Christmas Decorating

 I started Christmas decorating really early this year.  My daughter has two events during the first week of December so I need to cook for over one hundred people twice in one week.  Normally it would not be such a big deal but with decorating, baking and getting Christmas presents ready, I decided I better get as much done as soon as possible.  Plus, I have Thanksgiving to do too!

 I usually use fresh greens for my decorating but they would be dead too soon since I am starting this early. I hate to spend a fortune on things which are out in the elements because there is no good way to clean them.  I figured I would hit the thrift stores to see what I could find.  I also dug through boxes of old silk flowers which I used over the years on my Christmas trees.

 I pulled out old swags of cheap ivy too.  It mixes well with fake pine.

 These two trees are lighted trees I found at the thrift store for 1.49 each and then added silk flowers and bulbs.  This is a great way to use old glass bulbs which have seen better days.  Plus, you can find bags of them at thrift stores for next to nothing.

 I started at the middle on top and just filled in as I went along.

 I like to make it heavier at the top and then taper down and then make it full again on the bottom.  Dollar stores are a good cheap source for silk flowers too.

 I found some other trees at the thrift store and thought I would make a small tree for The Blog Tech's new house.

 I covered it with leaves, holly and flowers.

 Then I added branches of berries.  This tree also lights up and it cost 1.99.

 This wreath was 99 cents.

 These trees are fiber optic and I paid 3.99 each. They will decorate a table at my daughter's events.  I will also make tree skirts for them.

 After playing with the wreath it looked like this.

 Perfect for the front door.

 It's not done yet but it is getting there.

On the other hand, my house looks like Christmas exploded in it.