Holiday Memory Tree
creating a photo-themed christmas tree
This year, instead of my usual migration back to the islands for the holidays, I headed to Nashville to spend a quiet Christmas with my mom before I’m off to Vietnam for the lunar new year.
Since we would be without all of our family for the first time, I wanted to find ways to keep them close. When thinking about what our Christmas tree would look like, I knew that I wanted the ornaments to be more than decorative. I wanted to give them meaning. I imagined my mom walking around the tree and remembering her home, her kids…her life.
I thought the most special way to do that was through all of the beautiful photos I’ve collected or taken of our family over the years. And so, our holiday memory tree was born.
collecting memories
The hardest part—as we have so many memories as a family—was narrowing down my photos to a handful that would be used for the ornaments. I collected and scanned photos from when my mom was little to photos of her and her grandkids more recently captured.
Once I made my selections I printed 4x4 prints using MPIX.com (my go-to for photo and art prints). They always have great deals, great print quality and they are fast! I recieved my photos in a few days and I think they costed cents each. I loved the 4x4 size because it was very close to the my frame sizes so trimming down would easier.
One of my favorites is this photo of my mom’s first christmas as a mom. Here she is with my oldest brother Jeremy.
finding frames
So the photos could stand out, I searched for a minimalist frame that had a touch of sparkle but would mostly let the photos shine. I found silverleaf circle and square frame ornaments from Pottery Barn Kids and my mom found some diamond-covered mini frames to add.
TIP: Use the glass of the frame to envision and mark where you will crop your photos. I place the glass over my printed photo and trace with a pencil or marker the border, then trim with a scissors. Edges are hidden in the frame so they don’t have to be perfect. (You’ll see me do this in the video above).
putting it all together
I wanted just enough photos that you could really appreciate each one, so we used them sparsely and my mom filled the rest of the tree with silver or gold ornaments that she liked. She’s become somewhat of a bird watcher in her retirement so you’ll see a lot of owls, birds and nests. She included a woven peace sign heart ornament for me and found a modern geometric star topper. She’s also very proud of her micro-lights. I don’t know much about them, but when our tree lights up it looks like a mini galaxy with over 2,000 lights.
We’ll keep adding a bit more to it every year. And I love that the photos can be changed out with new and old memories to look back on. (And thanks mom for making sure to use Ink + Ash holiday wrapping paper under the tree!)
Mele Kalikimaka!