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I know I said I love ornaments- I don’t know if I told y’all why I think they’re so fantastic. My love is multifaceted, but perhaps my favorite part of ornaments is that they have the ability to point back to a specific memory. I love remembering how we came upon our various ornaments- some of them we’ve collected on our travels, some are handmade ornaments from my students, we’ve received a few in ornament exchanges, some commemorate a specific experience (we have a few from last year celebrating the birth of burke) and there are others that are gifts from people we love. It’s fantastic.
Today’s ornament fits right into the lovely memory lane category. I love it so much that I think I’m going to make it a tradition and make one every year.
Anyhow, to make it you’ll need:
-several scraps of patterned paper (I used 6 different colors- probably a 6x6ish piece of each)
-some cardboard (I used the back of one of my patterned paper packs)
-ribbon for hanger (I used about 9″)
-pom pom for tree topper (optional)
-number stickers (optional)
1. Find scraps of paper. My patterned paper scraps are organized by color in large ziploc bags- I seriously grabbed each different color, fished a scrap of paper (around 6″x6″ each) out of each bag and that was it. You’ll also need a larger scrap of patterned green paper.
2. Make a list of things you remember about the past year. I tried to put a mix of events, things about burke (his friends, things he loves right now, etc.), accomplishments (Adam passing his boards, for example) and other tidbits that I think we’ll want to remember about this year. I typed up my list and printed sections of it onto each of my pieces of scrap paper, but you could also handwrite yours.
3. Cut your lists into individual memories.
4. Wrap your little strips of paper around a pencil to curl the ends.
5. Cut out a triangular piece of cardboard. Also cut out a rectangular, tree trunk shaped piece of cardboard.
6. Cut green patterned paper to match the triangular piece of cardboard and brown patterned paper to match the trunk shaped piece of cardboard.
7. Glue the brown paper to the tree trunk shaped cardboard. You can go ahead and put your 2009 stickers on the trunk now if you’re using them. DON’T glue the green paper to the cardboard triangle.
8. Being careful to evenly distribute your various scrap paper patterns, start adhering each memory to the green patterned paper with a brad.
9. After you’ve attached all of your ‘memory strips’ to the green triangle, hot glue the green paper to the cardboard triangle. Then hot glue the cardboard triangle to the cardboard tree trunk.
10. Add a ribbon hanger and a pom pom tree topper.
11. Look back on all that happened this year with thanks… How fun will it be to read over this ornament in 10 years when 2009 is not as fresh in our minds?
Stopping by from Centsational girl.
What a great idea!!! I love this. Thanks so much for sharing.
How awesome! What a fabulous idea, can't wait to try this myself with the TONS of scrapbook paper I have lying around 🙂
I LOVE this idea!
What a great way to remember a year! I love it – plus it's cute 🙂
This is great. I did a similar thing this year with a clear glass ornament – we ripped paper, wrote our memories, rolled them and put them inside. I think I will try this one next year, Thanks!
Visiting from Kimba's party – clever idea and fun to do with kids at home. Love that it's dimensional.
Terrie @ YourDecoratingHotline.com
What a cute idea, thanks for sharing!
darling idea. love adding sentiments from the year. very special!
darling idea. love adding sentiments from the year. very special!
Fantastic! I'd love for you to link up your ornaments to my party here:
http://singingthreelittlebirds.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-ornament-link-up-singing.html