| Yule Crafts |
 |
 |
| Magic Reindeer Food Many families leave cookies and milk for Santa, but what about his reindeer? Magic Reindeer Food lays a glittering path to guide the reindeer ! [Note: while many Internet recipes for Magic Reindeer Food call for craft glitter, this ingredient can harm birds or wildlife if eaten. Substitute colored sugar crystals and be kind to animals!] In a small zipper food storage bag or empty shaker container, mix: 1/2 cup oatmeal 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup red or green sugar crystals (for cake decorating) You can also bottle this and give it as gifts with the following poem attached: Be sure to take this magic food and sprinkle on the lawn. Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn. The smell of oats and glitter path will guide them on their way And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts the very next day ! |
| Cinnamon Ornaments Warning: not for consumption!! Ingredients: 3/4 c Applesauce 2 T. white glue 1 oz Cinnamon 1 oz Grd. cloves 1 oz Grd. nutmeg 1 oz Grd. ginger Cinnamon for cutting rolling out dough cookie cutters In a medium bowl, stir together the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and ginger. Mix in the applesauce and glue. Work the mixture with your hands 2 to 3 minutes to form a ball. If mixture is too wet, add more cinnamon. If mixture is too dry, add more applesauce. Lightly dust a clean surface with cinnamon. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and use a toothpick to make a hole at the top for hanging with a ribbon. Dry in a slow oven 200 degrees F (100 degrees C) for several hours, or air dry in a sunny spot for 4 or 5 days. When dry, decorate with gingham and/ or ribbon |
 |
|
 |
| Garlands Garlands are wonderful decorations for the altar, tables, over doorways, around and down stairways and banisters, the porch and so may other areas. You can make garlands out of: · Construction paper · Popcorn · Live or artificial evergreen branches · Holly · Candies · Flowers Construction Paper Garlands Materials: Construction paper Glue or Stapler or Tape Tape or Thumbtacks Select the colors of construction paper you want to use. Cut all the paper into strips between 1 and 2 inches wide. Make the first loop: Fasten the ends together so that the strip forms a circle. If you use glue, let the glue dry a little bit before continuing. All other loops: Pass one end of the construction paper through the previous loop. Fasten the ends into the new loop. Continue until the garland is the length you desire. Attach to walls, shelves, doorways with tape or thumbtacks. Popcorn Garlands These can be a lot of fun. To make stringing easier you should use popcorn that is one to two days old because "stale" popcorn strings much easier. Be sure to pop new bowls for snacking during stringing! A variation: Add berries, cereal (the kind with holes in the centers like Cheerios are great-especially for kids) popcorn, and seeds for an outdoor garland for the birds and small animals that share your space. Remember it's winter for them and they will appreciate the treat! Materials: Plain popped corn, berries and all the things you will put on the garland Dental floss or other string like fishing line or thread (extra fine, unwaxed) dental floss it is really hard to break Large needle (it should be sharp to pierce berries and nuts but if stringing cereal you can just give kids a string or a plastic needle used to sew with yarn) Measure out a length of stringing material. 4 to 6 feet (an arm's length) is good; any longer and you have problems with the thread knotting up. If you want a really long garland, tie several together. Thread the needle. Tie a big knot at the far end. An alternative is to leave a couple of inches at the end and tie a loop around the first thing you string on the garland. Pass the needle through the popcorn. If your children are too young to handle sharp needles, they can move the popcorn down the length of the floss to the knot. Continue stringing until the garland is full. Hang the garland inside or outside. Remember that popcorn tends to "melt" in the rain. Also, if it's an outside garland, the creatures will probably eat everything in a couple of days, so if you put it out early, it won't last... If you are planning the bird-food garland, consider hanging suet (animal fat) from the garland. Birds really like it when it's cold outside. You might also try things like Fruit Loops, Cheerio's or other cereals. Flower Garlands An easy garland may be made by using the heads of flowers such as carnations, mini carnations, mini roses or roses. Simply break the heads off fresh flowers close to the calyx of the flower and thread on strong thin string, wore or dental floss. Hang to dry in a warm place out of direct sunlight and be sure to move the flowers very carefully together as they dry. Depending on how dry an area you use it will take from 5 days to 2 weeks for the garland to dry. Hang as desired from mantles, on the Yule tree, etc. |
 |
| Scented pinecones Needed items: Cinnamon* Ginger* Nutmeg* Craft glue mixed with equal amounts of Water Foam brush Pinecones *Add any other spices that you like the smell of. Mix in the proportions that you desire Rinse pinecones under running water. Lay the pinecones on an old cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees until the pinecones open up (this not only kills any little beasties that may be residing within the pinecones but also melts the sap resulting in a pretty glaze). Spread pinecones out on layers of newspapers and set aside to dry completely Use the foam brush to apply the glue to the pinecones. Mix the spices in a bowl using a wire wisk. Roll the pinecone in the spice or add the spices to a baggie; add the pinecones one at a time and shake to coat (like shake-n-bake) When coated, allow to dry thoroughly. Use these wonderfully-scented pinecones in gift baskets, as christmas tree ornaments, on christmas wreaths, or placed in bowls to add a wonderful scent to a room. If, after storing, you need to refresh the scent of the pinecones just stick them in a microwave until the smell if revived. |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Solstice Dream Pillow Copyright © Catherine Osborne Materials needed: 1-4 oz (30-120 gms) each of the following five herbs: dried chamomile, mugwort, catnip, hops, lavender, whole oranges & lemons, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, (optional) myrrh or frankincense resin lumps. Scraps of lightweight cloth (4-7 inches/100-175 mm, two for each bag) optional bits of ribbon, embroidery floss, scraps of lace or a few small beads. For those who are sitting up all night on the Solstice, this is a special dream pillow you can make for prophetic dreams when you go to sleep the next night or throughout the year. (If you are not sitting up a vigil, go ahead and make them anyway - I get some interesting quirks to the dreams when I use the spices in the dream pillows.) Take the first five dried herbs and mix them in whatever proportions you desire/have on hand. More Mugwort will lead some folks to more psychic dreaming, more hops will lead to a sounder sleep for some others, more catnip may encourage feline pillow sharing. As the night passes, eat the oranges, and use the lemons (minus their peels) in teas/punches/hot drinks. As you use them try to remove the peels in large chunks or in easy to work with sections. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out as much of the white inner rind as you can without damaging the zesty outer peel. Scatter the remaining outer peels on a cookie sheet and dry them on low heat in the oven (200F or less). Watch them to make sure they are drying but not scorching. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool. If you have a fire or incense burner, burn some of the incense resins, saving most to use in the pillows. Crumble the dried peels up into smaller bits, break up the cinnamon sticks up into smaller pieces, and add the spices, resins and peels to the herb mixture. Mix well. Gather up the scraps of material, and sew up small bags: 3-6 inches/75-150mm should be fine. Leave one side open: small openings will make it more difficult to fill the bags later. If you want to use the ribbons and floss to embroider protective or other magical symbols or representative designs, it will be easier to do before you stitch the sides together. Work on this to keep you awake, thinking of the season and what it means to you as you do it. If these are intended as gifts, think kindly and lovingly of the folks you will be giving these to. Fill each of the bags with the herb/spice mixture, but not so full that it is hard: people will want to smell them, but they need to be soft enough to sleep on. Fold the last side inward, and stitch closed. If you want, a small loop of ribbon may be added at this point at the top. After the sun rises, and you have finished your celebrations, set these aside, and finish them when you have/make time during the day if they aren't done. When you go to bed, slip one or more of these into you pillow case, and inhale deeply as you relax before sleeping. Watch for special dreams as you sleep. |
|
|
 |
 |
|
| Make Your Own Yule Log The Yule log is a remnant of the bonfires that the European pagans would set ablaze at the time of winter solstice. These bonfires symbolized the return of the Sun. The Yule log can be made of any wood. Each releases its own kind of magic. Aspen: invokes understanding of the grand design. Birch: signifies new beginnings. Holly: inspires visions and reveals past lives. Oak: brings healing, strength, and wisdom. Pine: signifies prosperity and growth. Willow: invokes the Goddess to achieve desires. On the night of Yule, carve a symbol of your hopes for the coming year into the log. Burn the log to release its power. Save a piece of this year's Yule log for kindling in next year's fire. You may also wish to decorate the log with greenery, flowers, ribbons and herbs for magickal intent. Some choices might be: Carnations-protection, courage, strength, healing, increases magickal power, vitality Cedar-wealth, protection, purification, healing, promotes spirituality Holly-dreams, protection Juniper- Exorcism, protection, healing, love Mistletoe-a catalyst, fertility, health, success, protection, banishing evil Pine-healing, wealth, protection, purification, exorcism, exorcism, fertility, wealth Rosemary-health, love, protection, exorcism, purification, increase intellectual powers, peace, blessing, consecration, very powerful cleansing and purifying Roses-love, courage, luck, health, protection, beauty Ribbons can be used according to their color magick correspondences. Be creative and have fun! :-) Candles Idea from an article by Dancer of New Avalon Since it is often a messy task rather than try candle making why not use store bought candles for these ideas? Press flowers and herbs until they are dry or use ones purchased from a craft store. Dip your candle into hot water just barely long enough to soften the wax. Place the dry plant material on the candle in a pleasing pattern, and gently press into the wax. Then do a quick dip into liquid wax to seal it all together. Explore fragrances by using incense herbs and resins sealed into the wax; you could use the above process or make the candles with the herbs and resins included in the hot liquid (experiment before you commit yourself to a big project... if the herb pieces are too large, they'll act like wicks and create a bonfire, and resins sometimes spit when hot). You could also add pure essential oils to the outside of the finished candle, or to the liquid wax as the candle burns. I like to do the last one-especially if you get the unscented candles-try it in a bunch of little tea lights too! :-) If you don't mind a bit of experimenting... Timing candles. In medieval times, special candles were marked for the hours (as moon-dials did not work as well as sun-dials...) so that the religious would not miss their middle-of-the-night prayers. You can mark candles for special time periods, like the length of your meditation sessions. Make or get a batch of candles at the same time, keep them together, and treat them the same (such as putting them in the freezer to make them drip less-this is my personal favorite taper trick!). Burn one, and at each time period (hour, fifteen to twenty minutes, etc.), measure the amount of candle that has burned and mark the remaining candles at this increment. Add a little color to the marks with cotton thread (you could try paint, but it does strange things) or wax dye. For magickal work, bind spells with cotton thread wrapped and knotted around a candle. The usual way is to knot the intention so that with each one burned, the energy is freed to do its work; this is especially useful for healing and protection work. Choose appropriate colors for both candle and thread. This is another project where a final dip into liquid wax would be beneficial, though here it is not absolutely needed. No matter what you create with your candles, remember that they are living beings, apt to seize upon flammable objects and creatures within their reach. They should never be left unattended unless in a totally secure environment (like an empty bathtub for overnight)! Safety comes first. |
|
|
| Bottled Snowflakes From Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison You will need: 1 white pipe cleaner 1 length of twine scissors 1 quart jar with a wide mouth 2 cups boiling water 6 tablespoons borax 1 pencil Cut a white pipe cleaner into 3 equal lengths, twist them together in the center, then arrange the six legs so that they are equil distantance from each other. Tie one end of the twine to a leg, and the other end to the middle of a pencil. (For a more ornate flake, tie the twine around the end of each leg in a continuous motion to make a center wheel). Set aside. Pour boiling water into the jar, then add the borax one tablespoon at a time, stirring to dissolve. (if a little borax settles to the bottom, there's no need to worry, just go on to the next step.) Submerge the pipe cleaner form in the solution and let the pencil rest on top of the jar. Leave the snowflake in the solution overnight. The next morning, you'll find it covered with tiny, sparkling crystals. Remove it from the jar, and hang it from the window to catch the sun. |
|
|
| Make your own ornaments........BAKERS CLAY 4 c Flour 1 c Salt 1 1/2 c Water Mix together into a stiff dough. Knead 5 minutes. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets. Bake in a 350~ oven for 1 hour or until hard when tapped with a fork. The "cookie" shuld ping. Can be decorated with water color or poster paint and coat with varnish, spray lacquer or plastic. This will prevent there getting soft and spoiled. DO NOTDOUBLE MIXTURE AND USE WITHIN 4 HOURS AFTER MIXING. Personal Note from Ursula Taylor - folks Lynne didn't say - but I would think that if you're going to use these "cookies" as ornaments be sure to put a hole in the top of them before baking them. SOURCE: Lynne Sammon - posted on Delphi Cust 229 board on 7/26/95. MM format by Ursula R. Taylor. |
|
| Cardboard Candlesticks ( Great for younger kids that shouldn't have lit candles.) Turn paper tubes into candlesticks complete with shimmery flames. WHAT YOU NEED • Paper towel and tissue tubes • Glue • Acrylic paints • Gold foil wrapping paper Time needed: Under 1 Hour Set the tubes on end, then (here's the fun part) squirt blobs of white glue right from the bottle around the top of each one. Allow the glue to run down the sides to create a dripped-wax effect. Let the glue dry thorougly (it should look clear when it has.) Brush on a coat or two of paint over the dried glue, and again let the candlesticks dry completely. Cut a flame shape for each candle from a sheet of gold foil wrapping paper. Attach each flame to its candlestick by gluing or taping the lower edge to the inside of the painted tube. |
 |
 |
| © FamilyFun. All rights reserved. |
| Pipe Cleaner Star Tree Ornaments: Use any color pipe cleaner you like. Gold and silver sparkly ones are pretty, or use blue and green for starfish. Shape into a star and twist the ends together. I tied loops of curling ribbon on mine to hang them with, but you can use anything you have around the house, thread, yarn, string. They also look pretty hung on different lengths of ribbon in the window. http://pages.ivillage.com/lailaskitchen/yulecraft.html |
| Paper Yule Log: Use empty toilet paper rolls. Fill with small candy like Hershey kisses or taffy, then wrap with brown tissue paper, and tie the ends with rafia or ribbon. Decorate with holly stickers or holly cut out of construction paper. Can be used as stocking stuffers, party favors, or small gifts. http://pages.ivillage.com/lailaskitchen/yulecraft.html |
| Winter Solstice Sun Ornament: Cut 2 circles, one from black construction paper, one from yellow. (Any size you want) Glue together, draw a sun on the yellow side, add glue and glitter or color it in. Punch a hole in the top and tie a piece of thread/yarn through to hang it on the tree. The black side symbolizes the solstice night - the longest night of the year, and the yellow side symbolizes the return of the sun, as the days begin to get longer after solstice. http://pages.ivillage.com/lailaskitchen/yulecraft.html |
| Hard Candy Ornaments: Lay out any hard candies on a cookie sheet. Cook for 10 minutes in a 300 degree oven. Let cool for a few minutes. Before they are hard, poke a hole in the tops of each with a toothpick or pencil. After they are hard, put an ornament hanger through the hole. They will last for years. http://pages.ivillage.com/ paganparent/yule.html# scentedornaments |
| Corn Starch Cookie Cutter Christmas Ornaments You will need: 1 cup Corn Starch 2 cups baking soda 1 1/2 cups water In a large saucepan mix corn starch and baking soda. Add water and stir until smooth. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is the consistency of slightly dry mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and cover with a damp cloth. When cool enough to handle, coat hands and surface lightly with corn starch and knead until dough is smooth and pliable. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with holiday cookie cutters. To dry, place on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until hard. For best results, allow to cool and brush loose powder off ornaments before painting. Makes about 16-20 ornaments. |
| Clay Dough "Goddess and Sun" Nativity Set - This is a way to re-claim the true meaning of Yule: The birth of the Sun. Using the same recipe above for clay dough ornaments, shape the dough into the form of a Goddess, the newborn Sun, and animals, trees, plants or people. Be creative and create this scene as you wish. Roll up some tin foil into a ball and put it in the middle of any really large pieces, to help it keep its shape. Once molded, cook at 325 for one hour to harden, and then paint and varnish. |
| Tree Skirt You will need: old newspapers, 2 yards of felt (60 inches wide), felt scraps in different colors, fusible webbing, beads, yard stick, and a pencil. Unfold three sheets of newspaper and tape them together lengthwise. Measure around thebase of the tree. With that measurement, draw a circle of the same size on the upper portion of the newspaper. With the pencil and yardstick, divide the circle into four equal quarters. Extend the lines of one quarter to the length you have in mind for your skirt. With the yardstick, add 1/2 inch to each long side of the quarter. Cut out the quarter and pin it to the felt. Cut out the piece. Repeat to cut out three more sections. Sew the sections together using a 1/2 inch seam allowance, or apply fusible webbing to join them. Cut out seasonal shapes from the colored scraps to arrange them on the skirt. When you like the way things look, fuse or sew them to the skirt, then embellish as desired. |