Thrifty Decor Chick Christmas home tour

December 11, 2013

Hello all and welcome! If you are coming over from Donna’s tour, hello! And if you haven’t been to it yet, be sure to check it out. So much inspiration!

OH my goodness. I gotta say, this wore. me. out. When I decided to do this Christmas blog tour I was all, how fun, I’ll share my holiday decor! And then yesterday I was all, CRAP, I have to clean my whole house!

But is wonderful to have all of our Christmas decor up and done! I took a load of pics, so bear with me people. Here’s the thing – every year I get rid of more holiday decor (don’t cry for me, there’s a ton to start with) because I just don’t wait to store it all anymore. This year I’ll get rid of a bit more, but overall we have good storage for it all now so I’m not as focused on getting rid of much. I have created a new rule of one item in, one out though.

The older I get the less I want to pack up half of my house to decorate for Christmas. I don’t mind a little bit, but years ago it was like we were moving back in in January, I had to put so much back where it belonged. So, my point is, I try to use what we have an add Christmas touches to it. It’s not always in your face Christmas, but it’s fun and festive and we love it.

I’m not going to talk too much, so if you half any questions let me know and I’ll answer them in the comments. We’ll start with the kiddo’s spaces:

book nook

I had to dress up the book nook a little. :)

santa hat craft 

Every year the Bub and I set out his Christmas village. Some of it is Goodwill finds from years ago and the rest we have picked out – one a year. It’s his absolute favorite thing to set up at Christmas:

Christmas village

The cats regularly walk through the town knocking down trees and people, it’s just general havoc. :) We turn it on at night and the Bub falls asleep to the lights. It’s lovely.

The powder room got a redo this year so I had to add a few holiday touches:

  preserved boxwood wreath 

white wood planked walls

My only holiday decor purchase this year was an expensive one. Yowza. I’ve wanted the Willow Tree nativity for years and I finally bit the bullet.

It is so pretty:

willow tree nativity

Up till now we’ve only had the Little People nativity so this is a step up. :) I hope to add to it a bit every year.

I leave most of my accessories as is and just add to them. Greenery ALWAYS does the trick:

I just used pieces of Frasier Fir cut off our tree – just ask for scraps and they’ll give them to you! Keep them spritzed with water or just leave them – as long as you don’t touch them you won’t know the difference.

One of my favorite (and easiest!) additions this year is an idea I got from Ann Marie’s Instagram feed. I changed it up a bit to work for the frames above the sofa:

Easy Christmas art

I’ve had the frames up for two months without anything in them – I have a plan but I’ve obviously found more important things to do. ;) I think I’ll keep these print outs and put them up again next year! I think it’s so stinking cute.

I’ll share more about our trees next week (more on that later), but here is our BEAST:

That’s nearly 12 feet of awesome right there. We have a total of four trees in the house and this is the largest by far (by about five feet).

I didn’t do too much to the dining room -- we still have our old kitchen table in there so I put together a simple centerpiece: 

Simple Christmas centerpiece

Then I added some sprigs of greenery on half of the shelves:

DIY bookcases

And just a few touches of Christmas using ornaments:

DIY built in bookcases

And lights:

Christmas lights in jar

I had lights from IKEA (they’re years old, not sure if they still have them) that are teeny tiny and don’t burn hot, so I stuck them down in my vintage jar. It’s SO pretty, especially at night.

The kitchen got a few bits of Christmas:

Christmas in the kitchen

There’s my glittery reindeer, so pretty.

   fake snow

Dang it gets dark so early! I was running out of light. 

I got some simple white dot vinyl from my friend Shelley and went a little crazy with an idea she had:

Chalkboard with "snow"

It “snowed” on our chalk board and I LOVE it. How fun is that? I have one more thing to add to that wall that I will show you soon. :)

I shared our Christmas mantel hereChristmas mantel

And how I make my Christmas pillows on the cheap here:

placemat pillows

I went minimal with the rest of the family room:

DIY silhouette

wood box for decor

Dresser as entertainment center

I used my Ball jars (yeaaaah Ball State!) on the stairs and filled them with fake snow and a few small ornaments:

Christmas stairs

That fake snow is another staple this time of year!

Wood stairs, white risers

Of course my favorite time during the holidays is the night time. This is my view as I type:

tall chirstmas tree

This isn’t all of the decor and I still have a couple more projects I hope to accomplish, but this is most of it! As you can tell by the 200 pictures. :) I hope you enjoyed it and were inspired! NOW I can sit back and relax!

Check out the others too -- I’ll update the rest of the tours as they go live:

Monday
Just a Girl
Nesting Place
Hi, Sugarplum
Tatertots and Jello

Tuesday
Life in Grace
A Thoughtful Place
Funky Junk Interiors

Wednesday
Thrifty Decor Chick
Decorchick
Southern Hospitality
Our Fifth House

Thursday
Sand and Sisal
Songbird
Pretty Handy Girl 
Beneath My Heart
All Things Thrifty

Friday

I Heart Organizing
My Blessed Life
Emily A. Clark
Not Just a Housewife
Remodaholic

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Comments

  1. Love this series! Staying tuned. Beautiful job on your home for the holidays :)

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  2. It's all so pretty! I love that ginormous tree soooo much!

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  3. I haven't had a chance yet to go by the other homes in the tour,but will. Yours is so happy and personalized. I love the chalkboard wall with the "snow." I love the fa la la... series. I love the pillows you make (I actually searched for placemats last week after I saw that post) & I love the jars w/ snow on the stairs. It's all beautiful, but not enough room for everything. You are one of my absolute favorite bloggers. I agree with you about adding to what you have instead of moving out and back in which is what I used to do until a couple yrs. ago. Merry Christmas!

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  4. i LOVE the snow on your chalkboard wall! ours also has snowflakes on it at the moment, but i love how you did yours- beautiful home, sarah!

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  5. Your house looks beautiful! I love all the simple touches. I just love this tour!

    Tammy @ the colored door

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  6. I absolutely LOVE your style, I will admit to "stealing" lots of ideas from your blog for my home..... any how, LOVE this Christmas tour, especially the "snow chalk boad wall" Merry Christmas to you and your family!!

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  7. Oh what a nice tour of your home all dressed up for the Holiday Season! My favorite item is the framed Fa La La's. How simple to do too. Oh, and the lights in the big jar. Just perfect!

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  8. Beautiful! My favorite is the snow on the chalkboard wall... so easy but pretty dramatic.
    Man, that's a huge tree!!

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  9. It's all so lovely but my favs are the TP tray (love it) and the snow wall (very creative). Thanks for sharing your home.

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  10. Everything is so beautiful! Simple yet still so effective!

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  11. You actually do ALOT throughout the house but all to a minimum. I am all about keeping it simple and adding to what I have. I could not be one of those people who clear out a room and redecorate the entire room--like a room I saw that was overtaken by Nutcrackers large and small! The woman said it took her a few weeks to put them all away--ugh! I love the simple centerpiece in the round wood bowl and the long box filled with lights and greenery under your TV. Please tell me you use your preserved boxwood throughout the year! I LOVE preserved boxwood--have had three wreaths sitting on my dining room table for about 3 months waiting for me to figure out where to put them. They WILL be cleared and hung by Christmas Eve dinner! :)

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    1. I do use them! :) I blogged about them here: http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2013/03/boxwoods-for-spring.html They are too pretty not to use!

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  12. I love all the simple greens you added all around your home Sarah! And the Fa-la-la wall art is genius! Also love the stair mason jar tealights!!!!!

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  13. Love it..... I love your decor style, I love the long and narrow wood box that you change with the season (dried hydrangeas in summer) currently the greens , berries and candles on the "table/ dresser" in your family room

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  14. Wow I love your 12 ft tree! And had to chuckle at the dog on the couch and the cat curled up in the dogs bed! LOL!

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    1. Forgot to say the chalkboard snow storm is awesome!! Love that!!

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    2. Yes the cats have taken over both dog beds. :)

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  15. I love your house. Favorite Christmas tour so far. For reals. I wanna come hang out now. And...I'm glad I'm not the only one who makes it look like Santa threw up in every room.

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  16. I love so much about everything that you did! The greenery all around is just beautiful! It is just the perfect subtle way to welcome in the holiday season but makes such an impact! And the frames with the song! Love it! Can't forget that cutie sleeping kitty as well ;)

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  17. Wow! Beautiful. Everything is just beautiful. Love your blog. :)

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  18. Beautiful decorations! We received the complete Willow Tree Nativity set for our wedding 3 years ago. I absolutely love it! I like how you put some pine around it. I usually weave white mini lights through it (with the brown cord) but i really like the pine idea.

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  19. Sarah!! Everything looks SO beautiful! I look forward to your home tour every year because I feel like I'm visiting a friend's house. :) I want to comment about every little last thing, too...Ohhh! Cute idea! Oh my gosh I love this!! I'll save you the commentary and just say my favorites have to be the snow on the chalk board (so cute!) and the little town in your Bubs's room. What a great idea!! We have a little town, why haven't I thought of that?! Next year!!! Love your simple touches - they are so beautiful. Merry Christmas friend! I have our home tour up today, too. We went simple this year. I left about 80% of our stuff in the bins!! If you have a second to check it out, I'd love it!! Have a wonderful day!

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  20. Sarah it's all so lovely. I adore the mason jars on the stairs and the greenery on the shelves. Your home looks so welcoming and beautiful. Fun tour, my friend.

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  21. I haven't clicked on the other tours yet, but I seriously doubt any of them will beat your house - it is FANTASTIC! Everything you've done is great.

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  22. I just love your house and your style. Its so put together and decorated but not fussy. It looks like I could just come on over and feel comfortable. You did a great job with your holiday décor!

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  23. Wow your house is so festive and inviting! I love it all, especially that precious kitty curled up in the bed. :)

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  24. Your house is so comfortable and livable, I love it! Question for you.. Do you remember where you bought the lamps on either side of your TV? I'm looking for white ones similar to those. Thanks :)

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    1. Thank you! I got those from HomeGoods -- I think about two years ago?

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  25. I love it all, but I really love the jars on the stairs and the Fa La La artwork! Thanks for sharing

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  26. Your holiday decor is beautiful. I love how it's simple and I love all of the greenery you brought in. The jars on the stairs are such a unique and beautiful touch too. There are so many places to decorate that we easily look past. Great job and Merry Christmas to you!

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  27. Gorgeous! Thanks for letting us have a peek. I love the nativity, I've been searching for one too & have to check this one out now. The pic at night is breathtaking....that tree!

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  28. I love your home and your style. Simple, understated, fun and livable! Thanks for sharing!

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  29. Gorgeous! I love your blog! I've also had a change of heart about the extent of my decorating. For my own sanity, I decided recently that I needed to decorate less seasonally and just add holiday accents and touches to my more permanent decor. And now I've realized how much I LOVE IT -- the way it looks and the less to clean up!

    idontsharepopcorn.blogspot.com

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  30. I LOVE everything but I especially love your Fa La La pictures and the jars on your steps :) LOVE!

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  31. I love the jars on your steps, but those would last about 10 minutes in my house with 4 kids running up and down. :) I think the greenery on your built-in bookcases looks lovely, too! Such a simple and pretty way to add a holiday touch. Beautiful!

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  32. Beautiful! I would love to know where you got your boxwood wreaths? I would love to hang one in my kitchen this year, but am afraid it will die in a minute so I'm on the hunt for a good fake or tips on how to keep one alive! Thanks!

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    1. Thank you Kate! I got them from decorsteals.com last year -- they are nice and thick. I am supposed to spray them with water every month or so but only do it every six months maybe.

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  33. It is so nice to see your Christmas home. I remember so many of your posts as you created your home and it is a pleasure to see the various areas again. Thank you for sharing.
    Joy

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  34. Gorgeous! What a great tour of your gracious home.

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  35. I love it! Your style is a lot like mine...or like what I would want mine to be if I had more $$$. Lol I love that nativity. My in-laws gave all of us it in pieces over 3 or 4 Christmases, and now the only thing I don't have is the stable/platform. Definitely worth the investment!

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  36. I like your decorations a lot. Not every room has to be decked out to the hilt, or even one room decked out to the hilt! I like glitz and glam myself, but not too much of it. BTW, this has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, but I really like your former kitchen table and chairs in the library. It's not a library without a table and chairs. One cannot do serious studying and writing while sitting in a club chair or a wing chair! I think your table and chairs look great in the room.

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    1. Thank you Jan! Yes we haven't minded it -- my husband actually used it as an office this summer. I do want something more comfy so we'll see what we do.

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  37. Luv..luv!!I don't thin there is one thing I did not like .... just beautiful.

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  38. Love your house and the Christmas décor! It is beautiful and simple. Also love the trough on the back of your toilet for the tp rolls!

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  39. Beautiful Sarah! Your tree is fantastic - perfect for your room! And I love the Fa-la-la artwork and your wreaths! I have a bit of a wreath addiction. ;-) I hear you about the work - I didn't expect a virtual tour to be so time consuming! But, it lights a fire to get things done, right? ;-)

    http://www.evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/day-1-12-days-of-christmas-holiday-tour.html

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  40. Your tree is stunning....absolutely gorgeous!! Can you tell me where I can get the print near your cute sparkly reindeer?!?! Love it!

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  41. Your home is absolutely gorgeous! I love the Nativity scene best of all! Have a wonderful day!

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  42. I have my eye on the same Nativity set. I love it's simplicity. Question, how did you hang the wreath in your powder room? I have one boxwood wreath hanging in my kitchen window that I love, but those things are heavy!

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    1. Yes it is! I had a nail there already so I just nailed it through the ribbon. I think it should hold up OK.

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  43. Enjoyed visiting your blog......the wonderful Christmas decorations are done so tastefully. Your home is warm and beautiful. Loved the chalkboard snow scene! You are making memories for your family.

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  44. Thank for sharing. Your house is absolutely gorgeous!

    You must love to cuddle up in a blanket, and enjoy the fruits of labor.

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  45. Stunning. Everything is so beautiful. I adore the candle jars on the steps. Hugs, Marty

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  46. I haven't even pulled out my decor boxes yet, but it will be simple this year since I'll be leaving Christmas night for a couple of weeks. I love how you have added touches to your usual beautiful decor - it makes sense and looks lovely! Thanks for sharing.

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  47. Thank you! You shared so many great ideas and it really motivated me...really. I ran outside, cut some holly and really spruced up my mantle!

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  48. Love the simple elegance showcasing your home! You have such a gift to pull magic almost out of thin air! Merry Christmas!

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  49. Absolutely everything is so perfect and adorable! I love fa la la la on the wall!

    Kayla
    www.lovelucygirl.com

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  50. Very pretty Sarah! That picture of the tree at the end lit up is my favorite :)

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  51. Wow, your house is gorgeous! I can't believe that ginormous tree...it is SO pretty. I bet it's a pain to put up though! Love the framed fa la la la la art above your sofa.

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  52. Love the framed fa la la la la. So fun. And the snow storm on your chalkboard too! :)

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  53. Looks beautiful! Where did the curtains in your living room go??

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  54. I do child care in my home and for the past few years the children that I care for have given me pieces of the Willow Tree Nativity so I now have the whole set :) How do you keep your cats from climbing and tearing up your trees? We have 4 of them and have to keep our french doors closed so they can't get into our living room. Your house looks beautiful!

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    1. Ha! We don't. Our oldest cat doesn't bother it much any more but the younger two (especially the kitten) do. I gave up on having ornaments at the bottom of the tree -- they've taken at least 10 off and they have disappeared around the house. I haven't found a great solution for keeping them away but someone mentioned a little air machine that scares them if they come too close to it -- we're going to look into that. I just don't want them messing with the cords.

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  55. Gorgeous Sarah! The snow chalkboard looks fantastic and I'm in love with your mantel. Love the jars and that tree is amazing! Love it all.

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  56. Fa-la-la-la-la kills me! We have to do that! I loved so much, it's hard to narrow it down: the snowy chalkboard, the ikea lights in the jar, and the view of your tree at night. Wow! Merry Christmas!

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  57. Sarah, everything is beautiful! I love the Fa-la-la... and the sleeping kitty...and the stairs. Oh, I love it all!

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  58. First off I love the décor! It looks beautiful. I love the nativity set as well. I've been wanting to buy it for years and finally bought most of it last year. I found it at Hallmark for 50% off after Christmas. If you go the day after, at least where I am, all of the Hallmark stores had the Willow Tree Nativity for 50% off on clearance. That would be an easy way to get more for cheaper.

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  59. The fa la la pictures, your credenza and your adorable animals...wonderful job. Can you tell me where you got the deer cutout inside the wreath? I've been looking for one. Thank you for a glimpse into your home!

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    1. Thank you! I got that from Michael's last year -- it was unfinished and I put the paper on it.

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  60. I just love your house. Everything here is so beautiful! I've said it before and I'll say it again, your blog is my very favorite of all the blogs in blogland. I'm inspired by every room in your house!

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  61. So many beautiful touches of Christmas throughout your home. The Fa, la, la art is genius and those boxwood wreaths are simply gorgeous. Also loving the chalkboard wall art! :)

    xoxo!

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  62. Hi, I have spent the last hour looking through your posts, just so impressive and beautiful. Have you done a post on your huge full-wall bookcase? That is exactly what I need, exactly. Please, if you could, point me to the right spot! Thanks!

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  63. Sarah....so thrilled to see the glitter stamped sheet music in the distressed frame.....you must have visited by booth at the November 2013 Indie Vintage Market! Thanks so much for stopping by!

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THANKS so much for reading!