Decorating for Christmas!

Does it happen to you too, or is it only me?
I was really bored to decorate this Christmas!
First I was on a decluttering mood and so was hubby so the one thing that left first was our huge Christmas tree! It took too much space into our little storage room over the bathroom so he insisted it had to go!
I on the other hand who loves Christmas trees and decorating them I was the last couple of years begging hubby or son to take it down and put it up and I was just decorating by myself, listening to Christmas songs on the CD player. And then again after the holidays I had to put everything away all by myself.
So I accepted hubby's proposition to give it away! But to whom?
And then I had this idea that maybe it would be useful at school.
Although each classroom has its own small Christmas tree, the one that was decorated every year by the Parents' Association in the school hall was nothing much.
So I donated it to my school! Some years ago I had donated my previous tree to another school. That was a 2m high tree. This one was 1.80 but really thick and beautiful.
The mothers of the Parents' Association who came to decorate for the bazaar were really vey happy with it and although they didn't have too many ornaments to decorate it with they managed to make it look really beautiful! All the children really liked it and all the parents who came for the bazaar and the teachers liked it too so I am glad I gave it to them after all! And I will be able to look at it every year!

 Isn't it gorgeous?

So what about my home?
Well my first idea was not to decorate at all. Then I decided it will be only decorating the big living room table and that's all!
So I put my old favourite snowman, the collection of green vases, the collection of little Christmas trees (most are gifts from my brother), my old time angel on the glass Italian vase, the vintage soup pot filled with pine cones, otchipotchi stones, my new little birdy box bought from a bazaar, my Nafplio candle holder from last year's trip, Marabeth's caroler,the star tealight holders I bought from the States, fabric birdy ornaments made by Cathy, clay ornaments from last year's school bazaar, Tua's reindeer, old vintage toys,

 Then I decided I wanted some greenery so bought a couple of fir tree branches and put them in the green vases. Then hang my collection of otchipotchi ornaments on them along with felt heart ornaments made by Cathy, ornaments I bought in the clearance sale in July in the Metropolitan Museum of Art  shop in New York, ornaments made by my niece or cross stitched ones by myself.

My Christmas tree collection, vintage toys, a Resurrection Fern friendship stone, some Ioannaspottery bowls brought from Skyros.

 The felt tree I made last year at In My Closet workshop,

 Frieda's crochet wreaths, Andria's little love parcel, Cathy's fabric birds!

I love the lights everywhere!

Then I decorated a bit around the room with my little elf bought at a Koperti bazaar years ago, the cross stitched picture Marabeth gave me (the red frame looks very Christmassy) and the Winter scenery cross stitched picture I made some years ago. Also the little embroidered angel from Laura of Bugs and Fishes sale.

My Finland red snowflake garland and Cathy's fabric birdies along with some special sea glass and sea glass ornaments made by my sea glass friends Lynne of oceansbounty (sea glass star), Andria of Andriasserendipity (peace symbol) and Juliana (sea glass turtle).

 My little candles from Finland which I always light as they remind me of that wonderful trip there in 2007.

And of course we always light some real candles.
Juliana's candle inside a lovely Christofle silverware bought at a tag sale in the States and lots of semi-precious stones all around it from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC.

 I also put a little pink wreath in the bedroom along with a white porcelain ornament.

Finally I decided I needed some space for my Christmas cards (the ones I receive) so I made a washi tape Christmas tree on the back of our door. It needs a bit of work still! And I think I haven't received all of my Xmas cards yet!

How did you decorate?
Hope you have a great holiday!

An Otchipotchi giveaway win and purchase.

I have many a time mentioned otchipotchi and Paula Valentim from Portugal. I love her work.

 Every Christmas she makes some lovely ornaments.

 I loved this year's too and bought a set. They are very reasonably priced! And I was very lucky and won a set in her giveaway on her blog too!
So here they are.

 As always she added some little extras!

 And here they are on my small fir tree branch! I know they don't show much and maybe I should have put them by themselves but I also wanted to put some of my other friends' ornaments like Cathy's felt hearts she made for me some years ago,Gaby's little Scottish doll,a couple of my cross stitched ornaments, Gara's snowflakes and finally some ornaments I bought from the Metropolitan Museum of Art shop in New York at their summer clearance!!!!!.Now that I compare their prices to their on line shop I am shocked how great a bargain I scored!

Christmas Bazaars (2)-Our school bazaar

The idea came at the Parents-Teachers Meeting at school. They wanted to organize a bazaar and they wanted help. Me and some more teachers offered our handicraft skills whereas others offered their pastry making skills.
I spent four Friday evenings at school along with my colleagues making things. And I also spent almost every evening for about a month making things at home.
First I made some Christmas ornaments out of a white fleece blanket I bought from IKEA for just 3 euros. It is a lovely material to make ornaments with.

Our Art teacher made these ornaments out of clay.

 She started painting them.

And I finished them off.

 Then the parents brought us some red and green felt.
I made some napkin rings.

I also made some Christmas tree ornaments and two pairs of Christmas tree earrings.

 The Art teacher painted some glass jars.

 Two other colleagues made wreaths and decorated them with candles.

 They also added pinecones that me and the Art teacher spray painted.

 The Art teacher recycled some burlap fabric into stockings and I decorated them.

 She also cut out paper stockings and I decorated them.

 She also painted Christmas cards and we decorated them too.

 Our workshop, the teachers' office.

 From all the things I made I so enjoyed making these ornaments though! I adored them. I got the inspiration and patterns from Crafts Beautiful magazine. But I definitely added my own ideas on them.They are babushkas (Russian Dolls).

 The total of what I made at home.

 And the bazaar!
Children's drawings.

 Sweets.

 Handmade items.

 Cards.

 Clay ornaments.

 Salt dough ornaments.

 Wreaths.

 And felt ornaments.

  And here's what I bought.

I am glad all ot the items I made were sold. And I am glad we helped the parents make some money for the school.