Mouse Village
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the mouse village is up over my fireplace, every year a little different. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)
Mouse Village
I didn’t intentionally start collecting mice. Over the years when I was traveling, I found myself bringing home a little mouse figurine I found at a thrift store or antique shop. It wasn’t until a few years into the commute that I realized I had a little mouse collection I could set up over my fireplace for a Christmas village.
According to home decor experts, villages and collections are back in vogue. Think lighted houses and snowmen in various poses.
As you know if you’ve read my other blog posts, I’m an advocate of less. Tiny trees, framed Christmas cards, Christmas ornaments as gifts - are all ways we can still decorate for the holidays by re-purposing with less consumption and use of space.
This little mouse village is a charming example of those principles. All of the pieces were picked up at thrift stores. The little mouse asleep in a bed was found tossed because one of the bed posts was broken. I was able to make a new one and paint it so that it matched the others.
The figurines are small enough that they can be reconfigured every year. For example, this is the first year I added the framed cat looking through a mouse hole at Santa mouse in the center. And it wasn’t until I took the photo that I realized the painting hanging over the fireplace looks like the framed cat!
These little pieces take very little space to store, and even less time setting up. I do have them on the fireplace mantle to keep inquisitive paws from playing with them since many are breakable ceramics.
This would also make a fun Christmas gift, starting someone such as newlyweds on a particular theme. Mice are just one of a number of easily available collectibles. Snowmen, Santas, reindeer are other possibilities. You can add one every year and chat about what you find as your treasure hunt in between holidays. Half the fun is in the collecting!
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Charlotte
