So while I was on vacation I bought a metric asston of charms related to the move I am planning to make next September. I'm still trying to get used to the idea of the whole thing, so I was going to make a bracelet to replace one I'd lost in August.
And I did...but honestly, putting it on was like wearing a freaking porcupine. Memory wire bracelets probably should not be massive charm bracelets. So it didn't seem right to me, but I didn't know what else I wanted to do with all of those charms.
Then while at a liquidation book sale (sigh) this weekend, I found a book: Crafts for the Spirit: 30 Beautiful Projects to Enhance Your Personal Journey. And it had an idea for a travel altar with beads and charms hanging off of it. That combined with me going to a Day of the Dead exhibit that night and I thought, "milagros! That's what all these charms are anyway, really."
What are those? Here's a good explanation.
"As part of a religious ritual or an act of devotion, milagros can be offered to a saint as a reminder of a petitioner’s particular need. They are normally placed by worshipers onto altars, religious shrines and on sacred objects. They are used to assist in focusing attention towards a specific ailment, based on the type of charm used. They are also offered as thanks for answered prayers, so that others can receive the benefits for their own ailments or needs. Milagros come in many shapes, each shape representing one or more needs or prayers."
That sounded about right.
So I went to the dollar store, where I found a small wooden oval with a hanger attached. I cut out some fabric and sewed it to the wood around the edges (note: you can't do the usual "sew it inside out and flip it" with wood), then ended up sewing lace around the edges to cover up my bad sewing. And then I sewed my entire freaking charm collection to the new portable shrine.
I think I'll hang it up at work.
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