When to decorate for Christmas? Some start decorating before Thanksgiving. Others wait until December. My dad’s family didn’t put up their Christmas Tree until Christmas Eve. Each of us has a tradition, a preferred time to start in all the hoopla.
If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I have a rule: absolutely no decorating until at least the second week of December. I don’t like the bleeding over from one holiday to another that seems to rule the world of commerce and even our world of blogging. October = Halloween. November = Thanksgiving (and my birthday.) December = Christmas. I like some breathing space between my holidays. If I decorate too early, I find that by the time Christmas actually rolls around, I’m so used to seeing all the decorations that I don’t really see them anymore. The magic is long gone.
Anyway, when it’s time to decorate, I avoid themes like the plague. We use our vintage and beloved ornaments. We hang a wreath on the door. We decorate our little white tree in the living room and the big tree in the den. Simple.
Yesterday, I put together the only Christmas decoration that will be on display until I officially start decorating. It’s something I created a couple of years ago, when I found a vintage Necco candy jar in an antique shop. I made a snow globe. Or as I called it at the time, a Necco Snow Globe.
I started with the jar. It’s quite large, about 13 inches in height, and is in the Art Deco Style. It’s one of my favorite finds.
Because of its design, I am able to turn it on its side.
It’s very simple. Buy some Kosher Salt or Epsom Salt.
Decide what you want in your display. In my case, I’m using these fir trees.
And this little Putz house.
And a tiny pine cone.
Fill the bottom of your jar with the coarse salt.
And add your scenic elements.
And you’re done.
Oooh. Isn’t it pretty?
It couldn’t be simpler. You can use any size jar, from a tiny baby food jar or salt shaker to a large jar like this one.
Who doesn’t love a snow globe?
I was a bit low on Kosher Salt and I’m going to buy some more today because I want that layer of snow to be deeper than it is.
Just like the first time I put the snow globe together, Don came in the door and noticed it right away. (This isn’t always the case!)
Do you make your own snow globes? And when do you start decorating?
I must take a moment to acknowledge the derailment of the Metro North commuter train yesterday. Four people were killed and many injured. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident. This particular line – the Hudson Line – is the train I have taken countless times when commuting into Manhattan.
Happy Monday.
What a cute idea to put it on the side. Love the idea of kosher salt for snow. One year I was going to make some for my employees but ran out of time…the globes are still in the basement if I ever get around to it!
It takes very little time, Ann!
Good Morning, Claudia
I turned on my little white outdoor lights last evening, December 1st. A few Christmas things have been put out, but it’s different for me. With Thanksgiving falling in mid-October, the “breathing space” you crave is automatic. I’ll get a tree later in the month. I know some people prefer artificial ones, but I figure I’ll be supporting a tree farmer. (Luckily, the city picks them up in January and they’re turned into mulch.)
I like your snow globe. It’s a tempting idea to make one of my own.
I’m very sorry to hear of the train derailment and loss of life.
-Karen
Our Thanksgiving was so late this year, it seems we have very little time until Christmas!
I like to keep the holidays separate as well. I remember this snow globe from last year…adorable.
Have just started decorating for Christmas over the weekend…I just want it to be all done before next weekend as I’ll have all the kids here again. We’ll use the frozen turkey leftovers for a big pot of soup, and I will BAKE the cut out sugar cookies ahead, but have them on trays and dishes and such for the little kids ( 5 of them will be here ) to decorate with icing and sprinkles. So that will kick off the season though the kids worked on decorating their train table for Christmas on Friday…
You sound like you’re going to have a wonderfully busy weekend!
I’ve never made a snowglobe, but I love yours. I decorate as soon after Thanksgiving as I can and leave it up until the kids are back in school. I absolutely LOVE holiday decorations. My house looks better with them. I am tidier during the holidays and I miss them when they are gone.
I love them too – I think our house looks beautiful decked out for the holidays!
So sad about the train accident Claudia. We usually decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving. So we have it all done. A few days ago my cousin bought new living room furniture so she passed the old set on to us. I couldn’t be happier if it was brand new. It’s been well taken care of and loved and we will get many more years of enjoyment from it. To me it looks cottagey. Beautiful mauve & pink floral print on the sofa and chair with mathching ottoman. We are passing the love seat on to Carl’s mom as it’s just the right size for her new apartment. I love it when someone gives me furniture they have loved, it makes it more special to me. I’m not crafty at all but your snowglobe looks beautiful and seems really easy to make. Hope you have some nice weather today. It’s a little overcast here.
How wonderful – new (to you) furniture! Just in time for Christmas, Janie.
It’s gray and rainy here today.
Good morning Claudia! Just started my decorating and I’ll keep going for the next 3 weeks! I’m thinking about a snow globe this year. You’ve inspired me. xo J
Go for it, Julie!
What a wonderful find in that jar!! I used to LOVE the “chocolate” Necco wafers. The little scene you created is absolutely charming! I am making a few little ones this year. I bought some small S&P shakers at Dollar Tree the other day, and I have some of those little “bottle brush” trees to put inside. Also, going to do something w/ some blocks of wood made from our old fence & mod podge. I have never used it before, so this will be fun (I hope). Thinking about glittering up some little houses I have, too. Not too many decorations up this year, but still has resulted in a mess throughout the house. It makes me crazy until the mess of the bins is put away again which I hope will be today. I wish Thanksgiving was the 3rd Thurs. of the month so it could be separated by another week…. or even more, I wish they would move “Black Friday” to the weekend before Thanksgiving so that special day of Thanks could stand on its own. The Christmas sales start by the first of November anyway, so why do they insist on creeping into Thanksgiving and why don’t they just declare their own special weekend? It seems like Oct. 1 through Jan 1 is an avalanche and we are rolling down a hill out of control with no way to stop. It really is madness….. staying out of the middle of all of it is my goal. Mostly on-line shopping done here for the little we have to do!! (sorry about the rant!! I DO feel better, though!) :-)
Oh my gosh, I loved the chocolate wafers too. I used to live in Cambridge, MA – near the Necco factory. When you walked by, you could smell the Neccos – heavenly.
Feel free to rant anytime! I’m totally with you on this one.
I am so glad you posted this Claudia..I am getting read to make a few snow globes and never thought of turning one on it’s side..It makes more room to add things..Yours is just lovely..a peaceful little scene..Thanks so much for the idea!!
You’re welcome, Nancy.
I don’t do as much holiday decorating as I used to. I always do something on my front door, switch out kitchen linen colors and silk flower arrangements [one in each room] and the fruit in my huge glass hurricane [lemons and oranges in Winter]. At Christmas I add a 4-foot artificial tree in my dining room, and splurge on a fresh balsam door wreath. During the holidays I also put out a big wood basket full of unshelled nuts [uneaten ones go to the squirrels after New Year’s] and a candy basket of red, green & silver Hershey kisses. PS – Love your snowglobe! So simple and so old-fashioned. The fact that it’s homemade and personal make it even better.
We don’t do a whole lot, either, Janet. Simple seems better and better to me.
I remember when you made this. Loved it then, love it now!
Brenda
Thank you, Brenda.
You’re snow globe is so sweet! I might start looking for a few things to make one. I decorate after Thanksgiving so I can enjoy it and then have time to craft and play! The tree lights are my favorite thing to have on at night and just dream in their glow!
hugs,
Linda
I love tree lights, too, Linda.
I start the day after Thanksgiving to start getting things decorated. It actually takes me days to do it as I pace myself. I am hosting 2 Christmas luncheons here so I need to “git r done”. I like doing mine early as I enjoy it so very much that I want to enjoy it longer. To each his own! Love the Necco jar!
No luncheons here, Teresa, so I guess I can get away with delaying the decorating a bit!
I was excited to see your snow globe since I am making one in an apothocary jar which I got at Michael’s with a 50% coupon. Now seeing yours turned on the side, I may do the same thing. . I was going to buy Epsom salt today but already have Kosher salt. We are putting up two trees today and my wreath is on the door. The tradition in my area is to always, always have the tree and decorations down by New Year. Otherwise, it means bad luck!
I ended up using Kosher salt when I couldn’t find Epsom Salt at my local store. It worked just as well.
Very pretty Claudia. If you like the Putz houses, you should check out my past few posts about the decorating party I had. The ladies had a grand time decorating them. I love your jar, it’s amazing, especially the size.
Hugs,
Meri
Thank you, Meri.
Cute snow globe! I’ve never made one before…think I might try. Of course I don’t have anything to start with! I start decorating for Christmas on Black Friday…bit by bit. A little here, a little there…and the tree about the 10th. Otherwise I feel overwhelmed….I don’t put out as much as I used to, I suppose, because my little boys are in their late 20’s! And in my mind, while Christmas decorations are beautiful…all the greens, lights, shiny things…it some how turns into clutter after a while. We are in the process of cleaning out our old decorations that we haven’t used in a while…you know…SIMPLIFY!! ;)
Yes, indeed – simplify.
I’m not a big Thanksgiving holiday lover. It always reminds me of the extended family I don’t have anymore. Christmas was always my mom and I so it seems natural to celebrate it with just my daughter. My mom made our house into a Christmas Land. Decorations on top of decorations! My mom is gone now and I have scaled back on the decorations. So far I have rearranged the furniture to put up the tree but it isn’t decorated yet. I usually get one bin out at a time and empty it. There isn’t enough floor space to get them all out at once, and it makes it a leisurely activity. I’m glad you are decorating this year!
You sound like you’re decorating at your own pace, Missy. Good for you!
Claudia, I love your snow globe. It’s beautiful! And I also love that it can lay on it’s side. I’m not decorating much this year since we’ll be gone for 9 days over the actual holiday. I even get a bit depressed when I put everything out and then realize that none of our children will be home to see it. So…this morning I just put out a few of the little knick-knacks that have extra special meaning to us and that’s all I’ll do this year. No tree but I will enjoy the one at my daughter and son-in-loves home when we’re there over Christmas.
The train accident was a tragedy and I’ve been in prayer for all the families that have been affected by it.
Blessings,
Betsy
Having just a few things that mean something to you on display sounds lovely, Betsy.
I’ve cut way back on decorating the last few years. As I get older, and have more time to myself, I find that I enjoy being outside gardening, walking, enjoying nature. Our family tradition has always been to set out the Nativity Set first before any other decoration. So this year I’ve combined the two and have a theme of “Let Heaven and Nature Sing.” All around the Nativity are various ceramic animals like the skating bear, the three singing geese, the cardinal and owl dressed for winter and a few others. It looks even better than I thought it would and makes me smile. And what can be better than honoring both nature and Jesus’ birth at this time of year?
It sounds wonderful!
Love the snow globe. I remember it from last year. I am beginning to think I have Claudia envy now on top of the dollhouse I want a snow globe. Do you think it would be possible to bury a battery operated string of small lights in the snow globe? I have seen these lights at Dollar Tree { where everything is just a dollar} and I think there are only ten lights. I want to put it on my dining room table and be able to see it at night from the living room.
I don’t know, Olivia. I think you’d have to be careful about the lights getting too hot – maybe LED lights, which stay cool?
I prefer an old fashioned Christmas with familiar ornaments and whimsy. I add to our collection each year, mainly because of the godchildren. I like things to be fun and fresh for them while still maintaining a sense of tradition. The greatest compliment that Mr. Magpie and I ever received was when our godchildren were asked to list some of their holiday traditions, an they lived being at our house and some of the things we do with each other. It really made me cry. I am a huge sentimental sap when it comes to Christmas. I think it is the one time of the year when everyone gets to be a kid again… or it should be. At lest we can keep a childlike heart. Speaking of which, I love your snow globe!
xo
Sheila
Sounds like your home is a wonderful place to be at Christmastime, Sheila.
Love, love, love that jar and scene. So peaceful!
Judy
I have my little salt shake snow globe from you, my friend. Can’t wait to add it to the Christmas decorations next week.
Cute, cute, cute and I pinned it to my Christmas board:) Can you reach your hand in to decorate or do you need long tweezers to place the trees and house?
This jar is big, Dawn, so I could reach my hand in there. Luckily!
I remember this snow globe from last year. It inspired me to make one myself! I don’t decorate a whole lot anyway and I usually wait until the second week in December. Tragic about the derailment. You just never know. Ann
That Necco jar is gorgeous. What do you use it for when it’s not in use as a snow globe? (And, no, I’ve never made one before.) I just started decorating this weekend. My decorating will be simple, too. Little touches here and there. No big tree.
Such wonderful memories of making snow globes!!
Growing up in Florida, I was 21 before I saw my first snow!! We used mayonnaise jars and would buy a plastic snow man to put in the middle of the lid. We also used silver glitter and it was lucky to make it through a Christmas Holiday intact. I don’t remember what we used to glue it in??? We didn’t have glue guns or super glue back then??
Yes – terrible train accident! My heart goes out to all involved!