Spencer Christmas home tour is Dec. 11
In every home, Christmas time means something different and special. For some families, they celebrate the holiday with personal traditions and decorate their homes to reflect what the season means for them. Others, like Gwen Thomas of Marshfield, continually try something a little new and different each year to add a different sort of special to her home each year.
Thomas is just one of the owners of homes that will be on the Spencer Women’s Club “A Joyful Christmas Tour” to be held on Sunday, Dec. 11. The Tour will feature five stops in Spencer and the surrounding area and will raise funds for the Women’s Club, which it uses to assist in community projects during the rest of the year.
In Thomas’ home, the decorations set up along the walls, tabletops and in front of windows are unique. That’s because over the years, she has slowly built up a collections of items she has mostly created herself. This year, she has been trying a hand at making ornaments out of resin from inside her little studio at her home. For her, it’s not about making a profit, but simply a personal hobby to enjoy.
“I’ve been a crafty person all my life,” she said. “I take a lot of different crafts and try them. I’m now into resin and molds. I have a studio where I do my work, pretty much for myself and the fun of it. I recently got some new molds to try, I have stars and snowflakes, I like to hand-make new things.”
Some of her past projects are on display in her home as well. Along one wall is a tower filled with tiny village figurines, which Thomas had hand-painted herself. She used to buy the little plaster buildings and people years ago and gave them each their own life and color through her skills with a brush.
“I painted these by hand,” she said. “Most of the little figures and buildings and everything are all hand-painted. There used to be a craft store in Spencer where they sold these, they were little plaster buildings you could buy and paint them.”
Her painting skills extend to not just her little Christmas village. Elsewhere in her home are displays of wine bottles decorated with painted snowmen and Nativity sets also handpainted by her. These are just some of the special decorations that Thomas has dedicated her time creating, having joy in just creating and trying new things. “I love to decorate and enjoy having huge parties in my home,” she said. “I hope that people when they come have a sense of feeling welcomed.” Gwen Thomas’ home is located at 205177 Woodsview Road in Marshfield. She will be joined on the Spencer Women’s Club’s “A Joyful Christmas Tour” by Tom and Deb Schafer, who live at 710 N. La Salle St. in Spencer; by Stephanie Shauer, who lives at 200 N. Pacific St. in Spencer; by Justin and Jen Zahn, who live at 401 S. Sycamore Ave. in Marshfield; and by the Spencer Area Historical Society, located at 117 E. Clark St. in Spencer.
The Spencer Women’s Club “A Joyful Christmas Tour” will be held from 1-5 p.m. Advance tickets for the event will be available to purchase at the Spencer Village Office or the Spencer and Marshfield branches of Citizens State Bank. On the day of the event, tickets can be purchased at any home on the tour. Signs will be posted on the day of the event to identify each location and refreshments will be served at 710 N. La Salle Street and 117 E. Clark Street.
The event will be held regardless of the weather.
