Christmas Decorating 2025

Many years ago I purchased a lot of doilies on sale, so when I saw snowflakes on Instagram made with folded and layered doilies, I thought I would make one large layered one for each of the dining room and living room windows. I reordered the large doilies I had used to make paper bag snowflakes a few years ago but it turned out that the folding method wouldn’t work with the large doilies so I ended up alternating windows with smaller layered and single accordian folded snowflakes and windows with large snowflakes made with the paper bag method.

My idea for the kitchen garland ornaments this year came about as a result of a lot of different ideas coming together. When I was researching how to make felted pictures I saw some examples of small ornaments. An online workshop I had taken last year on darning with felting and embroidery had included a mushroom shape and when we visited Maydel, a new embroidery store I knew I wanted to make something with the mottled green natural felt they had. So I ordered small hoops, found Maydel in its new location, and designed a gnome to go along with the mushrooms. I knew the garland would need something else so I purchased some red crepe paper and got out the striped straws I had and finally made the new Polish choinka garland that I had been planning on making for years.

Only a few days after I realized my children’s book and movie character tree was missing Pooh someone I follow on Instagram posted a felt Pooh she had made. She made hers in white so mine is not an exact copy but I thought the shape she used was perfect.

The only new purchase we made this year was this “reindeer bust of kisii” according to his label which needs to stay attached because his bottom is rounded and he falls over without it. He’s made of carved and dyed soapstone in Kenya and we bought him at Amazwi in Saugatuck.

While we didn’t buy anything else we did get two new additions today. My Nonotuck friends Jen and Kimm sent the two snowpeople on the right. They made themselves right at home with the rest of the snowpeople in their traditional space on the lefthand speaker. Good thing we leave everything out through January!