Advent: Handmade Christmas Day 1

It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of Christmas shopping and choosing the "perfect" gift for each person on one's list. Each year, I must make a conscious effort not to get caught up in this false spirit of Christmas and focus on what is really important in my life: family and relationships and not things.

One of the things that helps me do this is to remember with joy the memories associated with the many handmade decorations we put up each year. This year for Advent, I will be sharing with you some of these special memories.

We have a tradition of lighting advent candles: one additional candle is lit each week during advent, until Christmas Day when the Christ candle is lit. Although it is hidden by the garland, the candle holder was handmade from a gnarled branch of a local tree. It was made by a gentleman that my husband met through his work. The candles sit atop a Christmas table runner that I made and machine quilted. It was one of my first finished quilts and I still love it (with memories of a quilting group when I lived in Portage la Prairie).

What traditions do you enjoy each Christmas?