A few posts ago, I mentioned one of our favorite piece of Christmas ... art, shall we say. I received some fun comments about your own special pieces -- I'm sure almost everyone, at least those who celebrate this holiday, have their own special items or collections that they enjoy.
Another focal point in our home is what we use to count down the days leading up to Christmas, beginning on the first day of December. It's an Advent Calendar of a special sort, dear to my heart and fun for the kids. I had one growing up and it always meant a lot to me. Many years ago, my mom had made one that we used when we were kids, made of felt with 24 little pockets stuffed with individual "ornaments" also made of felt and beads and sequins -- a drum, a rocking horse, a stocking, and so on. Every year it hangs on their dining room door, and now my kids enjoy putting up each little item, wondering what will come next.
I always wanted a similar "calendar" for our own family tradition and looked high and low for just the right one ... yet it remained elusive. One was far too expensive; another was just too big; still another was covered with Santa and his reindeer (kind of defeats the purpose for Advent). Then, a few years ago, after my grandmother died, I received one of the most precious gifts of my life. My sister-in-law Michelle made the most beautiful Advent calendar I had ever seen -- perfect because it was made by her out of love, and adorned by something that belonged to my grandmother: buttons.
We call it The Button Tree, for in the cute little felt bag holds 25 of Grandma's buttons. The painted tree is covered with 25 little nails, and each morning the kids take turns putting one button on that day's nail. Soon, as the tree fills, it looks as if it's covered in ornaments -- little buttons from my Grandma's button jar. I can't tell you how much I love this. And my kids do, too.
Do you have your own way of counting down the days until Christmas? Do you have a calendar -- purchased or homemade -- or a box or something unique of your own? How do you spend these days with your family?
2 comments:
That is SO cool!!! Oh what I would give for those kind of "creative genes." We have a square felt thing with a snowman on it (not very Advent-ey!)with 24 little numbered pockets around the edges; each day, you move a little wooden snowflake (attached to a string) into the next numbered pocket. Nowhere NEAR as sentinemental as yours, but I guess it gets the job done!
That is such a cool idea... we don't have one at all, so this year, Natalie made a paper chain with 24 links, with the idea that she would remove one every night until Christmas. But then she got so into her craft that she made lots of links, and now said chain is decorating our Christmas tree. :)
Post a Comment