Thanks to some lovely weather last weekend, we got a tree, hung exterior lights, set up the "Jesus house" (as my children lovingly call it) and decorated the house. What struck me as I hauled box after box labeled "xmas decor" from storage is that we have way too much crap. Really. While not a big shopper, clearly, I need to be rinsed, sorted and stuffed into a recycling bin before any one lets me near an "after holiday clearance sale" ever again. Sadly, my incandescent icicle lights are making no movement whatsoever on craigslist. So there doesn't seem to be much of a reuse market for bad choices on my part.
But back to hand-made crafts, as that's what I intend to post on today. I did manage a wreath. I use a grape-vine wreath-form that I've had for about 20 years, and wreathify with the trimmings from the bottom of our tree. Fancy it up with some clippings from our neighbor's holly tree (she practically begs me to clip off the whole dang tree each year with my hand pruners -- we used to have holly at our old house, so I don't blame her). Twist tie on a few pine cones or doo-dads. Voila! Not exactly Martha Stewart, but it's festive.
Each year I make a holiday ornament that somehow sums up what the year
was about. This year, I'm stumped. O Christmas ornament muse,
where-for-art-thou? What was this year about? And better yet, how do I
represent that in a hand-crafted miniature ornament shaped symbol using
found items from around the home?
Last year, I made tiny books with pix of my kids inside listing fun facts about them: their age, school, favorite things, etc. Made with old bits of ribbon and cardboard. Last year's theme was school (since my oldest started kindergarten). Some years coming up with the theme is super easy: year we got married, year we moved to Portland or the years the girls were born, etc. The year of 2008 will be remembered for many things publicly: the recession that we still are afraid to call a recession and the bailouts, the historic election of Barack Obama. And in our family in 2008: the first time I was ever on national TV(!!), some major family milestones (my grandma's 90th, the death of my grandfather, 50th wedding anniversary of my in-laws). Yet, I still can't seem to grasp or decide what the THEME will be. What was 2008 about for you? Any special crafty decor you are working on?
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