My First Christmas Tree

Paper Santa Ornaments
Photo credit: Keith Scott Morton. Country Living Magazine

My First Christmas Tree

"Beauty is also to be found in a day's work." -- Mamie Sypert Burns

As the years change and we mature our taste changes. One of my fondest memories centers around my very first Christmas Tree. When I was twenty something I was clueless about the expense of decorating a Christmas tree. It didn't take long for me to quickly discovered that decorating a tree in the style and manner of my choosing would actually cost a petty penny something I had little of at the time.


While lamenting to my Mother over the high price of German hand blown glass ornaments. She sweetly suggested that maybe this year I should consider buying a small and pre-decorated table top tree instead. For in her opinion that would be a simple solution. Good grief I thought to myself, that certainly wouldn't do. Because in my opinion a Christmas tree should be at least higher than just a few inches off the ground!


So with a major in fine art and a good sense of design; I set out to create my own personalized ornaments but out of what I hadn't a clue. As I pondered the problem of exactly what I should create, a moment of creative genius struck, as I remembered that my Mother saved Christmas cards.

So with a quick visit home and sweet "pretty please," my Mama graciously agreed to share her cherished holiday greeting cards that she had long been saving. That day as we sat around the kitchen table, sorting through piles of old greeting cards and going down memory lane playing, do you remember so and so? It wasn't long before I had a brown paper shopping bag full of greeting cards of all shapes, sizes and sentiments in which to create my own special ornaments.


The next two weeks with scissors in hand, I spent transforming holiday greeting cards into handmade ornaments, adorned with glitter and pretty red ribbons for hanging on a branch. Then I promptly went out and purchased the most reasonable small four foot artificial Christmas tree that I could find in which to hang my concoction of personal handmade creations upon. My first Christmas tree was actually born out of necessity. Loved for it's delightful simplicity and paper wishes. How simply divine.

Count Your Blessings - Ali Matthews

Ali Matthews is a Canadian Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.

This song is from her "Looking For Christmas" CD.