Carol M. Johnson of Better Home and Gardens suggests an alternative to having a Christmas tree: hang several evergreen wreaths decorated with meaningful and special ornaments.
Wreath Suggestions:
- Wreath with ornaments made by your children.
- Wreath with favorite ornaments.
- Wreath with homemade ornaments.
- Wreath with themed ornaments, such as birds, snowmen, angels, etc.
- Wreath with the traditional glass bulb ornaments.
- Wreath with paper ornaments.
- Wreath with crocheted, knitted, or sewn ornaments.
- Wreath with ornaments from your own childhoods.
- Wreath with yearly ornaments, such as 2004, 1995, etc.
- Wreath with "first" type of ornaments, such as Baby's First Christmas.
- Wreath with 12 Days of Christmas themed ornaments.
Carol closed her article with "After I hung them all, the ornaments seemed highlighted in a way they never before had been when half-hidden on a tree. A flood of memories settled on each wreath, like family pictures on a wall. Change is inevitable, as are empty nests and laugh lines."
Source: Carol M. Johnson. "What, no tree?" Better Homes and Gardens. December 2006, page 254.
Send us your ideas and pictures for decorating the emtpy nest wreaths and we'll create a gallery of the photos.
