Make your own Christmas ornaments

Even though the barrage of product advertisements for the Christmas holiday seem to be launched on the public at earlier times each year, we don't have to live our lives according to the mass marketed rules of Christmas splendor and spending. It is possible to enjoy a meaningful and traditional holiday season, using only simple and basic means. The choice is ours, if we just use some creativity and imagination.

Many think that the more meaningful and simple traditions come with making gifts to give our friends and family. But, while this is certainly true, we can go a step further. What about the ornaments we put on our trees? Must we always simply go out and buy a new box of shiny colorful baubles to adorn our Christmas trees? Or is there a better way?

Look around the house, and see what's on hand to work with. And, even if you want to move to more meaningful decorations, that doesn't mean that you can't go out and buy what you want to use. It's just more fun to look around and see what you have to work with. Take a look at everything, and don't reject anything at first. Look at your house through the eyes of a child. What little something might you never think to use as Christmas decoration, but that a child would scoop up right away?

You may want to use an assortment of items, or you may prefer to come up with a theme, and try to locate items that fit in. For instance, if you want a nautical theme, tie small toy sailboats to limbs with ribbons. Find nautical toy items and use them. You might even want to include little toy animals, or miniature lighthouses. And, of course, you could tie seashells to the tree with ribbons. Anything that seems to fit with your theme would be great.

Think of different themes that might fit your home, your lifestyle and your family life. Could you see your tree decorated in these themes: western, Native American or according to your own cultural heritage, gardening, sewing, small children, medical, artist's items, etc. The list is virtually endless. Simply use your imagination and find what works best for your own individuality.

For that matter, you might want to decorate your tree completely with toys, whether or not they fit with one central theme. Let your inner child really out to play. Be creative and fanciful and include whatever you, personally, think fits your mood and your idea of a meaningful holiday. In fact, you might want to truly go back in time, to the days when candles were the only source of light, and fruit and much-needed shoes or clothing were the only gifts. Use items from long ago days, and bring back some traditions of your family, from the time of your grandparents and great-grandparents. Display family photos and any treasured family items that have been passed down, and bring back some of the family memories and traditions into your home. Teach your children about their ancestors and about life in long ago times and cultures.

Look around your house, and outside your house, for ideas and inspiration. What about pine cones, acorns, and other naturals? Could you gather them and use them as natural ornaments? You might even want to paint some of them for a colorful glitter. Try tying bundles of cinnamon on your tree to bring a pleasant holiday aroma throughout your home.

Even if you're going for the simpler, less commercialized ornaments, you can still opt for the glitz and glitter for your tree. Look for items that sparkle in candlelight or in the glow of tree lights. Let the ornaments be the jewelry for your tree. In fact, you might even want to scavenge around in your jewelry box, or take a few trips to flea markets and thrift stores, and gather an assortment of old jewelry. Take them apart, or use them as is, and tie with ribbons on the tree limbs. Make each one a clever work of art, and your tree will come alive, with a lavish look of sparkle and shine.

You might even want to be truly creative, and go for some combination of the following:

· nuts and bolts from your tool chest, tied with ribbon or with wire

· silverware from your kitchen, again tied with ribbon or with wire

· kitchen utensils of various sizes and shapes

· ribbons tied as simple bows or in longer strands

· plastic or other balls that can be painted or covered in some way

· fishing lures

· miniatures of home and garden

· seashells

· shredded strips of bubble wrap (packing material)

· garlands of strung together foam packing peanuts

· tiny bells tied with ribbons

· beads and things

· toy birds

· miniature animals

· canned spray string

· artificial flowers

The trick is to be creative and experiment with what you have. If you have wire on hand, bend them into shapes of trees, stars, or 3-D orbs in which you suspend little sparkles of something. You can even shape the wire into animals, musical notes, houses, or anything your mind and hands can come up with.

Take traditional clear ornaments and paint them, or cover with fabric or colored paper. And, don't forget the tried and true traditions of childhood. Make colorful paper chain garlands and ornaments.

You might want to save all those old Christmas cards you've received, or old ones you don't think you will send in the future, and use them as a basis for ornaments. Either punch a small hole and insert a ribbon for hanging, or, tie several together to form a garland for tree or for your home. You could even suspend the cards with wire hooks attached for easier hanging on the tree.

If you are truly creative, and have a talent for crocheting, knitting, or weaving, let your imagination roam free and create a host of cleverly designed ornaments that are sure to delight your guests. How neat to see tiny works of art all hung on the tree for a warmer, softer look.

Again, the key to decorating is to let yourself be as creative as possible. Don't pass hasty judgements on what might, or might not, work. Allow yourself - and your family - to explore and pull out all sorts of possible items for use. You can always discard anything you decide not to use. But, by hauling out an assortment of things, you may discover you have quite a talent for bringing otherwise unrelated items and turning them into one-of-a-kind decorations.

Don't let commercialization dictate how you will spend your holidays. There is something very meaningful in letting children bring their creativity and imagination out for play that is quite contagious. Before you know it, you may find yourself down on the floor with the kids, laughing and trying to outdo one another for the most creative and outrageous ornament imaginable. And, in the meantime, you may be creating long lasting meaningful traditions that will follow your family through the years, to generations of the family yet to come.

Traditions don't have to be time-honored and handed down for hundreds of years to be meaningful. Start your own traditions, and let yourself and your family bond together in ways they might otherwise never have done.