Archive for the ‘Christmas’ Category
Christmas is just around the corner, and while it may be a little late to start our Christmas crafts, I just have to share this one with you. Considering that it is a simple project, hopefully you will find the time to fit it into your schedule. It is so much fun. And this might just be a great project for your kids.
I saw this recipe in our local newspaper yesterday. Now it may not be new to you, but it is to me. At least, if I’ve run across it before, I have forgotten it. (Maybe you don’t have that problem.) Anyway, the column was written by Carol Cloud Bailey, known in our paper as “Yard Doc.” The recipe is for dough ornaments which will have your house smelling great for a long time. The ingredients that you will need are:
1 1/2 cups cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup white school glue
If you prefer a different aroma, Carol suggests that you add 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. each of ground nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
You also will need the following supplies: a bowl, plastic wrap, a drinking straw, and a cookie sheet.
Use a spatula to mix all the ingredients, adding the cinnamon slowly. The dough should be thick like a stiff cookie dough, but not sticky. Knead the dough slightly until smooth and cover with plastic wrap. Then let it sit for at least an hour. Flatten and roll the dough until about 1/4 inch thick. (Thinner dough tends to crack and curl; thicker dough doesn’t dry well in climates such as ours here in Florida.)
Cut into desired shapes using a template and knife or cookie cutters. Use the drinking straw to punch a hole for the ribbon or yarn to hang it.
The ornaments may be placed on a rack to dry, turning every so often; this will take three to five days, or longer if the air is damp. She prefers to put them on cookie sheets in a warm oven, about 170-200 degrees, for about two hours, flipping them several times. When cool, you may decorate them with beads, ribbons, paint, or glitter. Do not cover the entire surface to allow the fragrance to fill your house.
Carol suggests storing them in sealed containers with silicone packets to absorb moisture.
Painting on glass is currently one of the most popular forms of art for gift-giving and home decorating. The technique of painting on glass is centuries old and seems to have developed soon after the appearance of sheet glass.
Because of its popularity, there are a variety of glass painting products and books available. With the recent development of new specialty paints, the glass painting process has been enhanced, and finished items are more durable. New paints, when dried properly, will withstand a great number of washings in the dishwasher and remain as beautiful as when first painted.
Magic Reindeer Food for Rudolph and Company
It’s a holiday tradition for small children across America to leave out milk and cookies for Santa to enjoy on Christmas Eve night. When you think about it, it’s a small price to pay in exchange for a stocking full of treats and a boxes of presents overflowing beneath the tree. Still, it doesn’t seem quite fair to leave a treat for Santa while neglecting the loyal reindeer that helped him reach his destination in the first place. When my own kids were young, I taught them one of my favorite Christmas crafts: magical reindeer food.
First we would gather up the supplies, which included raw oatmeal, some colored glitter, snack baggies, paper and ribbons. We would combine the oatmeal and glitter inside a baggie and close it, attaching a ribbon to the front of the bag with a message. Then I would have the kids sprinkle the food around the yard in hopes of attracting Rudolph and the rest of his reindeer friends.
Regardless of how you do your scrapbooking – traditionally or digitally – Christmas is a great time to make a record of your holiday gatherings and events. Just snap pictures of any interesting or unusual moments that catch your attention. Later you can sort your photos as you see fit and decide on a theme (or multiple themes) for your pages.
When it comes to scrapbooking themes, there are a vast assortment of them available to celebrate the Christmas season. With a little research, you can find quite an abundance of ideas and free digital scrapbooking themes on the internet to get you started.
With Thanksgiving just 3 days away and Christmas not far behind, hopefully your holiday crafts and other projects are close to being completed. If not, you still have a few weeks to catch up.
While many people enjoy making their own Christmas cards, I’m afraid that I haven’t been that ambitious this year. It is just too easy to buy nice ones so I’ll just admit I have been remiss in that area. However, I’m not behind in everything. I got an early start on decorating and put my tree up last week – something I don’t usually do until after Thanksgiving.
Painting on glass ornaments is a fun craft to do, especially at Christmas time. Being crafters, we’ve all visited a craft store and have seen all the plain frosted and clear glass ornaments, just waiting for us to add our personal touch. Just look around, and you’ll find all sorts of painting ideas to inspire you.
Paint a few every year and add them to your tree. Write the date somewhere on the ornament, and someday you’ll have fun recalling the time you had painting them.
I used acrylic paints when painting mine, but will have to admit that I cheated a bit. I found these neat fine point markers that will write on any surface, and used them for some of the fine detail work.
With so many special occasions to celebrate here in America, crafting is a year-round activity. What better way is there to spend quality time with family and friends than to gather together to create holiday crafts and just fellowship with each other?
However, with the Christmas season being our most popular holiday, more emphasis is placed on creating crafts for this particular time of year than for any other holiday, even though we never run out of ideas all year long. Hand-crafted decorations are a great addition to any Christmas tree and our many other decorations; and when it comes to gift giving and receiving, who doesn’t appreciate a gift that has been lovingly hand-crafted for that one special person?
There is something about the holiday season that brings out the creative instinct in all of us, considering all the goodies to bake, decorations to make, and crafts to create. If you haven’t made a tradition out of making Christmas crafts, you might want to add this to your holiday to-do list.
The holidays are such a great time to enjoy making crafts. Not only do the kids enjoy the activities, but this allows you to spend more quality time with your children. A homemade item is always an extra special gift to give to a loved one, who will more than likely treasure it forever. Christmas crafts can extend far beyond the basic gift giving concept, as nothing looks more inviting than handmade centerpieces and table settings. Children will absolutely love homemade ornaments that they create themselves and display upon the family Christmas tree for all to see.