This year’s Christmas celebration at our chapel was one for the books, and I couldn’t be more proud of the special creation my husband and I put together—a 10-foot Christmas tree crafted entirely from the foxtail palm trees we pruned from our chapel grounds. It wasa labor of love, creativity, and a bit of elbow grease, but the end result was a tree that became the heart of our holiday festivities. Let me take you through the process of how we made it all happen!
The Idea Sparked from Our Chapel Grounds
It all started when my husband and I were working on pruning the foxtail palm trees around the chapel. These
palms are beautiful, but they had grown a bit too large and needed trimming. As we cut them down, the thought struck us: why not repurpose the palm fronds to create a Christmas tree? It felt like the perfect way to not only recycle the pruned branches but also to create something meaningful for our church family to enjoy.
Assembling the 10-Foot Tree
Hubby welded a frame, two layers so it will be easy to place the palms onto the tree.
We began by creating the frame of the tree. Using the sturdy palm fronds as the primary structure, we carefully arranged them to mimic the layers of a Christmas tree. This took some time and patience, as we wanted the tree to be sturdy and well-proportioned. Each frond was carefully attached, layer by layer, until we reached a towering 10-foot height. The natural curve of the palm fronds added a beautiful organic texture, making our tree feel unique and full of life.
We also were the one's doing the decorations for our Welfare and Self-Reliance graduation. We started prepping the area Tuesday four days before the said activity. The room was empty and bare. We have to use our imaginations on how to make the area look grand for the graduation and the Christmas get together for this will be the first Christmas event under WSR in which I was called to serve under our stake last 2022.
We have a stage opposite this area but the Primary Organization will use that part for their Christmas Get Together as well the day right after ours, they had theirs Saturday, December 7th.
Crafting the Gold Snowflakes
Once the tree was up, it was time to add the decorations—and this is where the real magic happened. Hubby and I spent two weeks crafting gold snowflakes from gold foil. It was a meticulous job! We cut, shaped, and folded the foil into delicate, shimmering snowflakes. The process was surprisingly therapeutic, and it gave us so much joy to think about how these handcrafted snowflakes would glisten on the tree, adding a touch of elegance and holiday cheer.
We loved the idea of incorporating gold into our decorations because it symbolized the richness of the season—the beauty of giving, the joy of togetherness, and the warmth of Christmas. Every snowflake felt like a little piece of love we were adding to the tree.
Adding the Christmas Lights
No Christmas tree is complete without lights, and we carefully draped a series of warm white lights across the tree. Hubby and I bought 3-100 lights or 3 pieces of series for there wasn't any 500 light bulb series available. The lights brought the tree to life, casting a soft glow over the chapel’s main hall. We wanted the tree to shine both literally and figuratively, becoming a symbol of hope and light during the Christmas season.
The Star at the Top
And of course, no tree is complete
without a star on top! We searched high and low for the perfect star, but in the end, we decided to make one ourselves. Using a bit of wire, some silver foil, and a sprinkle of creativity, we crafted a star that sparkled brilliantly against the tree’s height. It felt like the perfect finishing touch—an emblem of the star that guided the Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus.
Hosting the Welfare and Self-Reliance Completion Course & Christmas Get-Together
The 10-foot tree was more than just a beautiful decoration—it became the centerpiece for our annual welfare and self-reliance course completion ceremony and Christmas get-together. We hosted our chapel’s congregation for a celebration that combined both the spirit of giving and the joy of the holiday season. It was a time to reflect on the lessons learned during the welfare and self-reliance courses, celebrate the
accomplishments of those who completed the program, and come together as a church family. For this year we had a total of 96 graduates from the Personal Finance, Emotional Resilience, Find A Better Job, Education for Better work and from the English Connect 1 & 2 levels. The previous graduation we had last year. We used toga's but since the store charged us double for the rent this year so I opted that we use the Sablay's instead.
The word "Sablay" refers to an indigenous loose garment that, simple yet elegant, is used traditionally used for formal occasions.(Source: HTTPS://our.upd.edu.ph)
Different colored Sablay's represents the different courses in which the graduates have completed.
Our tree, crafted with love and care, served as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas—hope, faith, and the joy of being together with loved ones. It also symbolized the hard work and dedication that goes into both our individual lives and our community, as we all strive for self-reliance and a deeper connection to each other.
Of course there were lots of food served. Hubby cooked 20 kilos of Menudo.
Menudo (from Spanish: "small [bits]"), also known as ginamay or ginagmay (Cebuano: "[chopped into] smaller pieces"), is a traditional stew from the Philippines made with pork and sliced liver in tomato sauce with red and green bell peppers, carrots and potatoes, hotdogs, raisins with tomato sauce.
We also prepared and cooked fried chicken, 20 kilos as well. I have no photos already during the prepping and frying of the chicken, I was so busy chopping the veggies😍😄
The two of us were so busy. From prepping the venue, making a gigantic tree to the cooking then me hosting the graduation and the Christmas get together, yah I know, Wonder Woman!! But no left me now with a flu.... Haha. I have no voice now. I guess I got so tired with all the preparations but seeing our members very happy, full and enjoying the food was really heaven for both me and hubby. You can say the activity was a success.
The Joy of Creating Together♥️♥️♥️
Creating this giant tree wasn’t just about the final product—it was about the time spent together, working side by side. It was a beautiful bonding experience for my husband and me, stayed up till past midnight and we are both so grateful for the opportunity to give something back to our chapel community. As we looked at the finished tree, adorned with our gold snowflakes and shimmering lights, we felt an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude. We knew that this tree would be something people would remember, not just because it was large or beautiful, but because it was a product of our love, effort, and devotion.
A Tree Made from Love
This Christmas, our chapel’s 10-foot tree stood as a symbol of creativity, hard work, and most importantly, love. It was more than just a tree—it was a testament to the power of community,the beauty of craftsmanship, and the spirit of giving that defines the Christmas season.
We hope that this tree continues to inspire others to think outside the box, to create with their own hands, and to remember that Christmas is not just about the gifts we give but the love we share with one another.
Thank you for sharing in our journey, and from our family to yours, we wish you avery Merry Christmas filled with light, love, and joy!
Thank you for reading this far.
See you on my next post.
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It's always a pleasure to share my life experiences with you @asean.hive. I so love this community. More power to you our admin @justinparke!
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!❤️
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