Memories
Every Christmas for the last six years, my mom and sister and I have created an ornament to give to everyone at our family Christmas gathering. I have just over 30 aunts, uncles and cousins on that side of the family alone! In past years, we have done ornaments with bells, old family Christmas photos from the 50’s, snowflake cutouts, etc. This year, my mom outdid herself.
My grandparents are no longer alive. Around the time of my grandfather’s death, my mom and her siblings were sorting through the house and dividing up family treasures. My mom came home with several old quilts, all made by her mother or her grandmother. One of them was in poor condition in several spots. This year, my mom decided to cut out the spots that were in good condition into 35 Christmas tree shapes and create ornaments. This way, everyone gets a piece of this quilt and it gets a whole new lease on life.
To top the tree off, she used a button from my grandmother’s botton box. They are all so unique! My sister nabbed the one pictured above for Eleanor’s ornament- its sparkles are hard to see in the photo, but it is extra special.
Each year, we attach a laminated tag to the ornament with the year, “________ Family Christmas”, and a word. We have used ‘believe’, ‘hope’, ‘wish’, etc. This year? “Memories.”
These ornaments are so special. It was wonderful seeing the look on their faces as they opened the gift and realized what the ornament was this year. I look forward to pulling this one out of the box for years to come!
Do you have a similar tradition?
we have an ornament tradition in our family too. i love an ornament as a gift. this tree has inspired an idea…more later.
what a fantastic way to use an old quilt! i love the ornament.
What a wonderful idea! And your mom did a truly beautiful job.
I had seriously considering using a much used quilt of my MIL’s to make Christmas stockings for the extended family one year but a couple of my hubby’s siblings were horrified that I would cut up a quilt, even if it couldn’t be used any longer because of its poor condition. But I think your mom has the right idea, give an old family treasure a new lease on life!
that’s really an amazing idea. i’m sure everyone in the family was thrilled to get their ornament!
Oh I love this idea!
I don’t do anything on so large a scale, but each year since our children were babies, I’ve made them a Christmas ornament or Christmas decoration of some sort. Each year, they look forward to seeing what I’ve made for them. I give it to them when we are decorating our tree or if they aren’t home for Christmas, I send it separately from their gifts so that they have it when they do their decorating.
For example… years ago I made two pairs of little Christmas Church mice and they get put out and displayed every year. So this past Christmas I made a dozen more mice (2 pairs of each child) to add to their decorations for their own homes.
My mom has always given us kids a Christmas ornament every year. Not usually handmade, but something special to reflect the year that has past. I now have my little box of ornaments from my USA childhood here in Australia, and I love decorating the tree each year. My husband and I are continuing this tradition – we buy an ornament for each other and for the kids each year. But you’ve inspired me – we may start MAKING them in the future!