Wednesday, December 10, 2008

A Little Christmas Tour ...

Thanks for sharing your photos of the beautiful Christmas decorations!

Here's a little tour of the beauty our Friends have created in decorating their homes in celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.


Tina



Carmen






Karen





Other Friends





Christmas Card Garland Tutorial ... by Tracey

One of my favorite Christmas decorations is the Christmas Card garland that will hold all the wonderful cards we accumulate throughout the season. I got the idea from one of my friends that had her garland over a doorway with red clothespins holding each card. For my garland, I had my kids color a set of wooden ornaments and I glued them to a set of clothespins.

Here's a peek at the finished product :

Here's what you'll need :


*A wooden ornament set. (I bought my set at Michael's several years ago.)
*Clothespins
*Glue gun with glue sticks
*Fabric markers (easier for little hands to color on the wooden ornaments)
*Garland

Step one : With your little ones wearing a smock, have them paint each ornament with the fabric markers. It is only necessary to paint one side. My oldest two children were 5 and 6 years old at the time they painted the ornament set.

Step two : Paint one side of the clothespin. I painted the clothespin to match the ornament that would be attached.

Step three: After the fabric paint has dried, glue the ornament to the clothespin.


Step four : Attach the clothespins all over the garland.

Step five : Wait for your wonderful friends and family to send Christmas cards so you can fill your garland! Once you get a card, do this....

Just a note : Don't be afraid of letting your little ones paint the ornaments. While my 'little' painters are now 10 and 11, they enjoy seeing their 5 & 6 year old artwork used every year...and it is an urgent reminder for me to savor every moment (especially during Christmas) because they do indeed grow up too fast.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas season!