Miniature Christmas Village

The house is overflowing with Christmas decorations from top to bottom.  It’s a lot of work but soooo worth it.  Perhaps the most time consuming thing that I do is the miniature Christmas village that spans an entire wall on the lower level.

Every year I say is the last one for this endeavor.  And every year I default on that promise.  It’s just such a big part of Christmas in this house! It is the combination of two villages, one was mine and the other belonged to my husband.  They merged when we got married.  Yes, the same man who laughs at the seasonal signs all over my house… is a closet Clark Griswold!

We both had a significant collection when we met but it has grown quite extensively over the years.  He will try to pin that on me but don’t believe it for a second!  When it comes to Christmas, he is a complete and utter sap!  The DVR in our house has every Christmas movie out there and I did not record a single one!

To build or not to build????

A few years ago I really tried to leave the village in the storage room.  We were going out to California the first of December for a while.  It just seemed crazy to do all that work when we wouldn’t be here for much of the month.  It was strange not to  have it out but I had come to terms with it.  Then I got a phone call that changed everything.  It was my niece who lives in Arizona.  She asked if she and the kids could come up and stay for a while so the kids could see the snow.  “Of course!” I told her!

Once the plans had been made and the call ended, I became the crazy old aunt on steroids that I hope she never meets in person!  There were kids coming to stay!  Not just kids but my great niece and nephew whom I’m crazy about.  They would be staying downstairs …in the room right next to the wall with the miniature Christmas village!  But it wasn’t there!!!!   Yep!  I dropped everything and put that village up faster than I ever had in my life.  So you can understand my reluctance to make that decision again.  You just never know!

I have gotten quite a bit faster over the years.  I have a plan, I’m organized, and I can have it up and operating in days instead of weeks now.  Come along with me and see the end result!

The mountains

It all starts at Mt. Rushmore.  We were so excited to find this! We both lived in South Dakota at different times in our lives and still love the place.  Finding the little spotlights for the faces was just so great! Looks exactly like the real thing.

From Rushmore you move down through a small village with an antique shop, a toy shop, a bakery, bed and breakfast, and several other little stores.  Cobblestone streets grace this little village and I love it there! The cute country church and a little old schoolhouse fit in perfectly.

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The suburbs

Further down the mountain, you’ll see skiers, campers, and a few pretty homes.  They really are decked out for the season there.  

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The city

Further down still, you’ll reach the city.  There’s an ice skating rink, a Christmas tree lot, a cathedral, and several shops and galleries before you reach the park which is always quite busy.  

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Over the river and through the woods

Crossing the river by the covered bridge takes you out into the woods.  There you need to be on the lookout for bears!  There is an outdoor amphitheater with a Christmas play out there too.

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From sea to shining sea

Continuing on you will reach the ocean.  This, we agree, is where we would settle.  In fact, years ago, my husband’s  good friend Jeff ( Jeffy) had these houses made for Larry’s village.  Since he lived across the street, he always referred to him as simply The Neighbor.  I have a lot of fun with this. I always make sure our house is decorated better than his and of course Larry is always the captain.  

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I’ve spent a lot of time on this part of the miniature Christmas village.  It’s just my favorite place!  There is a dock where the pelicans hang out, a yatch club, and the freshest lobster anywhere.  Out in the water you’ll see several ships and ocean life.  Jumping dolphins and lazy sea lions hanging out on the buoy.   We always stopped at the buoy leaving Newport Harbor to visit with them. Such great memories! It looks like the whale watch boat spotted a whale coming up for air too.

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I love lighthouses so they are on every shore in my village.  My kids will tell you that they’ve been dragged to several on family vacations much to their chagrin!  However, there is one lighthouse in my village that is extra special.  Once you pass it, you are on your way to the North Pole!  The entrance is just past the Island of Misfit Toys. 

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The North Pole

Most days you will find Santa at the visitors center greeting guests.  Just below the radio station, KOLD, you can usually watch Donnor conducting flying lessons for the youngsters.  

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The North Pole is a very busy place.  The elves are working on windup toys, making candy canes and moving loads up to the toy shop.  If I could visit, I would spend most of my time at the Teddy Bear factory!  I’m sure I would find some great ones for my collection!  

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Heading up the peppermint streets from the popcorn factory, you’ll pass the Glacier Gazette, the bakery, and the airport.  At the top of the hill you will find Mrs. Claus giving a friendly wave and right next door is Santa’s toy shop.

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Why I choose to build

The miniature Christmas village is all connected to ensure that with the flip of one switch, it will all light up and spring to life. Skaters begin to skate, people walk around the city park, and Rudolph takes off. Deer run past the children in line at the North Pole Visitor Center, the assembly line conveyor belt at the Wind Up Toy Factory begins moving and of course the popcorn pops!

Although it is a lot of work, it is just so much fun to hand that switch to a little one and watch their eyes light up when it comes to life. I always ask them, if they could live in the village, where would they want to be? You would think they would all say Santa’s house. Most do but I have had a few tell me they want to live by the park, or in the cabin in the woods. I tell them we would choose a house by the sea with the beach outside our door. At any rate, we have had so many fun conversations over the years.

I’m so glad I was able to share this with you today! I am looking forward to welcoming you back for my 2020 Christmas Home Tour next week. In the meantime, please check out my latest post, Holiday Lanterns. There are some fun ideas there if you have a lantern you would like to turn into a holiday favorite.

Be sure to visit the Library as well. There are some great new Christmas printables to download for the season! My printables are free to all members for personal use. If you haven’t joined us yet, please do! Simply subscribe below, confirm your subscription, and an email with your library password will be in your inbox instantly! You’ll be the first to know of all new promotions and I’ll keep you up to date on the latest trends in home decor.

Hope to see you again soon!

(Click here to see the village in motion on Instagram!)