The Art of The Ornament
Embellishing with beads is a deliciously fun way to add that extra layer of personality to your jewelry design, so why not embellish an ornament with colorful seeds and sparkle.
Island Cove is putting up their tree and getting ready to sell their unique hand-crafted Christmas decorations. They have already started offering classes and patterns to make your very own Christmas Beaded Bauble. These balls are adorned with a netting stitch and fire-polished beads or crystals which twinkle under the shine of the Tree lights. The pattern is simple and easy to follow with added notes adjusting the fit for different sized balls. So why not try your hand at creating a unique ornament. Add some pearls and fringing to make a Victorian style decoration, or two hole Ginko beads for a mermaid design. Once you get the basic pattern down the rest is up to you.
Did you know that the tradition of a Christmas Tree has been around since the Ancient Egyptians. They saw the evergreen as a symbol of eternal life. The European Pagans used the greenery to brighten their homes during the shorter days of the winter solstice. In 16th Century Germany, small evergreens were decorated with red apples and nuts and were called Paradise Trees. Originally used in Christian Church plays to represent trees from the Garden of Eden until families began bringing them into their homes. They added candles and tinsel made from real silver to reflect the light like stars over the Nativity Scene.
In the 1800s, German born, Hans Greiner, invented the first glass blown ornaments in the shape of fruits and nuts with a silver embellishment made from mercury and lead.
It was the German immigrants that brought the tradition to America and Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert, introduced her to the Christmas Tree. She loved the baubles and added small toys and sweets to her tree.
F.W.Woolworth came across the balls on a trip to Germany and imported them into his store. There he made his fortune. Between 1880 and 1890 he sold $25 million worth each year!
So why do you put up a tree? What does it mean to you? And what goes through your mind when you dig through your box of ornaments? Do they trigger memories? Emotions? Do they represent your beliefs?
These ornaments may only come out once a year, but the meaning of what they represent can last a lifetime. Enjoy, and make the best of these moments of Tradition.
Michelle Chapman Geller
