some rambling thoughts / we made ornaments (now you make some too)

One of the first memories I have with my step-mom is making salt dough Christmas ornaments with her and my step-brother the first Christmas she and my Dad were married. He and I were 4 and 5 and we didn't do a perfect job, but they were ours and they were special. Many of those ornaments still hang on their tree today. 

The most mysterious thing about the Christmas season is how memories and feelings are resurrected that otherwise lay dormant. It's a mixed bag of all the intense feelings of awe and wonder and happiness combined with the hurts of life and memories - good and bad - that the sounds, smells and sights of Christmas can bring, and the presence or absence of someone or something is so radically amplified. It's like life goes on steroids for a few weeks. I've said so much in the last few posts, but I am really allowing all that needs to come up and be healed this season to be released. Seems like I am crying at every song that was the soundtrack to the Christmases of my childhood, or those that talk about Jesus and the message of Christmas. Actually just intentionally listening to Christmas music in the car when I am travelling alone leaves me in a mess of tears at some point. The thing is I am not sure what kind of tears these are, they are just tears, so I let them come, and then they're done, and that's it. It's sort of become my therapy for now.

In my last post I shared some of my favorite ornaments and how during one of the worst years of my life (in the quality of my living) I worked a part time second job at Pier One during the Christmas season to fund my drug habit and would have this deep longing in my soul for home - being around all of their incredible stuff, being so broke but daydreaming about being a legitimate grown up decorating my own place and wondering how I would ever have the money to do that kind of thing. The ornament section had so many pretty things and so one day I used my employee discount and spent I think a little over $100 on ornaments. This was a huge splurge for me and I can remember filling my cart and having to put so many back. But, I still bought a bunch. I still have many of those ornaments to this day and putting them on my tree reminded me that there was still some life and humanity and warmth inside of that young woman who was oh-so lost at the time. I have a story to tell about them... if they survive the years. It is something good that happened during something very bad. 

So this year as part of my attempts to make this season memorable, I wanted to make some ornaments with the kids... something that would last, to be remembered as being made during this tumultuous season - hallmarks, if you will. This is such an inexpensive way to decorate your tree, but in reality this is not why I had them do this. Capturing these little artists' work has infinite value. So what could be better?

We did a couple of things. 

First, we collected pine cones from my parents' yard when they were in town last, painted them and glittered them. The kids did the painting and I did the glittering. I ended up using these for the mantle but when I pack things away this year I am going to add wire to them to hang on the tree next season.

Secondly, we made salt dough. It's super easy. You mix up the dough, roll it flat on a floured surface, use cookie cutters to cut shapes for your ornaments, poke holes in them so you can hang them and then bake them for an hour. Once they've cooled you can paint them, glitter them, glue stuff on them, whatevs. 

As you'll see below, the kids (and I) had a ball. We hope you'll make some memories yourself ... take a walk in the woods and get some pine cones together... whip up a batch of salt dough and spend an afternoon making ornaments together. :) Totally free and yet priceless when they're finished.

Google "salt dough" and you'll find a million creative ideas for grown ups as well as kids. I am happy to keep it simple and kid oriented, but if you get a wild hair, follow it!

Salt Dough Recipe

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients and slowly mix in warm water. Once blended, roll into a ball and knead until smooth on a floured surface. Roll flat and cut into shapes. Bake at 350 for one hour. Cool and then decorate as desired!

painting pine cones... and himself.

Noah's mess

I had fun too!

Not sure why Noah was crying except that he probably wanted to run and was covered in paint so I wouldn't let him.

just some of our pine cones 

The finished salt sough ornaments - we painted, glittered, and glued colored glass and stuff to them.