and the dried oranges. We used dried oranges on the wreath and garland on the porch too.

Here is a tutorial on how to dry orange slices the easy way. I show you how to make dried citrus fruit in the oven and dehydrator so you can choose which one is best for you.

If you love fresh greenery a great way to incorporate it is to add it to the garland and wreath. I didn't do it to my faux garland but I have seen it before and it looks amazing.

Christmas Stockings

Next, add Christmas stockings to your fireplace mantle. I decided to go with an a-symmetrical design this year so the stocking will sit on one side. If you need more than two or three stockings you can easily place some on the other side too.

To hang the stocking simply hook the one on the end with the garland nail. Then place a few other nails into the mantel for the other stocking.

We went with fur stocking because it went nicely with the nature theme.

Decorating your Fireplace Hearth

Next, we need to decorate the fireplace hearth. This is a great place to add toys for Santa's chimney. I found this rocking horse at a second-hand furniture store in my hometown. He was dark-colored and plain so I gave him a little chalk painting and then distressed him so he would have the velveteen rabbit kind of vibe. You know that he had been loved over many many years.

Behind him is a crock with a tree. If you have the room you can do more little trees but to keep it simple I went with one. I kept it simple so the horse would be the center of attention.

Now guess what? We are all finished decorating a fireplace mantel for Christmas. I feel like this is such a classic Christmas mantel with a country living feel. So let's wrap this living room up with a few more decorations to add more holiday spirit.

Conclusion

Once you have your fireplace decorated don't forget your Christmas tree. This year I wanted something grander for Santa's living room so we went for this Home Depot 7.5 foot tall tree.

We added these red berries and dried oranges to match the holiday wreath and garland.

And these large white Christmas ornaments from the Home Depot to the prelit artificial tree and then our traditional Christmas ornaments.

This tree is amazing! It has a remote and a button you can tap with your foot for the lights. Plus it has multiple settings, you can do white/clear lights, color lights, flashing, and more.

It comes in three parts plus the base. All you do is place the poles together matching the plugs inside and you are finished. The only challenge I had was weight. I needed extra hands because the bottom and middle pieces were just a little too heavy.

At the bottom, we like to change things up each year. This year we decided on a cable knit cozy throw for the base. Here is a post on Christmas tree base ideas to get inspiration from.

Lastly, sprinkle a few more decorative items around the room like adding these mistletoe stems to greenery and this lantern from the Home Depot and you are all finished.

Turn on all the lights and enjoy the Christmas cheer. This is the part I love the most about the holidays. We turn on the tree lights and the ones on the mantel and watch our favorite Christmas movies.

This year's Christmas decorations have a warm and cozy feel. Even the dinner table got a Christmas centerpiece with a vintage toolbox, bells, and garland. It is nice to have a pretty centerpiece when you sit at your table.

Just like on our porch we ended with a little Christmas story about Father Christmas. So once upon a time way up at the north pole lived Santa Claus. His home was warm and cozy, filled with Christmas decorations like trees, wreaths, and garlands. He had sweet ornaments on the tree for animals and other ornament gifts from children.

While he is gone on Christmas night the little rocking horse comes alive and keeps company with the animals while the little creatures enjoy all the treats left in the room. You cannot see them alive in the photos because they are very shy but they have a merry old time with Phillippe the rocking horse.

Before you know it the night will be over and soon Santa will be home where he will cozy up by the fire for a long winter's nap.

Merry Christmas and Happy Decorating!

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The post Simple Elegant Farmhouse Christmas Mantel Decorations appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

Just like last Christmas season, we are starting outside with a farmhouse Christmas porch except for this time we are beginning on our front porch and door. Lately, I have fallen in love with plaids and since I have used plaid on the back porch for years Hannah and I went shopping in our newly organized attic to see what treasures we could find.

This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using the links below. All opinions are my own.

After pulling down all the goodies, we felt would work, we then hopped onto The Home Depot's website and searched for more Christmas porch decorations. We couldn't believe all the options. After spending an hour shopping for holiday outdoor decor I don't think we even brushed the surface of all their options. LOL!

We had this great idea of telling a story for our porch design and creating a Christmas core aesthetic. Think 1940's Christmas in the countryside and read on as we take you back in time to a long-ago Christmas time.

Cottage Farmhouse Christmas Porch

Before you begin styling your front porch remove everything, clean the window and blow off the floor. Start with a clean slate. Doing this task helps to clear your mind and open things up for creating.

And grab some supplies to create a warm and cozy farmhouse Christmas core porch. Here is a list to create a stoop like ours.

Christmas Porch Supplies

• Front door decor (DIY Christmas bells wreath with decorative bow)
• Large battery lit wreath with plaid bow
• Ryobi hammer drill, drill bit, hammer and steel case nail to hang wreath on brick wall (if you have brick)
• Garland
• Dried oranges, berries, pinecones, and cuttings of wood
• Plaid outdoor rug larger than a doormat
• Customized doormat with Claus on it
• Black lamppost with citronella
• Ryobi inverter generator outlet (cordless outlet source for garland)
• Old vintage sled with plaid ribbon
• Small Christmas tree sitting in old enamelware bowl (I used or old tree but here is another tree options)
• Enamel bowl with wood and greenery (I used wood and greenery from my yard)
• Wooden bench (I made mine in this DIY wooden bench post but here is another options)
• Lantern
• Black or grey Santa boots
• Reindeer bells harness

Now let's add seasonal touches to your holiday front door first.

Christmas Bell Front Door Wreath

To begin our journey let's start first thing with your front door. This year consider steering away from the traditional Christmas basic wreaths and go with these hanging bells. This is an easy DIY project using all supplies I found at the Home Depot.

Can you believe the bells are dollar plastic buckets from the paint section? The first time I saw these buckets I had a feeling they would make cute bells. These bells will make a great first impression.

Learn how to make Christmas bells over on my other post after we finish going step by step on how to decorate your front porch for Christmas.

Once you have your bells use my handy how to hang a wreath with ribbon tips to hang your Christmas bells onto your door. The bells give our porch a nice festive look. Now on to the flooring of your porch.

Santa's Layered Rugs

I think by now you know where the story takes place. You guessed it by the photo of the doormat. We are at the country farmhouse of Santa.

Think about layering rugs for Christmas but do something a little different. Instead of buying two rugs where one sits perfectly in the middle of the other consider off-setting the rugs so that one is like a shadow of the other.

See how we placed the plaid rug away from the wall about 4 inches and then placed the customized doormat up against the wall?

When shopping for a doormat go with a customizable one and have Santa's last name printed on it — Claus. This is a wink to guests that they have arrived at Santa's farmhouse cottage.

Christmas Garland

Now that the rug is in place let's work on the next bigger task and that is garland. Start with a green garland and add berries and dried oranges unless you use the Home Depot garland which comes with pinecones and berries. Our garland has pinecones on it which also goes great with our Santa's country farmhouse decor theme.

We dried these oranges last spring. I kept them in a bag inside my closet all year long and they still look amazing. Keeping them in a dry place is a great way to store them.

Anyways, tuck the berries into the garland branches and then nestle the oranges in too. Father Christmas loves children and animals. The berries and oranges are a treat to the birds that come by in our story.

Next, if you are like me and you don't like unsightly cords distracting from your story porch then get one of these Ryobi outlet inverters. This is my favorite new toy. LOL! All you do is attach a Ryobi battery to it and you can plug in your garland and hide it behind something. Isn't that amazing?!

Christmas Wreath Wall Decor

We have our garland and rugs in place so now we are on to the walls of your porch. While shopping on the Home Depots website I came across this gorgeous wreath. This is the coolest wreath and it is even prettier in person than on their website.

To start this wreath has the berry and pinecone theme so all I need to do is add dried oranges. I love adding natural elements to artificial. And this wreath has a battery pack for the Christmas lights so again no unsightly cords.

The most challenging part about hanging this Christmas wreath was hanging it but again Ryobi to the rescue. Here is how to hang a wreath on a brick wall.

How to Hang a Wreath on Brick

First, you will need a masonry bit, drill (I used the Ryobi hammer drill), steel case or masonry nail, and hammer. First I marked my spot with a piece of chalk. Then I started drilling a hole into the brick mortar. I found taking it slow and putting some muscle behind it worked the best.

Next, after you get the drill bit down inside about 1/4″ take your steel case nail and hammer and hammer it in. I used two nails to hang this wreath to give some extra support.

Once you have your nails in place grab your holiday wreath and sit it on the nails. Isn't it pretty? I love the size of this wreath. It is 30″ which makes it bigger than the standard size and creates nice statement festive pieces.

Shop the Home Depot items used in this post:

Courtyard Red/Bone 2 ft. x 4 ft. Striped Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug

10 in. H x 7 in. W Red Green and Beige Plaid Bow Hanging Christmas Decoration

30 in. Woodmoore Battery Operated Mixed Pine LED Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Wreath with Timer and Plaid Ribbon

DirtBuster Single Picture Frame Black 22 in. x 36 in. Personalized Door Mat

ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless 1/2 in. Hammer Drill and 1/4 in 4-Mode Impact Driver Kit w/ (2) Batteries, Charger, & Bag

Vintage Father Christmas Decorations

If you have been around me long then you know I love to mix old and new when decorating. In this corner, we have a new lamp post and tree and an antique sled and enamel wear pot. So let's talk about how these accessories play into the story.

Christmas Lamp Post

The lamppost creates a warm glow for your guests and a light to help Father Christmas find his way back to the cottage. This vintage black lamp post is another great find on Home Depot's website. It reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas movies, Narnia.

If you have seen the movie then remember the scene when Lucy ventures from the wardrobe into the snow-covered forest and she comes to a lamp post. Well, this is the lamp post. Isn't that cool!!

This traditional lamppost has a vintage look to it which makes it work nicely with newer items. When shopping for decorations for your vintage porch look for items that have an aged look or are a style from another decade.

Now that the lamp is in place let's position the other items.

Vintage or Antique Sled

I have been looking for an old sled for a couple of years. During the spring I found this sled tucked away in an antique store. I think she was ready to get rid of it because I got it for a song — cheap.

If you have a sled stand it in the corner and place a plaid ribbon on it. I have had this ribbon for years and years. Because it has wire in it I could easily freshen it up and make it look somewhat perfect again.

Santa's Christmas Trees

You can't have Santa's porch without a Christmas tree. Grab a Christmas little tree and place it in a bucket or an enamel bowl like this one I found in an antique store in Atlanta. Toss some mini battery-powered lights and you have another sparkling light source for Father Christmas farmhouse porch.

Farmhouse Christmas Bench

So to finish our Cottagecore porch holiday decor we need a bench for when Father Christmas comes home from the longest night of the year. If you already have a bench on your porch then you are good to go but if not we have you covered with our simple DIY bench post.

This is a simple bench to make and with a coat of paint and brown wax, you have the perfect rustic bench for your porch.

Christmas Core Aesthetic

Now we need a few accessories to polish this farmhouse style look. Grab Father Christmas's boots, or your daughter's. LOL! And place them in front of the bench.

Then add a bowl full of firewood, evergreen branches, and pinecones. Toss in oranges if you have some left.

Next, sit a present down on the bench and a lantern on top because you know when Santa leaves at night he always needs light to guide his way.

Then lay across the bench some reindeer sleigh bells. This was another fun find in a thrift store. You can find winter and Christmas decorations in thrift and antique stores any time of year.

And like magic, your Christmas core aesthetic porch is done.

Now that we have a more rustic Christmas farmhouse porch on the front of our house let's talk about those twinkling Christmas lights because the best part about Christmas is the lights.

Christmas Lighting

The last and important part of your cottage farmhouse Christmas porch is the lighting. The holidays come to life when you add sparkling twinkling lights but unsightly cords can ruin the whole vibe.

But fear not, I have a solution to that problem. My little Christmas mini trees have mini lights that are battery-powered, and the wreath is battery powered too. But the garland is not so lucky. In the past, I had a cord running along the side of the porch to an outlet outside but Ryobi has come to the rescue. Check out this cool contraption.

This is a miniature generator inverter with a light, two USB ports, and an outlet. All you need is a charged Ryobi battery and you are set.

I turned it on just after dusk and the Ryobi inverter was on at 11 pm that evening. What a great find! Now I have a welcoming porch without unsightly cords.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this Christmas porch tour. Now for the really fun part.

Turn on all your lights and invite your friends and family over for the holidays. This dreamy small porch will make eyes light up when people and children come to visit. It gives a warm and cozy feel to what is in store inside your home or maybe I should say Santa's cottage.

The citronella lamppost is the perfect addition to the porch. I love gaslighting on a front porch so the lamppost gives that same look. These lamp posts will look amazing on other farmhouse Christmas porches!

Speaking of Father Christmas here is how the story goes. Once upon a time during WWII lived a sweet old man in the woods in a country farmhouse cottage. He had an old lamp post on his small porch that was always lit to find his way home. He has a love for all creatures. Leaving oranges and berries for the birds and pine cones for the squirrels and chipmunks.

All year long you will find a little bench on his porch filled with his boots and reindeer harnesses except for December 24 because on that night something magical happens all over the world. It is a night when he sets an example to be generous and bring peace to the world. Love one another instead of war.

If you go to visit someone this Christmas and there is a doormat that says Claus then know that you might have found the real Santa's farmhouse cottage.

Happy Decorating, or maybe I should say, Merry Christmas!

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The post Simple Outdoor Cottage Farmhouse Christmas Porch appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

A couple of years ago I showed my friends on Instagram how to make Christmas bells from galvanized buckets but this year I wanted to make the project even easier and cheaper. Plus I remember I never shared this DIY Christmas bells project here on my website.

But let me rewind for a moment to what made me remember the old bell project. With Christmas approaching, I decided to start with a cottage farmhouse Christmas porch. I wanted something different for my front door and that is when I remembered the old bucket bell trick.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

How to Make Christmas Bells

Now that you know how all this got started let's jump right in and start making Christmas bells for your front door, to hang on the wall or anywhere that inspires you. Let's start with gathering some supplies.

DIY Christmas Bells Supplies

• 3/4″ insulted bushings
• 1 quart paint buckets (I found these plastic ones in the paint section at Home Depot)
• Gold spray paint
• Drill (I use Ryobi and love it)
• 1/8″ drill bit
• Vise
• Jute rope
• Dark antique wax
• Wax brush
• Cloth to remove wax
• Glue gun (optional – I also use Ryobi glue gun and love it)
• Screws and nuts
• Leather strips or immitation leather (I had some leather left over from a project but you could also use an old leather belt)
• Ribbon decoration
• Metal ring to hang your bell wreath (I used a hook bracelet)

If you are making lots of bells get as many buckets as you want but for this project, we only used 3 bells. Now that we have our supplies let's begin with the drill.

Drill Holes into Ring and Buckets

This is where the vise comes in “real” handy. Sit your little ring into the vise and close it snuggly. Drill straight down into the plastic with your drill. You only need to drill through one side of the ring — not all the day through.

Next, turn your bucket upside down and drill into the center of the bottom of the bucket.

The Ryobi drill and titanium drill bit slid through like cutting into butter on the bucket and the ring.

Attach Ring to Bucket

Now let's attach the ring into the bucket of the bell. Place a screw into the ring from the inside and then place the screw and ring into the top of the bucket.

Then screw on the nut but do not overtighten it. We will be adding the leather strip inside of the large bell later. I found turning the bucket right side up helped when screwing on the nut. That way if it fell out of my hand it would fall into the bucket.

Spray Paint the Bells

Now, this is the easy part. Turn your buckets sideways and place something on each side. I used the other two buckets to keep it in place.

Spray paint inside the bucket. You may need to turn the bucket to get it all the way around. You do not have to be perfect with the paint up inside because most likely no one will see it.

Next, sit the bucket upside down with the ring on the top and paint around the edges. And then paint the tip spritzing a little paint inside the ring.

This is how all your bells should look at this point. Let the buckets dry for an hour before going to the next step.

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Wax the Gold Spray Paint Finish

At this point, you are starting to see the pretty bells are going to have an elegant look. Next grab cloth, wax, and wax brush and start applying the wax to the bucket inside and out.

I started with the inside and did all three buckets. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and then I removed the wax.

Then I repeated the process on the outside. You will notice when removing the wax that it picks up any imperfections which are great. That gives it an old-fashioned vintage Christmas bell look.

And the wax makes the gold a different color — a more vintage gold color.

Cut Strips of Leather and Paint

Next cut strips of leather about 3/4″ wide and long enough to fit up inside your vintage little bell with an extra couple of inches past the bottom. Then spray paint the leather with gold paint on the front and back and let it dry.

Follow by adding wax to the painted leather strips and drill a small hole into the top.

Last, unscrew the nut and attach the leather strip. Then cut the bottom of the leather about 1 inch past the bottom of the cup.

And guess what? You are all done making the bells and it is time to add jute thread rope and Christmas bows. This is how I tied the rope on and the beautiful bow decor.

How to Tie Rope to Bells

This part was actually challenging for me because I wanted the ropes to look thick but I figured it out. However, if you have another idea then go for it.

First I determined the length of each rope and then times it by 4. For example, if I wanted one bell to hang down 12″ then I multiplied that by 4 and got 48″. So cut each rope to the length you want.

I went with three different lengths and to determine my lengths I sat the bells on the table the way I wanted them to hang until I found just the right look. Then I measured up from each bell to the bow and went with those lengths.

Next, fold one rope in half and then fold it in half again.

Now thread the open end through the ring on the top of the bell and then thread the rope into the loop on the other end. Pull it right until it is as snug as you can get it.

My rope would not get tight but instead was a gentle snug. I kept pulling one piece of the rope at a time to get it as tight as I could. I think it turned out nice.

Next, I used my Ryobi glue gun to hide the cut ends of the rope from the finished rope next to it. Don't worry this part will be hidden by the ribbon decoration.

Attach Ropes to Ring

We are almost finished and this is a super easy part. Unhook your ring and slip all the ropes holding the bells onto the ring. I used a copper bracelet for this part but you can use any kind of ring that you can open and close.

Apply the Christmas Ribbon Bow Decoration to the Bells

Next, grab your plaid green and red ribbons bow decoration to attach to the bells. I love how this big bow has larger loops, rustic small jingle bells, and is dusted with a little snow. Even though the bells I made don't have a jingle the small bells on the bow will give a little jingle when the door opens. I also love that this bow can be used as Christmas tree ornaments too.

Before you begin attaching the bow decoration I want to share that I removed the floral wire from inside the tails. I wanted them to lay more naturally so I pushed the wire through the end and slid the ribbon up as far as I could go and used wire cutters to snip the wire.

Because this bow decoration had a piece of twine behind it for hanging on a tree or anything I simply tied it to the ring and secure it into place with a drop of hot glue from the glue gun. The piece of string made this easy. But if you don't have a hook or loop of twine then I would hot glue it to the ring.

This bow decoration would look adorable as a gift bow too. It is the perfect bow for any enchanting home decor and gifting.

Now guess what? You have new bells and just in time to decorate our farmhouse Christmas porch.

See how this simple bow was the icing on the cake. I am excited to hang it on our door and start decorating. This holiday door hanging will bring lots of Christmas spirit into our outdoor decor.

Conclusion

If you are wondering how to hang this wreath on your door then check out my how to hang a wreath with ribbon. This is a nifty little trick I have been using for years. This bell wreath will look great hanging on a wall or from a hook. There are so many fun things you can do with these bells. You could even make bell ornaments to hang on your tree.

Here is how the holiday bells look hanging on my front door. I have had a few friends come over and when I gave my secret away that they are plastic they looked so surprised and said they thought they were real. LOL!

After hanging our Christmas bell wreath we had a blast decorating the front porch for the holiday season. Our goal was to create a porch that brought joy to all who come to visit at our Christmas party. Add garland, Christmas tree, and other Christmas decorations for a festive entry.

It is the perfect touch of holiday spirit to our front door. We go into detail on how to create a farmhouse Christmas porch in the next post coming soon if you would like to see the whole porch reveal.

I hope you have found the DIY helpful and I cannot wait to hear where you decorated with these vintage gold Christmas bells. This bell project would make great handmade gifts for someone special too or you can make a larger bell simply by getting a larger bucket. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Happy Holiday Decorating!

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The post How to Make Christmas Bells appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

Earlier this year my daughter, Savanna learned how to dry orange slices. She must have made 100 dried orange peels for a baby shower. I saved some to decorate for Christmas but I wanted more. So that is when I started experiments on the easiest ways to dry oranges.

After trying several different ways of cutting them and then testing some in the oven and others in the dehydrator I finally found the easiest and most efficient way to dry them. And guess what? I am excited to share this simple method with you so you can save time and get the best-looking crisp orange slices.

How to Dry Orange Slices

Before we begin I always recommend gathering all your supplies. Here is a list of what you will need to make dried orange slices.

• Oven or dehydrator (I used my Kitchenaid convection toaster oven but you can use a regular larger oven)
• Fresh oranges (a firmer orange works better)
• Mandolin or serrated knife (Both worked great but the madelyn worked better for firmer oranges)
• Cutting board
• Baking pan (if you are drying in the oven)
• Parchment paper (if you are drying in the oven)
• Ziplock bag or mason jars for storage

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You can use an oven or dehydrator. I will talk about the pros and cons of each. Also, you can use any kind of orange but keep in mind if you use blood oranges it will come out to be a darker orange-red color which is a beautiful color.

Last, I picked satsuma oranges from a local orange grove here in Florida call Florida Georgia Citrus. They make jellies, juice, soaps and more, that you can buy online in addition to boxes of satsuma oranges. Personally, I think satsuma oranges are the best oranges in the world. LOL!

I could go on and on about these oranges. Can you tell? LOL! But let's get back to cutting and drying oranges.

Cutting your Oranges

You are probably thinking how hard is it to cut whole oranges? Well, it is actually very easy if the orange is firm. Let's me repeat it is easy if the orange is firm. I found this out the hard way. Grab a cutting board and let's start cutting orange slices.

Cutting an orange with a Mandelin

My satsuma oranges were perfect for eating because they were soft. But they were not perfect for cutting on the mandolin. I cut them with a sharp knife but they would not work in the mandolin. However, the larger oranges worked beautifully in the mandolin cutter.

I loved the small size and will try this again when I get firmer satsumas. If you are eating satsuma look for the smaller oranges because I personally think they are tastier.

Okay, so I would use the mandolin slicer if I wanted all my oranges to be the same thickness. However, my mandolin only produced thinner slices at the largest setting. So I opted to cut them all with my serrated knife which is actually my bread knife.

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Slicing Oranges with a Knife

To make a long story short if you are pretty good at cutting things with a knife then I would simply use a bread knife instead of investing in a mandolin. However, if you are making more than 100 crisp thin slices then I would invest in a mandolin that cuts about a 1/4″ thick piece.

To cut slices of oranges simply hold the orange in one with your fingertips and first shave the end off where the stem was. Then place your knife about 1/4″ over from the cut end and cut back and forth moving your way through the orange.

Repeat this step until you get too close to the end. Then turn the orange around and shave the other end off. If you have enough to cut another 1/4″ simply use your fingertips to hold along the edge and slice down the middle.

How to Dry Orange Slices in the Oven

Next, we are going to talk about the oven and the dehydrator pros and cons when it comes to drying citrus slices. First, let's discuss the oven.

I used my small Kitchenaid convection toaster oven. I use it all the time to cook things because it is basically a miniature size of my oven so I thought why not save making my kitchen hot for hours and hours and use the little single layer oven instead.

Now place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet or baking tray. Sit the orange slices on the parchment paper side by side. Make sure they are not touching each other or overlapping.

Then set your oven to 200 degrees and place your sliced oranges inside. If you're using a small toaster oven like me you will have to set it for one hour and then turn it back on again when it cuts off.

Once your orange slices are in the mini oven set an alarm on your phone to remind you. When the timer goes off check on the slices. I used my finger to tap on the soft orange part to see if it was sticky. If it is sticky then set your alarm for another hour.

It took about four hours for all the orange slices to dry out. During the process, some of them dried before others. I pull them out when they were dry and continued to dry the others. If you leave them in too long they will get very dark looking and look burned.

The small convection oven worked great. It worked faster than the dehydrator and the color of the oranges came out darker. If you want orange slices faster then the oven is your ticket but if you want a more consistent color and you have more time then the dehydrator is better for you. I think the oven method makes a more vintage-looking orange slice.

How to Dry Citrus in a Dehydrater

Next, let's see how things worked out in the food dehydrator. Simply place all your orange slices on the shelves of the dehydrator. Make sure to not overlap them. Give them lots of space for air to flow in and around them.

Now turn your dehydrator on and leave it for about 10 hours. After about 4 hours I checked on them and did the tap test to see if they were not sticky. There were some that were paper thin and they felt dry to the touch so I pulled them out.

The dehydrator worked like a charm. The only drawback to this method is time. You basically need all day to completely dry them. I would recommend prepping the project in the morning so it will run all day. The dehydrator was less work because I didn't need to keep checking on it every hour. As you can see they all came out perfect.

Now that you have all the scoop on dehydrated orange slices, let's talk about ways you can decorate with them and how to store them for the next holiday or event.

How to Store Dried Orange Slices

Once all your orange slices are dried and cooled simply place them in gallon-size Ziploc bags or you can either store them in mason jars or an airtight container and store them in a dry and dark place. I kept the ones my daughter made seven months ago in my closet. They looked great when Christmas came and I wanted to decorate with them.

Dried Orange Slices Garland

There are several different ways you can make a garland with dehydrated oranges. You can simply add them to your Christmas garland as I did here on our mantel.

Or you can thread them with yarn or twine with a needle to make a citrus garland and hang them anywhere in your home. I made this one for this year's Christmas decorations for my hutch. I used cutting from my artificial Christmas tree from Home Depot and wooden beads.

Or you can make them into Christmas ornaments to put on your Christmas tree. Simply thread twine into a yarn need and push the needle through the orange. Add a Star Anice spice to it for more decorations. And sit them in front of lights so they will glow and stand out more.

They also look very pretty on wreaths. During the baby shower, we added orange slices everywhere including the wreath on the front door. Keep in mind if you leave natural orange slices outside when it is humid and warm they will go bad. But if it is cold and dry outside then they will last a very long time.

Or simply place them in a basket with cinnamon sticks and rosemary for decoration or to make the room smell good.

There are so many ways you can decorate with dried oranges. If you would rather purchase dried oranges there are lots of options on Etsy. Here are a few I found along with a garland and such.

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Conclusion

I hope this tutorial gets you excited to dry oranges for your Christmas decorations, your next event or to decorate your home this holiday season. This is a great low-cost project. If you have oranges in your fruit bowl then you might very well call this a no-cost DIY.

To wrap this up I thought you might like to know a little history about giving the gift of oranges and decorating with them. I remember while visiting Colonial Williamsburg learning that colonists used fruit to decorate for Christmas. It was so pretty how they used greenery from outside and then apples or any fruit they had on hand and placed it in the greenery.

Another historical decoration using fruit was Versaille in France. While studying interior design history I learned that orange trees were shipping to Versallias in the 1600s to create an orangery. Orange trees were considered exotic and otherwise a symbol of wealth and at the time this was the largest collection of orange trees in Europe. Can you imagine going to visit the elaborate Versaille and seeing a tree with a bright orange fruit on it that you had never seen before?

But last and I think the sweetest, pun intended story, is during the depression people used to give the gift of oranges as holiday gifts because it was considered a delicacy. I think about my husband and how he used to get fruit in his stocking. His mom was a teenager during the depression so she must have learned this during that time.

Today you can still give the gift of oranges and citrus fruit by having them shipped to friends and family. You can order them from Florida Georgia Citrus. Or you can make something with dried oranges and give it as a gift.

I teach how to make a candle from an orange. You can give them as gifts or decorate with them too. Homemade gifts are the best because you know someone spent a lot of time and love creating them just for you.

Happy Decorating!

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The post How to Dry Orange Slices the Easy Way appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.

For years we have organized Christmas decorations the same way, but this year after putting more flooring in the attic I decided to spread the decor out and come up with another plan.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission if you purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you. All opinions are all my own.

HOW TO ORGANIZE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Over the years we had collected more and more decorations which means we need more storage containers. I generally stored decor in plastic boxes based on where they came down from like a box to hold everything on the Christmas tree, mantle, and so on.

But now with many decorations and more space, it was time to graduate to a new system. Here is the best way to organize Christmas decorations to make decorating the next year easier.

Purge and Organize Christmas Decorations

If you are looking to reorganize all your decor let me encourage you to pull everything out and start making piles. Because I change up my Christmas decoration each year now I plan to organize based on items.

So start making piles like white ornaments, red ornaments, glass ornaments, string lights, extension cord, fragile items, garland, ribbon/bows, bells, ribbon, artificial tree, tree skirts, and so on. If you want to organize based on places in your home your piles can be by room or spot like a mantle.

This is a great opportunity to purge anything you think you will never use again. Believe it or not, I even found a few items that were broken and not usable anymore so they got purged. Also, make sure you get rid of any old ornament boxes. One pile was to go to Goodwill while the other was loaded in a trash bag destined for my trash bins.

Best Storage for Christmas Decorations

There are so many wonderful plastic storage options and storage boxes made just for Christmas decor and here are the best tips and brilliant ideas I have to make storing your Christmas decor easier.

Clear Rolling Storage for Christmas Decor

Clear rolling drawers are great for Christmas storage. When it comes to next Christmas, I will be able to see what is inside and go shopping in my attic for what I want to create a new design.

How Do You Pack Christmas Ornaments?

If you are looking for ways to store your delicate ornaments or breakable items, make sure you use a system that keeps them from getting damaged. There are some people that keep all of their ornaments in their original boxes but that takes up too much room. Good thing there are lots of store-bought options with cardboard dividers that work perfectly or you can wrap your fragile ornaments with tissue paper or bubble wrap but I really like this DIY cup idea for another great option that is more budget-friendly.

To store your ornaments and create this storage idea simply use pieces of foam board or a piece of cardboard and draw the shape of the drawer and cut it out.

Then take clear cocktail disposable plastic cups and glue them onto the foam board with a glue gun.

Repeat this step for a second layer if you are able to add another layer.

This storage idea works great for smaller ornaments but it is not the best for large ornaments. I left one drawer for the larger ornaments and wrapped them in tissue paper.

Other great things to store in these clear rolling drawers are stockings and skirts. I am not sure how we ended up with so many stockings but I found enough to fill a whole rolling storage unit along with skirts.

You can store items like ribbons, bells, accessories, candlesticks, or electric candles and the list goes on. But not everything will fit into these drawers so let's talk about storing those larger items.

Large Christmas Storage Items

You may have specific items like a nativity scene, garland, village, and so on. If you are buying new Sterilite boxes I would get red or green so it is easy to spot that it is a Christmas storage bin or you can use clear plastic bins or plastic containers so you can see what is inside.

But at our house I didn't want to spend the money so here is what we stored in our old Sterilite boxes. I used one box for our nativity scene. It is very fragile and needs extra space so it gets a box of its own. Once I placed it inside I stuffed it around with white tissue paper.

In other boxes are all the garlands. The smaller berry garlands are in large ziplock bags inside of the box. A village set, Christmas pillow, indoor Christmas lights, and Outdoor Christmas lights fit in another box.

Christmas Tree Storage

Because our artificial Christmas trees are from King of Christmas they come with tree storage bags. I love this about King of Christmas!

I recommend finding one place for larger and smaller artificial trees. We placed ours on one end of the Christmas decoration storage area in our attic. It is also a good idea to store your strands of Christmas lights near your trees so they will be easy to find for the next holiday season. There are lots of options for storing Christmas lights so you don't end up with a tangled mess of lights.

How to Store Christmas Wreaths

This is probably my most favorite storage idea and it is so simple. Take some long nails and find a place up high to hang your holiday wreaths. Drive the nails into the wood and hang your wreaths.

It is important to find a high place so when you walk around your attic you will not knock them off.

This is also great for really large garlands. I have one that is very fluffy and thick so instead of placing it in a tub I decided to hand it up high too.

Labels for Christmas Storage Boxes

Once you have everything in their storage tubs let me recommend you label everything.

To make our storage box labels pretty I created this wreath storage label printable of smaller labels for the storage drawers and larger labels for the boxes. Simply print out the download in black and white or color if you like these colors.

To get these free printables subscribe to Life on Summerhill. You will then be given access to the labels.

I choose black and white to save ink and for uniformity but depending on your Christmas color scheme you can use the ones that match your decor the best.

The cool thing about these labels is that they can be used for other holiday storage boxes too like Easter.

Once you have printed them out on cardstock and either typed or written what the item is on the inside of the wreath simply cut them out and tape them to the storage box with clear packing tape.

Tape the smaller labels to the storage drawers.

And the larger Christmas labels on the larger boxes.

Let me recommend making two for the larger boxes. That way you can place one on the top and one on the side that will be facing out where you can see it easily.

It was a challenge photographing in the attic because the lighting was low. LOL!

Attic Christmas Storage Plan

Okay, so you have everything in their storage boxes and labeled it's time to place them in the attic or storage area. Take a piece of paper and draw out where you think each box will go in storage. This is handy for next year when you need to send someone up to get something or in case you forget.

Once you have a basic plan start placing storage boxes in their location. In our attic, I place all the ornament drawers in the center where I could easily see them. Then the other storage drawers on each side.

Christmas trees on the right and our porch Santa.

Then larger storage tubs on the left with the labels facing out.

Because I have a little space between all the rolling drawers I used it to store a long sign and the wooden dowel Christmas tree.

You can sort of see on the left of these drawers the dowel tree box and wood base sitting on the floor.

And last if you have any rugs place them on the floor. They will make the floor of your storage or attic space more comfortable unless it is a doormat. Then I would place it out of the way.

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Conclusion

Now that you know our plan and the details let me remind you to begin by getting out all the decorations. It helps so much to see it all laid out on a table or tables. LOL!

Then all you have to do is start sorting and purging. Once you have the piles you can start thinking about the storage boxes.

See how easy it is to organize your Christmas decorations.

To see more of what decorations we had to pack and organize see a simple Christmas home tour to get an idea.

I hope this post has been helpful and I cannot wait to hear what storage options you used and how you organized your holiday season decor.

Happy Decorating!

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The post BEST WAY ON HOW TO ORGANIZE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS appeared first on LIFE ON SUMMERHILL.