Sometimes I fool myself into thinking I’m super creative. Last night was one of those timesI made this ornament out of a piece of stump from our Christmas tree. We would have loved to cut down our own tree, but my husband has a busy work schedule this month, so we went to Lowe’s. We chose a five-foot tree that was on sale for $20.
The employee who helped us find our tree was a sweet young man, probably in his late teenage years. He trimmed a few branches off the bottom and asked if I wanted to keep them, telling me they would look great as indoor decorations. I regretfully declined, knowing we would have no place to display them in our tiny, newlywed rental home.
He also asked if I wanted to keep the 1/2-inch thick slice of wood that he cut off the bottom of the stump. “Lots of people turn theirs into ornaments to commemorate their first Christmas as a married couple or their child’s first Christmas,” he explained.
“What a great idea!” I thought. So you’ll never guess what I did. I took the piece of stump home and turned it into an ornament.
The credit for this keepsake that we will cherish for years to come goes to the young man at Lowe’s. All I did was sand the edges (using a brick on the side of our house), drill a hole for the ribbon (using a screwdriver), and write “Our 1st Christmas Tree 2015” on both sides of the ornament (using red and green Sharpies). And I drew a Christmas tree.
I think the moral of the story is that the young man at Lowe’s is way more creative than I am.
Haha! At the summer camp I go to, we use those for name tags! 🙂
What a great idea!! A very nice way to always remember this christmas. I pray you and Mr handsome make many wonderful memories this christmas season.
Cute idea! These are the kind of memories to cherish!
Great idea! I love these posts and the recipe ones too. I also love your question posts and I how you did one for Jessa on the Duggar Family blog. I loved all of her answers and if possible I think it would be fun to do the same thing with other family members – some of the older ones and the younger ones! It would be fun to get an update on the older Duggars that we "know" fairly well and know better some of the younger crew who aren't featured quite as much! I am also excited to find out how Derick met Jim Bob to become his prayer partner since my very favorite stories are the how we met ones! Thank you for all of the effort that you put into all of your blogs!
So cute. That's a good idea. I don't put a tree up.
I have never heard of that. I wish I would have done that 8 Christmases ago. I really really love that idea.
You can always start now! 🙂 better late than never.
How unique i love it
Be careful as to what traditions of 'man' you adopt, because year after year your family can get to expect and demand them and you may be conflicted between having the freedom to serve the living God or being a servant to a weight of meaningless traditions that your loved ones have set their hearts on. What next? Santa coming down the chimeny? You end up seeming like a kill joy. I wish I had never brought aa Christmas tree into my house ever. Now if I don't someone else in our house will go get one!
Ahem… I reallt don't understand the point of this comment.
Maybe it's not meaningless for them to have a keepsake of their first Christmas together as a married couple?
Maybe if God put us here on this Earth is for a reason, and not everything that regards our life here is meaningless?
Just saying…
Jeremiah 10, don't with hold the word from people. Let them read and decide if this fits.
There is nothing wrong with a Christmas tree. God created them. I think it is special pickin out a tree and decorating them. Each year my family picks out a new ornament.
http://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/are-christmas-trees-referenced-bible
there is always contro-verse-y over this
What a great idea! We have Christmas tree ornaments from every year (our mother gives us one as a gift each year) and they mean so much to us. Merry Christmas!
Learning Fact: If you count the rings on that tree cookies you can learn how many years old that tree was.
Suggestion for the cut of branches. You can arrange them in a basket and decorate the branches if you wish. You can put the baskets in different places in your home. I did that one year. It turned out nice. You could also use the branches as an arrangement on your table.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to give them a try next year. 🙂
Ellie
WOW such a cute story! i bet your excited for your 1st christmas with your husband!
There is a idea – tree stump cookies that could be short bread with 'bark' that is the edge rolled in chocolate and crushed nuts with 'our 1st Xmas' piped onto each one.
Great idea. You should do this every year and have a tree full of tree stump ornaments.
I like that idea. 🙂
Blessings,
Ellie
Watch Jack Van Impe!
I love it! It's so cute and a funny story!
What a clever idea and very helpful Lowe's associate!
Next time, take the extra branches, gather them together with red ribbon and hang them on the front door. 🙂
It has been fun reading through your blog!! Merry Christmas to you and Mr. Handsome. ⭐️
Thanks for the idea, Amanda! Merry Christmas to you, as well.
I'm blessed to have you as a reader.
Ellie
That us such a sweet idea. Make sure to add a new one each year. Your kids will love that tradition.