Country Crafts for Christmas

Country Holiday Crafts often have the advantage of smelling as pretty as they look. The scents of cinnamon, ginger and allspice mingle with the sweet smell of beeswax candles. Some of these crafts can be done with children, but require some careful supervison.

1. Cinnamon Stick Garland. This garland can be made with fabric bows to match any decor. To make this decoration, you will need a lenth of heavy twine, bundles of cinnamon sticks, small strips of fabric, wooden beads, in natural finish or painted in coordinating colors and an 8 inch piece of wire, or a pipe cleaner for a needle.. Rip your fabric in 2 inch wide strips, then cut these into 4 - 6 long pieces. Ripping the fabic, gives a more rustic look. If need be, make a small snip in the selvedge of the fabric then rip down. I really like this slightly fringed look. You may also use a pinking shears to cut the strips for a more elegant finish. Start by knotting a strip on the end of the twine. Make sure the twine is securely tied in the knot. Center the fabric as best you can, so the knot is is the center and the two resulting tails will be close in length. You can form a needle, by taking an 8 inch piece of wire or a pipe cleaner. Form a small loop one end and tie on the twine. Next slide on a wooden bead, then push the needle through the cinnamon stick, lengthwise. Add another bead, then another bow of fabric. This pattern can be altered as you desire. Continue stringing beads, sticks and bows until the garland is as long as you would like. Cinnamon sticks are available at many craft stores or in grocery stores. Admittedly they can be expensive, so I like to make my own! The difference is almost impossible to tell and mine smell even better. To make your own sticks, you will need white glue, a stiff brush, brown grocery bags and cinnamon powder. I find mine in the food aisle of Dollar Stores. This process is a bit messy, so be sure you cover your work surfaces before beginning. Fill a plate with the cinnamon Cut the brown paper bags into assorted widths, from 4-6 inches. Scrunch up the strips to give more texture. Flatten them back out and cut the strips into 3 inch pieces. Brush glue on one long edge of the strip and loosely roll into a log. Hold until the log won't unroll. Hold the log from the top and bottom between your thumb and finger. Brush glue all over the log, then roll it in the plate of cinnamon to cover the glue. Set aside to dry. You can vary the size of your logs as you need and they look remarkably real and are so much better on the budget.

2. Paper Mache' Gingerbread men. A tree full of these holiday decorations will scent your entire house. This craft requires a bit of prep work and plenty of drying space. You will need, a blender, or food processor, brown grocery bags, white glue, your favorite spices, aluminum foil and cookie cutters. To finish each ornament you will need dimensional glue, ribbon, or ornament hangers and a pencil or something to make small holes, for stringing. The night before, or even a few days before project day, tear the brown paper bags into small pieces around 1-3 inch sizes. This is not critical, but smaller pieces give you a finer texture. Put all the torn pieces into a large bowl or pan and cover with hot water. Let soak overnight or for a day or two. If they soak more than two days, the mixture begins to smell a bit funny, and not in a good way. When you are ready to start, take handfuls of the mixture, and put them in the blender or food processor about 1/2 full, cover with more hot water until it's over the mix by about 1 inch. Toss in your spice mix and a big squirt of white glue. I don't measure, I will just add those dry spices that are called for in a gingerbread recipe. Process until the mixture until it is almost smooth. It does not need to be overprocessed. As you finish each batch pour it into a large collander or sieve, then into a large bowl or pan.

To make the ornaments take a large handful of the drained mix, and squeeze out some more of the water. Plop the mixture on top of a small piece of aluminum foil and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to "cut out" the shape. To get it to release, shake the cutter back and forth a few times. Remove the excess mixture from outside the cutter and return to the bowl. Use a pencil to make a hole in the top of the ornament. Make it larger than normal as the hole will shrink as it dries. Set the piece of foil and shaped mixture aside to dry. It can take a few days to dry. Be sure to flip the ornament over after a few days, to dry the back. When thoroughly dry the ornament can be decorated with the dimensional glue, or left plain. Use the ribbon, string or hangar to hang where ever you'd like.

3. Beeswax Ornaments. These simple ornaments smell wonderful, for many years. If doing these with children use extreme caution around the hot wax, but done carefully they will enjoy the results as well as any adult. You will need, thin long bamboo skewers, 1/2 inch sytrofoam, a combination of bees wax and paraffin, a pot to melt the wax in and a pot to act as a double boiler and assorted sharp cookie cutters. Remember, never put wax over a direct heat source as it easily overheats and can start a fire. The stryofoam should be the white type that has a crispy texture, not the type made from compacted little balls. The actual thickness of the styrofoam depends on how thick your cutters are. You can be flexible on the actual dimensions, use what works best for you. The wax you use is also flexible as to the ingredients. I have access to pure beeswax, complete with bits on honey and a bee leg or too, so I only add about 1/8 paraffin. Beeswax can be found at most craft stores, in blocks or sheets. The amount you use will depend on your budget and how many ornaments you would like to make. 1 pound of wax should make at least a dozen ornaments. Place the wax in a pot, or tin can and suspend the pan or can in a larger pan of hot water. Do not let the water boil as it may splash into the wax and ruin the batch. The melting needs to be monitored carefully. The rest of the process is simple. Press the cookie cutters firmly into the styrofoam until the shape is cut out. You may need to run a sharp knife around the edge to completely cut them out. Next push a skewer in the ornament from the top and several inches into the foam. Now dip the ornament into the melted wax and remove quickly, without splashing anyone. Let it cool for a moment, then dip again. Let the ornaments harden slightly between each dipping. Continue dipping until a nice smooth layer has built up on the stryrofoam. I have found it useful to have another block of styrofoam next to the work area, so I can dip one, let it cool for a moment, then stick it into the block to harden further. If the wax on the ornament isn't allowed to cool enough it will remelt into the pot and won't build up any layers. After the ornaments harden completely the skewer can be twisted out. Use a small knife, warmed in hot water, to cut off the leftover bump. Use the hole that is left, to attach your hanger or poke a piece or ribbon in the hole along with a dot of glue. If you would like to add a bit of sparkle to your ornament, you can press beads onto the sides of the ornaments while the wax is still a little warm.

It's very important to remember these ornaments are not candles and will not burn. Above all, keep a close watch on the melting wax, to prevent a fire.

I hope you enjoy making and sharing these Country Crafts. Please feel free to alter the designs to fit your own style and needs. Have a wonderful Holiday.