Decorations for the Troops – Made from the Heart

As part of the annual Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce ‘Christmas-by-the-Sea’ festivities on Thursday, Dec 3rd, the, local interior design firm of Bonneville Design invited the public into it’s offices to make ‘holiday decorations from the heart’ for our troops in honor or in memory of a favorite soldier. Over ten showrooms in the Boston Design Center donated samples of luxurious discontinued fabrics, trims and decorative items that were recycled and remade into beautiful handcrafted hanging door knob pillows embellished with sprigs of artificial holly, natural pinecones and twigs, tiny American flags, candy canes, teddy bears and, of course, hearts.

‘What makes us feel the very best during the holiday season’ said Lisa Bonneville, ‘is giving something handmade from the heart. We hope that these gifts, made of familiar fabrics with theirsuch wonderful tactile imagery, will deliver a caring message to our young men and women serving so far from home.’

The pillows were included in holiday boxes sent to individual soldiers by Operation Troop Support USA in Danvers that has mailed over 15,000 packages this season. (www.operationtroopsupport.org) Materials donors included Ailanthus, Cabot House, Duralee, The Essex Collection/Morss, The Carpet Bagger/Hill, Farrow & Ball, FDO/Kravet, Old World Weavers/Stark Carpet, Robert Allen Fabrics and Waterworks.