Welcome to Cedar Hill Farmhouse!! Come on in and let me pour you a warm drink.
This is home #25 on the All Things Home Christmas Tour, and I’m sharing my Christmas decorations with you today.
I want to share with you how I made my house look very festive and welcoming for Christmas without spending much as all. I have a little secret. I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud.
I don’t buy Christmas decorations any more. Shhhh, I know that heresy in the blog world. I don’t like spending money on Christmas decorations because they have to be stored for 11 months out of the year, and they are often expensive yet poorly made.
So my ‘fancy’ tree is a sapling from the farm. The snowflake ornaments are paper doilies.
Notice my little Charlie Brown tree sits in a vintage enamelware pail with an Ikea tea towel draped over it. The pail and towel can be used year round because they aren’t Christmas specific. Also note that I used a lot of holiday ribbon which is an inexpensive way to add holiday touches to a room.
Notice lots of free greenery and inexpensive ribbon was used to spruce up this room.
I do have some Christmas items in the room, but these were purchased years ago.
The living room also was decorated with basically what I had on hand and newly purchased Christmas ribbon.
I made the linen stockings on the mantle last year. More greenery here and ribbon abound here. Also note that I used a vintage family sled for our coffee table.
My Christmas votive holders were made this year. I’ll share more about those in the Scoop on a handmade Christmas next week.
My tree is a real Norfolk Pine. To give it some height I put it in an olive bucket on top of a stool. The stool is wrapped in a coffee bag.
The tree is covered with little mini stockings I made last year from vintage grain sacks.
I added ribbon anywhere it looked bare.
Later I decided to move the sled over to the island, just so you know I don’t have two in the house. What more greenery and ribbon? But I think you get the point.
I like to have a tray setting here above the range, so for this season I am using a green one with of course my signature red and white ribbon I am using this year. I can change the tray out with the seasons as I like.
Above the breakfast room table.. more ribbon, who knew?
Here’s a close up of what I had on my ‘coffee table’. Note that most of what you see isn’t seasonal at all; it just becomes seasonal with greenery and ribbon.
So I hope I proved my point that with just a few simple inexpensive items you can transform you home into a Christmas wonderland. This year the only Christmas items I bought were ribbon and the Christmas tree. For Thanksgiving I decorated with a few pumpkins and some fresh flowers. You can see what I did, here. And I think you know what direction I’ll be headed with Valentine’s Day!
Monday
Worthing Court
French Country Cottage
Atta Girl Says
Town and Country Living
Decor Adventures
Lilacs and Longhorns
Tuesday
Marty’s Musings
Mom 4 Real
All Things Beautiful
Making Home Base
The Happier Homemaker
The Lily Pad Cottage
Wednesday
The Everyday Home
Craftberry Bush
Celebrating Everyday Life with Jennifer Carroll
AKA Design
Hymns and Verses
Our Southern Home
Thursday
Stone Gable
Adventures in Decorating
Newly Woodwards
Setting for Four
Back Porch Musings
All Things Heart and Home
Friday
Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Cottage at the Crossroads
Top This Top That
Domestically Speaking
Mommy is Coocoo
Shabby Art Boutique
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Scoop Christmas tour has begun today too. Here are the homes on our SCOOP tour.
Friday December 6
Saturday December 7
Sunday December 8
Monday December 9
Tuesday December 10
Wow!! What a gorgeous, festive and elegant home for the holidays…;picture perfect!! I agree that greens and ribbon can do wonders, you have done a magnificent job!!!
PS Love the new look of your blog…fabulous!
Anita,
I adore the use of ribbon. . .classic red and white check with a hint of plaid!!!
Great uses of “everyday items” in your Christmas decor, dear friend!!!
Thank you for sharing your lovely new home. . .first Christmas. . .with us!!!
Fondly,
Pat
so pretty anita. i too have some of those norfolk pines in the house this year and just love them. Your home is always such a treat to visit. I always want to come back for more! Happy Holidays!
Everything looks fabulously Christmas, Anita! I love the sled on the island idea. Yes, I believe I will try that one.
Merry Christmas!
It is all so beautiful! I love the splashes of red, it looks great. ~Sonya
Looks very pretty ! Very simple- less is more. I kind of go over board. It takes me 2 straight weeks to decorate. Plus storage for all Christmas stuff is crazy. The Norfolk pine always reminds me of Hawaii. They use them a lot there . Merry Christmas!
So pretty and festive Anita…I love the use of live greenery! Love the votives on your mantel too!
Your home looks so charming and beautiful, Anita!! You can never go wrong with live greenery and ribbon!
Mary Alice
Your home is beautiful, Anita, and you’ve made it festive with just a few touches of greenery and ribbon. I love your idea for using the sled on the coffee table. And is that a vintage wire laundry hamper I spy beneath it?
Anita, your Christmas home is SIMPLY beautiful! Love your choice of ribbon throughout and how it “ties” the decor together. Ha! Your sled if fabulous is both spots! Always love gazing at your lovely pictures. Thank you for sharing and so fun being on tour with you! Blessings, Janis
It is so refreshing to see your decorating. Thank you for sharing……..I love the “hand made, the simple and the beauty of Christmas”.
I am so thankful for the most important gift of “Jesus”…..without Him there is no CHRISTMAS.
Blessings
Eileen
I love the naturalness of yor greens and ribbons. LOVE the sled on the coffee table AND the island!!! Ho, ho ho!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anita the new house is stunning all decked out for Christmas. My favorite Boxwoods, love them big time!!!
Cynthia
This is simply lovely. I’m such a fan of the greenery and ribbon. It looks so festive. I’m also LOVING the sled on the coffee table. I gotta figure out a way to get my sled inside. 🙂
I love your home…every detail is inspired – I was trying to figure out my favorite thing and I thought it has to be the kitchen…then again the dining room is amazing…and the den with the great doors over the mantle! I just love it all, thanks so much for inviting us in xo
Anita, I think that’s the best use of an Ikea towel that I’ve ever seen! I love your simple, easy, and low cost way of decorating! It all looks so beautiful in your new home! Pinning and sharing!
I absolutely positively love it all Anita!! I’ve stopped buying Christmas specific decor too (unless I can find it in Jan for 50% off lol) and I LOVE how you’ve shown that it can still look festive and decorated by just adding simple, elegant details. Your home is incredible and looks so gorgeous all dressed up!!
Vanessa
your new home is so beautiful, it’s the perfect backdrop for Christmas!
I’m not buying much new these days either but trying to use the same things differently. You done a great job meeting that challenge.
Anita I love the ribbon touches everywhere… so pretty!
Everything looks so pretty and festive. I’m so with you! I don’t buy Christmas decorations anymore either…like you I think they’re poor quality and I don’t like storing them.
Instead, I tucked greenery here and there, threw a few pinecones around…mixed with ornaments that I already had. Loving the simplicity.
Looks magnificent Anita! I love the easy, natural look. So elegant against the setting of your posh new place!
ox Linsey
It is all so cheery yet simple, Anita. Love it all.
This year is my year to purge the Christmas decorations…I love your natural Christmas decor and you are truly an inspiration!..
Ha! I love that face looking design on your chimney, Anita! Your house is just so absolutely dazzling, I love the low light condition yet you can actually see the brighter sight on the window panes! I also love how you can actually “see” most of everything. I know you have too many things but it’s not cluttered, it’s just right!! Hmm, I think I’d be heading to my dining room now and get inspired!
I love all the fresh greenery you added Anita! I love using fresh greens in my home myself! It’s so much better than fake plastic garland! Your home is gorgeous – thanks so much for opening your doors to us to welcome us in! It’s been fun to party with you on this fabulous blog hop! Heather
Gorgeous, Anita! Your photos are stunning. I wish you and your family a lovely first Christmas in your new home! ~Christy