Christmas in July

It’s Christmas in July! Today mom and I are sharing how we celebrated Christmas in July and what our plans are for this holiday season.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Christmas in July started 84 years ago on July 24th and 25th in 1933 at a girls’ camp called Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina —complete with cotton fake snow, a decked-out tree, a gift exchange, and, of course, Santa.

This time of year is a great time to score great deals on Christmas decor, celebrate with friends, and plan for the Christmas festivities to come in December. For mom and I, we decided to go antique shopping and found an amazing vintage sleigh at one of our favorite spots Antiques & Vintage in Forney, Texas. We decided to take it on a test drive and decorate the dining room to celebrate!

WHAT WE’RE PLANNING THIS YEAR

BUYING QUALITY FAUX STEMS & GARLANDS IN ADVANCE

Jessica of The Old Barn gave us some great advice for purchasing faux stems and garlands. She said to order by September! Every year Afloral and other places to purchase quality faux sell out very early. This year we’re not missing out. We make most of our garland fresh so we want the faux to look as close to the real thing as possible.

SHOP REALISTIC CHRISTMAS STEMS
USING DECOR THAT FLOWS FROM FALL TO WINTER

We love using things from nature. We start by adding fall in October using things like autumn picks, pumpkins, and pine cones. We like to use white birch wood to give that cozy vibe. Other items, like deer horns and lots evergreen are easily accessible and fun to use throughout the season. As Christmas approaches, we add trees, trees, and more trees. A room doesn’t say Christmas to me without a pine tree. The flocked tree in the dining room is so beautiful we don’t even decorate it.

DECORATING WITH VINTAGE FINDS

Our friend Michele from Vintage Home is the best at incorporating unique and charming vintage finds. She uses so many unexpected pieces. Her tree is the perfect example, filled with vintage ornaments, cards, and dried florals like cotton stems that add fun and whimsey to the top! And every year there’s something new to see. A cloche filled with vintage caroler figurines, a collection of old plates on the wall in the shape of a tree, everywhere you look you’re inspired.

Our friend Shannon of My Little White Barn is also great at decorating with the most unique vintage finds. There are nutcrackers and vintage green transferware galore! Do you have an old suitcase laying around, just add it to your display? She always uses vintage jars to display food and it’s not just for show, Shannon always has something yummy to share!

We have picked up a love for using vintage pieces. The vintage snow shoes we found make an awesome display. Our newest find is an old sleigh from Holland. We knew we wanted to use it in the dining room but weren’t sure where. When we brought out the tree we immediately knew the sleigh would make the perfect tree stand!! Using vintage finds makes everything more fun!

 

DECORATING UNEXPECTED PLACES

We are the home tour girls and our favorite time for home tours is always Christmas. We love the creative ways people decorate. We get so many great ideas! And every year we’re amazed by the unexpected places people decorate. Every nook and corner of these homes has a little Christmas, like laundry rooms, and little powder baths.  But outside porches and patios are so inviting filled with Christmas and welcoming you into the home. The possibilities are endless. We’ve seen fully decorated trees, dining tables set with Christmasware, full-size Santa Claus, sleds, and reindeer!

DECORATING FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH KIDS IN MIND

What is Christmas if not for the little ones! We have seen so many sweet trees with kids in mind. One of the funnest things we have seen are trees fully decorated by vintage toys. And allowing the kids to help decorate their own space, even barbies house gives them so much joy! Using retro ornaments and vibrant color makes them really happy too! And it’s a great way to get away with adding more unconventional and crazy decor!

 

PREPARING GUEST SPACES

We have a Christmas green room all year long. And at Christmas, we love taking it over the top for friends and family. We use linens and throw pillows that say CHRISTMAS! And we always have a garland at the foot of the bed. We have a simple tree with vintage-inspired ribbon and ornaments. But most importantly we put together a basket to welcome guests with everything they might need. Of course, we leave a sweet treat! We love hosting all year but there’s no better time than Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed Christmas in July with us! We love to hear from you in the comments. Share if you celebrate Christmas in July or what you are planning ahead of time for the holidays this year.


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