CLM Hen House

cmtpmom · Joined: 17 Jul 2025 Posts: 2 Location: Ohio

I am hoping that some of you may have some goods ideas. I am in charge of our holiday banquet this December. We have come up with an idea for a theme "An old fashioned Christmas", but I am looking for as many ideas for decorations or things to do that would relate. The ideas that I have been given so far is to create a fireplace scene and have someone dress up as "grandpa" to read the Christmas story from the Bible. Also, to have some of the older members to tell a memory from one of their Christmas years ago, maybe as a child. If anyone has any other ideas I would really appreciate it. I have read some of the threads and you ladies are amazing!!
Thanks in advance!!
Oh, and I will be on vacation next week so if you post any questions for me I won't be able to answer until the following week :D

Doreen · Joined: 30 Mar 2026 Posts: 95 Location: maryland

What a wonderfull theme. You can make the oranges with the spices stuck into them. It would add a old fashion smell. You can hang them into a Christmas tree. Your center pieces can be peppermint Christmas trees. You buy the foam cones and get a base to set them on. you can make old fashion tree skirts for them . You need pins and you attach the mints in the wrapper to the tree. YOu can use other candies or do christmas flowers. You can use some of the historic decorations from the past to decorate too. Spraying leaves gold and have a nature look. Red table cloths or white ones with material with Christmas patterns YOu can even order candy sticks that use to go into the stockings you bought at the store. Small stockings for a party favor with the stick in it. You can put a card with the true meaning of Christmas with it. Just some quick thoughts
God bless
Doreen

siscosmom · Joined: 21 Mar 2026 Posts: 206 Location: West Virginia

Here's a centerpiece idea. Take small mirrors and sprinkle fake snow around the edges to make an old fashioned ice-skating pond. Usually around Christmas time the Dollar Tree stores sell tiny figures that you can put on the pond to look like people strolling or skating.

For old-fashioned decorations, use paper chains made from colored paper and homemade paper snowflakes. And don't forget the strings of popcorn with cranberries for the Christmas tree. Very Happy

Serving ideas: Hot cider with a cinnamon stick in each mug and popcorn balls wrapped in colored saran wrap.

If anyone has an old wooden sled, you could re-create an outdoor scene with "snowy" fabric and put the sled on top, then take pictures of couples or families sitting on the sled.

Rebekah

sharon davis · Joined: 14 Mar 2026 Posts: 72 Location: Portsmouth, Ohio

What about some type of picture display of your members in Christmas past...pictures of the adults as children...you could even scan them into your computer and change the colored pics to black and white to make them appear older than they are.
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If one falls down, his friend can help him up...Ecclesiastes 4:10

nanagoose · Joined: 18 May 2025 Posts: 24

You could take grapevine wreaths or garland wreaths and add silver
cookie cutters. To put cookie cutters on wreath just go to a craft store
and purchase some wire. You can place a plaid bow on this and it really
looks old fashion. I gave these as christmas gifts one year for my co-workers
and they loved them!!!! You can get different sizes of wreaths
and use the small ones as centerpieces with a candle in the middle. If
you wanted to decorate these you can get red and white peppermint candy
that is made of styrofoam and hot glue them on you wreaths. These can be
very inexpensive. Hope this helps!!!!

Always be blessed,
Vicki

amyjoyousone · Joined: 29 May 2025 Posts: 52

We used this theme one year. Our big decorating item was gingerbread. We had programs shaped like gingerbread houses. We had favors with the gingerbread theme (candles, cookie cutters, etc). We even served gingerbread for dessert. We also set up a 'fireplace' and had family photos taken. It was a lovely evening!
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Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

daredheaded1 · Joined: 15 May 2025 Posts: 131 Location: PA

My church did that theme when I was a kid. I remember that different ladies made gingerbread houses. They were used for the centerpieces, then everyone voted on them & they awarded 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place prizes. After that, the kids were allowed to eat them up. (I remember that part because it was my favorite!)

The tables were all wrapped in brown kraft paper. The paper had been decorated like homemade wrapping paper.

They also had a singing group dress up like traditional Christmas Carolers & sing for us. It was really good. I remember they put fake trees in a corner & had fake snow on them. It looked like a winter forest. The carolers stood in front of the trees & sang.

The other thing I remember is that all the families brought homemade cookies to the church a few days before the banquet. After the banquet was over each family go to take home a tin full of a sampling of all the different types of cookies that were brought in...like the cookie exchange thing churches do.

I'll ask my Mom if she remembers anything else.
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"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost."

MegWin · Joined: 24 Mar 2026 Posts: 2 Location: Michigan

Our church did something similar a few years ago. Our actual theme was "Over the River and through the Woods" so we concentrated on a comfy grandma's house feel in our decorating. One of my favorite things that we did was to use plaid flannel sheets for tablecloths. It was inexpensive and really carried out the theme.

-Meg
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Zephaniah 3:17

momof6 · Joined: 24 Mar 2026 Posts: 7

Just wanted to say thank you Very Happy

for the idea for the Christmas theme. I had been trying to come up with something for this year and when I logged on, and read that theme, I thought~it's perfect!

momof6