Country Folks

How our family decorates at home for the holidays or holy days.

       God gave to mankind the instinct for home. Home is indoors.
       We come now to the two great family festivals of our land: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. They are indoor days. They are home days.
       Outdoors is the playground of the world; and its working place. Indoors is home. Though one walk in the field and forest, the time for turning comes; and the goal is home. Though one adventure to distant wonderlands over opal seas, there is a corner around which the traveler sees, there is a corner around which the traveler sees the greatest vision of all; and this is the vision of home.
       Though the boy may dream of adventure, though the girl may drift in fancy through the silken ways of fairyland, the mightiest dream known to human understanding is that of the wanderer who shuts his or her eyes and seas their beloved home.
       Thanksgiving Day and Christmas are home days.

I have another treasure
That is softly laid away,
And though I have not seen it
This many a weary day,
From everything around me
Comes a token and a sign
That 'tis fondly watched and guarded,
And that it still is mine.

Decorating Your Home During The Holidays & Holiday Reflections:

1. My Blessing Tree for Thanksgiving - Made using cut branches from the garden and silk autumn leaves.
2. Craft A Miniature Sweetgum Ball Wreath - A unique craft combining natural elements.
3. Sculpt Miniature Cotton Batting Pumpkin Ornaments - Tiny candy containers for look charming on a Halloween or Thanksgiving table top tree.
4. Craft simple acorns for Thanksgiving displays - Use the real caps, toss the nuts to the squirrels...
5. Photocopy leaf prints for your Blessing Tree - These leaves never shrivel up and if you need fall color from the countryside just print it out on your home computer.
6. Thanksgiving trims crafted from Indian corn - traditional and easy to do
7. How to make cinnamon and spice dough ornaments - Use cookie cutters or Autumnal themed molds to make these delicious smelling ornaments!
8. Use a cake stand to display a nativity set... - A easy "Christmas flip" for those of you looking for new ways to display old nativity sets.
9. "All Merry and Bright" chalkboard wreath - eye candy from out front door...
10. DIY Paper Mache Standing Snowman - A craft for both professional shop keepers and children alike!
11. The Unknown Giver... - "Christmas sets one careening back a little, to look at that mysterious connection of Rome with Christianity, which has held on so steadily since the first Christmas got itself put on historical record by a Roman census maker."
12. Tall and Thin, Old-World Belznickles by Kathy Grimm  
13. Fauve Gingerbread Church Tree Topper - Add a bit of cotton batting and a few bottle brush wreaths to something old to transform it into a one-of-a-kind Christmas center piece.
14. DIY a Yule Log Centerpiece - Cut your own log and forage for greenery from the woods.
15. The Children's Day - "I am very glad that the holiday is always recognized as belonging especially to the children."
16. Cut and Sew Vintage Christmas Prints - just a few examples from our family collections
17. Keeping Advent Calendars for Children  - a bit of history and links to Advent crafts
18. The Limited Edition, White Cloaked, Belznickles from 2012 
19. A Moon Themed Christmas Wreath - This version was especially designed for my younger daughter who has a moon themed Christmas collection.
20. Scrapbook Christmas Family Photographs  
21. Novel Decorations for the Christmas Tree - article from December 20, 1908 newspaper
22. Frugal Stocking Stuffers  - An old list but still helpful for some...
23. Give more of yourself... - "... they gave gifts - gold and frankincense and myrrh?"
24. The Bride's Christmas Tree - The meaning behind the 30 symbolic Christmas ornament given to a bride on her wedding day in Germany.
25. Gingerbread for the kids, eggnog for the adults...  - See how I decorated my Welsh cupboard for a cookie decorating event in my home.
26. The History of Gingerbread Houses - links to recipes and articles
27. My Belznickle Doll in A Patchwork Coat 
28. Craft a Snow House for A Christmas Display - Upcycle trash into treasure with this old-world thrifty flip!
29. What makes a Christmas ornament collectible? 
30. Porcelain Cup Cake Sampler (eye candy) 
31. Yesterday's Santa, Limited Edition Belsnickles Sculpted by Kathy Grimm 
32. Reproducing a Vintage Christmas Stocking  - Reproduce a "Hello" stocking from the 1950s, charming and innocent based upon one handmade from that era.
33. Redwork Pet Patterns  - free, vintage designs for holiday sewing project/gifts
34. Learn about Berner Haselnusslebkuchen or Traditional Christmas Cakes from Switzerland
35. Belznickles With Glittery Pink and Blue Coats by Kathy Grimm 
36. Ladies' Crocheted Hood from 1916  - cute vintage pattern
37. Enhance a Christmas Stocking with Costume Jewelry  - I made two of these one year to give to my children. Each includes vintage jewelry pieces found among the treasures of relations.
38. History behind Christmas stockings - where, when and how it all began...
39. Craft a Belznickle Head, Patchwork Stocking - Learn how to combine a 3D Santa head with patchwork stocking.
40. Hang a Unique Stocking on Your Front Door This Christmas - Video by Allen Smith about an unusual stocking wreath...
41. The Traditions Surrounding Christmas Stockings - history of St. Nicholas and the Orthodox Christians
42. DIY odds and ends tree stocking - Whip together a simply decorated grey wool stocking using trims from your button and bead collections...
43. Sculpted Belznickles in Gold, Blue and Brick Red Winter Coats 
44. Sew a traditional chimney stocking - Here I combine paper mache techniques with sewing. A Victorian traditional, chimney stocking for those of you who love period specific crafts.
45. Deck the house with green boughs and wreaths... - Ideas for creative displays of greenery, bring the outdoors inside for the holidays.
46. DIY A Bauble Ornament Wreath - crafted in pastel colors to pair with a white Christmas tree theme
47. Holiday Lighting Magic - suggestions by Earle Gage from vintage article
48. The Star of The Wise Men - "No sooner was Jesus born than wise men of the Gentiles, dwelling in the East, beheld a wonderful star, which gave them notice of his birth."
49. Belznickle Candy Box by Kathy Grimm 
50. Happiness is Cocoa in a Cabin... - How I decorated for a cozy Christmas desert buffet.
51. "The Feast of Lights" - Christ is the Light of the World
52. An Old-Fashioned Christmas tree trimmed in silver tinsel - One year Grandpa made a special request...
53. When I acquired a white Christmas tree... - just thinking about how to decorate this kind of tree really...
54. When collecting Santa was all the rage! - How I decorated the old Welsh cupboard.
55. Decorating for Christmas - ideas at YouTube
56. "Have A Cup of Cheer" - handmade chalkboard sign with snowflake and berry motif
57. Merry Acrostic Christmas! - to you and yours across cyber space...
58. Weave a paper heart basket for your Valentine  - traditional paper pattern and instructions for both Christmas and Valentine's Day crafts
59. Emboider a Hungarian Matyo Heart Ornament - these are frequently given on both Christmas and Valentines Day
60. Two ways to craft dangling Valentine ornaments - For those of you who have little pink table-top trees set up on Valentine's Day and need ideas for decorating them.
61. Sew easy iron-on embroidery rose heart ornaments - upcycle old embroidery patches
62. Craft paper mache heart shaped ornaments - The quickest and most economical way to proliferate original Valentine ornaments.
63. Sew felted wool hearts for Valentine Day - These look charming anytime of the year.
64. Preserve Cherished Ornaments - include these on a vintage felt wreath...