Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop. This hop is sponsored by the very generous Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Thank you, Sarah.
The 2018 12 Days of Christmas in July Blog Hop started two days ago but there’s still plenty of days left. See below for a complete list of all the blogs offering ideas for your holiday gift giving and decorating. Sarah of Confessions of a Fabric Addict is hosting a holiday themed quilt-a-long and has several giveaways going during the hop. Please visit her blog every day for the free pattern/tutorials and giveaways. There are giveaways offered at many other blogs as well.
What Does Tu-Na Do When There’s No Time to Put Up the Tree?
Tu-Na Helper and I travel between our two houses enjoying the best weather of both places. However, we usually celebrate Christmas back in the cold north.
For a couple of weeks, we “enjoy” the snow and the cold.
When we arrived at our northern house last year just two days before Christmas, I didn’t want to unpack all the Christmas decorations only to quickly put them away a week later. But I also didn’t want to be nicknamed “Tu-Na the Grinch” or “Tu-Na Scrooge” if I didn’t at least do something to decorate the house for the holiday.
So I used a piece of green felt and made a tree to put on the wall. I cut lots of circles: large, medium, and small for the decorations, while my daughter-in-law cut the tree shape out of yardage of green felt. She made it a very full tree to hold lots of felt circles.
I found this big piece of felt at a thrift shop and it traveled with me on the airplane. Tu-Na Helper used command strips to hang it up. It stood about 5 feet tall and was low enough that even the littlest hands could reach. The felt circles stuck to the felt tree without any additional help.
It was a big hit with all the little kids and the big ones as well. Everyone decorated and redecorated the tree as much as they wished and no one was upset that the decorations were moved around.
More Christmassy Inspiration Found Here
Saturday, July 14th
Joy @ Days Filled With Joy
Selina @ Selina Quilts
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Sunday, July 15th
Joanne @ Everyone Deserves a Quilt
Jan @ The Colorful Fabriholic
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Monday, July 16th
Carole @ From My Carolina Home
Jamie @ L’Fair Quilts
Karen @ Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats Thanks for stopping by!!
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Tuesday, July 17th
Sharon @ Vrooman’s Quilts
Mary @ Made by Marney
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Wednesday, July 18th
Cindy @ Stitchin’ At Home
Karrin @ Karrin’s Crazy World
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Thursday, July 19th
Christina @ Christina’s Handicrafts
Sherry @ Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc.
Danice @ Homespun Hannah
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Friday, July 20th
Kristi @ Confessions of A Fabric Addict
Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Saturday, July 21st
Marian @ Seams To Be Sew
Meloney @ Mel’s Quilting Blog
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Sunday, July 22nd
Anja @ Anja Quilts
Moira @ Quilted Snail
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Monday, July 23rd
Brenda @ Songbird Designs
Amy @ Sea of Estrogen
Bonnie @ In Stitches With Bonnie
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Tuesday, July 24th
Kathy @ Kathy’s Kwilts and More
Summer @ Summer Lee Quilts
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Wednesday, July 25th
Susan @ Quilt Fabrication
Brandy @ Pampered Pettit
Jean @ All Points of the Compass
Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
What I Learned Today:
- When plans A and B don’t work, go with plan C.
- Christmas comes faster every year whether I prepare in July or December.
- I have to get better at making preparations for Christmas.
- It feels great to be a grandma…again. Grandbaby #6 has arrived!!! She’s beautiful!
Question: Do you wait until the last minute to prepare for Christmas or do you prepare all year?
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Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
At this time I am not affiliated with any company, services, or products that I mention here on my blog. I just happen to like them.
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
Karen, what a great idea – little hands can help and no fear of anyone getting hurt – except feelings. You know with childr xen someone gets upset that someone else put an ornament “where I was going to put mine!” The tree should be plenty big for everyone but there is always a fuss from someone. And those little feelers are soon soothed. I’m thrilled that you have #6. I got number # 5 and 6 last year. My son moved from with me to his girlfriends. She has two daughters that are 10 and 17. I’ve only seen the 17 year old once but the 10 year old comes almost every time everyone else comes to visit which is about every two weeks. She does visit her day on the same weekend that my son’s son visits his mom. In the summer, she spends every other week with her dad, so I haven’t seen her as much. She is a sweetie. Next summer, she wants to come and spend a week and be a helper at VBS. It’s a huge VBS – over 900 children. The girlfriend’s mom and dad have accepted my grandchildren, too. It’s time he found a good one. Both of the mothers of his children are drug addicts. I hope to make the older girl a quilt for graduation. It’s going to be a tough call to find a pattern – I’m picking it – she’s an artist. I’m going to keep it simple though. You always have great ideas and inspire me. Thanks for participating in the hop. Susan
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Love your tree! Such a fun idea for little kids- just like the felt boards of yore. And you could cut out stars, and decorate ornaments (break out the glitter glue)…It’s brilliant.
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What a clever idea. Love that your ornaments could be rearranged by one and all. Great for young and old alike. Well, since we are all in this hop I guess that says we start thinking Christmas early. My biggest problem will be finding where I stored these items come December.
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The tree is creative and pretty. ‘Makes me want to make one myself.
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Cute idea, and very creative way to be sure Christmas did come after all!
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That’s a wonderful idea, and I know my grandkids would love playing with it! Another idea would be to make it an advent calendar, where kids can decorate it a little each day. That might be more fun with several kids so it filled up quickly though! Thanks for the inspiration!
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Love the concept! Great for little hands~ o dear, it seems as if i never have enough time to make and do for Christmas gifting!
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I am one to plan ahead and buy or make all year long. Some years are better than others. I love that idea of the tree and might do that for DD’s dorm door.
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Congratulations on the new grand baby! When my kids were growing up I planned ahead for Christmas. Now that they are grown we decided as a family not to exchange gifts – we usually travel together for the holidays. This year I finally have a grand baby so I’ll start doing something for her.
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I feel that after being married for 46 years that we have had 45 Xmas’s together so far with 46 later this year that we have plenty of Xmas decorations and I rarely ever make or buy a new one for the last 10 years now – I do not rush at the last minute to make any – I might think of something new early in the year to work on but not usually – like I say I just feel like we have enough and have actually not even gotten everything out of their boxes the last years or so but have down sized the decorating instead
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That’s such a clever idea and it’s fun for the little ones to help decorate it.
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Very clever! I can see how the littles would enjoy “decorating” the Christmas tree. Congrats on grandbaby #6.
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Cute idea! I can see why the kids of all ages would like it.
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A great idea for the children
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I start planning for Christmas around September. In October, I queue up my Countdown to Christmas posts. Those posts take a surprisingly long time but I guess with it being a busier time of year and there are 25 of them …
I don’t plan on any Christmas-themed projects this year. I just donated many yards of Christmas fabric. I even have a Christmas flimsy I’ve never quilted. ah well You gals can hold the torch for me. *grins*
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Christmas is a tough time of the year for me so I haven’t gone “all out” with the decorations in a number of years, but I like your idea of the felt Christmas tree and ornaments.
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Hi Karen! Look at all that snow on top of your fire pit! I agree, Christmas always does come quicker and quicker. Kind of like summer flying by so quickly. Happy Monday! ~smile~ Roseanne
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I think and plan on it all year long, but it seems I start towards the end of October, and other things get in the way. I am lucky if I finish before Christmas.
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Very festive tree – Merry Christmas!
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I like your idea. I think kids would love this. When my kids were growing up, The whole month of December was spent getting ready for the holidays. Every day we did something different, like make ornaments, bake cookies, read Christmas stories, etc. Now, we’re usually waiting until the week before Christmas. But we leave everything up for about a month.
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this is such a wonderful idea. helps keep their little hands off of the big tree. this is theirs
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
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It’s just hubby and I left at home and the few remaining young Grandkids we have are either out of town or love out of the country in Bulgaria where one of my daughter’s and her family do missionary work. So we don’t decorate. But this year the daughter is stateside so we’ll decorate and then give all the kids what they want from our decoration and then donate the rest. EXCEPT my collection of 2′ or taller Santa’s and the 1 Mrs. Claus that I came across.
Jeri Oldtisme@aol.com
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My preparations vary with my mood each year. A few years, I haven’t done anything at all. I have a very skinny fake tree which has lights already on it, and it’s only 4 feet tall, so it’s easy to put up in front of the window on top of the thing that holds my printer. I have a box full of felt and handmade decorations that take about 10 minutes to hang. Usually, I do all that, and it doesn’t take long. I love your felt tree. If I had littles coming over, I’d definitely want to put up something like that! I might put something in the wall next to the stairs that come up from the foyer, anyway. Children do come by and would love to mess with it, I’m sure!
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Great felt tree,and movable decorations, a sure hit with everyone. And so easy to put up and pack away.
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I don’t usually decorate as we use to head to FL the day after Christmas. We also have cats and I’m not sure about putting up a tree so may try making a felt one like you did. It’s a great idea.
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Love your idea. Last year my husband had just gotten home from the hospital and skilled nursing home after a month stay and I felt mentally beat up to even think about the tree. It is usually my favorite time of year. I usually start preparing in October and November.
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Ha, ha, very cute!
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Perfect to decorate a child’s room or your main room if you recently move 🙂 Overall excellent idea. Thanks.
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I know the younger Monkey Boys would love to have a tree like that…so cute! I’m a bit of Scrooge about dragging out the Christmas decorations, so this tree would make me not look so bad. Thanks for sharing!
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Karen, Cute tree! It really motivates me to start my Christmas gifts now.
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What a great idea. Congrats on the new grandbaby!
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Last year was kind of a fail on decorating-after downsizing I hardly wanted to pull everything out. I did s little and that was good. I never understood how my mother got tired of decorating, but now I do! Love your tree…perfect for young and old!
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What a great way to decorate without dragging all the boxes out of the attic.
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Clever idea for keeping little hands busy and playful! As for Christmas, I am a last minuter, for sure. I have grand ideas of starting in July (this blog hop makes me realize that) and then I have a mad scramble come December. One of these times I’ll get ahead!
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Congrats on the grand baby!!!! I love this tree, such a great idea and I love that it can be redecorated many times over.
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This is a great idea, Karen! And, congratulations on the new granddaughter! Grandbabies are SEW wonderful!!
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Love your tree!
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Very cool will half to show my daughter.My grandson will love this idea…tytyty happyness04431@yahoo.com
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Such a good idea and so much fun for the young and old!! An interactive Christmas tree!! Thanks so much for sharing this idea! xx
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I try and start preparing all year, but it is still a big rush at the end to get everything ready. I just bought a present for someone for Christmas last weekend! Your idea for the tree is a great idea, and how fun the tree is decorated differently each day it is up, what fun! Thank you for sharing, and thank you for participating in the blog hop!
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