Experiencing the yearly Christmas tree adventure always brings certain memories to mind...the very first scent of green, citrusy, woodsy tree smells remind me of going out in the woods with Daddy, and a few of my siblings, probably in the back of his old black pickup truck to find a suitable tree and possibly some mistletoe to hang. Daddy and my brother were hunters and usually had the perfect tree already scoped out! It was usually cedar and Daddy would put it in a 5-gallon bucket full of wet sand and it would go in front of the big picture window in the front room of our little house.
We didn't have alot of money, especially for a lot of store-bought Christmas ornaments...there were some gorgeous huge glass balls that I remember hanging on the tree every year but I also vividly remember the hand-made decorations we made every year. Like the little sweet-gum balls that we spray painted and decorated with glitter.
I also remember cutting a big star out of cardboard, covering it with aluminum foil and then cutting a hole in the middle so that one of the big lights could fit inside it for the top of the tree.
Gosh, I always loved decorating that tree! After I was older, our handcrafted ornaments became a bit more sophisticated. My sister Susan and I made a whole bunch of scrap fabric-covered balls decorated with sparkly rick-rack, fake pearls and seed beads with straight pins and glue...When Mama died and we divvied up things I took a few to hang on my tree..I love them, even though they are about to fall apart. Maybe I will make some new ones!
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| circa the 70's! |
After moving away from my hometown and living on my own, I did some ornament making on my own...here are some little clothespin and paper angels...love the one with pasta hair!
One year I got ambitious and tried to duplicate a stuffed angel I saw in a magazine...only I didn't have a sewing machine, so I stitched her and her friends all up by hand. I gave them as gifts that year.
Poor little thing, her spanish moss hair and potpourri dried flower bouquet have seen better days!
Good times, good times! What memories from past Christmases do you have?
I have many fond Christmas memories too. They bring tears...My mom still has many of the ornaments we made. We didn't have a lot but were thankful for what we did have.
ReplyDeleteI plan on having my grandchildren over this week as they anxiously await Christmas, to make some of the styrofoam ornaments that you cover with sequins and pins and beads like my children made years ago. Ornaments are a wonderful reminder of years and people past. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh my - the stuffed angel is adorable!
ReplyDeleteLove your clothespin angels! Sweet and homespun! I had a great aunt who used to make fabric covered ornaments just like those. One year I made a bunch of angels from a wooden bead (the head), a dowel, and a wooden spool (to stand it on), with an embroidered handkerchief for the dress, and a starched lace doily gathered in the middle for wings. I used spanish moss for hair too. I should have thought of pasta! Love your little stuffed angel--sometimes hand-sewing them is easier than hauling out the machine.
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