I absolutely love everything Christmas. I like to embrace all things Christmas the day after Thanksgiving and not a moment before. It is a tradition in our family that the ladies go Black Friday shopping while the men go deer hunting then we all come together to put out the Christmas decorations in the afternoon (some family members enjoy this tradition a little more than others).

I dream of someday having decorations that look like something out of a magazine, but for now these are the humble decorations that I currently have. They are pretty simple and of course mostly handmade; what a great time of year for all different kinds of crafting!

The Noel letters are simply cardboard letters that I bought from Hobby Lobby. I painted them with a red acrylic paint and stood them up in front of my fireplace.

You can find instructions for making this card displaying frame here.

I like to think that I am good at gift-wrapping, but the truth is only every couple of presents end up looking good. This year I found a package of cute little bells at Hobby Lobby so I decided to try them on presents. They turned out pretty cute when paired with twine and my mom’s awesome handmade gift tags.

I don’t know why, but I absolutely love dressing up my fridge like a snowman this time of year. This is just construction paper cut into the shapes that you see. It’s a seriously simple and easy way to make your kitchen festive!

Pine cones are simple and cute and smell great! I put them everywhere this time of year.

Some of my favorite Christmastime traditions are going to the Yuletide Celebration downtown, watching tons of Christmas movies (my favorites are Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and White Christmas), driving around to see everyone’s Christmas lights on display, and most of all getting to spend time with my family. What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?