American families across the nation hold fond memories of decorating their own trees over the years. The Capitol Christmas Tree 2010 is no different. Schoolchildren and organizations throughout Wyoming will create more than 5,000 ornaments to be placed on the iconic symbol often called “The People's Tree”. Schoolchildren from all corners of Wyoming will submit ornaments reflecting the theme of Wyoming- Forever West. The ornaments we will collect will be as diverse as our state. Using natural materials from the Cowboy State and materials that epitomize the west, the creativity of this year's ornaments is sure to be nothing short of astounding.

The handcrafted ornaments made for the Capitol Christmas Tree 2010 need to be about 9 to 12 inches so that they can be viewable on the 65-foot tree from a good distance. Another challenge will be for students and organizations to craft ornaments that can withstand 3 weeks of harsh winter weather, which can include snow and rain. Many of the ornaments submitted this year are expected to be eco-sensitive and made from recyclable materials.

An additional 1,000 indoor ornaments will decorate 75 trees placed throughout federal buildings in the Capitol. These ornaments are smaller in size, ranging from 3 to 7 inches tall. Since these creations will be crafted for indoor use, they could be more refined and delicate. Many of these ornaments could be submitted by arts groups, clubs and service organizations. In fact, most ornaments used by offices throughout the Capitol Complex will become part of office Christmas ornament collections.