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.
鈥淭o me, making the ornament and sending it, knowing it鈥檚 going on the tree 鈥� I enjoyed it, I really did,鈥� 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 a craft person. I like doing stuff like that,鈥� Kubas said. 鈥淚 like to come up with ideas. I love making it.鈥�
And the state legislators love seeing the ornaments made with love by seniors across the Commonwealth.
鈥淭he legislators and state employees appreciate their hard work making the tree beautiful,鈥� said Deputy Secretary of Aging Stephen Horner. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting, too, for the department, just receiving the decorations, looking at them, seeing where they鈥檙e coming from, the creativity. It鈥檚 special on our end, too.鈥�
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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the centerpiece of the rotunda,鈥� said Horner. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard seniors say it鈥檚 a great honor. They take it very seriously. It brings pride to their community and their senior center, that they鈥檙e able to contribute and decorate the state capitol tree.鈥�
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 鈥淐anonsburg鈥� and 鈥淗arrisburg鈥� on a map they sewed. Their map is edged in ornaments.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hanging on the tree somewhere,鈥� Kubas said proudly.
The Canonsburg ornament is joined on the capitol tree by Waynesburg Community Center鈥檚 handmade stockings and Burgettstown Senior Center鈥檚 country-rustic wreaths.
鈥淪omebody had donated old quilt squares. They鈥檙e really, really old 鈥� 1920s and 1930s. We made stockings,鈥� 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.
鈥淲e have five people in our craft class. We had a cutting team and then we had a sewing team,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were excited.鈥�
Raber said the class was thrilled when a local news station aired a segment about the capitol鈥檚 tree earlier this month.
鈥淚 was sitting there, I was screaming, 鈥極ur stockings just came up on the news,'鈥� said Raber with a laugh. 鈥淭hey were super excited.鈥�
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鈥檚 Facebook post.
鈥淚 thought it was pretty cool,鈥� said Prevost, who said this is the first year Burgettstown sent ornaments to the capitol. 鈥淭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.鈥�
Prevost said it was hard getting a group together to craft.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still trying to regain people from COVID,鈥� 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.
鈥淭his is an activity that brings people together,鈥� said Horner. 鈥淥lder adults look forward to creating those ornaments.鈥�
Indeed, Kubas and the Waynesburg craft group are already excited the 2022 holiday season.
鈥淲e鈥檝e already got our theme for next year,鈥� said Raber.