Locally-crafted ornaments decorate state capitol Christmas tree
This holiday season, handcrafted ornaments made by area older adults grace the bows of the Pennsylvania Capitol Christmas tree in Harrisburg.
无毛视频淭o me, making the ornament and sending it, knowing it无毛视频檚 going on the tree 无毛视频� I enjoyed it, I really did,无毛视频� said Mary Kubas, who spends many happy hours each week at Canonsburg Senior Citizens Center.
Kubas said she and other seniors have looked forward to dreaming up an ornament design and working together to bring the ornament to life for years.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 a craft person. I like doing stuff like that,无毛视频� Kubas said. 无毛视频淚 like to come up with ideas. I love making it.无毛视频�
And the state legislators love seeing the ornaments made with love by seniors across the Commonwealth.
无毛视频淭he legislators and state employees appreciate their hard work making the tree beautiful,无毛视频� said Deputy Secretary of Aging Stephen Horner. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 exciting, too, for the department, just receiving the decorations, looking at them, seeing where they无毛视频檙e coming from, the creativity. It无毛视频檚 special on our end, too.无毛视频�
Horner said older adults across Pennsylvania have sent ornaments to the capitol for at least 30 years. This year, as in years past, hundreds of baubles decorate the two-story tree.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the centerpiece of the rotunda,无毛视频� said Horner. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e heard seniors say it无毛视频檚 a great honor. They take it very seriously. It brings pride to their community and their senior center, that they无毛视频檙e able to contribute and decorate the state capitol tree.无毛视频�
Although the number of crafters at Canonsburg Senior Center has decreased in recent years, Kubas and her friend, Glenna Jox, had a good time pinpointing 无毛视频淐anonsburg无毛视频� and 无毛视频淗arrisburg无毛视频� on a map they sewed. Their map is edged in ornaments.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 hanging on the tree somewhere,无毛视频� Kubas said proudly.
The Canonsburg ornament is joined on the capitol tree by Waynesburg Community Center无毛视频檚 handmade stockings and Burgettstown Senior Center无毛视频檚 country-rustic wreaths.
无毛视频淪omebody had donated old quilt squares. They无毛视频檙e really, really old 无毛视频� 1920s and 1930s. We made stockings,无毛视频� said Tina Raber, who has worked for Blueprints for 32 years and serves as site supervisor at Waynesburg Senior Center.
Raber has led seniors in making ornaments for the past eight years.
无毛视频淲e have five people in our craft class. We had a cutting team and then we had a sewing team,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淭hey were excited.无毛视频�
Raber said the class was thrilled when a local news station aired a segment about the capitol无毛视频檚 tree earlier this month.
无毛视频淚 was sitting there, I was screaming, 无毛视频極ur stockings just came up on the news,'无毛视频� said Raber with a laugh. 无毛视频淭hey were super excited.无毛视频�
Michelle Prevost, coordinator at Burgettstown Senior Center, was also excited when an ornament she and one of her seniors handcrafted appeared in a state senator无毛视频檚 Facebook post.
无毛视频淚 thought it was pretty cool,无毛视频� said Prevost, who said this is the first year Burgettstown sent ornaments to the capitol. 无毛视频淭hey were basically just a wooden bead wreath with either a red or green sparkly bow on it, twine for a hanger. They came out pretty good, actually.无毛视频�
Prevost said it was hard getting a group together to craft.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e still trying to regain people from COVID,无毛视频� she said, adding she is looking forward to making ornaments again next year.
Horner said one of the best things about the senior ornaments is that crafting is an activity older adults enjoy, and this project is something to look forward to year after year.
无毛视频淭his is an activity that brings people together,无毛视频� said Horner. 无毛视频淥lder adults look forward to creating those ornaments.无毛视频�
Indeed, Kubas and the Waynesburg craft group are already excited the 2022 holiday season.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e already got our theme for next year,无毛视频� said Raber.