merry and bright on a budget that's tight

I would like to share some of the ways I add holiday color inside and out without spending a lot of green. The top image is an empty spice jar, filled with a mix of quick oats and glitter. Voila: Reindeer food! A printed and punched tag hung with baker's twine completes the package.



A supermarket bunch of greens ($3.99) divided into buckets with a few snipped branches of berries makes a pretty (and hardy) winter mix for outdoors.


Click to enlarge

A set of gift tags (Cavallini & Co.) hung in an unexpected location adds to the anticipation of Christmas morning.



Cavallini tags are pre-glittered but any tag will work well . . . and what's more fun than adding glitter to something?



A broken ornament can still be part of the celebration when perched on a short stack of flower frogs.



An arrangement of real and artificial is tied together with pops of faux red berry sprigs from the gift wrap aisle, meant for embellishing wrapped packages.



An emptied jar filled with salt, glitter and a cupcake topper becomes part of a cheerful vignette.



This weekend, my guys have been getting crafty with me, too. Yesterday we all decorated mini gingerbread houses. Of course I had fun making gumdrop villagers (inspired by a Martha Stewart Kids magazine from Winter 2004; details available here).



Today I dazzled my boys by pulling out all of my Christmas craft stuff. My oldest crafted a clothespin Santa (still drying) and I made an elf from a spool. {I have a hunch I will be making many more of these.}

Still lots to get done but making the time for these small details is what keeps all the must-dos enjoyable for me. I plan to make time for a cup of hot cocoa with a cookie today. Sound good? Hope you will indulge a little, too.

xo
elyse