One of my favorite things about the Christmas holidays is that we get to take a break from our normal routine and spend time with family. As the kids have gotten older it seems harder than ever to stop the crazy busy schedule. Yet, it is so important. It won’t be long until they are gone and out on their own.
Each year we set up two trees. The main family tree is our memory tree. A tradition I picked up from my parents is every time we go someplace new or special we pick up a new ornament. So decorating the Christmas tree is like a walk down memory lane. “Remember when we went to __________” and “Yeah, and ___________, that was so much fun” Each year we pick up 4 to 6 ornaments. So after seventeen years of marriage it is quite full. It is one of my favorite family traditions.
The other tree in my house is the kids tree. It is full of ornaments that the kids have made. It is a little scrawny tree that they decorate themselves, from the lights to the decorations. Each year we take time to craft something new.
When I was a little girl, I made a set of ornaments with my grandmother similar to these. We took scraps of fabric and glued them to balls. The ornaments are long gone, but I have a distinctive memory of them. So I decided that we would make a set of our own.
I began with some old glass balls that I no longer use and scraps of holiday fabric. Each piece of fabric was cut into small pieces (about 1/2 inch square). I then took a bottle of white school glue and thinned it down with a little water. Using a 1 inch foam brush, each piece of fabric was glued to the ball in layers. The ball was given one final coat of glue and hung to dry. Once dry they were added to the tree.
This project took a little patience, and I would not recommend it for small children.
Merry Christmas!
