Early American Christmas at the Museum of Appalachia

Decorating for Christmas, Pioneer Style at the Museum of Appalachia.

 It rained all day long in our Pioneer Village.. I call it ours because it is a State Treasure to those of us living in Tennessee. It is ours, and it is yours too, if you love American History.
Cabin decor at Christmas is just as you would imagine....

 a cedar scented cabin, a wiry, woody tree festooned with paper chains, strung popcorn, orange slices, cornhsuck dolls and tinsel garlands. Each of the dozens of cabins has it's own, unique Christmas tree and  a mantle hung with knitted stockings.

 Carolers stroll the village dressed in woolens as peacocks, goats, sheep and horses browse the grounds. The only thing missing is snow!  I love this place and have posted extensively on it in the past.
I love all the make-do fences, walls, steps and gates... often covered in moss and lichens. But mostly, I love the log cabins.

 In this tiny cabin, the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in such simple and charming displays.

 Berries, pine-cones, Oranges,Cinnamon sticks, Bay Leaves and fresh boughs from  nearby evergreen trees are placed upon the table, the mantle and in the corner cupboard.

  Sitting in a tin candlestick holder is a festive vignette from nature,

 

and this cedar tree is hung with sugar-dipped covered pine-cones and plaid ribbon.

 A basket of green leaves in an oak basket sits at the foot of the rope bed.

It is all so lovely in it's simplicity.

 Living a mere 40 minutes from this museum is a treat. This weekend I was doing a little book-signing in the Museum's gift shop and the silky grey shop cat sat in my lap for 45 minutes or so. He lives in the gift shop. They tell me he showed up 4 years ago and was such a wild little thing you could not even touch him. Now, he loves everyone.

.

on this day, he loved me.

A toasty fire crackled  all day in the shop to keep out the chilly, rain soaked air. I was inspired.


  Decorating for Christmas in our house, with Simplicity
Inspired by the pioneer decor at the Museum, I determined to give it a try.
      On one of our mantles sits this 14 inch long Beeswax leaping rabbit. He is adorned in rose-hips and pine  gathered from the woods. My friend "Bunny" made this rabbit, ( yes, that is her real name, and she makes bunnies)
She and her husband create these and numerous  other images molded in beeswax. Her husband  inherited hundreds of candy molds from his Grandfather who was a chocolate maker in Germany.

Here is a row of vintage Santas on the Parlor mantle.

 My mantles may be a little more ornate than those in the cabins, even though I am trying to be frugal.

  It's not all that easy to decorate Pioneer style...when you  have a bunch of Santas in a box.

.

One feather tree with red stitched samplers and wooden Dutch shoes, that's pretty simple, right?

Berries and bay leave garlands atop the curtains, easy to do and very Early American.

++

  The only thing I got carried away with, was my toy display; then all my decorating frugality went out the window.

This feather tree has these wonderful little sheep/candle weights ( made by the same friend who made that big beeswax bunny).

Since the tiny tree is covered in sheep, I decided to put fuzzy farm folk beneath the tree as well.

Don't you love those little donkeys?!
Next, I had to add the
.Dollies in a Shoefly rocker beneath the tabletop tree,

.

And a buggy full of Teddies old and new to add to the festivities.
.
  Okay, I am finished! That is, until I decorate that Douglas Fir in the Keeping Room. So much for my Pioneer Decorating.
Oh Well, I can't help myself, I love Christmas.