I swear, I've been posting on this blog (and other Christmas promises.)

But, my stupid blogging app ate all my posts.  There was one about Christmas present wrapping ideas that magically disappeared.  (I was going to rewrite that one, but then I spent an hour brainstorming on the phone with Loryn about how to wrap her gifts.  I was all idea-ed out.)

After that, I wrote a post about my decorations from last year and my plans for this year.  I would refuse to rewrite that one, but I've got such pretty pictures.

So...  last year, I saw this gorgeous felt garland in Anthropologie.  It was about 14 million dollars.  Of course I, as usual, felt that I could totally make it myself with about $10 worth of burgundy yarn, jute twine, and 3 shades of green felt.

I did.  (You'll see more of it in this year's decorations.)

I also wanted to go in a warm, cozy and neutral direction for the tree ornaments.  I bought a bunch of cheap matte and pearly white ornaments from the dollar store, but they were just a little too boring.  So, with some white yarn and two thrift store cream sweaters, I had a tree full of revamped ornaments.

One of the sweater ornaments.

 I made a bunch of these ornaments and still had so much yarn left over.
The cheapest cover up ever.

My last living room had this cool gray and blue scheme going on and I just couldn't add any blaring red and green stockings to it.  What's a girl to do?  Make her own, obviously.  Gray, so chic.  (or weird and un-christmasy if you ask my brother and father)

Stockings are actually really easy to make.  I went over to Loryn's and traced the shape of hers, bought some some felt and sewed them up.  Felt is really easy to work with because it doesn't fray, so you can get away without hemming it as carefully (or at all.)  I used the fancy stitches on my sewing machine in a contrasting colored thread along the border, embroidered everyone's name, added a little loop to hang, and finished all six in a few hours.

The only thing that might count as a failure was the tree skirt.  It wasn't really supposed to be so ruffled around the edge - my sewing in a circle skills are sorely lacking.  I just pretended that it was supposed to look like that.

That totally looks like it was intentional, right?

The finished project: Christmas 2010

Cost?  Maybe $50 total?  Oh yeah, I'm good.

EDIT - plus however much the giant tree cost.