Making Christmas Merry!

Hello friends! Today, I am going to be sharing what makes Christmas Merry! (At least for me!)

Before I do that, I want to let you know that this week I’m joining thirty talented and creative bloggers to share our holiday decorating for our 2023 Christmas Home Tours. I hope you enjoy all their beautiful ideas and inspiration! I especially want to thank Marty from A Stroll Thru Lifefor organizing this tour of homes. It's always fun to see how each home is decorated.

A special welcome to all those coming from Renae at Peacock Ridge Farm. Isn't her home just lovely?

What makes Christmas merry? Christmas is a joyful time to spend with family and friends. It's filled with Christmas trees, jingle bells, lights and presents. But truly it's sooo much more than that!

As I began to pull out all of our Christmas decor, I was thinking about what makes Christmas so special to me. Of course, I love to decorate the tree and the bring out the nativity, but it dawned on me that one of the things that makes Christmas so merry for me is the memories. Memories of Christmas past and hopes for future Christmases to come.

So, let's take a tour, and I'll share a few more things that make Christmas merry in our home. Oh! And I added a few decorations to our new master bedroom, that I haven't even shared yet! You're getting a sneak peek!!

Let's start in the living room.

I just love this view! This Christmas I did a couple of diy projects and one of them is on the coffee table. This truly made me merry this year! I just love how it turned out. I made a bell tree!

It was pretty simple enough. Hubby cut a stump from a branch in the back yard. I drilled some holes and stuck these bell stems into them. This just made me happy!

Then of course, the Christmas tree, filled with ornaments and memories.

There are a few ornaments that are favorites every year... Our kids made these 'icicles' over 20 years ago out of plastic beads and pipe cleaners. I love the memory of when we made them and how they add sparkle to our tree.

Another favorite is our reindeer. We would hide them on the tree and every year the kids would love to find them and hide again. (most of the antlers have been glued and re-glued)

The last one is one I did this year. I crocheted over a couple of ornaments. The velvet yarn just adds this beautiful texture.

I really liked the trees in the window seat last year, so I did it again! I also hung the stockings under the sill. I struggled where to put them this year. This seemed the best. Once we have our stacks of flooring gone, I'll have more options. ( I opted to spare you a pic of that stack, that's been there way too long!)

You can see a bit of our outdoor nativity here.

Before we move on to other parts of the home two more things that make Christmas merry for me! Our nativities! The reason for Christmas is still about the King that was born to save the world! Here is our antique nativity and our sweet little clay one our kids made when they were so little!

Now we can move on to the dining and kitchen! If you've been following me for a bit, then you'll know how much better this view is, than before! If you're curious... I did a complete before and after, start to finish of our kitchen remodel.

I've kept it very simple this year. I decided to add bits of red here and there. I love how it pops against the white.

Another little project I did this year was the door decor. Would you believe that is made out of foam poster board from the Dollar Tree? Yep! Hoping to do a little tutorial on it soon!

With all of the remodeling and projects, I simply don't have the time or patience for elaborate table decor... We have 'new' chairs this year, but that's another project to reupholster them.

I will say those cute little napkin bows came out adorable! They were super easy and if you don't have napkin rings... no worries! I cut up a couple of toilet paper tubes and covered them in ribbon.

This little scene behind the couch just makes me smile! I made that cone tree years ago with poster board and twisted tissue paper into rosettes. 

The kitchen has just a few touches of Christmas.

Here comes the sneak peek!! I'm so excited how awesome our bedroom turned out and I can't wait to show you all the things...

In all my years, this is the first time I've ever added Christmas decorations to our bedroom. I can tell you it won't be the last!

This sign is us! I just knew it needed greens and some ribbon. This is still one of our favorite projects! Did you know it was made from an old door?

I couldn't find plaid pillow cases that weren't flannel (over 50, hot flashes... you get it!), so I found some fabric and sewed my own.

This nativity is another favorite.

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without our outdoor Nativity. I have an ebook that I created with the templates and instructions on How To Build Your Own Outdoor Nativity.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you also enjoy making Christmas merry for you and your family.

The next home to visit on the Christmas Home Tours is AnnMarie & Ann from Simply2moms. They are sharing ways to add glam and elegance to your home for Christmas. It's so beautiful! Enjoy!

Blessings to you this Christmas!
May you find peace in The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the reason we celebrate!

Here is the line up of all of the homes in this years tour. You can visit each Christmassy home tour by clicking the links below.

Monday's Tours

Simply2Moms | Worthing Court Blog | Midwest Life and Style

DIY Beautify | Peacock Ridge Farm | The Stonybrook House

Tuesday's Tours

Our Southern Home | Calypso in the Country | Chalking Up Success

Pink Peppermint Design | The House on Silverado | Lyndale Drive

Wednesday's Tours

Southern Home and Hospitality | A Pretty Life in the Suburbs | Whispering Pines Homestead

She Gave it a Go | Decor to Adore | Eleanor Rose Home

Thursday's Tours

County Road 407 | Thistle Key Lane | White Lilac Farmhouse

My Family Thyme | Southern Hospitality Blog | Clean and Scentsible | Bungalow 47

Friday's Tours

Shiplap and Shells | It All Started With Paint | White Arrows Home

This is Our Bliss | Thrifty and Chic | Follow the Yellow Brick Home