Homemade gifts this year...and the 12 Days of Christmas, what it really means

I guess I can publish this today. I highly doubt my family will get online this morning to see their homemade gifts on my blog. If so, oh well...shame on you all for peeking!

We've always heard of the 12 days of Christmas but rarely have we honored that tradition in the United States.

From Christmas Day until January 6, the Epiphany, make up the 12 days of Christmas. The Epiphany marks the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem, and it is claimed that on this occasion Christ was first revealed as divine to the Wise Men.

In some countries, January 6 is the day that gifts are given to commemorate the Wise Men's gifts to the Christ Child.

Twelfth Night Party:

Theme: Jan 6 is the day that the Wise Men presented gifts to the Christ Child. Since in our culture, we have given gifts on Dec 25, the Twelfth Night could be honored with a quiet celebration of family and friends, a closing ceremony of the holiday season.

Invitation Ideas: A manger scene with the Wise Men bearing gifts.

Table Setting: Gold stars symbolizing the star the Wise Men followed. Possibly a bowl of potpourri left over from holiday decorations, or recycle greens from your Christmas trees that you dried out.

Favors: Though the gift season is over, consider wrapping a small piece of wood or a gift box in tapestry fabric; attach with a glue gun. Tie a bow using gold wired, ribbon. Attach the following poem and use at each place setting.

This is a very special gift

That you can never see.

The reason it's so special is

It's filled with love from me.

Whenever you are lonely

Or if you are feeling blue.

Hold this gift close to your heart

And know I am thinking of you.

Please don't ever unwrap it,

Always leave the ribbon tied.

Hold the box next to your heart

It's filled with love inside.

Here are some pics of my homemade gift making...

My "Love Gifts" start out with some simple scrap blocks of wood..having a hubby in construction is always a plus....

I printed out a snowman with a gift for front of card, printed poem...and used those dots stickies for scrapbooking to assemble them. I had these material scraps from past projects..I have tons of fabric scraps.

I used hot glue to "wrap" the gifts, and let me tell ya, they are filled with love, I burnt my darn fingers so many times. lol.

attached a bow and bell.

(notice the Victoria Secret Catalog..see, that junk mail they send me 5 times a week is useful..when the hot glue gets it all goey, turn the page. lol)

They are all a bit different, as I said, I used scraps.
These are cute for decoration each year. I kept one for me just to have to put out and remember my making them.

tuck the card in on bottom of ribbon for easy reading and replacing.

I also made these quick wreathes with tri-beads.
Note: That is NOT MY eagles snowman in the background, its my youngest son, Brian's, but that IS MY John Elway ornament though! lol. I also have a Steelers ornament somewhere on that tree (Alex's) and a Joe Montana. (poor Allen, he needs a Patriot ornament I guess).