This is actually barely a DIY project, even though I titled it ‘DIY Swags’.

I actually found some swags at the grocery store that had several types of evergreens in them, and just embellished them.

Here are some tips on how I easily embellished these DIY Swags:

The purchased swags also had a few pine cones wired on them. By themselves they looked a little plain… here’s where the DIY part comes in.

I found these shatterproof huge pine cones at Menards.

Menards had the pine cones in both gold or silver. I thought I wanted silver, but they didn’t have enough at this particular Menards I was at and I just didn’t have it in me to drive to another one.

I bought enough gold ones. Now that they’re done, I am glad I wound up with the gold ones. I like how they contrast the gray and white of the house’s exterior.

Along with the huge pine cones, I grabbed some zip ties from the shed.

Zip ties are so useful! I’ve used them for a quick hold on many projects. On these DIY swags, you can see how easily they grip onto the branches holding the huge pine cones in place.

Next, for some color, I bought these pre-made bows…

at Menards as well!! They are lined with a plastic type backing and I think they’ll last out in the elements for a few Christmases.

I’ve made tons, (probably thousands) of bows in my life. (In fact, in this post I crafted a diagram showing you how to make a bow!)

However, I am not too proud of a crafter to pass up saving some time and money by buying something already done! These were super cute, very reasonably priced and seemed quite durable.

These pre-finished bows came with twist ties that long enough to twist around the top of the swags and hold them in place.

Then one more zip tie…

I fed it through the wire on the swag creating a loop. On the post, just below the lantern, I screwed in a screw with a fairly large head. I put that loop of the zip tie around the screw and pulled it snug so it held tightly on the screw.

We had some wind last week just after I hung the DIY swags and they held up perfectly, so I guess the zip ties worked!

I love the warm look the DIY swags have on the large wood posts.

I think we’ve finished decorating the outside now. We have our nativity out on the front corner of our yard facing the street. Last year I purchased a vintage, (circa 1930’s?) wood and paper nativity set I found online. I set it up on the front porch where it would be protected from the weather. (I’ll try to get a few pics of it set up to show you… check back! It’s pretty neat! I’ve never seen one like it, but that’s just me, maybe you have?)

Now to the inside decorating. I’m determined to get all the Christmas stuff sorted and thinned out. Let’s see if I can be successful!

Truth is, we just don’t have the room for that much Christmas decor in our new house. I also just don’t have the time and energy to do that much decorating… I have so many other things I would like to be doing! (We now have 6 grandkids in other states, that means more time traveling!) There are tons of projects I have up my sleeve… and I’m still unpacking from our renovation and moving project… there is plenty to do!

Here are more posts I’ve written about Christmas decorating:

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This post is linked at these other sites: Between Naps on the Porch, Skip to My Lou, Refresh Restyle, DIY Showoff, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Savvy Southern Style, My Repurposed Life, Little Bits of Home, Yesterday on Tuesday