Christmas time is here again and it is time to put up that tree! But what kind of tree should you and your family put in your living room? Or better yet, a smaller tree you and your siblings might decorate and display in a special place. Over the next few blogs I hope to give you a few ideas that might inspire you to try something different or even spark a new family tradition.

A Family Tree: You know how family trees go with the history of your family of generations past leading all the way up to you and your siblings. Well this tree is similar except you make an ornament for each member of your family that best describes their personality. For example, say you have an aunt that loves baking. You might best describe her personality by hanging a set of measuring spoons topped off with a small red bow. If you have a picture of her you might want to cut it out and paste it to the inside of the tablespoon. Your dad may be a golfer so take a golf ball and glue a tee to the bottom. Use a permanent sharpie and write his name on the golf ball and glue a ribbon to the top of the ball so that it can hang on the tree. Anything that shows off that wonderful family of yours is just great. Decorate with lights to fit your family’s personality and top your tree with a big bow. This tree is great for family reunions as well.

Memory Tree: A memory tree is a tree with past memories you and your family have made over the years. There are photo ornaments you can purchase that you can place photos of past family trips, birthday parties or family milestone events just to name a few. You may want to use your sibling’s first baby rattle or a set of his or her first booties as an ornament. If you and your family have a special family vacation memory of the beach then you can hang a seashell and write the year of that special trip on the shell. Make a garland of ribbon and hearts made from construction paper and put your family members names on different hearts. For the top of your tree you can make a star out of poster board and paste various family pictures to make a collage. If you do not want to cut up your family photos then use a scanner and print them out on paper. Making a memory tree is a great way to get the family involved and in the process make more special memories together!

Stay tuned to future blogs for more Christmas tree ideas for you and your family. Happy decorating!