I’m gradually getting a bit more into the festive spirit, it’s taken a bit of doing this year!! Yesterday I finally finished putting all the decorations up. One thing I do like at Christmas is reacquainting myself with various Christmas decorations I’ve made over the years, luckily I’ve put a date on some, as otherwise there is no way I would remember this bell pull is nearly 30 years old!! The cats on it would date it a bit as that’s Oliver and Nellie, cats I had in my 20’s. I love the Skating Santa bell pull, I think it’s his elegant shape, this was stitched a few years ago.
I’ve made a few wall hangings over the years too, these two Santas come out every year, they are probably from the same era. A more recent one is the Partridge in a Pear Tree quilt which I made just a few years ago. These are all pre printed panels which are then hand-quilted. I made the Advent calendar when James was little and it’s come out every year since.
I’ve made two father Christmas’s over the years and I’ve got a pattern for another one! My favourite is the Thimbleberries one which has an embroidered coat, his beard is made from Wensleydale sheep wool which is lovely and curly.
Last week a friend came round to make a Christmas wreath. I don’t usually do an actual wreath for the door, more of a seasonal bunch. I discovered this by chance when I was helping decorate our village church for the WI Carol service a few years ago. We had some big pieces of greenery left, rather than waste it I gathered it together into bunches, tied a red ribbon round it and hung them on pillars, they looked really good, so that’s what I usually do at home. I have to be careful with the holly as my OH isn’t impressed if it attacks him on the way in!
My Advent ring has been up for three weeks now so it’s starting to look a bit sad in places. At this time I usually take out any obviously dead stuff and fill in the gaps with natural and artificial bits, such as pine cones, clementines and floral pics. As you can see we’ve three candles lit now for the 3rd Sunday in Advent, together with the daily Advent candle in the middle.
Another floral decoration I’ve made this year is round a candle. I found some silver gypsophillia in my boxes of decorations. My original though was to sort of hold it in place with the candle, that didn’t work! In the end I tied small bunches together with silver wire in a row and then tied it round the candle. I think it looks very pretty.
The Fold and Stitch wreath has now got a candle lantern in it’s centre, the inside needed a little something so I threaded some baubles onto red ribbon and tied it round the base.
I’ve quite a few homemade tree decs now, little cross-stitch ones from years ago, a cross-stitch house I made within the last couple of years. The red and silver bells and the sheep are left over from the fair I did in Grassington.
I think my favourite one still though is the Mistletoe humbug I made last year, it’s a design by Faby Reilly. I liked it so much that when I got a discount code for completing the Lizzy Stitching Wallet, I bought patterns for several more! I’m over half way through stitching the Holly humbug, it’s looking very sweet, I’ll hopefully get it finished in the next couple of days. How are your Christmas plans coming on?
thecraftycreek 
What a lot of lovely hand crafted decorations! My own are much more minimal and not nearly as durable or hand made!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Kate, I did a lot of cross-stitch when I was younger, if nothing else it is certainly durable 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely gorgeous work❣️🌿❤️🤶🎄🎅❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dina 🙂
LikeLike
Everything is beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Kate
LikeLike
What lovely decorations, I hope I still appreciate mine in 30 years time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I’m sure you will 🙂
LikeLike
Love all the wall hangings. They look ace. Everything has been decorated here for a while and I only have a couple of presents left to wrap.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jessica, sounds like you’re a lot more organised than me 🙂
LikeLike
What a lovely selection of homemade decorations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Great projects, one of these days I want to do one of those fold and stitch wreaths.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Carole, they were much easier than I thought they would be!
LikeLike
Love your seasonal bunch,good to see greenery!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Deb, I do like lots of greenery at Christmas 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have some beautiful hand made decorations. I rather like the little house.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Cathy, the house is from a company based up in the Dales, Nutmeg cross-stitch designs I think
LikeLike
Wow, everything looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing. This is an idea I have been trying to spread this holiday season to give it a little more meaning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hidlnk1NC10&t=52s If you like it, please share it. Thanks, Rita
LikeLike
I love seeing everyone’s decorations, so much fun, and inspiring too!
LikeLike
Those are some absolutely lovely decorations, how nice that you can have such a selection of homemade items. 🙂
LikeLike
Wow, I’m so impressed at all those handmade decorations, especially the Santa with the curly beard! Every year I vow to make more, but invariable never get around to it….
LikeLike
Such lovely, personal decorations which must be a joy to rediscover every year. I can see you don’t go in for minimalist dĂ©cor a Christmas. After a difficult couple of months I am hoping to get my Christmas tree up and decorated tomorrow afternoon just in time for my eldest when she comes home for Christmas week. Then, I’m just going to wallow in my small family unit, eat lots, drink more most likely and watch some of the old toot that comes on the T.V. at this time of year and I’m thinking, while the others are playing video games (
), I might even cast on a pair of socks.
LikeLike
lots of lovely festive craftiness ^^
LikeLike
What wonderful decorations. I love the Thimbleberries Santa! I am sitting looking at my tree right now, a few handmade decs from over the last 20 years or so, then there’s three decs on the fireplace mantel, one from my son aged 4 or so! I love to see what people have made to celebrate. Seasons greetings!
LikeLike