Tea Cup Ornament & memories of a loved one

The tree went up this weekend. This could very well be a record breaker.

With a hubs who isn’t quite as “Christmassy” as I am, normally all Christmas decorations are sequestered until Grey Cup weekend. A beautiful tradition developed over our years together that entails putting on a crock pot of chilli, watching the game and getting ready for the holidays.

But something had to give this weekend. Whether it’s the intensity of combined projects or the intensity of the internet, I was feeling like I need a bit of Christmas Cheer to lift my spirits.

You see for me, Christmas is truly THE most wonderful time of year. It feeds my soul and restores my faith in humanity.

I love that people think more about giving. That social good becomes a higher priority and kindness for the most part leads the way. Don’t you think we need a bit of that these days?

When I think of Christmas, I think of my grandmother. The matriarch of our family and the one who so vividly instilled the importance of family and Christmas spirit in all of us. This will be the first Christmas without her and it feels all kinds of bittersweet.

I have small reminders around the house of her. A little decor piece here, a photo, a group of teacups in the cupboard,  her sweater hanging on the back of my door and her jewellery I wear often when I want to feel close. I was trying to figure out a way to keep her close in our Christmas celebrations this year and then it hit me. If there was something that so intently reminded me of my Grandmother, it was her Tea Cup. Always one to stand on ceremony, it was essential to her to drink her Cuppa in a china cup. (A mug would most certainly not do). Those tea cups remind me of talks around her dining room table, of her beautiful smile and her way of letting me know that bar none, she was in my corner.

So rather than keeping the collection of tea cups I got when she passed away tucked away in the cupboard, I thought what better way to have her nearby than to turn those teacups into Christmas ornaments. A simple ribbon and voila, you have a fun vintage ornament to add to your tree.

And a perfectly simple space to remember a loved one.

How to make a TEA CUP Ornament

(or ornament remembering a loved one)

– We simply took beautiful ribbon to tie a bow around our tea cup and then secured the ribbon both to the item and to the tree so that is was as safe as possible. Anything can be used. It simply depends on how creative you get & how much fun you have on how to present it.

Other ideas:

• Favourite book
• Glasses
• Jewellery
• Binoculars
• Sweater turned pillow
• Cutlery

Here’s hoping your Christmas Cheer is ready to kick into high gear.