OK so here is what I start with, I have a box of scrap everything, actually several boxes. The dollar tree is a great place to start collecting stuff for these decors, you can get a lot of bows out of 1 roll of ribbon, 1 silk garland, 1 silk poinsettia bush, and a box of ornaments or pine cones. sometimes I decorate little 2 or 3 inches boxes like gifts and glue themin the bow also.

Just make a loop or two and a tail or two, dont worry about a “bow”. This is just the base of your decor, to hold all the goodies you will add. Pinch it together and tie with apiece of ribbon or wire or chennile.

I usually start with hot gluing some greenery, then add a flower or two, then the ornaments, boxes or pinecones or whatever you have.

Iwent out to my garage, found myboxes stuff, and made these three gift decorations in less than 15 minutes. Thats because I had to wait forthe glue gun to heat up. And this is what you get. I wrap my gifts in brown paper andjust glue them onto the paper. Most of the time I start with the gift and start gluing it right on it. Everyone loves them. The best part is when they have torn the gift open, you cantear the paper off the back of the bow and reuse it.  We just throw them into a box to store. I always use the wire ribbon and not the satin kind especially because of this. If satin ribbon gets crushed it is ruined and it fades really bad. The wired sheer will stay the same for years. and iif it gets crushed, just straighten it out and it look brandnew!

I hope some of you will try this, cheap and pretty, thats the way I like it!

Happy Holidays!!!

I use to put up 21 trees every year in my house. But I lost my best friend 4 years ago and couldnt find the desire to get into it like I use to.First year I didnt put up any, some friends came over and put up a tree for me. Next year I did one and last year I did a fresh tree and changed it to all western, ropes and rusty wire things and red bandana bows with pine cones, and red raffia. It was really nice. But this year I feel like I am back to wanting more again. I guess time does heal as much as it can. I will surely take pics when the time comes. I use to start putting up christmas as soon as halloween was over and left it up until almost march, one time may! I have many many vintage ornaments and I dearly love to turn on only the tree lights and sit in the dark with them. My big main tree has a rotating base and if I take my glasses off its like a big swirly color haze. Its clearly the small things that thrill me!

I adore making my own Christmas paper, my parents just love unwrapping them, every year I

purchase brown shipping paper that comes in rolls, and i either stamp it or glue squares of

either fabric or the latest fabulous papers onto them, and I get a large bag of ribbons at Jo-Anne's

and hang them all over a hanger and actually use the ribbons all year for various projects. Ive

also used twine for tying, it goes so well with the brown craft shipping paper. Simple and beautiful

at the same time.