I LOVE homemade gifts! I love to get them and especially love to give them. One of my favorite homemade ideas came from a book my grandmother made for my daughter right before she was born. It was a scrapbook she learned to make from her sister entitled The ABCs of Christmas. Now…this was made from one of the “old-style” scrapbooks without the acid free pages, etc., but it could most easily be adapted to products we use today. I’ve made a couple of them for other children through the years, but the pictures I’m including here are of my daughter’s book (now over 18 years old!).
The cover is made from letters stenciled and cut from gold paper and glued on the book.
Inside the book, two pages are allotted for each letter. Every letter of the alphabet has a verse from a poem that was adapted for the book. My grandmother typed the verse onto shipping labels, but you could certainly use something like card stock, an acid free label, or anything else that suits your fancy. I’m not sure where the poem originated, but it can certainly be changed to meet your needs. I’m including the poem at the end of the post.
Each letter represents something in the poem…examples – I is for ice, L is for lantern. Then, actual Christmas cards are used to represent each of the letters. Sometimes, you have to stretch your imagination a little to represent some of the letters. The letter V stands for VISIONS of wreaths. Well, the cards you might use for that letter would be wreaths – not necessarily visions. The letter U stands for Universe, so I generally try to find cards to use with lots of children (of different races if possible) or pictures that reflect the world in general. Z stands for Zenith representing the star, so the cards I choose for Z will have the Bethlehem star. Here are a few examples of the inside pages.
There are so many ways to make this ABC book idea your own. I’m simply sharing my daughter’s original book made by her great-grandmother. I love the fact you can reuse those Christmas cards you get every year. I continue to hang onto them and will also ask friends to save theirs for me as well! Maybe this will give you a unique homemade Christmas gift idea for a young one. As promised, here’s the poem…
A is for Angels
With halos so bright
Whose carols were heard
On that first Christmas night
B is for Baby
The Christ child so dear
We celebrate Christmas
His birthday each year
C is for Candles
That so brightly shine
To give a warm welcome
To your friends and mine
D is for Doorways
With garlands of green
To make Christmas merry
As far as they are seen
E is for Earth’s flowers
With colors so gay
That brighten our lives
With their beauty each day
F is for Firesides
Cheery and gay
To give a warm welcome
On each Christmas day
G is for Greetings
A merry hello
With a heart full of love
For people we know
H is for Holly
With berries so bright
To make into wreaths
To hang just right
I is for Ice
And snow covered hills
Where skating is fun
Along with the spills
J is for Jingle bells
Merrily ringing
To the whole world
Joy they are bringing
K is for Kris Kringle
As merrily he stands
That is what they call Santa
In some other lands
L is for Lanterns
I am sure that their light
Helped Mary and Joseph
That first Christmas night
M is for Manger
A crude little bed
The place baby Jesus
Laid down his sweet head
N is for Noel
That choirs now sing
Herald the birth
Of the newborn King
O is for Ornaments
So shiny and gay
To make our tree pretty
On each Christmas day
P is for Presents
Packages so gay
All around the tree
To open Christmas day
Q is for Quiet
That first Christmas night
When a big star in heaven
Glistened so bright
R is for Rudolph
With his big red nose
The favorite reindeer
Santa Claus chose
S is for Shepherds
And the big star
Seen over Bethlehem’s manger
They followed it far
T is for Trees
We decorate gay
Then wait for old Santa
To come around our way
U is for Universe
The whole wide world
Where Christ brings joy
To every girl and boy
V is for Visions
Of wreaths so bright
That hang in doors and windows
They make a pretty sight
W is for the Wisemen
Who brought gifts so rare
And fell down and worshipped
The Christ child there
X is for Christmas
A short way to say
All good things
That mean Christmas day
Y is for Yule logs
Whose bright sparks fly high
And give a warm welcome
To all who come by
Z is for Zenith
Where the Christmas star stood
Guiding the wisemen
As God meant it should
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