Thursday, December 8, 2011

Let the Decorating Begin! Part 2 - Decorating with Santas and Snowmen

I have been collecting Santas for over 30 years and somewhere along the way I started collecting snowmen. Of course a lot of them were gifts from my husband, kids and friends as a way to add to my collection year after year. I was getting about 5 new Santas every Christmas! I finally had to slow that down and now I do not get any, nor do I buy any! I am always looking for new ways to display them year after year around Christmas. Some ways I have displayed them are a little different....like the Santa hanging from his back on my dining room cupboard!

I have a collection of small Santas that stay in my corner cupboard in the dining room. This year I decided to open the cupboard for display. There are Santas on the top shelf, miscellaneous Christmas stuff on the second shelf, my Wizard of Oz collection on the third shelf and my snowmen on the bottom.






The Santa in the next picture is quite old. I found the sleigh at a small town bazaar in the 80's and the reindeer are paper mache, found at a wonderful local shop called the Country Warehouse in Pultneyville, NY, right on Lake Ontario. The "snow" is batting that I just cut the edges out of to look like dripping snow. And the Merry Christmas sign was a great find from the local Goodwill! I love those finds!


Okay, here is the Santa hanging on the cupboard! He is all handmade and quilted with a bean bag body and stuffed legs. I found him at a very cute little breakfast place called the Chit Chat Cafe in Victor, NY. This restaurant is family owned and run and they and their friends make things to sell, which are also their decorations. I couldn't resist this Santa. The gold in his coat matches perfectly with my cupboard. He usually sits on the rocker in the dining room year round.


My musical Santa at the head of the truck also stays out year round on a wooden high chair in my dining room, but this year I decided to combine some of my small snowmen and bears with Santa to ride on this vintage wooden truck.



This is probably my favorite idea to display all my large Santas. They just fill the stairway and the whole hallway with a Christmasy feel when you first walk in the door.  So easy to do and is just enough to add decoration.


There are snowmen scattered around the house, as well as other Santas in settings called Vignettes, which I will talk about in Let the Decorating Begin! Part 3. This snowman tree is filled with snowmen ornaments, garland and even a snowlady angel for the top. It is part of a vignette in my dining room.......

This last picture is my favorite of all. My sweet granddaughter Chloe was listening to this animated Santa playing a jazz rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town........another great place to display Santas and snowmen....under the tree!


You can decorate your whole house and not spend a lot of money by placing things strategically around to create a Christmas feeling throughout. As you have read, I got a lot of stuff at local bazaars, craft shows, the Goodwill and the Dollar Stores. I go out December 26th every year (this year it is a Monday...yeah!) and get things at 50% off or more. I start at the Dollar Stores and work my way up to the mall and places like Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics. Rarely do I give in and buy something at a gift shop unless it is really on sale or I just plain have to have it!

I would love your comments on anything I've posted so far!

Visit Part 1 - Decorating with Wreaths  and  Part 3 - Decorating with Vignettes for more Christmas decorating ideas.

Happy Decorating!
AnnMarie

2 comments :

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  2. AnnMarie, everything is lovely! Loved going to the Country Warehouse in Pultneyville, NY and a couple other little shops no longer open...Pultneyville has changed somewhat over the years but still quite quaint! Wow...the deep blue wall is a fantastic backdrop for the Santas! You just may get me to drag out my box of Christmas odds and ends! I haven't decorated for Christmas in years. I love how Chloe shows such interest in everything, just imagine the fun next Christmas will be with her!

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