Apple's Tree: Christmas Tree Ornaments

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Christmas Tree Ornaments

December 2 - Christmas Tree Ornaments
Did your family have heirloom or cherished ornaments?
Did you ever string popcorn and cranberries?
Did your family make ornaments?

On the tree of my youth there were the good ornaments and the plastic ornaments. Mom bought some ornaments when she and Dad got their first place and they were the good ornaments. Even after we were old enough to do away with the plastic ornaments they remained because of the cat. He'd bat at the ones on the lower branches so the plastic ones stayed on the bottom until well after I'd left home.

We did try to string popcorn most years. Have you ever tried it? Maybe we just didn't do it right or maybe we ate more than got strung but we never seemed to string enough for a proper garland. Along with the good and the plastic ornaments there were always many homemade ornaments. A cut up egg carton and some pipe cleaners and you had a dozen bells. Some Styrofoam balls studded with toothpicks and you ended up with several stars.

Christmas 1971 or 1972

This is the oldest ornament on my tree, made from a blown egg in kindergarten or 1st grade. It was one of only three ornaments that I wouldn't my grandsons handle this year.

Blown Egg Santa
Created 1965 or 1966

All of the ornaments on my tree today have a significance. Some were made by my kids and others by me. Some were recieved as gifts and others bought to commemorate an event or memory. More than you'd ever want to know about my ornament collection can be found here.