One of the things we love about Christmas is our big tree, and over the years it’s become laden with treasured decorations. Quite a few of these are homemade, some are purchased and yet others are precious gifts from friends.
The very first ornaments to be hung are always my fat mermaids – I found them in a little antique store in Sydney and couldn’t resist their siren song. They remind me of an old Esther Williams movie!
Christmas 2000 – Moo sent us this homemade star. We’ve hung it up every year until now, as the cardboard has finally worn through on the top. (Moo, don’t forget I need a new star!)
When he was in Japan more than twenty years ago, our best man bought me this little cat bell (at least, I think it’s a cat – it could be a chipmunk). It’s been on our tree ever since. It also gets dragged out whenever I have laryngitis and need to attract Pete’s attention.
Here is our very first homemade Christmas decoration, made by hot gluing scraps of velvet and gold braid to a polystyrene ball. It’s now more than ten years old!
One of my other enthusiasms, jewellery making, led to these Swarovski ornaments, made from vintage crystal beads. Over the years, I’ve made about thirty of them in various designs. They have an old world charm to them, and when the lights are flashing, the tree coruscates like a glittering diamond.
I found these funny little plastic shapes at Reverse Garbage, an industrial reuse co-operative in Sydney. We simply tied tassels to them and hung them on the tree. To this day, we have no idea what they are, but we still try and guess every Christmas. If anyone out there knows, please enlighten us!
Every year, we try and make new decorations to add to the tree. This year I’m thinking of hanging some of Marilyn’s Christmas geese – or maybe I’ll gather a gaggle of them on the adjacent mantelpiece…
I’m sure your tree is full of memories too. I’d love to know about your favourite decorations, and the stories behind them!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Oh I love those fat mermaids – gorgeous!!
And what an extravaganza of a Christmas tree! Our tree tends to have loads of stuff the kids make at school each year (and that get carefully packed back into this antique trunk each January) and bits and pieces from all over the place. An angel given to us by friends when we were leaving Singapore perches precariously on top of the tree. Generally we give the kids free reign with decorating the tree so it tends to look slightly odd – no beautifully arranged David Jones like decorated tree in our house!
I am voting for the geese…..
SG, that’s how it should be, right? A tree full of memories and ornaments with meaning! Treasure those school made ornaments, they stop making them once they get a bit older.. :)
The geese are absolutely fabulous – cut, fold and slot together out of a single sheet of cardboard. I’m going to make some and take them to my mum’s Christmas dinner and scatter them around the table…
Hi Celia, your chipmunk is Tanuki, he reminds me of me.
Look him up, he is in Japanese folk lore.
Another star is on the way just as soon as I can cut it out.
Merry ho hos
Moo
Wow, it’s a raccoon dog? I never would have guessed… thanks Moo. :)
What a beautiful tree – love the fat mermaids! We have a matching fat fish. Will email you a photo.
I so love the 2 fat ladies!! What beauties!!
Lovely & apart too!
I love the crystal ornaments–might have to try making some of those myself! We love sparkly things here, especially at Christmas!
Anna, can’t wait to see your fat fish ornament! :)
Sophie, there’s actually a third, but I didn’t photograph her. Aren’t they divine? :)
Nancy, they’re pretty easy to make, and you can get such lovely colours in Swarovski crystal these days. I have lots of crystal earrings, and if I lose or break one, I always hang the remaining earring on the tree!
Super collection….I keep meaning to post my new homemade tree hanging decorations…I’ll see if I can wing it today, before I head away!
Hi Celia – just cruising your site for some last minute inspirations for Christmas and the days after. Must say I *love* your corner bookshelves and the fireplace surround. Your house must be gorgeous. Have a good Christmas and New Year.
best,
Matilda