Crafts

Gingerbread Man Terra Cotta Pot

Get started on your holiday decorating. This is a easy project for the older kids to do. Mom or Dad they might need a little help assembling pots. Let them paint the terra cotta pots.

Supplies:

One 2” wooden ball

Nine 25mm wooden ball beads

One 2 1/2” clay pot

One 2” clay pot

Four 1 2/2” clay pots

19 gauge wire

11 inches of ribbon

2 eye screws

Acrylic paints - Autumn brown, white, red, coral, black

Red spray glitter - optional

Instructions:
Paint all clay pots and wooden pieces in autumn brown. Using white paint, make wavy lines around the rim of the 2 1/2" pot. Paint a face on the 2" wooden ball, using a red dot for the nose, coral circles for cheeks and black dots for eyes. Use white for some hair on top of ball. Use black to draw on mouth lines. Screw in one eye screw on top of the ball head, and screw one into bottom of head. Place the 2" pot inside the 2 1/2" pot and connect all the body parts using the 19 gauge wire. Add ribbon bow at top of 2 1/2" pot where neck would be. Accent with red glitter if desired.

Christmas Ideas

Check out How to make Gingerbread Houses. This would make a great project to do with your kids or for your self.

Gift Mixes ~ Creative Gifts for Sharing - Not sure what to give for Christmas. Why not make up some gift mixes. This web site has tons of ideas.

Christmas Dough Art (Microwave)

4 c All-purpose flour
1 c Salt
1 1/2 c Hot water*

*Instant coffee added to water gives dough "browned" color.
Knead dough 6 - 8 minutes. Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Place on wax paper on glass tray; with a toothpick, make several holes in each piece to let air escape, then microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Time will vary according to size of "cookies."

When baked, allow to cool before decorating.

Holiday Spice Potpourrie

4 Oranges
4 Lemons
1/2 c Whole cloves
1/2 c Whole allspice
10 Cinnamon Sticks, broken
10 Bay leaves, crumbled
8 oz Decorated jelly jars with -bands & lids
Using a vegetable peeler, peel fruit carefully, removing only the peel, not any of the white pith. Cut or tear into one inch pieces.

Spread peel on paper towel lined pan.

Place in preheated oven to 175, or set oven to WARM.

Dry in oven for 1 1/2 hours, tossing occasionally. Peels should be leathery and/or slightly crunchy.

Spread peels on dry paper towels and let air dry for 24 hours.

Combine with remaining ingredients.

Fill jars with mixture, place lids on and screw bands on tightly.

Yield: 3 or 4 half pint jars.

To use: remove lid and leave band on for decoration to fragrance a room. OR put one Tblsp into a jar and fill jar with boiling water to release fragrance.

Christmas Cinnamon Ornaments

1 c Applesauce, drained
1 c Cinnamon
1 oz Cloves, ground
1 oz Nnutmeg, ground
1 oz Ginger, ground
Cinnamon for dusting the cutting board
Combine ingredients to make a stiff dough. Roll out on board dusted with ground cinnamon.

Cut with cookie cutters of your choice.

Put hole in top for string. Lay out flat to dry.

Turn over every 12 hours until completely dry.

Christmas Scent

3 Cinnamon Sticks -- 4"
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 c Whole Cloves
1/2 Lemon -- Cut In 2 Pieces
1/2 Orange -- Cut In 2 Pieces
1 qt Water

Combine all ingredients in a kettle or saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for as long as desired.

Check water level frequently and add more as needed. Mixture may be stored in refrigerator and re-used.

Craft Calendars

Turkey

From Martha Stewart Living

Pom-Pom Tom Decoration

The only turkey you won’t want to gobble up this holiday? One of our comely yarn-and-felt creations. Perched on a mantel or arranged on a straw-covered tray on a sideboard, they are a fun, fanciful touch. You can also use them as place-card holders (glue name tags inside their beaks), and invite children to take their feathered friends home at the day’s end.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Pom-Pom maker kit*
Red, brown, gray, yellow, and white wool yarn
Small scissors
Red and brown waxed twine
Yarn needle
Black embroidery floss
Medium-size sewing needle
Disappearing-ink pen for fabric
Black, red, white, brown, and gold wool felt
Hot-glue gun
Black pipe cleaners

POM-POM TOM HOW-TO

*The kit we chose (available from Purl, 800-597-7875 or www.purlsoho.com) includes four sizes of pom-pom makers, ranging from 1 1/4 to 3 1/2 inches wide. To make the turkey shown here, we used a 1 1/4-inch pompom maker and red yarn for the head and a 2 3/16-inch one and brown yarn for the body. Each pom-pom maker has four plastic pieces; you’ll need all of them to create one pom-pom.

1. Place two of the plastic pieces back-to-back, and wrap densely with yarn, keeping the yarn tight; snip end. Do the same with remaining pieces. Snap the halves together; snip the yarn along the rounded edge of each half. Tie halves together in the center with waxed twine; knot twice, and trim the excess. Pull templates free. Trim so yarn is even all around.

2. To make wings and whites of eyes, thread a yarn needle with a long doubled piece of yarn. Keeping loose ends aligned, push through pom-pom, leaving excess on both sides; thread back through. Repeat until details are desired size and shape. (Use multiple colors for wings.) Cut needle free; trim yarn so it’s flush with surrounding strands. For pupils, push knotted length of black embroidery floss through center of white and pompom with a sewing needle; pull taut. Part yarn; snip the end as short as possible.

3. Download tail-feather templates (enlarge as desired for bigger birds), and cut out. With a disappearing-ink pen, trace onto different colors of wool felt; cut out. Stack in descending-size order, then apply hot glue to feathers; hold until glue is set, about 30 seconds. 4 Apply a generous amount of glue to base of tail feathers, and attach to body; hold in place 1 minute. Repeat to affix head to body. Photocopy wattle templates . Cut out, and trace onto red felt with disappearing-ink pen.

4. Apply glue to top edges. Part yarn at base of head, and insert the two shapes, positioning the smaller one above the larger one. Hold in place 30 seconds. Photocopy beak ; trace template onto gold felt, and cut out. Apply a dab of glue to base of each piece, and use a needle to help attach to head; hold in place 30 seconds.

5. To make legs, cut two 3-inch pieces and two 1 3/4inch pieces of black pipe cleaner (for 3 1/2-inch birds, use heavy floral wire). Fold 3-inch pipe cleaner 1 inch from end; adjust longer side so it’s perpendicular, with a 1/2-inch crimp at the back of the foot. Fold 1 3/4-inch pipe cleaner into a V shape; dab glue on outside corner, and slide inside crimped edge. Hold in place 30 seconds. Repeat for other leg.

6. Apply glue to tops of legs and insert into body as far as they will go; hold in place 30 seconds. Set turkeys on their backs to dry for 10 minutes before displaying upright.

Finishing touches: Once you’ve completed your turkey, give him one final trim to ensure his furry feathers are even. In general, the closer you cut the yarn, the denser the pom-pom will be. Use the templates below for creating tail feathers, a wattle, and a beak, as well as a pumpkin leaf and fall foliage.

To View More On How-To-Do Photos

Candy, Soap, Candle Resources

Candy Land Crafts -Candy Making & Cake Decorating Supplies

Over 10,000 products...........the place for one stop shopping. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or a professional, you'll find what you need. We carry a large supply of Wilton Cake Decorating Products. Candyland Crafts has been a family owned and operated business for over 25 years. You will always receive superior and personalized.

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Witch's Brooms

These sweet-salty bewitchin' cookies are easy to make and fun to eat!

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 pretzel rods, about 8 1/2 inches long, cut crosswise in half
2 teaspoons shortening
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Butterscotch-flavored chips, melted

1. Heatoven to 350ºF. Mix brown sugar, butter, water and vanilla in mediumbowl. Stir in flour and salt. Shape dough into twenty 1 1/4-inch balls.
2. Place pretzel rod halves on ungreased cookie sheet. Press ball of dough ontocut end of each pretzel rod. Press dough with fork to resemble"bristles" of broom.
3. Bake about 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
4. Covercookie sheet with waxed paper. Place brooms on waxed paper. Heat shortening and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally,until melted and smooth; remove from heat. Spoon melted chocolate overbrooms, leaving about 1 inch at top of pretzel handle and bottom halvesof cookie bristles uncovered. Drizzle with melted butterscotch chips.Let stand until chocolate is set.