An Ornament Tradition

As a teenager, my family would spend Christmas Day with friends.  My mom, Jan and her friend Judy had grown up together, meeting across the fence of their houses when they were three.  Judy’s younger sister Geri soon joined the two girl friends.  So after they had grown, all three of our families would spend the day together.

On the Christmas when I was about 14,  I wanted to make a little gift for each of the ladies there (which included Judy and Geri’s mother and Geri’s mother-in-law).  In one of the women’s magazines at the time there was instructions for a little paper doily angel.  Her dress was made with a big paper doily folded into a cone.  Her sleeves and hat were cones made of smaller doilies.  Her head was a Styrofoam ball with braided embroidery floss hair and sequin star eyes.  She wasn’t fancy but she was cute and everyone liked the angel they received.

The next year I made another ornament for the group and  there started a tradition I have kept up each year.  Those who receive my yearly ornaments have expanded to other family members and friends.  What started with 5 ladies now has expanded to a group of 30 family, friends and work colleagues.

Through the years the ornaments have reflected what ever craft or technique I was involved in that year.  There are ceramic ornaments, needle point, braided, spool knitted, woven, quilt techniques (pieced, appliqué, cathedral window, etc).  You can follow the history of my craftiness through my Christmas ornaments.

With the amount of ornaments I make, I try to find something easy and cheap but unusual and something that can be done quick.  I probably could start making the ornaments earlier in the year but who really wants to think of Christmas in July.  Not me.

Those who have received my ornaments for a number of years tell me that they have a special box for the ornaments or hang them together in a group on their tree.  I have seen grown adults clap their hands and say “goody” when I hand them a Christmas card – the usual delivery method of my ornaments.

It is a lot of work but it is one of my personal Christmas traditions that I enjoy.  I have only missed one year of making the ornaments.  It was the year my mother died and my heart really wasn’t in it. But after that year passed, I vowed I would never miss another year.  It didn’t feel like Christmas without my ornament.

This year’s ornament is one I came up with while writing the blog on spool knitting threads and added a little from the blog on Kid’s Crafts at the Farmers market.  After receiving a donation of crochet thread and having some cones of 2-ply yarn (that no matter how much I used never seems to diminish.  I think it reproduces at night) and playing with the sequins from the weather forecasters, I made a little wreath shaped ornament with a sequin circle sewn to the bottom.    It’s been fun spool knitting with three threads.  It makes me want to combine more colors or styles of thread together.

I hope you all start an ornament tradition.  Maybe get the children or grandchildren involved and make wonderful Christmas memories together at the same time. You don’t have to make the amount of ornaments I do but it does make the holiday special for yourself and others.  At least it has for me.  Happy Ornamenting!

My 2016 Ornament

© 2016 – Cheryl Fillion