11.15
2011

Over 50 Ornaments for less than $1.50!

I have been kind of torn on the direction I want to go this year for our Christmas decorating. In the past I have always been torn between a few different styles. I love having everything rustic and handmade looking, but I also love a very crisp clean look with just lots of fresh greenery, and I love fresh greenery mixed with lots of whites and silvers and pewter and mercury glass. Over the last several years I have gone in each of those directions and have been having a hard time this year picking one. So, I decided I think I am going to mix them a little. In our family room, and possibly kitchen, where we spend most of the time I am going to go a little more cozy, rustic and handmade looking. Upstairs I am going to go with a more elegant yet simple look with fresh greenery and a little sparkle and then probably something in between for the dining room and living room. I am just hoping it doesn’t look disjointed and will flow together okay. Anyway, I started with the family room. Because we are really watching our budget this year I had to figure out a creative way to fill up our tree without spending much money. The other day it came to me. I was going to print out a bunch of our family photos onto cardstock and just hang them from the tree. I take tons and tons of pictures but rarely ever display them so this seemed like a great idea. I was so excited and thought it was quite creative. Well, a few days later I saw the same idea on pinterest and then once I saw it started noticing it everywhere. Haha – I guess it was  not so creative after all. Oh well! Even if it wasn’t the oh-so-original idea I thought it was, it was super easy and extremely cheap and helped fill up the tree! I even have quite a few extra that I have some plans for.

These little mittens add a cozy little touch:

 I was able to print 8 photos onto each 12 by 12 sheet of textured cardstock. I printed 7 sheets. They were having a sale at JoAnn’s for 5 sheets for 95 cents. So, I was able to get over 50 ornaments for less than $1.50! I am planning on making a “fancier” version of these for either our dining room or living room and will do a tutorial for those – possibly later this week but if not then I should be able to next week.

Lillie loves finding the pictures of herself, Lola, us, and the rest of our families!

And I love adding feathers to the tree for some added texture.
 
I also switched out the photos of the girls about the chairs for the Silent Night lyrics and The First Noel lyrics that I had up there last year.
 

Also, have Joy to the World placemat sets available now!

They will come in packs of four and will be available in sets of red and sets of black.

You can even roll them up and use them as napkins!

And we also will have our women’s Joy to the World thermals available later today as well!

I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

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44 thoughts on “Over 50 Ornaments for less than $1.50!”

  4. The decorations are looking lovely! 🙂 My girls would love seeing photos of themselves and our family on the Christmas tree, I may have to incorporate a few photo ornaments into my decor this season too! Thanks for sharing!

  5. Love, Love, Love! They are just perfect – I'm thinking that would be so fun to go back and do this for my boys. So many photo's! I hope you have a wonderful day, and thank you as always for the inspiration!

  6. Beautiful Jennifer. Last year for thanksgiving I used baby pictures of all the guest in frames as place cards. They could then take them home and put the little pictures on the tree with a gossamer ribbon.
    Your tree and your decor is sooooo you! And that is the greatest compliment!
    Peaceful, lovely and "all is bright"!
    Yvonne

  7. Your idea is great…even if it has been around for awhile. I did this on a huge wreath and hung it over my mantel a few years ago, but I didn't use texture cardstock…so see…you gave me a new idea:) I used pics from past Christmas'.

    Blessings,
    Linda

  9. ingléscatalánespañol

    Beautiful trees, is very well decorated! I love everything, the details are beautiful, and to say that the images of your family is beautiful! Worthy to see!

    A very strong kiss!

    Cristina

  12. Very inspiring! And I think an original thought is just that, even if it has been done by others, it was YOUR original thought and that is being creative! The tree looks pretty with all of those sepia tones and the feathers. Love the look Jen!

  13. love how the pics look old – how did you get that look? Also, just wondering if the Parewhite are real in your livingroom? everything looks beautiful and I would love to get the placemats…cant wait 🙂

    thanks.
    Amanda
    amanda-babymakes5.blogspot.com

  14. It looks gorgeous, and I'm sure the girls just love it! I also adore your urn filled with paperwhites. Are they real? I'm just about to search for some mercury glass urns to fill with paperwhite bulbs for the living room =)

  17. beautiful ideas!!

    I also just had to ask…
    I'm in the midst of registering for my upcoming wedding and having a hard time finding a china pattern I love. Would LOVE to know who your china is by in these photos above! Do you mind telling? It's more of what I've been searching for with no luck… Thanks so much!

  18. I have the same problem when looking at Pinterest. I need to keep telling myself, that my idea is original to ME and that's what matters. Same goes for you! 🙂 I think what you did is lovely!!

  19. Awesome idea! I've been wanting to switch things up, as our tree is the same every year. I knew you'd inspire me! Beautiful way to look back and reflect on memories!

  21. Beautiful idea. I've looked all over your site for info on your dining room wall. Is it wallpapered? I'd love details.

  22. Thanks so much, everybody!

    Amanda – I used Pioneer Woman's "Heartland" action and a little bit of my own tweeking to get the vintage look I wanted.

    Amanda and Andrea – The paperwhites in these pictures are fake, but I will put real ones out when it gets closer to Christmas 🙂

    Jessica – The china is from the Emma Collection by Pottery Barn.

    Anonymous – The wallpaper is from American Blinds. I have hunted and hunted for the name of it a bunch of people, but I can't seem to come up with it. I originally found it in a book at Lowe's, but our Lowe's doesn't carry wallpaper anymore 🙁

  23. Gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing. Please tell me how you got that beautiful vine around your tree. Do they make grapevine garland or did you deconstruct a wreath?

  24. Thanks! The grapevine garland was actually from our wedding. We used it in several spots for our reception and it has come in handy every since! This is the first year I wrapped it around our tree, though, and I think that is how I will be using it from now on.

  27. That is a gorgeous tree. I love that each ornament holds special meaning. How clever! Every detail in your home is beautifully done and so classy and elegant. I love all of the new items you've been adding to your shop, too.

  28. I love this idea-I have been trying to come up with a unique idea for our tree this year too! I know what you mean about thinking you have this amazing idea about something then right after find out everyone is already doing it!I have a feeling my brillant idea about garland for our tree will end the same way(:

  30. Cute! CUTE! CUTE! I love coming over here to spy on your latest decorating ideas! :o) You are very talented! I love everything you've done with your house.

  31. What a beautiful and heartfelt tree. I will be back for the tutorial! I see that you have been kind to share where items in the room came from – if you don't mind, I would love to know about the lighting fixture. I also love the Joy to the World placemats but see that both colors are sold out. Will you be getting any more?

  32. I would love to buy some Christmas pillow covers-are they all sold out? will there be more? Thanks!
    Jamie Harris
    lovelongtime.blogspot.com
    maddiemackdesigns.blogspot.com

  34. Thanks so much, everybody!

    Barbara Ann – Its from a lighting store in Florence, South Carolina. I can't remember what the name of it was though 🙁 Also, we won't have any more of those exact placemat sets, but we may try to introduce something similar if we get a chance.

    Jamie Lynn – We still have our Drummer Boy pillow covers in stock, and we hope to have more long Silent Nights as well as the Silent Night/Holy Night sets again soon!

  35. I love all your ideas! You are super creative! I also want to keep my Christmas decorations clean and simple. Did you make the pinecone sphere. Did you make it?

  38. So creative – and yet so simple! Was it just the scrapbooking paper purchased by the sheet??

    Thanks for sharing. Love your blog!

    Jen
    athomeinthenorthwest.blogspot.com

  39. Thanks, Jen! Yes, it was 12×12 textured cardstock that I got at Jo-Ann's. It was regularly 69 cents a sheet, but they were having a 5 for 95 cents sale. I went back today but the sale was over 🙁

  41. My mother passed in Nov. 2010 and that Christmas was hard for me to decorate for and I was stalled. My daughter had just met the love of her life and she wanted a Christmas like always to show him how it was done at our house. So.. I kept trying to push on. I came across some old family photos in some of my mom's things and put the actual photos right among the branches of the tree. It was an artificial tree so no worry about sap on the original photos.

    so while I am not stealing your idea of a photo tree I love the idea of copying and printing on textured paper to use as ornaments on the tree. Your idea is not time consuming… first like. It is clean and simple another like for a solution of not using the original photos. Thanks you so much!

  42. should have added the process of using pictures on the tree was very therapeutic for me. and broke my block for decorating. Again thank you.

  43. Was there ever a tutorial made for the Photo Ornaments? They are awesome! And I'd really like to find out how to make them!!

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