FROM TREE TO WREATH
My father was not doing well with stomach cancer. My mother had her own problems recovering from brain surgery. Setting up the Christmas tree was not happening for the second year as she found it exhausting and too depressing with the family not being able to visit due to COVID.
I collected our favorite ornaments from the attic and put together a wreath that cheered them both up and was no hassle to store, hang, and restore. This replaced boxes and a dusty old tree. I think this wreath has more ornaments than their tree did.
FOR THE HARD TO BUY FOR
I thought I knew my sister, she's my best friend. She asked for a wreath for Christmas. I was way ahead of her, I'd been collecting weird ornaments and ornaments that had been on our own tree as kids.
One was an old plastic Frosty the Snowman who looked like he'd been through a tree fire.
I mentioned how weird her wreath was becoming as I garage-sales and thrifted my weekends away. She whined like she used to 30+ years ago "I don't want a weird wreath, I want a beautiful one. Like Moira would have from Schitts' Creek!" Total shift in ideas for me.
I felt awful, of course, she wanted a nice one. She had a beautiful new home and I was making her something crazy. I shifted my focus and put this together for her.
A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL FOR A BEAUTIFUL FRIEND
Celebrating a loved one after taking care of them involves taking care of their belongings and taking on great responsibility with the family's expectations. A wreath is a lovely thing to plan and talk about with family who know their loved one's favorite things, colors, and flowers.
A wreath can be kept hanging in a favorite spot, or room to forever remember their loved one or it can sit outdoor next to their final resting place.
Needless to say, my little brother loved it!
Crazy Collections
MORE
PROJECTS
My son was 20 years old by the time I really looked at the toys I was saving for my grandkids and the state of the once-loved blocks, cars, legos, baseball memorabilia, etc., etc., etc.... Something only a mother could see value in and find hard to let go of.
We'd always start playing with stuff together; whale rescue with his "guys", Thomas the train around the tree, the now turned, rule-following, Legos, and all of their instructions. Then I remembered realizing I was playing with them alone. Looking up I'd find him on to the next low-commitment attention grabber. Oh well. Into a wreath, you go!
Anything can be made into a wreath, just pick your favorite things you want to save and we can talk about materials, ornaments, themes and florals for filler.
Let me know if there is any interest in customer memory games made with your family member's faces. We created this during COVID when we couldn't get together and we forgot each other's names :D
Lastly, while traveling for the holidays, imagine how cool the kiddos will think you are when you come to the door with a bag like Santa's and full of presents. Custom-made bags are made to hold the entire family's gifts. Any size is not too big, it will just be a very long bag to carry!