Designs of Christmases Past

Many years ago I commissioned my father to make me a 'Swedish Tree' in order to showcase all my clothespin ornaments before we got around to getting a live tree in the house. He is half Swedish, after all! Well, he'd never heard of a Swedish Tree, so I showed him some idea of what I was thinking, and being the handyman that he is, he constructed one for me. It continues to be the one decoration that goes up in December regardless of our holiday plans. It gives me a chance to revisit the many clothespin designs Mom and I (mostly Mom!) have created over the years. You will see some of my favorites in the video.

It's much too late to begin crafting gifts at this point, but if you'd like to think ahead to next year, you can find many of these designs in our pattern books. The Mr. & Mrs. Santa with their reindeer, along with the sledders and skiers, and the angel with the afro are in one of our older books--vintage 1980's. We have just a few copies left of Clothespin Crafting for Our Favorite Times of Year. It's printed in full color with over 27 clothespin crafting projects for festive decorating. When they're gone, they're gone! The Native American angels can be found in Tribal Playmates. And, if you've got some vintage Christmas handkerchiefs (or lacy white ones), they make beautiful angels and that pattern can be found in I Can't Believe That's a Clothespin!