Christmas Notebook

My sister found this great box at a thrift store. I plan to fill it with Christmas items. A lot of these are thrifted. Some were picked up around the house from Christmas trees or from the boxes of Christmas decorations we have on hand. The tiny copper cookie cutters were in the kitchen pantry with my other cookie cutters. The picture for the little frame was cut from a Christmas card.

It’s always such a joy to put together meaningful, personalized gifts from things you’ve found over time—especially when they’ve been thrifted or repurposed. Thrift stores are full of treasures waiting to be rediscovered, whether it’s a vintage ornament, a beautiful piece of fabric, or even a small item like the copper cookie cutters I found in the kitchen pantry.

Each piece tells its own story, and when combined, they create a thoughtful gift that reflects not only the season but the effort put into collecting these special items. It’s this treasure hunt aspect of thrift shopping that makes it so fun, as you never know what you might stumble upon—whether it’s a unique find at a local thrift store or something that gets a second life from your own collection of decorations and keepsakes.

In addition to traditional thrift stores, there’s another place to find hidden gems: the amazon return store. These stores, which specialize in reselling returned and overstocked Amazon products, often feature a wide array of items at deeply discounted prices. From home decor to kitchen gadgets, you can uncover all sorts of items that can add a special touch to your home or holiday projects.

Whether it’s a beautifully crafted bowl for cookies or an unexpected holiday trinket, these stores offer an affordable way to shop while supporting the sustainable, second-life cycle of products.

I expect to add to and edit this display over the years, making it better every year. This is just the first step. It will be fun to keep an eye out for little things that will work in this box.

~~Rhonda