I am a collector of many things but vintage sewing things is my favorite. So when I saw this on Pinterest this summer I knew I would make them!

I ordered the trees online and I made them from thimbles I had in my stash and bought more during the world’s longest yard sale. I was hooked.

I gave them as gifts to the ladies in Vermont and they were received with such love.

I like the old thimbles and even the adverting plastic thimbles look good.

A few weeks ago, I had my mom’s bible study group over to make these for gifts. They brought thimbles from their family to give to daughters and daughter-in-laws. I was so touched by this idea.  A treasured gift.

I know how special this gift will be for these women. Several years ago my parents gave me my great-grandmothers thimbles. They are so tiny. She was a little woman. 

I love the worn thimbles. I think about how much they were used to get in that condition.

Mother’s Thimble (author unknown)

I’ve been rummaging through a basket
Filled with relics of the past
One by one, I turned them idly
Until I found at last
wrapped in a piece of homespun
and laid away with care
the dingy old steel thimble
that my mother used to wear

O, what a flood of memories
sweeps in upon my soul
as the coarse and faded covering,
I carefully unroll
And dim with dust of useless years,
I see before me there
the battered old steel thimble
that my mother used to wear

Rough with the toil of mother love
in cheerless days of yore,
it is the only ornament
those dear hands ever wore
and I tenderly caress it as a treasure rich and rare,
this precious old steel thimble
that my mother used to wear

Companion of her widowhood,
her faithful friend for years,
made sacred by her patient toil
and sanctified by tears
No costly gem that sparkles
on the hand of lady fair
could buy the old steel thimble
that my mother used to wear

In a quiet little churchyard
she has slumbered many a year,
yet in this holy hour
I seem to feel her presence near
and hear her tender benediction
as I bow in grateful prayer
and kiss the old steel thimble
that my mother used to wear

The memory of my mother
shall be a beacon light,
to guide my wayward footsteps
in the path of truth and right,
and the key that opens heaven’s door,
if I ever enter there,
will be the old steel thimble
that my mother used to wear

I found this poem online and it was read by Minnie Pearl. I listened to it many times.

So sharing with you today this sweet and easy gift to make for those in your life this Christmas.

Use a 1″ bottle brush trees. Hot glue them inside the thimble and embellish with tiny trims of lace and small buttons and a simple cord to hang. I made a little tag and glued to the cord that had the date. 

The trees you can find at craft stores or order on Etsy. 1″ tree bottlebrush tree. If you can only find green trees, you can soak them in bleach and water for a minute or two to get them white or dye them different colors. Be sure and rinse them. 

You can find many thimbles on eBay by searching “Lot vintage thimbles” Have a wonderful week. I will be wrapping and embellishing packages all week.

Katey