Light Up the World...

So at Christmastime, I was visiting with a friend whom I greatly admire.  I was explaining that I wanted to keep things really simple for Christmas (my husband is unemployed), and I asked her for ideas on how to accomplish this (she is the queen of bargain hunting, finding treasures, and keeping her home and wardrobe lovely without spending too much).  

She gave me some great ideas, and loaned me a copy of this movie:

At that point, I knew what my oldest daughter was receiving for Christmas.  A bedding set in colors that she liked.  

When my friend found out we were doing things for Ellie's room, her wheels started turning.  She invited me to her home and showed me some darling lights her girls had made out of icicle lights and folded paper.  I loved it and thought I would do it after the holidays when things slowed down.

A few days before Christmas, my friend called and said she and her girls needed a project-- that her girls were bored and in need of service to do (amazing.  did you take note of the day?  the day most people are running around crazy, finishing last minute Christmas stuff up.  I still needed to deliver neighbor gifts!).  So they arranged to see Ellie's bedding set and went to work building this set of lights to match:

My friend had colored envelopes she had purchased for 5 cents each from the drugstore, and the lights were found at the D.I. for a few dollars.  So the whole thing cost less than five dollars (and several hours of work)!  Isn't it so pretty?

And the cool thing is that they didn't want Ellie to know who it came from.  So, on Christmas Eve, they delivered a huge box wrapped in gold paper and a big red ribbon to our home, for Ellie from some Christmas Elves.  Ellie will never know who made these lantern lights for her, but she looks at them every night and thinks about her anonymous givers.  

Aren't people so cool?

So, the way they made them was to make several of these paper balloons

 in all different sizes:

Tutorial found here.

I'm grateful to know these sweet "Christmas Elves".  They have inspired me to look for ways to serve and to give of my time.  

"It is well to remember that he who gives money gives much, he who gives time gives more, but he who gives of himself gives all."

 Thomas S. Monson, "The Gifts of Christmas", December 2003