Getting in the Festive Mood.

I can't remember the exact year when I bought these first two Christmas tree decorations, but it must be nearly 50 years ago. They become more precious each year and have outlived all of their contemporaries.

There were two little bells once, but the other one broke several years back.

These apples are home-made. About 10 years ago, the group I belong to had an exhibition for which we made a cornucopia with lots of glitzy precious little gifts spilling out of it, as a centrepiece for the gallery we were in. These are the four remaining ones, and although they are not the traditional colours for Christmas I have been persuaded to hang them on the tree.

They are very simple to make - if a bit fiddly. I bought some polystyrene apple shapes, cut out tiny squares of various fine fabrics and stuck them all over the surface. I then went round all the edges with gold dimensional paste and added a few sequins here and there. A gold cord loop fastened with a pin finishes them off.

This little boot was made for me by a friend and must have taken her ages. There are so many perfectly placed sequins held in place by pins. The top surface of it is covered in white sequins.

A friend who is a quilter made this little bird .........

...................... and this bauble which looks incredibly complicated to me. I apologies for the blurred picture but tried several times to improved on it without success.

The bauble hangs from the centre of the mantlepiece, but all the others are on here ..................

................... talk about 'done up like a Christmas Tree'! I must now go and iron the dark green cloth which hides the ugly metal stand before I forget - again.