BE CRAZY and LEAVE your CHRISTMAS TREE UP!

Christmas and Easter are two of the most celebrated holidays in the Christian Faith. With Christmas we have the hope of the Jesus’ birth!

“Jesus, Son of God, born on Christmas day,

The savior of the world, in a manger He did lay, the sheep and cattle lowing, standing by His bed,

The angels sing in triumph, what long ago was said.

That He would come from Bethlehem,

the birth, a miracle, the holy child in mother's arms,

God's gift unto the world”

~ M.S.Lowndes


And with Easter we have the joy of renewal and Jesus’ Resurrection.

"Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again." 

~Sarah Ban Breathnach

I love decorating for holidays, and decided that this year, instead of taking all 4 of my Christmas trees down, (yes, I did say 4!) I would leave one up to serve as an, ‘all purpose’ tree. I wanted a tree to reflect the Spring and Easter season! As I was decorating for Easter on my Christmas tree, (that is so CRAZY), it hit me, that my tree was reflecting the renewal, hope and beauty that Spring and Easter bring.

I of course, started with my Christmas Tree, located in my foyer, which just a few short months welcomed family and friends with it’s Christmas beauty. After Christmas it was stripped of the Christmas decorations, and I began to think about how I would like to decorate it for Easter. Visions of eggs, butterflies, nests, and flowers danced in my head. So I thought I would share my tree with you, and maybe give you a reason to leave your Christmas tree up ALL year long! =)

I started with a trip to the Dollar Tree store where I found these glittery little butterfly and flower picks! The picks were too long, so I cut the picks and painted them green to poke into the tree. I also bought two little ‘bouquets of flowers’ to place in the tree. I cut the blooms off so I could spread them out over the tree. Butterflies and flowers were both musts in my Easter Tree vision!

Next I ‘recycled’ my little feathery friends from my Christmas tree! I found these little gems at Michaels for $.50 and hot glued the white feathers on the tail, and little Swarovski crystals on the breast of each bird, and they just happened to be spring colors. These birds, also part of my vision!

Robin’s eggs always make me think of spring, so I used some wooden eggs; some robin’s egg blue paint and using a toothbrush splattered them with some brown paint. Maybe not a true robin egg ‘look alike’, but I loved the way they turned out. My son drilled holes in the top and I used raffia to make the hangers! ‘A little bird told me’ that these eggs were a MUST for my tree, as the hatching of an egg brings forth new life!

Lastly, I used vintage Easter postcards that I bought several years ago on EBay. I made copies of them, and then using a pair of scalloped scissors I cut them out, punched a hole and using decorative ribbon, made a hanger- adorable. These sentiments from the past were being used to show my beauty and love of all vintage and antique gems. A touch of whimsy was also a must! 

So, I have redecorated my CHRISTMAS tree, and did I feel crazy! NO! It is my way of celebrating yet another season I love so much. It was my own special way of tying two seasons together. Two seasons which bring such hope and meaning to my brief journey here on earth. 

Since you have probably already taken your Christmas tree down, drag it back out to your favorite spot! Or, if you are still enjoying Christmas with your tree still standing (tee hee), I encourage you to do a “CHRISTMAS TREE MAKEOVER”! Use your imagination, things you love, and your crazy ideas to create a work of art! What a wonderful way to celebrate Easter, and a wonderful way display the reason for the spring and Easter season! 

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. 
~Robert Flatt
 

Living Laughing and Enjoying my Spring!

Patti