Christmas Decorating With Thrift Finds

On this Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some little glimpses of decorations in our home. I just didn't have the time nor the energy to get all of my vintage Christmas decorations out this year. So I really simplified, and decorated minimally , using mostly "thrifted" finds found during the year - things that had not yet been packed away.
 My favorite thing may well be this ceramic lighted church - I have never seen another like it. Sorry I don't have a photo of it with the light on inside, showing the "stained glass" windows lit from within. It's so pretty though; the perfect shade of blue:

I found these Santas and the sweet candle holder at the thrift shop near where I work:

The beautiful little plate below was a birthday gift from my friend Jamie, and I thought the pyramid shaped modern style salt and pepper shakers looked like trees:

That may not exactly be a manger for baby Jesus, below, but He  looks so sweet with the hand painted wood figures of Mary and Joseph I found that I couldn't resist putting them all together:

This ceramic tree was filthy when I found it at a thrift shop for one dollar. It didn't have a base, but it looks pretty good atop one of my lamps after I removed the hurricane chimney. I am always so tickled when I find vintage figures like the angel and the pine cone snowman - especially when they only cost fifty cents or less:

A closer look at my two little treasures:

I simply fell in love with these next two large figures, and while they may not look "Christmasy" to you, I decided that placing them with my ram brought to mind the carol lyrics "There's a star in the east on Christmas morn........Leave your sheep and leave your lambs;  rise up shepherds and follow. Leave your ewes and leave your rams; rise up shepherds and follow..."

I found an incomplete canister of Tinker Toys, but luckily there were just enough pieces for me to fashion a little makeshift Christmas tree with them:

And I decided to decorate it with hand painted wooden ornaments - mostly bells and my favorite little birds:

I spent a fair amount of time one day last week scouring every inch of one of my favorite thrift shops, and I was ready to leave empty-handed (having found nothing at all that I couldn't live without). On my way out the door I saw that while I had been shopping, they had just put out these three adorable little musician/carolers, so I had to bring them home! It didn't hurt that all Christmas items were 50% off that day!

Hope today finds you singing a few of YOUR favorite Christmas carols; and that you have yourself a merry little Christmas eve!