There is something about family keepsakes that tug at the heart even more at Christmas, amiright? My great-grandma was a tchotchke collector. You name it, she had it around her house. This nativity set was one of the many, many Christmas decorations she put out each year. Some of the pieces broke over the years, she added pieces from other sets, and even included her own addition by wiring on little cherubs. She loved cherubs. Eventually the nativity set was passed down to my mom. I can remember it set up in the dark paneled, shag carpeted living room growing up. The foil-star light would get turned on each evening. At some point through the years, the chipped, broken pieces and damaged straw roof were left packed away in a box on the shelf.

Last year I asked mom if she still had that box of Grandma Cook’s Christmas tchotchkes packed away. I had an idea that I could resurrect the old nativity set and the memories it holds.

With a little glue, white spray paint and removing some of the “extras” Grandma had added, the old nativity set came back to life. A bedding of sheet moss and some greenery and you don’t even notice the chips out of some of the figurines. But you are reminded of the reason for the season and the fond family memories the pieces still hold even with a coat of new paint.

This is your permission to get those memories out of the attic and do what you makes you happy to bring them back to life and continue passing on the memories to your children and grand-children.