DIY Tradition with Cate Masters
Let's turn our thoughts to the simple things that make Christmas special.
What are your memories with your little ones? Is there a special ornament on your tree?
Trimming the tree with memories
Cate Masters
Rituals and traditions remind us not only of who we are but of what is most important to us. The Christmas holiday can ground us with a sense of security that centers on family.
Rituals and traditions remind us not only of who we are but of what is most important to us. The Christmas holiday can ground us with a sense of security that centers on family.
Our family puts up the same decorations year after year, building a rich history as year is layered upon year. New ornaments are added to old on the tree to add to the history.
My youngest daughter cringes as I hang with pride the handmade ornament from when she was just beginning school – a snowflake made from Q-Tips and glue, laden with glitter to impart a glistening glow. The glue is now yellowed, and she regards the ornament with disdain. She insists that, if it must be hung on the tree, it should be hidden in the back, where no one will see it. But I still know it’s there – it’s one of my most precious ornaments.
My youngest daughter cringes as I hang with pride the handmade ornament from when she was just beginning school – a snowflake made from Q-Tips and glue, laden with glitter to impart a glistening glow. The glue is now yellowed, and she regards the ornament with disdain. She insists that, if it must be hung on the tree, it should be hidden in the back, where no one will see it. But I still know it’s there – it’s one of my most precious ornaments.
Because I wanted my kids to have a start on their own decorations, each year I’d buy a dated ornament for each child. We hung them on the tree, but as my kids grew into adults, I handed over their treasure trove of ornaments, a boxful of memories to share with their own kids someday. Even after dividing up the decorations, I still have plenty left, and it’s always good to make room for more memories. :)
They can have my Lenox figures, my Metropolitan Museum of Art snowflakes – just don’t dare touch that crooked little snowflake. Little hands crafted that one-of-a-kind ornament with me in mind, lovingly adjusting the Q-Tips until they were just so, then dabbling just the right amount of glitter. The glitter didn’t shine nearly as bright as her eyes when she handed it to me.
That snowflake can never be replaced, for no other ornament fills me with a yearning of nostalgia for times when Christmas was a time of magic, when silly grins on the faces of my children were an everyday occurrence. Now those silly grins are as rare as the Aurora borealis, and even more beautiful. The days of my children’s childhood are gone forever, captured only in a snowflake made of glue and Q-Tips and glitter.
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Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
NOTE: For other DIY Christmas posts, go here. Be sure to leave a comment because there are goodies involved.
Comments
But at Christmas he still gets a little goofy and can't wait to set up the train that runs around the tree. :)
Thanks, Angelina.
Sarah, my challenge these days is hanging the breakable ornaments high enough the grandbabies can't get to them, lol. But it's still fun.
I still am fortunate to have that with my two youngest (8 and 7 years old) but the 15, 19, & 21 year old kids are now fun in new ways. We can share the excitement of getting things ready for the youngest ones.
Great post!
And thanks, Maria, for having me at your DIY Christmas. Looking forward to all the great recipes and crafts to come!
In a house of boys/men who could care less about the rest of the decorating, unless we're talking about competing for most lights on the outside of the house, the tree is our thing. The getting, setting up, and decorating of the tree is a family project no matter how busy we are. And for me, the house isn't complete until it's done.
For the past decade, I have sewn handmade felt ornaments in different Christmas shapes (bell, snowman, tree, etc). Then I write on the ornament things that happened that year (a special vacation, an engagement,name of college they're attending, what job they're employed at, etc)
My kids are well past the child stage (sorry girls- we're all getting older), but they still enjoy re-reading those ornaments as they put them on the tree each year!
Ellie
Raelynn, how neat that your parents still have your handmade ornaments. I love the whole process of going out to find the tree too - something even the men can do, lol.
What a great idea, Ellie. It's amazing how the memories come rushing back when we open up that box of decorations, isn't it?
My sister does the same with her family, Stephen. My hubby hates theaters, so we just wait for the DVDs. But Santa likes to bring those. :)
I was able to save one tree decoration that my granddaughter made. I will pass it on to my daughter next year. For this year it is hanging on my computer desk.
I always loved it when my kids would bring home handmade ornaments. Had them for years and they always went on the tree. Now they will have to start the tradition with their kids.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Deb
mammy3114@yahoo.com
Now all those are gone thanks to the wildfires in September but this year we went and bought a nice 7 1/2foot artificial pine, decked it with glass looking ornaments on Saturday after Thanksgiving and extra lights so it had some color contrasting with the white lights the tree was already lit with.
Christmas means a few days off to us for my husband to stay home and relax and eat too much. Other than that the presents under the tree are for my furry babies, they love getting their toys on Christmas day the little rats!
Jackie, my heart goes out to you. I felt so terrible hearing you lost everything in the wildfire. Glad to hear you're celebrating with your furry babies, who will help brighten your holidays, I'm sure. :)