In response to Rob’s suggestion that it’s time to start making holiday gifts, one reader shares his replica of a treasured decoration his mother once made. – Editor
“You are right about it being that time of year again. It does seem to come around every trip around the sun at the same time. Not only do woodworkers think about things to make for our family and close friends at this time of year but it is also time to possibly think about a little something to help decorate for the season. Speaking of that brings to mind the following story and picture. I am 73, soon to be 74. When I was about 5, my mother went to a ‘home demonstration’ group gathering where ladies got together and someone, usually from the state, would present a program on some kind of home cooking or decorating idea. This year it was to build a styrofoam sleigh. My mother brought her sleigh home stuck together with long pins. She had already spray painted it with some gold paint. She finished it by taking one sequin and one glass head pin at a time and outlining the sleigh. My mother passed away some 35 years ago and about four or five years ago, I ran across the old sleigh in a box that I had salvaged from her house when we cleaned it out shortly after her death. The styrofoam was in no shape to be used but it was barely usable for a pattern for me to make a replacement for my mother’s treasured sleigh out of pine shelving. I have enclosed a picture of the sleigh with the little santa, his bag that she stuffed with paper and two velvet reindeer that she found. The original of this adorned our round oak dining table every year when the Christmas season came around. I thought readers might be interested in seeing this and they might show some of their shop made decorations for the Christmas season.” – Charles Buster
