holidays + coffee filters

So, I don't drink coffee. But I bought myself a sackful of about 5.4 million coffee filters a few years ago. Firstly, because they make excellent disposable (translation: no dishes!) popcorn bowls for family movie nights. Secondly, because...I dunno. Frankly, I was just giddy about the dishes-free Utopia of "firstly."

 

 

Enter: holidays. Holidays with a large(ish) picture window in our living room. (A picture window that would, by the looks of things, enjoy having its own special window-cleaning holiday. Unfortunately for all the vertical glass planes in my life, it's not that time of the decade yet...)

 

 

So. I discovered that coffee filters make *perfect* window decorations for nearly every holiday. And for those months with zero (or lame) holidays (I'm looking at you, National Static Electricity Day), there's still something to celebrate. Proudly, for the whole neighborhood to see.

It's super hard to do, so get ready to take notes. Ready? Here we go:
Step 1: Get coffee filters.
Step 2: Flatten them.
Step 3: Have kids color on them with crayons or markers. Or anything else.
Step 4: Tape to window.
Step 5: Pat yo' festive self on the back for a job well done.

This new tradition's great for my family. Why? Because: (a) It involves the kids. Big-time. (b) It takes up zero storage space for excessive decor after the month is over. (c) It's festive from inside and outside, thanks to the translucent coffee filters. (d) We change things up from month to month based upon how we hang/display them, i.e., tape, fishing line, twine, pine boughs, etc. (e) After the initial purchase of a zillion coffee filters, which was just a few bucks anyway, it's freeee!

January: Static Electricity (snowmen/snowflakes)

February: Valentine's Day (hearts)

 

March: St. Patrick's Day (gold coins)

April: April Fool's Day (sunshines)

May: May Day (flowers)

June: Family Reunion Season (smiley faces)

July: Independence Day (flags)

August: Dog Days of Summer (ice cream cones)

 

September: Back to School (apples)

 

October: Halloween (pumpkins & jack-o-lanterns)

(view from outside...aren't those reflected Fall trees gorgeous?!)

November: Thanksgiving (turkeys)

(love the baby turkeys peeking their heads up)

 

December: Christmas (ornaments)

 

(Note: I realize these are examples for the U.S.; I'm sure seasons and holidays can be swapped out for other countries as well. Just use your imagination! Or steal some from your kids. I'm sure they've got plenty to spare.)

 

{shared here, here, here, and here}