Ingredients: 
1/2 cup cinnamon  
1/2 cup store bought applesauce (homemade sauce will likely be too watery)  
Or, any equal portions of both ingredients depending on the quantity you desire. 

Directions: 
Stir together cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon until the dough becomes stiff, then use your hands to create a ball of dough. 
Place the ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, flatten slightly with your fingers. 
Place a second sheet of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. 
Use cookie cutters or your own template shapes. 
Air dry creations on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet or a cooling rack for at least 24 hours until they are completely hard.  

Creative tips: 
For extra "sparkle," mix in decorative glitter. 
Make your own shapes by trimming the dough with a table knife following around patterns you've cut from cereal box cardboard. 
After cutting out shapes, use a drinking straw to create holes for jewelry or ornaments.  
Use toothpicks to make smaller holes for threading. Leave in dough until dry and remove. 
For a wall hanging, thread a colored ribbon through the shape. 
For a brooch, decorate with fabric paint and glue a metal clasp pin to the back (available at craft stores). 
Decorate creations with acrylic paint or fabric. 
The creations can be used as decorations on a gift box or bag.  
Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity.  

1 cup water 
1 cup salt 
2-1/2 cups flour 

1. Combine salt and 2 cups of flour. Mix in water, and work in additional flour if needed to make a smooth and workable dough. 

2. Roll out 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Dip cookie cutters in flour and then press into dough. Remove excess dough and put shapes onto ungreased cookie sheet. If making ornaments, use a toothpick to make holes for 
string to pass through. 

3. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes on each side, more for really thick items, less for thin items. Can also be dried at room temperature, time varies according to the thickness of the project- overnight-2 days is normal. 

4. Paint and seal with a shellac or other acrylic-type sealer. To keep the salt dough well for years, do not store in a damp place. Store in boxes or well sealed cookie tins on a bed of uncooked rice to absorb any  
moisture. 

Bear Ornaments

Recycled Christmas Cards

  

Birdseed ornaments - 

 
Nature Decoration's 
Use these balls to decorate a doorway, mantel or table 

1. Use a towel to hold the plastic-foam ball while you work.   
2. Use tacky glue or a low-temperature glue gun to cover the ball with naturals such as leaves, acorn caps or miniature rosebuds. Let dry.   
3. To form loop, poke a small hole in the ball with a pencil. Cut a 6" piece of coordinating cord. Loop it, then poke it into the hole with a pencil. Glue securely in place and let dry.   

 

4 quarts unsalted popped popcorn  
1 1/2 cups sugar  
1 cup light corn syrup  
1/3 cup butter or margarine  
1/3 cup water  
1 1/2 teaspoons salt  
Colored hard candy balls  
Ribbon bow, if desired   

Butter the surface of a 14-inch pizza pan or draw a wreath 14 inches in diameter and 4 to 5 inches wide  
on a sheet of heavy brown paper. Place popcorn in a large, buttered bowl. Combine sugar, syrup, butter  
or margarine, water and salt in saucepan. Bring to boiling point over low heat, stirring until sugar melts.  
Continue cooking until syrup reaches the hard crack stage (290-295 degrees Fahrenheit).   
Pour syrup in a fine stream over popcorn; stir just until popcorn is evenly coated. Pile unevenly around  
edge of buttered 14-inch pizza pan or wreath pattern, leaving a 7 1/2-inch hole in center to form a wreath. 

Decorate with clusters of colored hard candy balls and ribbon bow, if desired.   
Yield: One 14-inch wreath.  

Popcorn ornaments another neat idea with pop corn
Here's a twist on traditional christmas trims. Instead of stringing popcorn on string for your tree. String it onto medium-gauge wire and bend the wire into shapes such as bells, hearts, or stars. Add a ribbon to the top!

Brown lunch bag  
2 wiggle eyes  
Red pom pom  
Brown paper  
Grass seed  
Pink crayon  
Glue  
1. Trace two antlers on brown paper and cut out.  
2. Glue eyes and pom pom for nose on the bottom flap of lunch sack.  
3. Color cheeks with pink crayon.  
4. Place small amount of grass seed into bag. Fold open end of sack once under flap of bottom of sack. Glue  
or staple in place.  
5. Glue antlers in place.  
6. Print directions for feeding on back of bag or separate paper and attach to bag.  

Directions for feeding Santa's Reindeer:  
1. Wait until Christmas Eve.  
2. Open your reindeer bag and sprinkle the food on your lawn.  
3. Hop into bed.  
4. Listen for Santa's sleigh.  
5. Close your eyes and dream of sugar plum fairies dancing in your head. 

White terry-lined infant's or child's tube sock for body 
Infant's colored ribbed sock for hat 
White rice; fiberfill stuffing; string 
24" (or two 12") 20-gauge florist's wire 
Orange fabric scraps for nose 
Felt and fabric scraps for mittens and scarf 
Pink acrylic paint 
1/4" stencil brush 
White and black dimensional fabric paints 
Two 5/8" colored buttons 
Glue gun; pencil 

TURN white sock inside out so terry is on outside. Fill 3/4 full with approximately 1 1/2 cups rice. Tie with string for neck. Stuff top with fiberfill for head. Tie with string; trim ends. 

TWIST ends of two 12" wires together, or use 24". Leaving 4" center straight, wind ends around pencil. Remove. Twist center around neck; coiled ends are arms. 

CUT small fabric carrot shape and 2 small felt mittens. Cut cuff off colored sock for hat. Glue cut end closed. 

PAINT pink cheeks with stencil brush. Let dry. Paint black-dot eyes and mouth with dimensional paint. With thumbs inward, paint straight white running stitches close to edges of mittens.  

GLUE on hat with rolled-up cuff. Glue nose to face, mittens to arms, and buttons down center front of body. Tie 1" x 13" fabric scarf around neck. Cut a small fabric patch and glue to front of hat.  

Willow twigs  
pruning shears  
Stranded embroidery floss  
Checked cotton fabric  
garden raffia 
1. Cut the twigs into lengths of 6 inches using the pruning shears. You will need five for each star.  
2. Tie the first pair of twigs together near the ends with a length of embroidery floss, winding it around and between to form a "V" shape. Repeat with the remaining twigs, arranging them under and over each other as shown in the photograph to form a five-pointed star.  
3. Cut the fabric into strips approximately 6 inches long by 3/4 inches wide.  
4. Tie a length of fabric in a double knot over the thread, securing each point of the star. Attach a loop of raffia to hang the decoration