When I was a child, Christmas season was my favourite time of the year. I used to live in a small village with my sister, mum and grandparents. Village life is not always easy and not fancy at all, however, it definitely had its magic for a kid like the one I was. Friendly sheep (from time to time with a little one I was helping to feed), soft, beautiful white rabbits and uncountable stories from grandpa and grandma… Christmas had its own specific traditions and magic, of course. Baking cakes, decorating the tree together with my big sis and going to church in the evening. I used to go early, together with grandpa. He was the one who opened the doors and rang the bells. I kept him company while he was smoking his cigarette in the chilly, snowy night, and sometimes he let me push the buttons of the electronic conducts of the bells.
At the time we went home from service the gifts were already under the tree. I have always knew that my family is responsible for the toys, clothes and books I found under the branches. How could have it been a secret? We took the yarn to the lady ourselves, who then knitted pullovers for us. Everyone in the family wore the same colour in every year: the factory in the Czech Republic where we sent the wool for processing could make only one colour at a time from the small amount we had. One year it was green, another year blue, the next one purple… Until the factory shut down and grandpa sold the sheep one by one.
Many of my memories are fading, and I kept only very few of the Christmas attributes we had that time. A small bronze bell, given to me by grandma – they used to hang it in the neck of their colt some 60 years earlier… An oil lamp we took around the village late night at Christmas Eve, when together with other children we used to sing Christmas carols…
It’s about time I start to make my own ornaments,
and I hope there will be many pleasant memories connected to them,
just like to the ones in my childhood.
And where else would I turn for ideas then to my friends – beaders?
I collected 12 of the best Christmas ornaments. Not only decoration for the tree itself, but many different things which can truly contribute to the festive atmosphere.
Moreover, I also created a Christmas themed Pinterest board featuring beaded Christmas ornaments and decoration, where you find even more ideas! (There are no broken links at the moment and all the pins lead directly to the beading tutorials.)
Enjoy, and happy beading for the holidays!
Erika
P.S.: All the images are used with the permission of the designers.
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- IVONA SUCHMANNOVA of Spirala Beading is famous for her construction skills and elaborate beaded beads. They are just one step away from a Christmas ornament, and Ivona has several of these, too. My favourite is the Iveta Snowflake, since my sister is also called Iveta, but I highly recommend to check out the beading pattern for Angel Gabriel, too!
- Another fun project to create the atmosphere of holidays is this beaded angel from Debora Hodoyer. Since I was a kid, it is always my task in the family to wrap gifts. I often add something extra to the packaging: this year the extra surprise might be Debbie’s cute figurine!
- Candles are a must for Christmas, aren’t they? Heather Collin designed a beadwoven tea light holder! I think this is an amazing idea – you can get the tutorial as instant download here, in Heather’s Etsy shop.
- What about wearing a Christmas wreath as a pendant or earrings this year, instead of hanging it on the door? Allie Buchman shows you how to do it on the Youtube channel of Potomac Bead Company.
- Are you on the lookout for a stylish wrapping or box? Who knew you can bead it, too?! 😀 Katie Dean (who has a whole collection of Christmassy beading tutorials, came up with the idea of a beaded Christmas Cracker Box.
- The Beadworkers Guild put together a full book of Christmas ornaments. This is of really great value, 7 projects for only £4.00. I love the figure on the cover page!
- There is no Christmas without a Christmas tree, right? I though that the cute 30 cm pine tree we have this year is the smallest possible Christmas tree to have, but then Patrick Duggan outdid it with his beaded one 😀 You can find the pattern for this beaded Christmas tree here, but make sure to check out Patrick’s whole Artfire shop: he just uploaded a festive tea light holder, too!
- Since we already took care of the tree, it’s time to talk about Santa himself! I am sure you are familiar with Julia S Pretl’s fenomenal beaded boxes. It takes some time and skill to bead one, but the result is definitely worth it!
- And Santa is never alone, is he? How about beading a reindeer (or a whole horde of them) following Vezsuzsi’s Rangifer pattern?
- I haven’t seen much snow since I moved to The Netherlands. How beautiful the canals would be on a starry, snowy night, especially with the Amsterdam Light Festival going on! I think I will make up for the lack of snowing with Cindy Holsclaw’s beaded snowflake!
- ThreadABead.com features all kinds of Christmassy designs: faery light, peyote bracelets and even an elf lodge. My absolute favourite is, however, the Beaded Christmas Village Train!
- I left the my favourite to the end. Helena Tang Lim’s ‘Star Light Star Bright‘ Christmas ornament would be the most beautiful decoration on every Christmas tree!
Leave the link to your favourite beaded Christmas decoration in a comment 🙂
Loved reading about your country life. Sounds absolutely idyllic when you’re young. Lovely article and thanks so much for including me.
Thank you, Helena! I am very happy you enjoyed it. It does come through more idyllic then it was in reality, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Living with my grandparents gave me so much!
Happy Christmas!!
Same to you, Jeanne 🙂