The Making of a Christmas House. French Country Style Decorating.

This year the Old Haunted House takes on a simpler, brighter French Country theme, with more white, and lighter colors in the Christmas decorating.
Join me for this step by step video of how I achieved the look.

We have brought everyday pieces from around the house, and some of the white, and light Christmas peices that fit, along with a few new handmade craft pieces for the look we wanted.

Creating A French Country, Old World Christmas Step by Step

This year's theme to the home for Christmas is French Country/Old world

We have taken bits from here and there in the house, and put them together for a very simple and elegant Christmas. It took very little time, or expense.

A few dries flowers from the garden, add some rustic pieces, old Christmas treasures, and everyday objects. Keeping im mind the goal is a simple Christmas theme.

I think we have pulled it off. Let me know if you and your home share in this French Country/Old World look this year. If you haven't already, please subscribe to the YouTube Channel for more creative ideas!

A Christmas Home Tour of the Old Haunted House

I welcome you to this unique Holiday House Tour for a very special time of the year. See all of the sights of Christmas in my home, and maybe even pick up a few ideas that you can use in yours. Take a few minutes to join in the fun.



It's beginning to look a lot like Vintage Christmas

The living room is dressed up in a bygone era with simple swags of greenery over the fireplace mantel, and doorway. Old pieces decorate the mantel, as well as large ornaments, and a pine swag. The wreath seemingly suspended in the air over the fireplace is accompanied by floating snowflakes that add to the magic of Christmas.

"Vintage" handmade Christmas Stockings hang from the fireplace, and a simple pine wreath was placed in the center, with additional embellishments surrounding the hearth. Last year the stockings hung on the front door, but you have to change things around from year to year to keep things fresh.

In the dining room a Christmas Cone Tree dominates the table, and that piece was also handmade. It's very easy to make, and if you wish to see that process you can Check out the Video on Youtube. I am certain you would be very happy with a few of these for your home.
The table is also decorated with flower filled vases, as well as old outdoor garden pieces, candles and bowls, and a hand painted raven by a local artist.

A little tree in the corner of the dining room.

Nutcrackers fill a side table in the dining room too!

On top of an old sewing machine is another vintage Christmas scene.

As you will see in the video, Snowmen fill the kitchen.

Even the bathroom downstairs gets into the Christmas Spirit.

How To make your own Primitive Snowman for the Holidays

DIY Primitive Christmas Decorations

This is probably one of the easiest, and quickest craft projects that I have done yet. It's very simple, and yet, it looks really good in the house. #ChristmasDecorating



You could also try your hand at Sock Snowmen!

It's Christmas Time, House Tour, and Decorations!

Take a tour of an old Victorian house at Christmas Time.

Hand made decorations, twinkling lights, vintage sights, and more! Singing you to sleep with a parody of Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas the old timey way without music.

Make your own Primitive Santa in no time!

Step by step instructions for making your very own primitive Santa Clause for your home for Christmas. You will not believe how easy this really is!

How to make a Faux Stick Feather Tree out of a regular Christmas Tree

How to make a Fake Stick/Feather Tree out of a regular Christmas Tree. Do you love those old fashioned Stick, and Feather Christmas Trees, but can't afford the price? Not to worry, you can make your own out of a regular Christmas Tree, and save all that money. The best part...if you don't want one next year, you still have your regular Christmas Tree, no harm done. Enjoy a simple Christmas of the olden days.

The History, Hopes, and Fun of Valentines Day

Valentine's Day, also known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is a celebration observed on the 14 of Febuary of each year. It is observed in many countries around the world, as well.

St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter (Julia) of his jailer, Asterius. The story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell. Saint Valentine was buried in the Church of Praxedes in Rome, located near the cemetery of Saint Hippolytus. According to this legend, Julia herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship.

Commemorations of St. Valentine’s Day are rooted in the distant past. In the Middle Ages the tradition of choosing a romantic partner on that particular saint's day began because it was believed that birds began mating on that day.
In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
By the mid-1850s the sending of manufactured Valentine’s Day cards was popular enough that the New York Times published an editorial on February 14, 1856 sharply criticizing the practice. Despite the outrage from the editorial writer, the practice of sending Valentines continued to flourish throughout the mid-1800s.

Whether or not you have a Valentine should have no baring on your enjoyment of the Valentine Season. There are many ways that you can partake in the fun of it.
Decorating around the house lends a bit of cheer to the otherwise dreary days of February. Who can be sad when surrounded by red and white hearts, and heart shaped candy boxes. Yes, you can save those boxes for decorations, they are very nice. A little red and white ribbon on the mantel, a few red roses, and those heart shape boxes can do wonders for your positive well being. You have to admit, it would be fun to look at for a few weeks, and decorating for Valentines Day will take up very little time. Take a look at the photos.

At right is a photo of a mantle I did in one of the upstairs bedrooms. The Valentine decorations include read ans white ribbon, and hearts. There is also a garland made up of little heart shapes, and those heart shaped candy boxes that I had mentioned earlier. It took hardly any time at all to set up, and makes a world of difference. I actually have another mantel upstairs that is decorated with vintage Valentine photos, candles, ribbon, and hearts (bottom photo). Do yourself a big favor, and get into the Valentines Day frame of mind with a little decorating, a few cupcakes, and a little fun. It will change your whole season!

The Beginnings of an Epic Christmas Display Part 4

The house is now decorated for Christmas, and I hope you have enjoyed all 4 parts of this Holiday Decorating series. In this last part you will see the inside of the house as well. Comments are nice, as well as likes, and please subscribe for more!

A brief history of the Snow Globe, and how you can make your own.

Video Below

Erwin Perzy, came up with the idea by accident in 1900. Mass production started in Vienna in 1905, and 108 years later, the company - Original Vienna Snow Globes - is still going strong. Mr Perzy III has been in charge since the early 1980s and the company, despite having only 30 employees, 15 of which work from home, produces about 200,000 snow globes a year.

Nowadays kids have everything... I mean, they have computers and lots of other electronic things, and our snow globe has nothing, no battery, no nothing, Erwin Perzy III. Unlike cheaper rivals from the Far East, the company's snow globes are handpainted and manually assembled, and the actual globe is still made of glass rather than plastic.

This is all you need to create your own Mason Jar Snow Globe. 1: Waterproof superglue
2: Something to put inside. Mini Christmas trees, ornaments, a small house, snowman, toys will work.
3: Glycerin (available at crafts stores)
4: Distilled water (distilled water and glycerin in a ratio of 1:1 for best results!)
5: Glitter, or Fake Snow like crushed glass.

Instructions:
Use glue to adhere your trinket to the inside of the jar lid. Dry about 24 hours.
Fill jar with enough water/glycerin to fully submerge your toy. Add the desired amount of glitter.
Use glue to adhere lid to the jar's metal screw band. Let dry.
Apply glue to the lid's inner edge, and screw onto jar. Let dry completely before shaking.

You can also make "dry" Snow Globe Mason Jar scenes, just leave out the water and glycerin. Not to mention, you can also decorate the outside of the Mason Jar, and put a little battery candle in it. What ever you would like to do, after all, it is yours to create. Just have fun doing it!

You can make Old Time Christmas Decorations with your Ornamental Grasses!

What to do with those Ornamental Grasses? Video Below.

You can make Old Time Christmas Decorations with your Ornamental Grasses!

Directions:
1: Start by cutting the grass.
2: Choose a shape, or shapes, and tie with twine. I did 4 different ones for the inside of the house.
3: Decorate as you see fit. You can secure it to the twine, or use hot glue. You are limited only by your imagination.
See how easy that was!

Since you know that you will have more Ornamental Grasses next year, you can just take off your decorations, compost this grass, and start fresh next year. If you are like me you will have a different idea of what you would like next year anyway.

Be sure to let me know in the comments if you like this idea, and especially if you intend to do your own Old Time Christmas Decorations. They are very inexpensive to do, and easy as well.