Snowflake ornament apparatus for interactive christmas traditions

Abstract

A snowflake-shaped ornament apparatus constructed from a flat, rigid material with a side serving as a decorative surface and an opposite side serving as a reusable writing surface. The decorative surface allows a user to personalize the snowflake by covering it with paint, marking pen, glue, or fabric. The reusable writing surface is used for communicating with others that can be erased by a second user, often a parent-proxy for Santa Claus, to return written communication with the first, child user. The snowflake is constructed from a rigid material such as medium density fiberboard, solid wood, plywood, or gypsum. The decorative surface may be a coating such as paint or a wooden laminate and the reusable writing surface may be a coating or a laminate of dry-erase material, slate, or chalkboard paint.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A snowflake shaped ornament apparatus constructed from a flat, rigid material wherein the ornament allows a first, child user to personalize a decorative side of the ornament by covering it with paint, marking pen, glue, pressure sensitive adhesive, or fabric, while communicating with others by writing on an opposite side that is a reusable writing surface, the reusable writing surface can be erased by a second user to return written communication with the first, child user. 
     
     
         2 ) An apparatus in the shape of a snowflake comprising a side serving as a decorative surface;
 an opposite side serving as a reusable writing surface;   a hanging means that is a drilled through-hole;   the material of construction of the apparatus is a rigid material from the group consisting of cardboard, medium density fiberboard, plywood, oriented strand board, solid wood, polymer-wood composite material, gypsum, Plaster of Paris, polyethylene, polypropylene, or metal.   
     
     
         3 ) The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the decorative surface is a coating that is at least one of: finished medium density fiber board, balsa wood, plywood, pine wood, cork board, adhered paper, paint, powder coating, plated metal, laminated polymer, self-adhesive magnetic media, hook and loop fastener, silicone, plaster, gypsum wallboard, cement wallboard, clay, Styrofoam, porcelain, or adhered fabric. 
     
     
         4 ) The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the reusable writing surface is at least one of: slate, slate coating, dry-erase board, dry-erase paint, semi-gloss paint, dry-erase self-adhering film, acrylic plastic, latex polymer coating, epoxy polymer coating, acrylic polymer coating, or porcelain enamel. 
     
     
         5 ) The apparatus of  claim 2  containing an additional mounting means that is an embedded magnet. 
     
     
         6 ) The apparatus of  claim 2  containing an additional mounting means that is double-sided tape. 
     
     
         7 ) The apparatus of  claim 2  containing an additional mounting means that is hook-and-loop fastener with adhesive tape surfaces. 
     
     
         8 ) An apparatus in the shape of a snowflake comprising:
 a side serving as a decorative surface free of markings and designs;   an opposite side serving as a reusable writing surface;   and a hanging means;   the apparatus being packaged for sale with art supplies and instructions for personalization and two-way communication with a fictional Santa Claus character, used to incentivize children's behavior during the Christmas season.