Sunday, December 4, 2011

Holiday Cheer Within Reach...

If you ask me, Thanksgiving doesn't have enough time in the spotlight. We leave decorations up for a month after Christmas (my neighbors go even longer) but the day after Thanksgiving? That turkey centerpiece is stuffed in a box and UP go the Christmas decorations in the blink of an eye. Not 24 hours after you finish eating that Thanksgiving meal we officially enter the countdown to Christmas. Say it with me folks ..... "ugh."

Exciting for the kids - yes, but if you work for a living you'll have to take out a second loan to keep up with "the holiday spirit." You need to arm yourself with gifts for everyone; friends, coworkers, and even that neighbor who sometimes stops by with an unexpected gift - um, awkward.

So if you were still digesting the massive overload of calories from Thanksgiving the night before and missed out on the disgusting Black Friday shopping debacle, I have the solution for you - homemade garland!

I first saw these online at Land of Nod for $29.00.... and yes, I did purchase them. But shortly after I made my way to actual stores to take in "the holiday spirit" I realized these would be pretty easy to make myself. I could customize the length and colors and pass along a meaningful gift without feeling the pinch in my wallet.



I started out by purchasing decorations from Target for $1.00 each. Some of them were 3 for $1.00 - even better! After I collected my palette of colors I set out for some twill from Jo-Ann fabrics. 9 yards for $4.00. What a deal! I grabbed some sewing needles and thread and started my experiment. Total costs - $14.00


Not long after I settled in for the night I began my project. Stretching out the twill, paper clipping each ornament in place and sewing them onto the twill at the length of my choice. This project took about 1 hour to complete (once I had my supplies) and looks pretty close to the real thing. Now I get to decide who gets them for Christmas!





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