Doors of Welcome--December Installment

It's time for the December edition of Doors of Welcome, sponsored by Karen at Some Days are Diamonds.

For myself, I'm going home in three more days and I can hardly wait! I'll only have a week to settle in and get ready for the holiday, but it will be great to be back home among my own things and decorations, if only for a short time!

Meanwhile, I set myself a challenge to see what I could do to add a little Christmas cheer for the tidy sum of $20. So come on in and see what I found!



Because my door here is dark green to start with, I had hoped to find a thrifty wreath in either snowy white or berry red, but alas, it wasn't to be. It may not be a stand out against the dark door, but I was happy with the way everything turned out.

The wreath came from Dollar General for $3.50, and the bells, bird, and berries all came from Dollar Tree, Total cost, $8.50

This is the top of the armoire that holds the television--the little suitcase thingie is part of the regular apartment decorations and is the same one I used as part of my fall decorating.

These little houses are actually cardboard boxes, $1 each from Dollar Tree. The "roof" lifts off, and I plan to use these later as gift boxes for small items or "goodies" from the kitchen.

The "presents" are empty boxes, wrapped in newspaper, and inexpensive ribbon. The "greenery" on one gift was originally attached to one of the bells I used on the wreath.

I know a lot of people decry the use of gift bags, but I think that as long as you pick pretty ones they can add a spot of color to an empty corner and be useful at the same time. $1 from Dollar Tree.

I already blogged about the different versions of this centerpiece. This version was $2 for the charger, $1 for the berries, and maybe $.50 for the candy, on sale at CVS.

And last but not least--a couple of dollars worth of candy canes in a canister, and this cute little mini-lunchbox I got at Dollar Tree for $1--this is another piece that will probably end up doing double duty as a gift box for "goodies".

It's not a lot, but I smile every time I see each and every little touch of holiday cheer.

Be sure to visit Some Days are Diamonds--Karen is showcasing her beautiful home and lovely Christmas decorations, indoors and out. Then on the left hand sidebar of her blog is a list of all the other participants of Doors of Welcome. The are well worth visiting to see a variety of decorations, from simple to extravagant.

Thanks for visiting!

This post is also linked to:

Thrifty Thursday to Tales from Bloggeritaville

Penny Pinching Party at the Thrifty Home

Holiday Linky Friday at the Inspired Room

Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

Until next time...