Trimming the Tree (with ornaments)

 Every Christmas up until last, I've bought the kids an ornament at the 

after Christmas sales to add to their collection.. then each Christmas

the kids got to decorate the tree with their own ornaments.

They loved this when they were little..

Last year, the kids decided it was too much trouble to put their ornaments 

on the tree and that they didn't really care about collecting ornaments.

It kinda hurt my feelings..  

I decided that if I was going to do all the work from now on 

that I was going to start over with new ornaments for me.

At the after Christmas sales last year, I bought these ornaments

80 or 90% off.. I was so excited.. my favorite color..

I guess my blue and white tree has gone out of style..

there were so many of them left to buy.. I bought 20 for a little over $20. 

A few weeks after that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed

 something to do distract myself from my impending surgery 

and while recovering. so I started making the quilted ornaments

with the names of Jesus on them that I showed you in July.

Reading the names of Jesus all those weeks was great therapy,

  but when I hung them on my new slim tree 

a couple of weeks ago.. I didn't like them. :-(

I loved reading the names of Jesus on the tree...

and I love quilts.. They just aren't my decorating style. :-/

So I decided to make simpler, paper ones.

I bought some scrapbooking paper in my favorite colors

and a corner punch and went to work.

 The cardboard, wire and beads I had on hand.

 Judi and I both liked the glitter idea.

Hear's my new, slim, names of Jesus tree.
 I found the ribbon on clearance last year too..

There are 25 different cards with over a hundred names.

I decided that I had room for a few more ornaments
and divided all our old ornaments into themes.

 I hung the ones that reminded me of Jesus on the tree.

This is one of my favorites..

Then decided to save the snowmen for January..
and make a winter wreath or garland.

There were other ornaments that I will try and have the kids 

go through and donate to a thrift store next year.

 I didn't have a tree skirt.. so I pulled this satin out of my 

grandmother's stash and wrapped it around the tree.

George had to try it out right away.

 My newly decorated tree.

Here are the jpgs if you'd like to print your own:

:-)

J