White Christmas & Silver Bells!

We've celebrated Christmas at my

in-laws for a few years now.

We live in the basement apartment...but decorate 

and have Christmas upstairs with all the family.

Last year, we were out of work, just signed on with

the Army and Mike was leaving in January...

Basically leaving us no money at Christmas time.

(as usual)

So, in order to keep our spirits up, 

I decided we should do a 

Blue and Silver themed Christmas!

We had a small artificial tree that we 

stood up on the coffee table...

 We splurged on some blue LED snowflake lights ($5)

and I rummaged through all our/in-laws decorations to 

find anything that would go with the theme!

I made some stockings out of material that I already had...

fringe that I already had...and fleece that I already had!

  Because we didn't have a lot of tree decorations, 

I made a bunch!

 On Thanksgiving, after we ate and all had food coma,

I cut up some cardstock and folded 30 boxes (lids and bases)

to make little "presents" to hang on the tree!

I learned to fold these boxes in 3rd grade, Mrs. Holman.

here's the step by step

(source)

I made them, fit them snuggly together and then

wrapped them in anything that would match!

I had been saving ribbons, bows, and wrapping paper 

from the year before for this purpose!

All growing up my mom would do a big
Christmas craft every Thanksgiving evening!
Such a fun tradition!
(I've tried to do my own for these past
13 years that she's been gone)

It turned out great--and yes,
we are doing the same theme this year!

I've been stockpiling from yard sales!
{I've got blue bubble lights this year}