It takes a village...

And a Christmas tree, and some stockings hung by the chimney with care, but it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The bookshelf on the left is still a work in progress, but the mantle is done!

I made the stockings about 5-6 years ago.  They are made from fleece and felt.  There was no pattern, I just started cutting the felt and hoped it all came together in the end.  I think they turned out pretty cute!

The village was a tradition started in our family by my grandmother.  She did ceramics as a hobby, and had a beautiful village displayed in her home each year.  Over the years she made villages for all her grandkids.  I have since supplemented the initial village with a few pieces purchased from the store, but many of the original buildings and people were hand painted by her.

This year I added little rock walkways to the village.

 

My kids look forward to helping put the village together each year.  It's almost as much fun as decorating the tree!

Do you have a Christmas Village your family displays?  Please share it!

Happy decorating everyone!

~Heather