Dotty, I know what you mean. I sent all of my older ornaments and decorations from when the kids were little to them so they could enjoy them with their kids now. So I had to start over.

Klaws, I really enjoy decorating for the holidays too. Even more so since we have my young niece around to enjoy them too. She has her favorites she wants to see out every year. If they aren't, she wants to know where they are! LOL...

Red, she's adorable and love the Santas she's holding. :)

Red I love to decorate for the holidays but the tree? Not so much because no one helped. Once I got the 'kids' (20 and 25!) to hang the ornaments, it is a lot more fun. I put a five foot tree up on a high stand because our young Bijon Frise eats everything in site. He does not discriminate so the tree needs to be out of reach! The tree has gold and silver garland, red beads, popcorn strings, and multicolored lights. All ornaments are ones I have collected or been given over the years. I also have a pink (yes, pink) mini tree in the hallway with white lights and red and white poinsettia flowers.

I am desperately trying to find time to make some of the felt bird ornaments. Bought the supplies, now just need time!

Believe it or not, I got my swap ornament package yesterday from LJDugas! Thank you so much!

And I was shocked to find a little box of ornaments in the mail my friend dara sent me. I was pretty surprised about it. We visited here last christmas time and she offered to send me some when she got home if I gave her some of my home made ones. She just remembered to send them. How funny is that?
I have mine all ready to send to my swap partner. I really like how they came out.

I love birds on the tree, I am sure they will be wonderful, jnct14!

Here is my original poinsettia pattern. If you print on colored copy paper, you can make a whole garland pretty quickly.
You can also cut from felt or print on freezer paper for applique. I don't know how to post a PDF but you can sketch your own fairly easily. My students loved this bonus take-home activity. I always had extra projects for the kids who
finished early or who wanted to work at home. Yes, I have a nice menorah too!

Nice, Dotty, great idea for a garland.

Yay! I have completed my ornament for my partner - working on another. I think my partner will like it - once I've made one ornament I find it hard to stop...it's my break from the "nothing" I do all day...and so much fun. Then
again, there's always "next time" when it will be perfect...uh huh...

Here's an old favorite from my own heritage
<cite><cite class="_Rm">I have done it with paper (the usual way) and I think I'm going to try it with starched fabric circles.
</cite>the Polish Christmas star.</cite><cite class="_Rm">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JXWXG3hsRg

Now I can't get the italics off this comment haha.
</cite>

K-Roll, great Polish Christmas star ornament video. This has been on my "to do" list for many years. A lady I worked with made these and sold them...I bought several because they are so beautiful. I believe she made hers with metallic wrapping paper.

Jan

Absolutely love these pompom balls JNCT! Anything unbreakable is cool in my book. Even tho the pets are older and the kids with their own families, I still like things that don't break easily. I currently don't have a tree but I do have a huge picture window that can use some ornaments.

The first year we moved to San Diego when the kids were very little I made a small quilt that looked like a fireplace so we would have a place to hang our Christmas stockings. We used that for years!
Another year we had moved again and all the ornaments were in storage. Instead of spending a lot of money on decorations we bought a tabletop tree and used red ribbon to decorate it. My kids learned that the best part of Christmas was spending time with family and friends.

K-Roll, thank you for the Polish Christmas star ornament video. I plan on making some. :thumbup:

i stopped putting up the tree years ago. for many years it was decorated with lights, small candy canes and sugar cookies in shape of wreaths. no one wanted to help decorate but they all come running to take it down as they were allowed to eat the decorations they took off.
one year i took the Xmas tree and put it up at Easter time with lights in shapes of easter eggs and pink bunnies. For the top i tied a stuffed bunny to the tip and put the kids Easter baskets below it. My oldest granddaughter was about 2 1/2 t the time. she took one look at the tree and screamed for her mother to come. " look. Mommy, there's a bunny on top". She could care less about the lights and the baskets---the bunny was the highlight of the day.