Spicing up the Season

Christmas is not just a time for festivity and merry making. It is more than that. It is a time for the contemplation of eternal things. The Christmas spirit is a spirit of giving and forgiving. – J. C. Penney

I love this idea! Use steamwear and place it upside down over holly and/or cranberries. So colorful and festive.

You can also add a candle to the top of the base and it doubles as a candle holder.

Use extra glass balls in stemwear, on top of candlesticks, or in extra bowls around the house as an easy decoration.

No More Wire Hangers!

I tried my hand at this one. Using jeweltones because my sister decorates her all white tree in jewel tone colored ornaments.

Use a clothesline, some scrapbooking materials and christmas socks for an advent calendar. Stuff each sock with a small toy or candy – they can be added to the tree or enjoyed as an early “gift.”

These three photos are borrowed from Emily Wessner. She has two little girls and I thought this was a creative way to hang stockings without a fireplace present.


A few other wreaths I tried this year as gifts.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/holiday-ideas/christmas-wreath-projects

Wreath 2 is made of ties and 6 is the wine cork and jingle bell wreath.

My Mom gave me this wreath for Thanksgiving. It was beautiful but if made with real leaves will only last the Thanksgiving season.

Advent is a special tradition in the Jacobson family. I am looking for ways to enhance that tradition and make it kid friendly. I tried this one out on my first graders this year. Make a paper chain, alternating green and red links, print either a bible verse or assignment on each link.


See this site for 24 bible verses leading up to the birth of Jesus…
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58150931.tip.html
This site has links “Christmas is a time for…” with a verse…
http://www.freemethodistchurch.org/Sections/Prayer/Stories/11-26-03_AdventChain.htm

Or the advent chain can give the kids an assignment…
1. Bake some biscuits or mince pies for people to eat after church this Sunday.
2. Sing a favourite carol together.
3. Visit someone near you who can’t get out much.
4. Decorate the Christmas tree.
5. Set up the nativity scene, if you have one.
6. Go to the library and take out a book about Christmas to read together.
7. Make Christmas gift tags.
8. Go through your toys and choose something to give to a shelter for women and children this Christmas.
9. Deliver the toys to the shelter for women and children.
10. Invite some friends to go carolling in your neighbourhood.
11. Talk about what Advent means.
12. Share a memory from past Christmases.
13. Make decorations for your tree.
14. Do a good deed for a friend or neighbour.
15. Make paper snowflakes for your window and deliver some to an elderly neighbor.
16. Have each member of the family finish this sentence: To me, Christmas means:?
17. Dream about what you would like Christmas to be in the future.
18. Choose a project to donate money to and decorate a container to collect change from each family member.
19. Decorate a mini-Christmas tree and give it to someone in a nursing home.
20. Watch a favourite Christmas movie together.
21. Put out food and water for the birds in the cold weather.
22. Place items for a traditional Christmas dinner in a large laundry basket and deliver the basket to an agency in your area that will bring it to a family who would not have that kind of dinner.
23. Write a letter or send an email to someone in your family who you haven’t seen for a while.
24. Turn the TV off for a day and play a game together tonight.
25. Look at the Christmas cards you received today, and say a prayer for each person who sent one.

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves. – Eric Sevareid

Feeling inspired? What project might you try yourself?

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