oh wow your home is beautiful! I love what you did with the chandelier!

Thank you. The chandelier was the easiest project I did this year. I just cut pieces of garland to fit and wrapped one end with floral wire to attach to the top ring of the chain. Stuck in a few floral picks and was done within 15 minutes. It took about 5 weeks to get the entire house decorated. My hand-painted villages take forever to set up with all the electrical work that I do with them.

So glad you shared all of this beautiful Christmas decor w/us. Your tomato cage trees are wonderful! How long have you been painting your village? Lots of talent showing in your pieces. Love all the neat add ins too. Do you have a good source to buy these? I've started DGD a village but not much to go with it.

Gorgeous home and your piano is amazing! Sweet carolers you added. Great job videoing and enjoyed the music to go with it. Hope you will continue to share with us here on Holidays.

Punk

The tomato cage trees are wonderful...cannot tell that in real life that are for gardening! Beautiful mantle/fireplace decor. I loved the big Santa @top of one of your trees & the caroler dolls in front of the piano. Wow, 5 wks. you certainly work miracles! I am sure you are enjoying your home so much over the holidays. TFSharing! Jeanne S.

Absolutely beautiful!
All of it!

I am intrigued by the tomato cage trees,
Would you mind sharing how you made them?

Rusty

Very pretty. You have quite the collection of villages. I can understand why it takes so long to set them all up! You really go all out with your décor, and I also like your tomato cage trees. They definitely do not look like tomato cages.

I would also love to know how to do a video like that?? It is so much more impressive than trying to post multiple pictures.

TFS,
Candy

The trees are great I would never guess they were made from tomato cages. Your Christmas decor is amazing.
TFS
Nana

Thanks everyone. Just turn your tomato cage upside down so that the spikes are facing up and use a heavy rubber band to gather them together. I just wrapped un-lit garland around it using wire to attach it to the rungs. Just spread out the garland to look like branches and decorate. It really didn't take any longer than 30 minutes to make each one. You can find many different sizes of tomato cages. The one in the picture is the size that I used for the two fireplace trees. It is a really small one that I used for my green pepper plants.

I have been painting village buildings for over 20 years. Unfortunately, the pieces are hard to find now. Our craft store, Michaels, carry a few pieces each year. As for the figurines, eBay is a great source for them. Just watch for someone selling them in lots, that way they are more affordable. The mountains I made using plaster cast material found in rolls at Hobby Lobby. I just scrunched up newspaper to get some lumps and bumps. Let it dry for a couple of days and then paint it.

The video is a slideshow that I put together using Microsoft Photo Story 3. Then I learned how to upload it to You Tube. It is a free download from Microsoft. Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Microsoft in any way. It is really easy to use and it lets you add music of your choice. The music on this one is from a recording my late brother made for our Mom over 25 years ago for Christmas.

One other thing, the piano is not really a piano. It is an old pump organ that has been in our family since the early 1800's. It actually still works if you have the leg power to pump it.

I agree, your decorated home is amazing! I love your villages. You certainly did a wonderful job.

Thank you for the tomato cage tree instructions!
Sounds so simple to do,
Yet has such a wonderful finished look.

Almost makes me want to slap myself on the forehead,
And groan, "Why didn't I think of that!".

Again, thanks for sharing!

Rusty

Wow, just WOW! Everything is so beautiful! Loved your video too.

Thanks for sharing all the info. Sorry about calling your pump organ a piano. So sweet that it's been in your family since the 1800's and still cherished. It's hard to remember everything I seen in your video after the fact. It reminded me of an old player piano one my great aunts has in here homestead along with the old ringer style phone that still works.

Punk

What a wonderful tour of your lovely home and decorations. I'm so glad you shared with us. And also the tomato cage tree instructions. Your fireplace is great, (with and without decor). Love the brick, and those arched windows. Everything is just beautiful !!
hugs, Karen