There are a few more holiday projects underway (aka: getting crossed off the list — woot!), so let’s dive in. Last year I picked up four 3-packs of white felt tree ornaments from Target. I grabbed them about a week after Christmas when they were marked down to ten cents a set instead of a dollar, which meant I scored 12 mini felt trees for 40 cents total. They felt perfect for a casual little banner that looks like hand-cut paper but is actually ready-made felt — win/win. Sidenote: this is my hand but it looks so much like John’s that it’s kind of eerie. Are we becoming one person? Should the hybrid be named Shon or Jerry?
Next I pulled a random ribbon remnant from the leftover ribbon box in the closet and laid it out on the floor to mark spacing with the little trees. The ornaments had tiny gold strings for hanging, so I just clipped those off.
Then I grabbed a handful of paperclips from the office drawer and clipped each tree to the ribbon. Bada bing, bada boom. Sure, I could’ve sewn them or used tiny clothespins, but I wanted to keep it simple and use things we already had. There’s something charming about white felt trees, navy ribbon, and silver paperclips. If you prefer a dressier look, swap in binder clips or mini clothespins.
Behold… another mini tree!
Yup, our tabletop tree is back. If you want to see last year’s tabletop tree or the 38 homemade ornaments we made for the Pinterest Challenge, those are fun to flip through. For now, enjoy this year’s little tree display. Ignore the mangled gray pashmina I temporarily tossed under it — some silver faux fur would look great as a base.
The ornament theme here is simple: meaningful, sweet, handmade, and treasured. In Clara’s words, it’s full of our “special special favorites.”
We piled on ornaments we love — from craft-fair finds like a Virginia ornament to reader-made pieces we picked up at book tour stops, including a sweet silhouette ornament of baby Clara.
Here’s a fun felt YHL ornament a reader made for us at another stop. In the background you can spot John’s bike ornament from last year and an old disco ball from Target, along with a small brass French horn — a nod to John’s high school band days.
One of our favorites is a quirky moose ornament we picked up in Alaska on our honeymoon — two newlyweds moose snuggling together. Cue the collective aww.
Another highlight is a burger ornament we bought in honor of our beloved Burg-meister. Above it hangs a cute felt owl someone made for us — I can’t get over how crafty our readers are.
Basically, the tree is a wonderfully mismatched collection of meaningful treasures. Our homemade antlers, spray-painted animals, and glass bulbs filled with bright paint still have prime real estate alongside preserved gingerbread cookies and an Empire State Building ornament that reminds us of New York — where we met back in 2005.
We also brought our DIY chalkboard into the mix. John tackled his chalk-screech fear and drew a Starbucks-style cup complete with a snowman. He dipped the chalk in water before writing, which many of you suggested for brighter colors and less screechiness — it worked well, especially with colored chalk. I added snowflakes and Clara drew “a pretty rainbow for Santa.” The family that chalks together stays together.
This previously uninspired corner now makes me genuinely jolly.
Quick update on the little ornaments I glued to magnets: they’re holding up well and look just as cute next to holiday cards. We snapped the picture yesterday and three more cards arrived since then. Woot! I love finding seasonal mail — card nerd forever.
We also received an amazing handcrafted German advent calendar from our friends the Pohls. Their three-year-old daughter named Clara is our Clara’s penpal. The traditional calendar contains small envelopes and boxes with tiny treats like dolls, candy, stickers, and miniature tissue packs. Clara loves opening one item each day.
So those are our holiday updates.
set up the big tree (gradient, baby!)get a live tabletop tree again (like we did last year)decorate the mantel, the built-ins, and the entryway console- hang our outside lights & decorate the front porch
shoot a Christmas picture of Clara & Burger for our annual holiday cardmake an advent calendar for Clara? Ahh I’m behind already!- shop for/make the remaining gifts on our Christmas list (about 90% done — can’t wait to finish!)
We still need to hang the outside lights and finish some shopping and wrapping, but maybe this weekend will be the one. What’s left on your holiday to-do list? What have you joyfully crossed off already? Is there anything as satisfying as drawing a pen through a completed task? Anyone else having fun with a tabletop tree, handmade banners, or other sweet DIY traditions? Spill the holiday beans.
Update: You can view a collection of our favorite holiday decor finds — many under $15 — in our holiday picks.