Old Fashioned Country Christmas

[Cathymac]

I am planning an Old Fashioned Country Christmas at our house this year. Last year, I had an overall theme for our holiday and everything I gave, made, decorated or cooked fit that theme. Last year it was Tidings of Comfort and Joy.

I am outlining our house in red and white lights. We have to have new exterior lights anyway, so that's not a big deal. I want to find some candy striped ribbon to use on the candles that line the property line at the street and in the flowerbeds. I'll use the same ribbon for the mailbox, the garlands and trees on the front porch and on the back porches, the wreaths on the windows, and any other thing I can find outside.

Inside, the main tree in the living room will continue the theme with old fashioned ornaments and lights, as well as glass balls in red, green, blue and gold, with wired ribbon bows on each ornament to unify the look. I'll have the kids help me make some salt dough "cookie" ornaments in shapes like snowflakes, stockings, mittens and snowmen. They will be painted red, green, blue or gold and glittered with the same color. A bit of ribbon to match will hang the ornaments.

I'm still working on the rest my room by room plans. Stay tuned!! More to come!

 

[patteemom]

That sounds beautiful and homey. I hope you'll have picture to share once it's done. :frosty:

 

[happy2bme]

Sounds wonderful. Can't wait to hear what else you have planned.


:snowman: Melanie

 

[EllaBlue]

Cathymac, the plans for your Christmas decor sound beautiful. Hope that you post a picture when you have it completed. :rnament:

 

[MrsSoup]

Sounds wonderful, can't wait to see pics!

 

[coffeenut]

Sounds Great :grin: Hobby Lobby has red and white ribbon :friendly:

 

[aggy]

Imagining your outdoor decor...Very beautiful.

 

[Cathymac]

Thanks for the tip, Marge! I was hoping they would. I like to buy my ribbon there because I use so much and they always have it half price! I see a trip there in my very near future!

 

[teachermomof2]

Sounds great! Can't wait for the pictures!

:tree:

 

[Cathymac]

I'm going to work on this as I type...my ideas for my kitchen for Christmas. This room will be Old Fashioned French country themed! My kitchen is painted a goldish-yellow, and I use black and white toile for my window treatments and lots of French Country roosters, etc in golds, pumpkins, cranberry red (of course-it is my kitchen!!), hunter green and French blue. I know it sounds busy, but the colors are mostly accents, either in the roosters, artwork or other accessories. Black and white has sort of emerged as my basic colors, almost without my knowledge! LOL! I've decided my Christmas colors for in there will be black, white and red with old silver accents. (kind of dull, not really shiny).

So, here's my thinking right now. Remember, it's subject to change as I start decorating! I'll post pics of the final result!

As you come in the back door, I have a china cabinet in the corner. It has a middle section that is open and is great for decorating. It's where my fall village is now, if you've seen the picture on my blog. I'm going to use a (faux) silver tray there, with my Christmas coffeepot (ceramic) and cups and saucers, like it's set up for a tea party. On top of the cabinet, I'll have a lighted garland with red and white lights and red berries. I want to make "ribbon" from black and white gingham fabric to tie into bows on the corners of the cabinet. I'll have one of my big roosters with a red satin bow around his neck up there.

On the windows on the south end (double windows), I'll put a garland to mirror the one on the china cabinet. I'll use three bows-one on each end and one in the middle. I'll hang red berry wreaths from black satin ribbon in front of the windows.

My table sits in front of the double windows. It'll be simple, because we eat, do homework, read and wrap gifts there. It's my holiday planning center! I'll put a red tablecloth on it, and probably a basket with evergreen sprigs, silver, black and red glass balls and berries in it, so that I can move it when I need to. Above the table, the light will have red berries and a long, slim silver and red ornament that resembles an old-fashioned tree topper. I'm thinking about tying black tulle on the backs of the chairs...not sure how that will work with boys everywhere!! I may just do it for my tea party for my Sunday School class.

On the three east facing windows, I'll just hang red berry wreaths from fishing line so that they sort of "float" in front of the windows. I have shelves above these windows, and they get miniature villages. I don't even light them, just have the pieces and accessories. Each shelf is it's own scene...although they blend together.

On top of the microwave, I'll have a small tree with white lights and gold and silver glittered stars. On top of the cabinets I'll put my Snow Village, breaking it into three areas-city, country and Smokey Mountain lodge with bears, deer and ice fishing pond and cabin.

On top of the fridge, I'll have a small tree with my rooster ornaments on it. I'll use black and white ribbon and red berries on it to tie it in with everything else.

Now, my tree in here!
I'm going to use my white tree, with white lights. I'll put black, red, white and silver ornaments on it, black and white checked bows, black and white gingham ornaments (styrofoam balls covered with fabric and tied with ribbon), red berry sprigs and redbirds! I can't wait to decorate this room!!

Next up: Our bedroom (another favorite!!)

 

[coffeenut]

Wow :grin: It sounds beautiful. Would you like to come do mine? :haha:

 

[HouseElf]

Excellent ideas, keep us posted! Looking forward to the pictures! :grin:

 

[aggy]

Your description of your holiday decor is amazing.

 

[Merry Christmas]

Sounds amazing.

 

[crazymo]

Old fashioned country Christmas is my favorite style every year!!!! I collect vintage Christmas tree ornaments and put a ton of them on our tree. I use the big bulbed old fashioned lights and have a homemade homespun and felt tree skirt. New this year will be an antique nativity set set up under the tree. On top of my entertainment center I have a collection of vintage glass tree toppers in assorted size candlestick holders. On the bookcase I spell out Merry Christmas with antique toy blocks. In the kitchen I set up a small tree in a vintage marshmallow tin filled with scented rosehips and cinnamon sticks. I stick an old scoop part way in the rosehips. I decorate the tree with gingerbread men and vintage cookie cutters and s'more ornaments. I have an old muffin tin with votive candles in each muffin cup on the counter next to an antique round grater with a votive candle in it. On my porch I set an old sled up next to the door with a wreath hanging on it.

 

[Cathymac]

Crazymo--that sounds absolutely wonderful. Do you have a photobucket account or other online photo account that you could post pictures? I would LOVE to see it. I can picture it, but I'd like to see it! LOL!

I'll get to the bedroom description this afternoon...I've GOT to clean my house this morning!

 

[Cathymac]

A bit later than I'd planned, but here's my loose ideas for our bedroom and bathroom.

Our bedroom and bathroom are decorated in cream and cranberry red with accents of chocolate and caramel. I get hungry every time I go in there! LOL! The bed is covered with a cream and cranberry quilt and the window treatments are cream and cranberry toile swags over ivory blinds. I plan to put a lighted garland over each window. I'm not sure if I'll embellish the garland or leave it plain, with just bows on each end. I have garlands of tiny red berries that I sometimes put on it, and I may add in cream colored silk roses. It depends on how my time goes. The ribbon I use in this room is a sheer ivory with gold beaded edges. I found it last year and used it for wreaths as gifts for SIL. I just loved it and had enough left over to use in our bedroom and bathroom.

I sometimes put a lighted garland on the headboard of our bed, not sure this year. DH is not real crazy about that! LOL!

I'm going to put one on the dresser mirror that will match the ones on the windows. The tree in there is a slim 6' tree with white lights, red glass balls and ivory bows. I also make little bouquets of ivory silk roses and wire them to the tree...this year I'm adding Victorian paper cones I've made in cream and red, and lace fans embellished with ivory roses-if I can find the fans to embellish. I've got that on my Hobby Lobby list, hope to get up there in a few days.

I have wreaths on the bathroom and closet doors that have red berries and ivory roses with the beaded ribbon bows.

In the bathroom, I put a 4' tree in a French flowerpot (ivory and gold) and put it on the antique dresser in there. The mirror of the dresser has a pearl and ivory rose garland on it all the time, and I use the same decorations as the bedroom tree on this one, with the addition of my Old World Ornaments. I love this tree-it's old and falling apart, but it kind of looks like a feather tree and I use one stand of pearl lights on it...it's just a soft glow, not bright like the rest of my trees. It's very soothing... I love it!

I put bows and greenery on the lights over the vanity, I have a gold wire reindeer that goes on top of the linen cabinet and I plan to put pots of ivory poinsettias on the step of the garden tub. If it's not too frou-frou looking, I'll put an unlighted garland along the edge of the tub...I'll just have to see how that looks. I have fall leaves there now and I love how it looks.

When we entertain, I'll light floating candles in the tub, and float clear glass balls in it as well.

I put a small swag with ivory poinsettias and glittery stuff over the small window in the bathroom. I put out ivory Christmas towels with redbirds and holly on it, and use Christmas scented candles everywhere.

That's about it...it sounds really busy, but it's not as bad as all that! I'll post pictures when I get it done!!

 

[aggy]

I'm so jealous, Cathymac. Please post pictures of your bathroom when it's done. Sounds romantic.

 

[crazymo]

Cathymac, Once I get everything up I'll post some. I'm afraid I didn't take to many pics of my decorating last year!

 

[Cathymac]

Well, it's not exactly as I'd planned but it's not too far off. i have the kitchen finished, the living room is done except for the tree, which we'll be picking up Friday (the 7th) and I'll be doing our master suite this afternoon-if I can drag myself away from the computer! I did the front porch and candles yesterday, so it's getting there. I'll post pictures asap. My Sunday school tea party is next Sunday, so I have a lot to do this week.