Christmas Traditions: Annual Ornaments

Back in 1986, I had my first baby, a little girl named Katie-Beth. I started an ornament collection for her that first Christmas. I made one little stuffed Christmas bear for her and one for our tree. Thus, began our annual ornament tradition. 

Each year I make one ornament for the tree and one for each of the children. That way when they take their ornament collection to their new homes, they will have ornaments that are exactly like the ornaments they grew up with. 

Sewing, rubber stamping, embossing, cross-stitch, painting, and more crafting methods were used to create keepsake treasures. The ornaments tend to reflect whatever hobby I was into that year. 

Mom and I made quilted ornaments one fall when she and Daddy visited. They were so time-consuming to make, but we enjoyed chatting and catching up on all the family news as we worked. 

One year, we went and chopped down our own Christmas tree. What fun! We slice off some thin round pieces of wood from the bottom of the tree and engraved the date. Looking at that ornament brings back fond memories of that special day. 

---

One of those early years, when I still had time to cross-stitch, I made some little cross-stitch ornaments for the tree. I also gave them as gifts to my grandmother, grandfather, and parents. Today, they are all in Heaven and the ornaments are on my tree. A bittersweet moment happens each year as I take them out to hang. Life is so fleeting. 

Now, my little Katie-Beth is married and her ornament collection is with her. It is fun to see her tree and find ornaments that I made so long ago, only dimly imagining the lovely young woman she would become. 

Hopefully, this ornament collection will bring a smile, a tear, a moment of remembering that will enrich the Christmas season for years to come. ​

Wishing you and  yours a very Merry Christmas! 
Meredith Curtis

​At Powerline Productions, we have resources to add fun to your Christmas: 

FREE Curtis Family Christmas Devotions

Celebrate Christmas with a Traveling Dinner
Celebrate Christmas with Cookies
Celebrate Christmas with Cookies Unit Study
Celebrate Christmas in Colonial America Unit Study
Celebrate Christmas in Germany Unit Study

---