Oh Christmas Tree!

Today is Pat's special day to share a great pattern with you - remember to hop on over to her blog for a great project!

A huge thank you to everyone who commented yesterday - sounds like so many people will be getting  mugs this year - bus drivers, crossing guards, co-workers, college kids, neighbors, and more. Some of you have already started sewing - and great pictures are being posted on flickr.

The randomly chosen winner is Marie, who commented yesterday at 12:35 p.m. She'll win 2 patterns and two books full of fun and easy projects. Congratulations Marie - just send me your email and I'll get your prize in the mail.

Every ornament on my tree has a story, and it's like a trip down memory lane to get the ornaments out each year. When we were first married, my husband's mom let him choose some of her ornaments to put on our tree. The bird nest on a gold clothespin is one that he chose. When I asked him why, he said he just grabbed the ones on top of the box - he didn't really notice ornaments much! (He uses the same method to shop for clothes!) The paper plate ornament was one of Megan's preschool projects - she had a great time squeezing out a glob of glitter glue for each noodle.

The year Derek was in preschool, he he came home the first week with a great big secret. He knew he wasn't supposed to keep secrets from Mom and Dad, so he asked his teacher for permission to tell us. She suggested that he tell us the secret part but that he could wait to tell us about the surprise part. So he told us that she had taken his picture in front of her garden, but it was going to be a surprise how they used the picture for Christmas! Boy were we ever "surprised" when he came home with a special ornament that had his picture in it!

That same year, I was crocheting like mad to get an angel finished for the top of the tree - until one day Derek told me I didn't have to finish it because he had made an angel in preschool that afternoon. It even had a paper towel tube on the back to fit on the top branch. I don't know what ever happened to the crochet angel - because Derek's angel has been on top of our tree every single year!

Be sure and hop over to the other Cross Country Christmas blogs to see what kind of Christmas trees the other designers have - I bet some of them have homemade ornaments too!

Comments

[Jean Etheridge]

My daughter made an ornament out of a pecan one year. It had glued on eyes and nose and ears and whiskers, which turned it into a little mouse. It still hangs on our tree, but it now just a memory of a mouse since everything else has fallen off.

[lovetostitch]

Is the angel in the pic, the tree topper, Derek made? I loved that story, and like you probably wouldnt know whatever happened to the crocheted one - I have often drooled over the "designer" trees all decorated in their finery, but those heart made ornaments are always unique, one of a kind and absolutely the BEST!! Thanks

[Gale Lavers]

Our daughter made a straw, tissue paper star when she was in kindergarten, she is now 25, and it still hangs over our nativity set guiding the visitors to the stable. It's a little worn, but each year it brings back good memories.

[margi]

all of my favorite ornaments are those that my daughter (now 23) made me over the years. We still have so much fun picking the favorites for the year and putting them on!

[Mary Flynn]

Congrats to your winner! We too have special ornaments with each a story. Because we were a military family and moved so much I kept a little journal of where we lived and how the ornament came to the tree. They are from all over the world.

[Bari Jo]

Thank you for the fun mug idea! I'm hungry now! Love having them made ahead for last minute fun gifts! Love your patterns! I am making the Tag A Long Tote for a gift! LOVED the tutorial - all of them! Thanks for sharing! I appreciate your generosity! :O) Happy Holidays! Bari

[SewLindaAnn]

Congrats to the winner - lucky girl!!
The first thing I try to take out every year are the ornaments my son made thru elementary school. The sparkles still get everywhere and it brings me back in time.

[Cindy]

I love those "oldie but goodie" ornaments too that have so many memories attached to them. There is a CIRCLE Candy Cane that our daughter got for her daddy when she was in early elementary and it still has its place of honor. I'd never seen a CIRCLE made from a candy cane - and I still have yet to see another one.

[Jewel]

Awww I love the angel. I have a couple little paper ornaments my daughter made when she was little I love those darn things.

[Busy Little Quilter]

Congratulations to Marie! I bought my mugs (69 cents at Walgreens) yesterday!

I love that you put your kids preschool and school creations on your tree. I do that, too. It always brings back fun memories.

[Wendy]

The last several years my Mom made beaded ornaments....hundreds of them. Everyone would get several for their tree. They were a bit "kitchy" but we loved that she made them. Mom passed away in June and this Christmas I'm putting up a tree just for Mom filled with all her ornaments she's given me.

[Darlis]

Thank you for sharing your memories. I like homemade ornaments, too. I still use ones my kids made and they are now in their 40's. So special.

[Ruby]

What a sweet story about the angel. My boys handmade ornaments are my most precious ones!

[Betsy Lynn]

I always loved the ornaments my kids made at school every year.

[marta]

Gracias por tu historia. Sin dudas los adornos hechos junto a los niños enriquecen el arbolito de Navidad

[Jenny]

I still buy my husband and I a new ornament each year - this year it is a little Fisher Price chatter phone which has so many children/grand-children memories for me. Thanks for a thoughtful post.

[Julie in WA]

Oh, those homemade children's ornaments! Every year it breaks my heart to find another one that has finally disintegrated so much that it is no longer usable. What to do? Throw it away? Save it in a special box? Now I know, take a picture of it while it is still in good condition; that way when it does get thrown out, the memory lingers on!

[Sandy]

The kids things made in school always meant so much more to me. Now my youngest is 30 and I have given them some for their trees, but I still have some of those special ones for me!

[Carey]

Love the christmas cookies tradition. Thanks for your cute bag pattern.

[Jocelyn]

I love the ornaments on our tree. They do each have a special memory. I used to buy a new ornament every year, but that has stopped as we have collected too many to put on the tree. The most special ones are the ones my children made through the years.

[Peg Thiessen]

Well I only got onto this hop today, love the mug idea - will be making a batch up for my quilting group buddies

[Mary Jo Baird]

Every one can use a mug! Thanks for the idea!

[Nancy]

The ornament I made for everyone as a child was made with red netting. My Aunt Laverne had that thing on her tree for years.

[stampinwithbeth]

I love the angel ornament! How neat that it is still hanging on your tree!

Today I completed the Wild West Shop Hop. I got home from the trip and read through your pattern for the Trail Tote. Thanks for the great directions! I can wait to make one (or 5)! :)

[Sue Goodin]

I have not allowed my grown children to take the ornaments home that they made as children because I'm afraid something will happen to them

[Marianne]

I treasure the ornaments my daughter made in preschool most. I love unwrapping them to hang on the tree come December.

[arlette]

Cute story about the angel, I love to add a new ornament each christmas. I have 2 new items this year, an angel and a water globe, so cute!

[Jayne Honnold]

So sweet. Those ornaments are priceless, and I prefer them tons over those Hallmark ornaments so many people go crazy over!

[julie]

Thanks Pat, I always love your stuff

[Iva]

I still hang ornaments that my children made when they were little, even the paper ones; and every year they practically beg me to get rid of them. No way! Those are my favorites.

[Leslie Schmidt]

I've been putting up the ornaments my kids made every year. My son gives me the rolled-eye expression, but my daughter likes the idea, especially the ones made by her siblings. The ones my youngest child made are even more precious because she died 6 years ago.

[Stacey]

cool idea!

[Carolyn]

I love getting ornaments that tell stories about places we visit. Makes for wonderful memories while we decorate the tree.