When I set out to find an idea for this year’s ornament (read my journey), I came across several that made me giggle with delight! And while I won’t reveal any of them (because you’ll see them in future years!), I was completely charmed when my husband discovered this year’s ornament idea.

I subscribe to the Lowe’s Creative Ideas magazine – a free publication that comes every few months. With each arrival, I sit down and read it cover to cover, taking in the creative ideas I might be able to try in my own home.

You can only imagine my excitement when the Holiday 2011 magazine came a few months back. My husband had gotten the mail that day and when I got home from work that evening, he had already opened the page to the tiny tree ornament. “I think you should make this ornament this year,” he said with excitement. (I think he’s grown just as excited every year to see what creation I’ll come up with!)

This fun little tree is made from wood joining biscuits used in wood working projects. (However, my local Lowes store didn’t have the small ones. I found them at Home Depot.) I had so much fun making the ornaments this year because they were something different and so unique.

Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! May your trees be decorated with all kinds of fun creations this year!

Day 14: 2011 Christmas Tree

Materials:

• Wood joining biscuit
• Wooden dowels
• Screw eyes
• Orange peel texture (spray can)
• Hot glue
• Twine
• Ribbon of your choice
• Tagboard

Instructions: From the tagboard, cut a 4.5-inch circle and cut in half. Make a cone from each piece and glue the edges together, leaving a small hole at the top. For the branches, glue biscuits to the one, working from the base up and overlapping. The first row along the bottom should hang off the end of the cone about half way. The top two layers should overlap slightly. Paint the tree. Spray the texture on the biscuits for snow. Cut the dowel to hang out slightly from the bottom. Attach a screw eye to the top of the dowel pin for the trunk. Thread the twine for the hanger. I glued the dowel into the top of the cone to hold it in place. Add a ribbon bow.

The journey continues on revealing an ornament from my collection (see related post).

Day 8: 2005 Quilted Tree

Materials:

• Leftover quilt scraps (green, cream, red)
• Thread
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Fabric glue
• Sewing machine (or hand sew)

Instructions: Start by cutting a 3.25 inch square of your background fabric for both the front and back (I used green on the back). Cut thing batting to same dimensions. Cut a 3/4-inch wide strip of your border fabric. Layer the background, batting and top together. With right sides together, line the border fabric up at the edge of your stack of fabric and sew ¼-inch from the edge, being careful to adjust for the corners. You will now have a layer of fabrics. Fold the border around the edge and stitch the back in the place by hand using a whip stitch. Cut out tree shape from green fabric and either sew or glue in place (I glued the tree). Then using green thread, stitch around the tree using a running stitch. Add a piece of ribbon for the bow on the top, and as a hanger for the ornament.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. And even though I itch to get those decorations out as soon as I start to see jingle bells pop up in the stores, I patiently wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start the transformation. Early in the morning I lug the containers up from the basement (which have grown to quite a few throughout the years!) and carefully unpack the treasures that I neatly stowed the year before. With Christmas music filling the air, I can’t help but smile as I unwrap each item and reflect on its past.

Every item among my collection has a story to tell, from the ceramic figurines I made as a teenager to the Cowboy Santa that travelled with my husband from his home state of Texas. The Christmas treasures all have their own places in the house, with angels singing from the top of the piano to sledding snowmen on the coffee table.

With every decoration in its spot, the tree becomes my focus. Not only is it my most favorite Christmas treasure, but it offers a story in every ornament that hangs from its branches.

When I was only a year old, my mother started an annual tradition of getting us kids a new ornament each year to build a collection that would travel with us throughout our lives. Missing only one from the year I was born (and one that shattered a few year back), my collection offers 31 tiny treasures that twinkle from the lights around them. Some are round balls with colorful characters, while others are angels made from nuts and snowmen made of bells.

Throughout the years, I’ve added to my own collection with ornaments I’ve found or received as gifts. Even the hubby has added his own signature ornaments with skiing bears and, of course, ornaments with a little Texas style.

It’s a joy to reflect on all the items that bring us happiness this season. For me it’s the tiny treasures that make me think of family and friends who have graced my life. Merry Christmas!