Before we took down our Christmas decorations & hauled our trees out of the house, I managed to snap a few pictures. My decorations don’t really change that much from year to year, but I did spend some time making some items this year, like the lovely paper wreaths made from vintage hymnals & matching trees. You can see them on our entrance & hanging from a guest bedroom mirror. I also made quite a few ‘trees’, inspired by a tutorial in Country Living or Better Homes & Gardens. (I’ll never be able to find this tutorial again!) Of course, I couldn’t stop with a just a couple. Soon there were trees everywhere, made of paper cones & scraps of linen. Mainly this year, I decorated on a budget. The few items I purchased were cheap & tiny, but I found ways to elevate them & incorporate the collectibles I already owned. What I discovered this year? Don’t underestimate the impact of pine cones. Stash them in terra cotta pots, sprinkle them on bookshelves, line them up along a mantle or fill glass vases with them. They can make a big impact & reinforce a ‘natural’ theme. Use old dishes to make even the simplest Christmas item special. Our Christmas home isn’t spectacular by any means. But it does ‘feel’ festive & special. Here are a few pictures of our Christmas home.