During the Depression of the 1930's, many families hardly had enough money to eat and could not afford Christmas gifts or decorations. So many people like Minnie Swift and her family simply made them by hand. These little ornaments are easy to do, and make great holiday decorations or keepsakes! MATERIALS: Collection of small twigs, ranging in size from 2-6 inches in length Your favorite beads, buttons, ribbons, or other tiny decoration Craft glue Colorful string or twine DIRECTIONS: Pull off all the leaves and extra little branches so all your twigs are as smooth as possible. Cut your twigs into different lengths (you'll need twigs that are around 5-inches and under) Use the longest twig as your tree trunk, and lay your next longest twig horizontally across it. This will be your bottom branch! Taking a small bit of string or twine, bind the twigs together creating a cross in the front — then tie in double knot in the back. Cut off the excess string and repeat using smaller and smaller branches until you get to the top. Once all the branches are secure, you're ready to attach the decorations! Tie a small ribbon to top of your tree to use as an ornament — or put them in your window to give your room a holiday feel. Arts & Crafts Home