A New Years Tradition

No one is quite sure how it started, but at some point my mother instigated a New Years tradition that has stuck with us to this day. Normally we would watch a movie or play a game (or both). But an hour or so before midnight the real tradition would start.

Everyone would sit down in front of a pile of craft supplies and make hats. It was always fun to see what each person would come up with. My dad always had the most entertaining ideas while my sister, the artist, had the most elaborate.

At midnight we would proudly don our hats and cheer in the new year. There was always a mad rush to finish, which added to the excitement of the whole thing :)

Here are a few guidelines if you'd like to start doing this with your family:

1. Have lots of supplies! All you really need is paper, crayons, and glue, but the more supplies you have the more fun it can be. Buttons, fabric scraps, sequins, glitter, pipe cleaners, anything you can glue down can be incorporated into a hat. This is a great way to use up random craft supplies that are taking up space in your closets or drawers.

2. Give yourself plenty of time! Hatmaking is serious business. Sometimes it takes several tries to get it just right. If you are unsure how much time you will need, start early.

3. Start with the band and work your way up. Measure & make your hat band by wrapping the paper (or papers) around your head and securing it in the back. Once you have a properly scaled hat band, you can add paper and sequins to your hearts content!

Wear your hats to cheer in the new year, and be sure to grab a picture!

Have a safe & happy 2009!

PS - I am sorry if my post is too late for you to start this tradition in 2008, but I had to finish cleaning :)