Handmade for today with the look of the past.

I find it very intriguing reading up on how Christmas in America became the way it is today.  I mean the way in which we celebrate.  Of course the immigrants who came over to settle in America from the Old World (Europe) influenced this a great deal.  St. Nickolas whom the German and the Dutch called Sinter Klaus are truly responsible for bringing the Santa Claus to life in America.  German immigrants bubbled over with enthusiasm for Christmas, putting up trees, exchanging gifts, and importing decorations and trinkets from Europe.  Their festivities eventually won over American Protestants, who had previously viewed the holiday revelry and Santa Claus with raised eyebrows.

 The other night I got all enthusiastic for making old fashioned looking German Ornaments, and here are some of what I made with German scrap, stretchy wire and tinsel.  I will probably get better at this next year, but this year some of them will be given away and some will be hanging on my tree.

There are so many Christmas items out there so easily found (like Target and Walmart) to enhance the German scrap and the tinsel, like these glittered snowflakes which are ornaments by themselves.