Gift for Baby's First Christmas, a Growing Tree

A Christmas Tree that a Child Can Decorate as He/She Grows

Dec 1, 2008 Melissa Roberts

Celebrate an infant's first Christmas with a Christmas tree and special ornaments to give over the years, so tree can grow with the child.

Looking for a first Christmas gift for a special baby? If you are a parent, god-parent, or family friend looking for a Christmas gift that a child will always remember, a small Christmas tree for baby's room and specialized ornaments celebrating the years of the child's life may be just right for you.

Materials Needed for Assembling Baby's First Christmas Tree, the Growing Tree:

• 1 small artificial Christmas tree, for table top use.
• 1 high quality minature tree ornament with a distinctive animal or feature, preferably brightly colored.
• Small wooden numbers 1-10 from a craft store, the right size to become tree ornaments
• Craft paint matching the color of the miniature tree ornament and brushes to paint
• Miniature string of lights for tree
• Enough filler ornaments, such as bulbs, to completely decorate tree
• Small photo album with paper sized to fit
• Decorative box for storing ornaments and photo album when not in use

Directions for Assembling Baby's First Christmas Tree, the Growing Tree:

1. Paint the number "1" in colors to match the high quality tree ornament. Be creative. If the ornament has a zebra, make the wooden "1" have zebra stripes. The point is to give the child two ornaments commemorating his or her first year of life that he or she can immediately recognize when he or she is a little older.
2. Write a note to the child explaining why the ornament made you think of him or her. Share your favorite memory of him or her from the first year of life, of a picture or momento if you like. Communicate your love and affection for the child in a way he or she will treasure when a little older. Place the note in the photo album, and mark it as Year 1.
3. Decorate the tree with the lights, filler ornaments, and the two speciality ornaments for Year 1. Include the photo album with the note in the decorative box. If you are not the parents, include a note with the following instructions: "This Christmas Tree is a Growing Tree. It will grow over time with (Enter Baby's Name). Every year, two new ornaments will appear from me, and a note for the album sharing a memory I have of (Enter Baby's Name) during that year. Please share the notes from me, include each year's note in the album provided, and let (enter Baby's name) have the book to read when she/he is able."
4. Give the baby's parents the decorated tree, decorative box with photo album inside, and instructions before Christmas, so the tree can decorate the baby's room during the holidays.
5. Save the wooden letters in a safe place for next year. Over the baby's childhood, give a special minature ornament, decorated wooden number corresponding to baby's age, and meaningful note every year.

Every year, as you prepare and give two more ornaments to the child's first Christmas tree, you offer the child a reminder of how important he or she is in your life. By the time baby is ten, the filler ornaments will all be replaced with special ornaments given with purpose and love. Over time, baby's first Christmas tree will grow with baby.

The copyright of the article Gift for Baby's First Christmas, a Growing Tree in Infants & Toddlers is owned by Melissa Roberts. Permission to republish Gift for Baby's First Christmas, a Growing Tree in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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