DIY Holiday Ornaments You’ll Love

DIY Holiday Ornaments You'll Love

This time of year, I enjoy seeing all the elegant trees featured in magazines, on websites & shared by people on FB. I sometimes long for those perfect trees, decorated so carefully with items that coordinate with one another. Then I look at my tree. It is beautiful in its own way but there are a few items that would prevent it from being featured in any magazine. There’s the cloth ornament with “For Dad” on one side & “Fro Mom” on the other, made by The Child when she was young. There’s the faded ornament with my name written in glitter, given to me by our church when I was a toddler. There’s the 2 angels with The Child’s name on one & my name on the other. Our names were added with labels printed out by Mr. D. who wanted us to know we were HIS angels! These decorations may not be elegant but they are packed with memories & money can buy those no matter how hard we try!

Woman’s Day offers you the opportunity to create memories with your family this Christmas. They have developed a series of DIY ornaments that you & your family can make to added to your tree this year & in the years to come. Enjoy!

DIY Ornaments

76 Heartwarming and Festive Christmas Decorating Ideas

76 Heartwarming and Festive Christmas Decorating Ideas

There are almost as many different ways to decorate your home for Christmas as there are ornaments for your tree. You are no longer forced to stick with the tried & true. Instead, you can go with a decorating scheme that suits your tastes, style & home.

You don’t even have to stick to just one style! You can go contemporary in  the living room, elegant in the dining room, country in the kitchen, eclectic in the family room & rustic in the bedroom! Why stick with just one style when so many of them are available & so much fun!

You also don’t have to spend a fortune to spread the Christmas cheer throughout your home. You can make many of your decorations. You can buy $ store decorations & transform them into something more fabulous. You can even shop thrift stores & repurpose your finds into beautiful displays!

Country Living has created a display of 76, YES, 76 decorating ideas! If this doesn’t get your Christmas creative juices flowing, you need to have a little egg nog & watch Charlie Brown again!

Christmas Decorating Ideas

35 Heavenly Homemade Food Gifts

35 Heavenly Homemade Food Gifts

I enjoy giving gifts to all my friends each Christmas. Unfortunately, my budget doesn’t seem to enjoy it as much as I do. Homemade gifts to the rescue. Homemade gifts, especially food gifts, allow me to show my love & appreciation to everyone on my list without straining my budget. I really do believe that it’s the thought that counts. Homemade gifts show that we thought enough to take the time to make something very special for those on our gift list. Stumped for ideas? Midwest Living can help you out with their list of 35 homemade gifts & fabulous ways to wrap them. Enjoy the season, share the love & fill your life with Simple Joy!

Homemade Gifts

50 Easy Christmas Centerpiece Ideas

50 Easy Christmas Centerpiece Ideas

Two fabulous things about a great centerpiece: its simplicity & versatility. Once a centerpiece is done doing its job on the table, it can be moved to a new location! A centerpiece done right can serve you as a beautiful decoration long after your special event. As I said, a great centerpiece doesn’t have to be complicated. The example in the photo show the elegance of a very simple centerpiece. Midwest Living share this cranberry centerpiece & 49 more with us for the Holiday season. Time to fill our homes with the Simple Joy of beauty!

Christmas Centerpieces

31 Easy, Homemade Christmas Ornaments

31 Easy, Homemade Christmas Ornaments

When I decorate our Christmas tree each year, I am filled with memories as I hang various ornaments on our tree. The pin & white knit stocking made by a co-worker for The Child on her first Christmas. The bicycle ornament I gave Mr. D. when we were first married. The ornament the church gave me when I was a toddler. And especially, the wax filled ornaments my great-grandparents brought with them from Germany.

As beautiful as those ornaments are, the ones I love the most are the handmade ornaments from friends & made by The Child as she was growing up. Do you have handmade ornaments on your tree? If not, it’s time to add some! If you do, you can always make room for more!

Country Living shares their selection of 31 easy to make ornaments. Many can be made with & by your kids. Prepare them for your tree this year. Then, enjoy the memories they stir up each year as you decorate your tree!

What is your favorite ornament on your Christmas tree? Tell us about it! Share the history & why it means so much to you!

Easy to Make Ornaments

50 Gorgeous Holiday Mantel Decorating Ideas

50 Gorgeous Holiday Mantel Decorating Ideas

Decorating the mantel in your home adds such a brilliant touch of elegance to your home. While we don’t have a mantel in our Simple Joy Cottage, so I use ideas like these on our sideboard, dresser & bar. It takes so little to decorate a flat surface like a mantel or sideboard. They aren’t very wide so I like to work with height. A touch here, a touch there and TA-DA! Christmas beauty abounds! And such a Simple Joy!

This tips & decorating ideas come to us from Midwest Living.

Christmas Mantel

Holiday-Inspired Outdoor Decorating that Lasts

Holiday-Inspired Outdoor Decorating that Lasts

Many of us like to decorate early in the season for Christmas. The problem then is: how do I make sure my decorations last that long? No one wants a wreath that begins to droop before Christmas. Or a display that just begins to look tired & worn a week or so later. We want our home to look as fresh & beautiful the last day as it does the first. BHG shares a selection of outdoor displays that stay fresh looking throughout the season. Give your guests a warm welcome this Holiday with these beautiful, and lasting, ideas!

Lasting Decorations

12 Wreaths to Get You in the Christmas Spirit

12 Wreaths to Get You in the Christmas Spirit

As you may have guessed, I LOVE making wreaths! I work to keep them simple so my clients may add their own personal touches to their wreaths. A wreath welcomes guests to your home & should reflect your personality & your home.

While I would be THRILLED to have you (& everyone else) purchase their Christmas wreath from me, I would also be happy to know you have created a Christmas wreath for your home. Good Housekeeping shares 12 wreaths you can make yourself. If you are like me, you will make more than one to decorate your home! Enjoy!

DIY Christmas Wreaths