You know how sometimes you just have little rules that you live by … well, I have a rule about Christmas. That we put the tree up on 1 December. And not a day earlier.
I nearly compromised and did it on Sunday. But then I decided that November was a slippery slope, and I just didn’t want to go there.
So I waited one more day, and I dragged out the plastic tree ($5 at the op shop) yesterday. We used to have a real one. It lasted about 5 years. It had a couple of years of looking small but quite good, and a couple of years of looking a bit wonky. And then I repotted it and it died. The plastic one is indestructible and at least for the short term is perfect for us. And it reminds me of my childhood.
I put the tree up while the girls were at school. And I went shopping for wrapping paper, and started wrapping all the second hand presents I had stored under the bed. Hooray! I was super glad to get them out. It was getting pretty full under there.
This year I chose minty green wrapping paper. And my home made gift tags which feature washi tape for colour are matching nicely. Lovely.
When the girls got home they decorated the tree.
Every Christmas tree needs a theme right? Our theme doesn’t really revolve around colour. I stick to lights and an eclectic mix of individual decorations. That’s it. I try and add in a couple of new ones each year. And chuck out any that are looking a bit tired or trashy.
The big red and white striped balls are my new addition this year. They’ve got a bell in them and I really bought them because I thought Lolly our cat would like them (she loves chasing christmas decorations – they end up all over the house).
But mostly our tree reflects crafty projects and creative fun. There was the year we painted glass balls. And the year Elise made felt with Tahlia’s kinder class and then cut out bells and trees and stars. And the year I sewed felt Christmas trees and added sequins to them. And the year the girls threaded buttons at kinder. And then last year India made a photo frame star at school … And more. Lots more.
Everyone at our house likes to add their own creations to the tree and talk about where they made them. So it is definitely a group effort to decorate. And a great way to celebrate crafty fun.
Do you have lots of home made things on your tree?
the second hand city 
Because we have so many late-November birthdays in our house, we don’t put the tree up until the first weekend in December. No theme, just lots of stuff that the kids have made and that has been collected over the years (if I’m overseas, I always buy a Christmas decoration as a souvenir).
My kids are always most excited about putting Christmas lights up – we don’t have heaps but do add to the collection every year (Jez has no part in this – he thinks it’s way too much work – bah humbug). Last year I asked Ed “How many more Christmas lights should we buy?” And he said “Enough to make Dad cry.” Hehehehehe.
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