DIY Christmas!

 No I am not Kirstie Alsopp.  I wouldn't mind being her though... she's beautiful, has a great job, can mix fabric patterns and not have them look weird, can laugh at herself without being deprecating and has the fantastic ability to make everyone like her.   Oh aaaand can blow glass Christmas tree baubles with her bare hands.  (ta, Jackie).

I'm not Kirstie Alsopp.

I am, however, mental enough to envision a homemade, DIY, Christmas at my house and then, mad enough to attempt it.

It all began with a trip to the local garden centre and their ridiculously early display of Christmas stuff.   I was wandering around looking at gorgeous Christmas trees, miles of sparkly garland, lighted twig reindeer, pretty ornaments both in natural material and shiny, sparkly stuff.

As most people do, I got all excited and started thinking about how we were going to decorate this year.  This also happens to be the first year I will be hosting a few people's Christmas at my house, not just Paul, Audrey and the MIL.   So, I'm a little over-eager maybe.

Long story short, I spotted a few ornaments I liked.  Little cloth hearts, stuffed and had various things on them.   Turned one over....  £4.99!!!   WHAT!?!   Are you mental?    At £4.99 for one ornament, It would take 10 years before I would have the lovely coordinated, ornament covered tree I imagined.   I'm doing ok financially but I'm not that mental!  I just can't justify spending that kind of money on Xmas tree ornaments.   I'd rather spend it on nice food, drinks or gifts to make my peeps happy.

My mini-rant ended with... "holy crap, I could make that myself for less."    Fatal.

Take a look at what's on sale at the local garden centre.....

 Little twigs nailed together in a snowflake pattern then covered in glitter.  I have sticks in my backyard.... no problem.

 I love this one... £9 for a pile of sticks arranged in a tree shape and painted white... really?  I can do that.

 This is the bad boy who started it all.  $4.99 for this?!  Come on. 

Fabric snowflakes hot glued to clothes pegs.  Definitely worth £6.99.... sure.  

Gingerbread cookies on strings.....  erm.  Do I really need to spend money on these?

  Bark.  And I saw those little wooden reindeer bits at Hobbycraft for £1.49 for a bag of 12.   This ornament?  £7.00

As of now,  I have scored two big bags of pine cones from my Mother-in-law, spent an afternoon on ebay buying christmas fabric, red and white felt, wreath frames, plain silver baubles for decorating, quilt stuffing, glue gun, silver spray paint, glitter, spray snow, epsom salts, spray adhesive, 144 wired artifical cranberries and a few things I forgot...  and nothing I bought was over £5.   I have plans for a walk in the woods with Audrey to collect tree branches, more pine cones, leaves, seed pods and whatever else I can get my hands on.   I have yarn, ingredients for gingerbread ornaments, some evergreen trees in the backyard, loads of that vine people use to make wreaths all over the side of our house, two holly trees (bushes) in my front yard and loads of sticks from last years garden cleanup.... and on and on and on....

What have I done!?

Does anyone have Kirstie's phone number?  I may need help.