Paper collectibles, or ephemera as they call it in the antiques world, are always
interesting. Fill a decorative hat box with old newspaper articles about your
home town, high school, favorite vacation spot, etc. Add in some old school
report cards, class pictures, i.d. cards from jobs, maps to vacation cabins,
school photos, college i.d. cards, old passports, expired library cards and
driver’s licenses for variety. These items that can liven up a holiday gathering
with chatter. The boxes can be simply placed on the floor near a comfy chair or
by the hearth. Choose boxes that are colorful or holiday themed.
Make a real key chain for this year’s holiday trees or string of lights. Just knot
old keys and tags from your first car, roller skates, apartment door, or school
locker on a long piece of string or twine along with a tag stating the key’s origin
like “Locker 754 from Martindale High School” or “John’s first car: 1987 Buick
Regal”. Add this “key chain” to the holiday string of lights or on a holiday tree or
topiary in the foyer or family room.
To decorate all rooms in the house with family heirlooms, hang Grandma’s
cocktail dress and beaded purse from the 1960s on a guest room door. Feature
Grandpa’s golf clubs in the corner of the foyer so they can be seen as guests
enter. Place an old crystal punch bowl with old ornaments on the dining room
table or toss your kids mittens into a flour-sugar-coffee-tea canister set on the
kitchen counter.
www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com 43
Paper, Paper, Paper
EE
Don’t forget to dig out those old
school projects made by you or
your kids like white-glue macaroni
picture frames or masterpiece
drawings from grade school. No
need to frame them professionally,
just carefully place them on small
inexpensive table easels that you
can buy at the hobby store and
position them around the holiday
dessert buffet table. You can even
tape them to the cabinet in the
garage or mudroom to brighten up
that busy space that will be used
by the whole family after a game
of Thanksgiving afternoon touch
football.
Use family heirlooms for home décor
to spark memories and make the
holidays bright.
Happy holidays.
/www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com