The Candy Christmas

Each year I change the theme of our Christmas decorations and this particular theme is one of the children’s favorites as you can guess why.

It starts with the tree Popcorn balls wrapped in cello and tied with ribbon make the Christmas tree balls. Candy canes also hang from the branches. I make garlands of peppermints and butter scotch candies. For added decoration we sometimes hang ginger bread men and strings of popcorn. These decorations can be added to the garlands that festoon the rest of the room and to the wreath on the front door.

Candy airplanes to hang on the tree:

One piece of wrapped chewing gum, any flavor Two lifesavers candies, Small roll of candy pieces Rubberband

1. Fold the rubberband in half. 2. Thread the two lifesavers onto the middle of the rubberband. 3. Separate the lifesavers (the wheels) and lay the rolled candy between them. 4. Now slide the piece of chewing gum into each end of the rubberband for the wings. 5. If this does not hold securely, your rubberband might be too long. If it is just slightly long, one solution would be to make several twists before putting the wings on under the plane between the two wheels.

The Cowboy Christmas

The cowboy Christmas was a big hit with the little boys in the family. We used a rope around the tree for a garland. Plastic toy sheriff badges for tree decorations and bandanas tied as they would for around the neck hung from the branches too. Instead of Christmas stockings the kids got cowboy boots filled with their Christmas goodies. A cowboy hat was the tree topper.

The US Army Christmas

We did this one in honor of their sister who was in the infantry at the time. All the Christmas balls were red, white, or blue, we hung toy soldiers from the branches and tied yellow ribbons in bows all over the tree.

We got some of their grandpas old army issue boot socks to use as stockings.

The Paper Christmas

We made paper chains and snow flakes for the tree, garlands, and wreath. The older kids made paper balls and origami swans to hang on them too.

The Traveling Christmas

One year we were in a hotel over Christmas. Feeling badly that I had pretty much forced it on the kids I got a table top tree and hung my jewelry all over it for decorations to put on the table in our room.

The Toy Christmas

The tree remained empty except for the lights until the kids went to bed Christmas eve. Then I went to work all year long I kept buying those little toys that come from the gumball machines. I hung them all over the tree, along with small toy cars for the boys, and small replicas of Victorian dolls for the girls. To fill in any empty spaces I made fans from lace paper doilies.