Green Holiday Ornament ideas!

As I said before, we are a family of four who celebrates Hanukkah, Winter Solstice and Christmas, so when I write that we purchased a Holiday Tree, we truly mean a tree that can symbolize all of the good joy and wisdom and light imbued in these traditions. For the last five years, our family has had a few small tree traditions, including red ribbon wishes and simple tree decorations that we have hand made.

In 2004, when Anna was born, I gathered with a woman friend of mine and her baby and we made claydough handprints and footprints of the babies as holiday gifts. I decorated my tree with them and have done the same every year since. We also started our red ribbon wishes in 2003, when we were expecting Anna. In the years that have followed, Anna has begun creating decorations at her Temple school as a tiny girl. It seemed important to me that our tree be a place that is full of wonder and welcoming of little hands and hearts. So I try to make it as safe and interactive a place as possible.

In 2007 and 2008, Anna and I have worked to design and craft star ornaments from self-hardening clay which we painted cobalt blue and silver for Hanukkah. She requested today during our Holiday tree adventure to make more with her little sister, Cora Jane. I will dig out our supplies in hopes of not needing to make any purchases!!

In 2009, we will use our LED lights, which use about 90% less energy than regular Holiday lights and one strand can be re-used for up to 50,000 hours worth of use. We will also make more Hanukkah stars with self-hardening clay, acrylic paints, various sizes of star cookie cutters, and glitter, of course! To add some new life to our tree, we will also gather pine cones and acorns from our backyard to make birds and reindeer with simple glue, paint and again, glitter, of course! I hope to add Cora Jane's hand and foot prints to this year's tree as well. I have some casting supplies from former pregnant belly casting projects so will likely employ that as well!

We will most definitely keep you posted!