December 29, 2014

Handmade Christmas Tree Ornaments

Martie Big Creek Farmhouse Remodel, Handmade annual Christmas ornaments, Big Creek family Christmas, easy handmade ornaments, handmade Christmas tree ornaments, nature inspired Christmas ornaments, nature ornaments Christmas tree 16 Comments

Handmade Christmas Tree Ornaments

The main purpose of today’s post is to show you this year’s handmade Christmas tree ornaments, but you know I’m going to ramble about some other stuff, as well. I haven’t been as good about posting lately, and I’ve missed you guys! So, please just settle in and visit with me for a bit. You know I always have lots to share!

I can’t tell you how much I missed this. I really love writing this blog, and I think the unwanted break helped me realize that. I don’t do it out of obligation or any kind of need; I simply enjoy writing, taking pictures, and sharing the story and the illustrations. It is one of the best creative outlets I’ve found, so your feedback on every post is just such an added treat! I love that I have made some friends, and that I’ve continued to read and keep in touch with my Blogging 101 classmates. I just wanted to say thank you to my readers here, because you guys just make my day with each and every “like” and comment. I know there’s only a handful of you, but I love it, just the same.

Nature Ornaments Christmas Tree

Christmas at Big Creek was wonderful. It was just as magical and cozy as I imagined…maybe more! We’ve enjoyed visitors, houseguests, lots of fantastic, heavy food, and tons of love and laughter. I truly could not have asked for more this Christmas!

We did put up our enormous 9-foot tree that was perfect for our old house…and realized we’d need to scale down in the future. Our beautiful nature ornaments Christmas tree is just way too big for the Big Creek living room. Of course, there are lots of ornaments on the tree that aren’t made from nature at all, but most of those will eventually leave the nest with Pooh and Tigger. I just love having bits of nature and handmade goodies all over my tree. Handmade Christmas ornaments are the best…even if they’re not made with things from nature!

annual christmas ornaments

I showed you my ornaments for church in this post. The story behind why I make handmade Christmas tree ornaments for church is in this post. I wanted to share a little bit more about this year’s ornaments, because I really liked them, and because I need to make more… this will help me remember!

I knew I had to do something simple this year with our move happening so close to the holidays. I made some cute twig star ornaments last year, and loved the way they looked on the tree (the twig stars were in the running for last year’s annual Christmas ornament for church, but the cinnamon clove ones won out). I decided to go with the rustic twig and twine look this year, but to make crosses instead of stars.

The result was these easy handmade ornaments in the shape of a cross, tied up neatly and coated in glitter. Jimmie passed down some cute baker’s twine,

and Madre donated some raffia to my cause a while back, so I broke out the glue gun and gathered some twigs from the yard.
In other words, these ornaments cost me nothing, and they fit right in with my theme of nature inspired Christmas ornaments.

See? Money can’t buy everything!

I used paint pens for the year.
I did buy some glitter spray, but I failed to get the kind with glitter in it…so I doused them with this stuff (glitter spray with no glitter? what the crap?)…

…and sprinkled on my own glitter. These sweet handmade Christmas tree ornaments turned out just right!

Just to reflect the twinkly lights, you know. Of course, many of my lights didn’t work this year.  Plus, I kinda forgot to take pics of the ornaments after I glittered them.  Oops! I let them dry, packed them up, and took them to church, I got two sweet notes in the mail thanking me for keeping the ornament tradition alive, and have been thanked personally by several members of my church family. I am so blessed to be loved and treasured by so many whom I love and treasure. Thank you, Lord!

Big Creek family christmas

And before you go, you must see my completed tile backsplash (and my new kitchen faucet)! Thanks to coach and Cousin Janet, and to our traditional Big Creek family Christmas where everyone is here together, this little project was completed just in time for the new year.

Isn’t Coach just the greatest?  My kitchen here is quite a bit smaller than my old one, but as I told Coach, I love it so much more.  It’s so much more my style…rustic, mismatched, and a little eccentric.

Don’t ya think?

X,O,X,O,  Martie