The ideas seem endless for adding a bit of nostalgia to your Christmas decorations and get-togethers – and The Family History guide has a fun suggestion to share.  Check out the “Objects and Heirlooms” category in the Memories Activities of the children’s page (Family History Activities Tab).  Idea C3-11 links you to American Ancestors detailing how to create ancestral tree ornaments – along with this sentiment:

The holidays are a time to be with family—present and past. Remember your ancestors this year by creating a special keepsake ornament. When made with family members—especially children or grandchildren—you’ll not only create new family memories but also share a piece of family history.

What are some of your favorite family history-centered Christmas decorations? What ideas do you have to create memories by making keepsake ornaments (along with other decorations and objects) with your loved ones? Here are a few more  ideas you might find delightfully creative and fun:

Nancy Maxwell James shares a “sweet little snowflake” tree ornament on her blog Sugar Lump Studios.  This would be simple enough for children to help with and a perfect way to share stories about the ancestors selected for each ornament while putting them together. Nancy describes herself as being an “old soul” and writes that “many of my pieces use remnants from the past…antique lace, old cabinet photos, metal findings, buttons, and whatever tugs at my heartstrings while creating. I definitely was born in the wrong era…although I wouldn’t give up my pair of blue jeans or computer for the world!… I have found that creating art heals the soul and touches the lives of people who it surrounds.” When art like Nancy’s includes personal photos from the past, those who are blessed to enjoy it most likely find a greater connection to those who have gone on before. Thank you, Nancy!

Angie Holden shares photos and instructions for Handmade Gift: Family Tree Ornaments in The Country Chic Cottage blog.  She wanted to honor relatives who’d passed away by using their photos in Christmas ornaments. “I love looking at the ornaments and remembering those individuals each year,” she writes. To make these ornaments,  she converted digital photos to black and white and printed them to fit in small metal tart tins and candle trays. Read her blog for instructions and to bask in her creativity. Thanks, Angie!

Jenn Erickson’s DIY family tree wreath is right by the front door so that guests will know of her love for family history. To create this heritage wreath, she selected two photos for each surname and made miniature copies to fit small photo frames. .The leaves are the surnames printed onto an old canvas drop cloth and cut out in the right shape. Read more instructions on her website, Jennuine, where she writes, “If you’re lucky enough to have a collection of old family photos, where do you keep them?  Have your photographic family treasures been secreted away to a chest, drawer or box?  If so, here’s a way to bring them out into the light of day for current generations to appreciate

This Family Search Wiki lists a myriad of ideas for Christmas decorating and gifting.  Being a professional seamstress, I like to see what others are doing to preserve clothing from the past – even if it is just a few treasured pieces placed in a frame with a note. Find instructions in this wiki for a fabric chain for your Christmas tree created from past dresses or other apparel, or check out the instructions to make one from Film in the Fridge (see photo). This idea would be much easier than the double wedding ring quilt my mom made me out of pieces of fabric leftover from the many dresses I had made -from the time she taught me to sew until I met my husband-to-be.  Yet, a fabric chain would also bring back memories of the hum of the sewing machine, the smell of new material, my mom unpicking my unwieldy stitching, and the love I felt for her as we sewed side-by-side.  I was learning a skill, and my mom was teaching one.  She was also teaching the value of relationships, patience, persistence, frugality, how to have pride in a job well-done, and the art of creativity. Most of all, my mom knew that all experiences become history and that making memories to last a lifetime (and beyond) is no small thing! Remembering them during the holidays is no small thing either, and that is one reason to add a bit of nostalgia to Christmas this year!