My younger sister came up for Christmas last night and while I was waiting for her at my mom’s, I got to looking at momma’s tree and started seeing a few of the ornaments I’ve made her over the years. She has all kinds on there…even a tiny shoe that was hers when she was little baby. I know it’s after Christmas but I thought I’d still share a few with you… maybe you can get some ideas for next year…:o)
[I must tell you though…the pictures were taken with my phone and aren’t super good, but I hope they’ll do…]
First off, here is her tree…it is an artificial tree, but a very pretty one… although, she got it slightly tilted to the left when she set it up…
These first 2 ornaments were some I made using Warm and Natural batting and just fused the house and mitten to the batting. Then I stitched around it with gold thread… simple…and you can use coloring book pictures for your patterns.
I used glass balls and squirted them with 2 different colors of acrylic paint on the INSIDE and rolled them around until the sides were all coated. When you have all the sides covered… turn them upside down to drain out the excess paint… if you use gold paint for one of the colors it is prettier…or silver…
This was a clear glass ball that I put a white boa feather inside. The top was decorated with tiny clear and pearl beads… then tie a ribbon on. It is one of my mom’s favorites.
I made these little angels from Warm and Natural batting and fused fabric onto the batting and turned them into sweet angels. One year I sent these to everyone in my Christmas cards… (I obviously had “time on my hands” that year!)
Here is another little angel I made, only this time out of yarn… she was fun. I found a tag tied around one of her wings…she was made in 1995…
A white button ornament is next. I used various white buttons and one little lamb button to make this one. I stitched the buttons on and then added the back piece of felt to cover up my stitches… it’s one of “my” favorites…
Who would have thought pasta shells could make such a cute ornament…My sister Cindy and I both have made these, and I’m not sure who made this one. She’s been broken… she was supposed to have 2 “elbow macaroni” arms that held a green circle in the front… her head is a wooden ball but everything else is pasta noodles. I think she’s adorable!
I asked my mom which ornament she thought was the oldest on the tree…and she said probably this one. She only has 2 of them left and they are ones she got when we were stationed in Italy…It’s made from something almost like a styrofoam and it has these delicate gold wires running around it…
…but then she remembered…”No wait, this one is the oldest!” It was her baby shoe…
Well, that’s what I’ve been making for the last 35 or so years… hope you enjoyed seeing them…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I like the feather one too. What did you use for hair on the strawberry blonde angel? The pasta angel looks ceramic. Did you use regular spray paint or something else?
The house reminded me — a friend who can draw embroiders dishtowels for friends who get new houses. She draws the house and transfers the drawing onto a dishtowel and embroiders it. It might be even nicer as an ornament.
What excellent use for baby shoes. A great idea for someone who likes a tree that records a lifetime of memories.
The two colors of paint idea is nice too — the paint goes inside the ball. That might take a little experimentation but it looks worth it. It’s never too early to think about next Christmas.
My goodness, Jeanne, your mother has a wonderful tree full of memories! That’s the best kind I think! I too, have the family room tree full of “memories” from our 49 years of marriage, and it makes for a beautiful tree—and so much fun when decorating to remember all those wonderful memories of past years. I still have many of the ornaments that my children made, plus ones I have made, plus ornaments from our travels and friends! We have one of those pasta angel ornaments too! I have close pin angels and reindeer, mason jar ring Santa’s, handmade sequin ornaments that were so “in” during the 70’s and 80’s, wooden thread spool ornaments, crocheted snowflakes, and believe it or not, real candy canes still looking good and fresh from 1972!!
I forgot to add, what did your mother do to the baby shoe to keep it from disintegrating? That’s such a sweet idea! And I love the button ornament, but despise sewing on buttons, so I’ll probably never make one of those, but I love it!
Good morning Jeanne, So glad to see a picture of Momma’s tree! I haven’t seen it in a long time as we are so far away at Christmas. I have your angels on my tree too. Mom & I had a good laugh a few weeks ago about keeping the broken pasta angels. I was telling her that I had quite a few broken angels from the year my tree fell over and should throw them away, BUT every year at the end of Christmas season when the tree comes down, I end up just packing them away with everything else. I really do need to do a little holiday purging, but by the time the season comes to an end, I’m just ready to get things put away. Then next year when I open up the boxes of ornaments, there are all those little noodle angels and they just go up on the tree. They were made at a Women’s Ministries meeting many years ago. I must have taken 50 of them home with me to spray paint. Even with broken wings and arms they add a little touch of white and interest to the tree. Thanks so much for sharing her tree! Have a fun visit, wish I could be there too! Love to all!
Very nice. I think that it is nice that your Mom has them on her tree. Most of the children today
don’t cherish these things like past generations did. Today they just throw thing out and buy new.
I still have some of the ones that my parents had on there tree, but I can’t put them on the tree. To fragile and I don’t want to break them. Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. Didn’t get the blue dress done but will be working on it.
Loved seeing your mother’s tree and the special ornaments. Macaroni is so great. I used to make noodle cars with my 3rd graders. They actually rolled on pasta wheels. Once all the pasta and Elmers was dry, I sprayed them metallic silver. They really looked like metal. The kids loved those cars and even named them and made license plates. They would have made a great tree ornament too.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jeanne,
So cute to see your mom’s Christmas tree. My mom lives with us and our angel on the top of the tree is hers and she is celebrating her 53rd Christmas this year. She is German and has a molded wax face and arms and her skirt is covered with gold German glass glitter, well what is left of it anyway. She plays a guitar and has the sweetest painted face. The majority of our ornaments are either homemade that my daughter and I made when we were young or a number of German ornaments that are around 50+ years old. We even use the old lead icicles that my grandfather saved so many years ago. We also have German decor for around the room- a wooden angel choir, a soldier band, German Christmas tower, smokemen and of course our Nativity scene under the tree.
Looks like you had a wonderful Christmas!!
The most beautiful tree ever is the tree with memories. I am with Marilyn, the feather ornament is my favorite. Very clever and pretty.
What a lovely tree. I like the baby shoe; what a clever idea. Buttons and macaroni, yarn and batting, what fun. I have ornaments as old as I am, too, but I don’t put the great big tree up every year. Thanks for sharing the memories.
So pretty, I love the handmade ornaments…I myself had crochet snowflakes all over my tree! I live in Florida and used to sit on the beach during the summer and make them! I love your posts…I went to Joanne’s today and bought 4 of the plastic containers you featured in your last post…I hope your’s were on sale…I got 50% off…or you had coupons. Good idea and thanks. Happy New Year to you and your family…
Loved seeing your mom’s tree, Jeanne! I, too, have a number of ornaments that I made, and even some made by my 5th grade teacher!! Back in the 1990s, I think, my best friend and I went up to Stephenson, MI, where we grew up, to visit some of her family that was still there, as well as friends. Our 5th grade teacher was one we visited (I had kept in touch all these years). While we were visiting, she brought out a large dress box full of ornaments she had made from beads and such, and gave them to us. I got some, and June got some! Our teacher died about 10 years ago, so they are really dear to me, now more than ever!