Remember When. . . a Christmas tree skirt became my go-to wedding present?

In our family growing up, you needed to have chocolate milk to dunk your grilled cheese sandwiches, and the chocolate milk was always made in the same pitcher. When Mom would get it down she would say, "This was a wedding present."  I always loved that connection and made me think that when I give a wedding present, I want it to be something that will be used for years along with the statement, "Jean gave this to us for our wedding." Long ago I decided this wedding gift would be a Christmas tree skirt! ​

1. They are probably won't get two.
2. It is used once a year under a tree so if they don't love it, it is OK.
3. It speaks to my tradition of giving Christmas ornaments to children I love.

The last is my favorite reason.  One of the best decisions I made in my life was was when my first nephew was born.  I did not know what to get him for Christmas and decided to make him an ornament.  From that point on I made an ornament a year for each of nieces and nephews.

The goose with the wreath was the very first ornament.  My perceptive nephew Ty recently pointed out that you could tell when I when I started making more because they became simpler.  The clay heart came into the picture when I started to teach, because the list was expanded to the children I knew including the children of my coworkers. At some point I realized I should make them for my siblings as well and close friends.  When the children on my list started to have their own children, they were added too!  ​​

I used any method in my bag of tricks to create a unique ornament each year, learning ways to speed up the process so I could create enough for my growing list.  

Finally my sweet friend, Mary Lou, who had 32 grand children receiving ornaments, reminded me that a tradition is only good when it is not a burden.  My list had grown to over 200 and was feeling a bit overwhelming, so I cut it back to family and very close friends (about 60 per year).  ​
The year my father died was the first time I created an ornament to honor a family event.  The Believe ornament always is in a place of honor on my tree each year.

Now I always make ornaments that celebrate our family life.

​The ornament is the last thing that is given at our Christmas morning gift exchange.  It is expected and often looked at and put away.  When the kids were really young, it was a bit of a let down for them. Ornaments don't hold a great deal of excitement, but as many of them now have their own homes and trees, I have heard them comment on how nice it is to have their own ornaments!  That makes me smile.  As my nieces and nephews marry we design a tree shirt that I can give at a wedding shower.  For the children that were on my list for years, it is my standard wedding gift.  I love how it brings things full circle and that I am little part of their  Christmas, when the world is thinking of Peace and Joy.

Looking to for a unique wedding gift? Together we can create something special.