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.

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.

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.

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?

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.