Debra Schoch is an artist from rural Northern Michigan best known for her whimsical, festive, and unique folk art papier mâché figurines. About 20 or so years ago, Bethany Lowe Designs signed Debra on to their team of artists, allowing her work to become much more widely accessible.
Before that, Debra had been making all of her artwork by hand and selling it at small local craft fairs. This is where my mom bought the decorations in this post, so you could say that all of these pieces are from Debra’s “pre-Bethany Lowe” era.
Each snowman and Santa featured below is handmade, one of a kind, and signed by Debra. Nearly all are also dated between 1999 and 2001. However, I know that those without dates were purchased around the same time.
This snowman family is just adorable. When she used to sell her art at local craft fairs and shows, Debra experimented a lot with different mediums. Some of my favorite pieces of hers include some sort of patchwork element, like the smaller snowman’s body or the large snowman’s jacket above.
Speaking of snowmen, this dapper standing-up snowman from 2001 is one of my favorite Christmas decorations ever. From the bow tie to the tiny top hat and very classy coat, this guy is full of character. As you can see, he is also very “well loved” and his carrot nose has unfortunately broken off over the years.
The burgundy Santas above are dated 2000 and 2001, respectively. I love the small teddy bears and the stitched on snowmen details- so cute!
Here’s another favorite of mine- the quilted Santa! This is the only piece we have from Debra that lights up, and I think the old-school Christmas lights complete the look perfectly. Again, this is another example of a patchwork/quilted piece, which I love.
This patchwork Santa holding an Easter bunny (above) is quite unique, and a good example of how Debra mixed themes from different holidays in many of her pieces back in the day. In fact, her store name, Hop Hop Jingle Boo, is a nod to her three favorite holidays – Easter, Christmas, and Halloween.
Last, but certainly not least, are some papier mâché Santas, plus a snowman! This figurine style is what Debra is most well-known for, and for good reason. All of her figurines, including those for Easter and Halloween as well, are so whimsical and full of character. My personal favorite is the burgundy Santa below that has a teddy bear peeking over his shoulder. But each piece is so unique- it’s hard to choose!
Like the rest of the decorations in this post, all of these figurines are signed and most are dated between 1999-2001.
Explore More Debra Schoch Decor
I hope you enjoyed browsing some of the Debra Schoch Christmas decorations that adorn our home every year. Decorating with them has become one of my favorite parts of the holiday season.
If you are interested in some of Debra’s other early pieces made for other holidays, check out the posts below.
Happy To Be Home: Debra Schoch Easter Decor
Happy To Be Home: Debra Schoch Halloween Decor
You can also take a look at Debra’s Etsy shop, Hop Hop Jingle Boo, by clicking here. However, I must warn you that it has not been updated in some time.
Pin the image below to come back to this post later.
