Tippy Tuesday: Baggings vs. Stockings

Stockings.  Tree Skirt.  Evergreen garland.  Outdoor lights.  There are a few things we still have never had in all our married Christmases.  Oh well.  Maybe someday.  Not this year -- budget won't allow!  And that's ok.  Christmas isn't all about fancy schmancy decor.  ;-)

So, what were we going to do this year?  We actually have a fireplace mantle!  But no stockings.  I could make them, but that requires time and fabric purchase.  We could get them the day after Christmas, and we might.  But that's after Christmas Day.  My Hubz and I talked about how we like the fun of stockings but not how big they are -- then you feel obligated to wrack your brain figuring out what all to put in it to fill the stocking up!  So, why not have smaller stockings (whether purchased or made) that only contain one or two small items each year?  Yes!  We love the idea!  But what about this year?

BAGGINGS!  From paper bags.  Not traditional.  Not the prettiest thing ever.  Disposable.  But cute and meaningful as we try to watch our finances and be good stewards.  One tradition we do have is that each person has their own wrapping paper.  So we came up with the idea to cut out the first initial of each person in their paper to glue onto the bag.  Then we decorated with markers and glitter glue to personalize the bags.  The boys have Cars characters on them because their combined gifts are different paper than their individual gifts (they really might as well be twins -- same size, same gifts...).  Again, not really elegant and they kind of get lost in all the brick, but they are sweet and will serve the purpose of this years one small gift for each bag.  :-)  And they're so cute we might just keep this tradition rather than getting stockings.  Though I might try to use nicer red/green bags next year and get some evergreen garland to help them stand out a little.  The other benefit is that people's wrapping paper and personalities change over time.  If you have an annual Christmas craft of making Baggings, then the bags match the wrapping paper and personalities every year rather than the same stockings year after year.  I dunno -- I might be sold!  Until my kids are old enough to land on a stocking style they will like long-term.  Maybe then we'll finally get stockings to hang from our mantle. :-)

Just trying to be resourceful but have some Christmasy fun, too!