Mold St. Nicholas and his bag of toys...

This faux clay cookie version is shaped using a Cotton Press mold by AMACO. You can paint
it in a variety of styles and colors. My version is just one way to interpret the casting. Copy
it if you like or make your own color choices to match your personal ornament collection.

       This terracotta cotton press mold was acquired about thirty years ago; I'm not certain of it's age. It was produced by American Art Clay Co., Inc. in IN. Saint Nicholas is dressed in a Victorian, fur trimmed, red wool coat. He holds up his green trousers with a giant brass buckle and carries a sack of toys for good children, of course. 

       I gave him some rosy red cheeks and a winter white beard. Under his coat is a burgundy wool vest with big brass buttons down the front. His boots are classic black. This flat back, molded Santa was made using Sculpey oven-bake clay. This clay is quite durable and may be painted with non-toxic acrylic paints. Make sure to seal the surfaces with some kind of clay varnish once you are satisfied with the painted finishes. He looks as new as when he was first painted over 25 years ago!

DIY Gingerbread Barnyard!

Faux gingerbread silo, barn and cow.

       This year one of our family trees will be decorated with a food theme. This tree is located near the kitchen and dining room. Lots of sugar plums, gingerbread, caramel apples, doughnuts and candy will fill out its green branches along with colorful LED lights.

Supply List:

• Styrofoam beads
• scrap cardboard
• 3 or 4 cotton balls
• fancy joint tape or drywall joint tape
• acrylic paints
• white school glue
• brown paper 
• masking tape
• small farm animal figure (cow, pig, chicken etc...)
• cardboard tube
• white puff paint
• candies shaped with Sculpey
• recycled cheese box lid
• wire for attaching it to your Christmas tree
• wooden toy tree shape
• realistic pine bough chenille stem 
• Mod Podge

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Use a recycled cheese lid to build your barnyard on top of. In this case I used a lid only but you could keep the bottom and the ornament can also be used to hide a small gift inside of the box if you like. Cover the top half of the lid with masking tape and then decoupage it with white school glue and brown paper.
2. Now glue a box and long narrow cardboard tube side by side on top of the lid to start the faux gingerbread ornament. cover with masking tape and glue and brown paper as well.
3. Glue on any other kind of detailed figures like cows, sheep and pigs. Glue on any small wooden details like a tree as well.
4. Paint out all of the elements using a warm brown shade of acrylic that mimics the color of gingerbread.
5. Next, trim the surfaces with faux candies, drywall tape, glue, and white puff paint.
6. Use unwound cotton balls for cotton candy or cupcake icing and Styrofoam beads for sweet lighting to trim the barn with fake sugary goodness!
7. Add painted highlights to your artificial chocolate details.
8. Squeeze on white puff paint icing to accent details.
9. Give the ornament a final coat of Mod Podge if you like.

See the gingerbread silo and barn from four sides.

Left, faux chocolate cow. next, faux chocolate Christmas tree. Center, icing covered
silo roof. Right, a tiny wreath with twinkling stars hangs above the barn door entrance.

What the ornament looked like in progress prior to it's painting and trim.

tape a wire into place inside the underside of the box top so that it
 can be firmly attached to a limb on your Christmas tree.

Craft a red-nosed reindeer with little ones...

Rudolf, the red-nosed walnut head.

       Rudolf is a very popular character around here so I guess we were eventually going to make him from a walnut shell. See how he is made from just about everything else by following the links.

• Make Rudolf using craft sticks here
• Make Rudolf using construction paper here
• Leaping reindeer clip art
• Shape and bake a reindeer cake
• Cut, color and fold a reindeer paper toy
• Color in a friendly reindeer picture

Supply List:

• walnut half
• decorative paper for backing
• scrap cardboard
• acrylic paints
• red pom-pom
• puff paint
• tacky white glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. An adult must cut a walnut in half for this craft in advance of a child making it, unless you just happen to find a half of a walnut. The cutting of these nuts can be slippery, so do this part of the craft cautiously. Go to the post to see how I sliced the walnuts in half.
2. Place the walnut shell on top of a scrap piece of cardboard and draw both around the sell and include the reindeer's antlers on that same cardboard. Cut out this shape and glue it to the back, flat slide of the walnut using tacky white glue.
3. Paint the walnut shell and antler's with acrylics. I used several shades of brown.
4. Glue on the red pom-pom for Rudolf's nose.
5. Using puff paints squeeze on the white's of the reindeer's eyes, let dry and then squeeze on the center pupils using black puff paint.
6. Sandwich a wire hook between decorative paper and the cardboard backing and glue.

Crafting Ornaments with Cinnamon Salt Dough

Left, the finished result after painting on white faux icing. Right, some of the cinnamon dough
was reserved for shaping into pretend chocolates. These were then glued inside of tin foil sleeves.
Cinnamon salt dough looks just like gingerbread once it is painted! 

       To make cinnamon salt dough you will need to kneed together 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of ordinary salt, 1/4 cup of cinnamon or more and 1 cup of cool water. Sift together the dry ingredients first and then slowly add the water. Add flour to a wooden cutting board and kneed the dough on top of it. Put it into a refrigerator to rest for a couple of hours. Then roll out the dough approximately 1/2 inch and cut with cookie cutters. Put these cut-outs on a cookie sheet and let them dry out in a low temperature oven for about 3 hours. You can prick the surface as these salt dough ornaments dry to prevent air bubbles if you like and you can make a hole through the top of each ornament to have a place for a hook or ribbon to hang them on a tree. I also used cookie molds to craft some of my own cinnamon salt dough ornaments shown here.

Left, the gingerbread salt dough cooling down on a cookie rack. Some of them puffed up
too much so these were tossed. Right, some wooden cookie molds were also used in 
this project.

Left, a mouse then a little man next, a Christmas chocolate and candy cane hang on our tree.

Above are three gingerbread children holding hands.

More Delightful Gingerbread:

• Make a gingerbread castle for your dolls to decorate with inside of the dollhouse
• Color my gingerbread angel from Color The Bible for kids

Sew a "Tear Drop" Santa with Button Limbs

A very 80s/90s homespun button Santa

        This tear-drop shaped Santa once hung on my mother's tree. I made it based upon a similar one I once saw in the home of a friend. It is very vintage 1980s/90s looking. Around that time folk-like and primitive items for tree decorations were very popular. If you have an ample supply of buttons without matching pairs or sets, this is one way you can use these up. He is a little strange looking for my tastes now but to each his own when decorating a tree, right? 

       Supplies you will need to make an ornament like this one: scraps of plaid fabric, lots of buttons, tiny bit of faux fur, small two inch square of flesh colored felt, strand of white yarn for beard, cotton batting,  bit of red paint for his cheeks and needle with thread.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Cut two identical shaped tear-drops from the scrap plaid fabric. 
• With right sides together sew a straight seam around the two shapes together leaving a one inch gap to turn the right sides out and stuff with cotton.
• Sew the opening shut after stuffing using an invisible stitch. 
• Sew on fur trim a little lower than the top of the tear shaped, stuffed form to imply a fur-trimmed hat. 
• Use the same fur to top off the tip of the Santa hat with a ball.
• Cut face out from felt and sew it just below the fur trimmed hat. 
• Add the button eyes, nose and paint the cheeks.
• Loop the yarn directly onto the face for a beard and sew this in place. Trim it as you like.
• Now gather all of those odd buttons and string them together for Santa's arms and legs. Attach these firmly with needle and thread.

Similar Ornament Crafts from The 1980s and 90s: 

• Retro Craft Dreams shares her vintage 80s craftmas projects
• DIY sewn primitive Santa ornament by Painting Crafty - this kind of ornament was very popular in the 1990s
• Cut and sew vintage Christmas prints here - more vintage prints from our family collection

How to make mini accordion braid wreaths . . .

Three versions of construction paper accordion folded wreaths with ribbon trim are pictured here.

       This particular ornament is very light weight therefore a perfect handmade craft for a tabletop feather tree. It is possible to make it using all textile materials instead of paper but the samples shown above are made with construction paper and trimmed with real ribbons.
       Once you learn the simple folding method, there are several classic, accordion shapes one can make for decorative holiday ornaments. Also, these ornaments make excellent crafts to teach in school environments or student craft fairs because it takes very little money to manufacture simple kits for each person to work with. 

 Supply List:

• contrasting scrap papers: red and green, green and white or red and white in lengths measuring at least twelve inches (Once you begin to weave the wreath, you will be able to determine the size you will need.)
• A ruler for measuring consistent sizes and lengths
• scissors to cut the lengths of cut paper
• tacky craft glue to adhere the ends of paper together
• a hot glue gun for sticking the ribbon trim onto the paper wreath
• ribbon for trim (More ribbon if you should decide to make the entire wreath body out of it.)
• wire for hanging and a needle for making a tiny hole wear the wire is strung through

Step-by-Step Folding Process Pictured Below

Illustrated accordion braid process.
Click to enlarge.

• Paper Chain Wreath Craft - for elementary kids made using construction paper and cotton balls
• Kids can make an easy pom-pom wreath for their dollhouse

Were the gifts of the Magi Symbolic?

       The gifts of the Magi were symbolical of their three-fold faith; the gold that He was King; the incense that He was God; and myrrh, that He was man and doomed to death. The Virgin bestowed on the Magi gifts of the linen bands in which she had wrapped the Savior, for which they thanked her in great humility, and laid them among their treasures.

       According to the old legends, Caspar is king of Tarsus, the land of merchants; he makes the offering of gold. Melchior, the king of Arabia and Nubia, offers frankincense, and Balthasar, king of Saba, "the land of spices," offers myrrh. The gifts are described in scripture, the names of the kings are made up. The "kings" are called "wise men" from the East in scripture.

Before The Paling of The Stars

 Before The Paling of The Stars

Before the paling of the stars,

 Before the winter morn,

 Before the earliest cock-crow,

 Jesus Christ was born;

 Born in a stable,

 Cradled in a manger.

In the world His hands had made, 

Born a stranger.

 Priest and king lay fast asleep

 In Jerusalem.

 Young and old lay fast asleep

 In crowded Bethlehem.

 Saint and angel, ox and ass,

 Kept a watch together

 Before the Christmas daybreak

 In the wintry weather.

Jesus on His Mother's breast

 In the stable cold,

 Spotless Lamb of God was He,

Shepherd of the fold;

 Let us kneel with Mary Maid,

 With Joseph bent and hoary

 With saint and angel, ox and ass,

To hail the King of Glory.

 - Christina E. Rossetti.

Recycling old buttons for a trim on a stocking...

To make a stocking similar to my own, sew a felt or quilted stocking 
and then attach a collection of beads. This stocking is made of white
and pink felt, then trimmed with felt pine trees and random antique
buttons from my grandmother's old sewing box.

A collection of beads inside of an old canning jar. These may be found in many flee markets.

Santa stocking that I made in the 1990s; his beard trimmed with pearly white buttons in many
sizes. See a similar stocking for dolls here.

 

Folk stars trimmed with buttons too!

More Crafting With Buttons:

• Snip, stitch and tuck snowmen from notions
• DIY odds and ends tree stocking

How to work a felted lady's boot into a Christmas stocking!

The finished ladies boots representing something
that may have looked quite similar to the real
thing during the Victorian era.

       To sew this small Victorian inspired, felt stocking you will need just a few scraps of fabric in felted wool or cotton. I chose to use a woven plaid and/or tweedy looking primary wool combined with a contrasting solid color in each of the examples you see in the photographs; the possibilities for both color and pattern combinations are obviously endless.

       Each stocking is sewn together with an embroidery needle and floss using a blanket stitch and the pattern is included below for visitors to download and print off on their own home computers.

       Crafters may finish trimming each boot with three or more buttons each. For the boot on the left, I chose very pale pink buttons with rhinestones at their centers and for the boot on the right I used classic shell, pearl buttons to give each of them that vintage look.

       In these small stockings, a cash gift or tiny candies may be hidden from view while hanging from the branches of a tree or chimney mantle. Tiny stockings like these may keep your gift exchanges both modest yet stylish at the same time. 

       I think small stocking like these would also look so charming hanging from a ''charitable contributions tree'' as the primary decoration in an agency or church. Give a little gift to the givers and include a message in each to describe the whether the recipient of your chosen present should be male or female of a particular age, while inviting the person to keep the stocking as a small token for their contribution.

• See the angel tags and read about Angel trees during the holidays at The Salvation Army here.
• Read about how the Arc Giving Tree Works in the City of St. Louis
  

Left, is the plaid version of the boot stocking in classic colors, Right is a brown tweed version.

A vintage felt pattern of a ladies boot. Victorian looking design.

How to Decoupage a Nativity Inside of A Tree Topper

Figures include: Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherd boy, and three Magi.

       This unusual tree topper is easy to make once you have constructed the star shaped box and attached it's tube. The top-most branch of a Christmas tree will need to fit snugly inside of the tube, so test this out as you make it. It may be fitted exactly if your tree is artificial.
       If you intend to use it on a live tree in the future, the tree branches will need to be adjusted for every unique tree in the future and this should be done at that time by the person pruning branches prior to trimming the tree. 

       I recycled a wrapping paper tube for this project instead of the standard toilet roll. You can observe the pictures at the bottom to see that it was taped onto the star box and then masked completely. The masking tape not only makes the surfaces look uniform but also strengthen the cardboard before applying the decoupage.
       The star was originally a decorative box that had a lid at one time. It is deep, measuring at least 3 or 4 inches. The depth is what gives the star it's unique qualities. It is easier to nestle among branches without toppling and also roomy enough to assemble a small nativity scene with multiple characters.
       I chose to use a sticker set for my nativity here. The stickers are mounted to light weight cardboard like the kind used to package breakfast cereal. Every year there seems to be stickers like these in local hobby shops so I don't believe that visitors here will have difficulty duplicating something similar to this example here. It is entirely possible for a crafter to choose an alternative material to stickers. However, remember to keep that choice on the lighter side of things. Too much weight could make for a disaster if you are not careful. You don't want a nice display to come crashing down in the future!

Left, the side paper is a metallic diamond pattern. Center, a close-up of the stickers. Right, gold
 wrapping paper covers the tube and backside of the star. I used white school glue, with even
  application to cover the entire tree topper with paper before mounting the
  sticker nativity figures inside of the space.

       Choice of colors on a tree-topper are often dictated by the selected theme and/or colors already predominant among other ornaments in a person's collection. I like to combine silver and gold on many of my trees so that is why metallic gold was chosen here. However, I think this would have turned out just as lovely in blue.

See the assembled star shaped tree topper before it is decoupaged. I found the star shaped box
at a discount shop but this could be built by hand in advance if you need to do that instead.
Cut a star shape from sturdy cardboard and then attach the wide walls around it with tape.

How to fold a German star for hanging on the tree...

Woven fabric stars make lovely gifts for the tree.

       These old-fashioned stars from Germany may be woven from all kinds of materials: ribbons, paper, straw and fabric. My older daughter chose to use fabric 3/4 by 24 inches long; shown in the photograph just right. Choose two contrasting prints for the best results.

 Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Fold four pieces of ribbon, paper or fabric, two light and two dark, in half. (Make each 3/4 by 24 inches long) Interlock to form  basket weave and pull ends tightly.
2. Lift top ribbons; fold one across the other to form second basket weave.
3. Pull ends firmly.
4. Bring one loose end up and slip it through one open side. Turn loop inside out with thumb and forefinger.
5. Pull end through until loop forms point or triangle when creased (see diagram). Repeat with remaining three loose ends. Now you have four star points.
6. Turn star over and repeat steps 4 and 5. Now three are eight star points.
7. To make center standing points, lift and fold back one of the top light-colored strips (A). Take dark strip (B); keeping the right side up, loop the strip counterclockwise and slip it into slot (C) under raised ribbon. Pull through to form a point at (C).
8. Repeat procedure with remaining top strips to make four standing points. Turn star over and repeat steps 7 and 8.
9. Trim extending ribbons.

Step-by-Step Illustrated Process.

 See how to weave stars at YouTube:

• German paper star tutorial by madincrafts here
• Christmas tree farmer shares her own version of the German woven star ornament
  

DIY A 90s Jumping-Jack Skier

The finished skier with permanently attached skies, no poles though.

       I acquired this adorable jumping-jack in a resale shop somewhere; it's been sometime since I've purchased it so I'm not quite sure of where that was. It is signed and dated and this is why I know that it was painted in the 90s. I suppose you could draw similar details on a ski sweater yourself using permanent ink markers instead of paint and thus making the prospects of duplicating the details better.
       My version does not have ski poles and if I were to make it myself I would attach something made from chenille stems to the hands only.
      I am also certain that you could make this skier in a smaller size, if you have the patience to do so. Just remember to keep the parts in proportion to each other and I'm sure a smaller version would be quite charming...
       To make this 1990s jumping jack skier you will need the following supplies: large brass fasteners (4), acrylic paints, a large wooden bead for the head, a smaller wooden bead for the pull string, one chenille stem, a thick strand of gold twine for that same pull and stronger thinner twine for the stringing of the arms and legs, a hand held drill to make neat, clean holes into the Popsicle stick arms and legs and a variety of very large wooden Popsicle sticks to smaller ones. See the photos for design choices. Cutting tools for the shortening of the sticks are also necessary.

• How to cut Popsicle without breaking or splitting them...
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Carefully study the  photos here to see how many cuts and parts you will need for the jumping-jack skier. 
2. You will first need to use a small hand drill to make clean, neat holes at the shoulders and hips of the doll. after these three pieces have been glued and assembled to make the torso of the doll.
3. These four holes must correspond exactly to a pair of arms and a pair of legs. It is at these corresponding connections that you will insert brass fasteners to attach the arms and legs. These fasteners will allow motion of the dolls parts.
4. The same movement can be said of the doll's head because it is loosely strung on a chenille stem wire and glued down only at one end behind the torso, between the doll's shoulder blades.
5. You can and should paint these parts all separately in order to ensure that the paint will not be smeared onto other parts and thus call for more cleaning  and odd positioning until the paints dry. In other words, paint the head separately, then the torso, then the arm and legs before assembling it all together.
6. Bend the chenille stem to insert inside of the head bead with a hoop at it's top for the hook
   and a straight piece for the neck. This unbent piece is glued at the back of the jumping-jack barely extending it's head just above the wooden neck and shoulders of the doll. It is carefully hidden from the front side of the doll. 
7. Make the twine jumping mechanism next. Use a sharp needle and the finer twine to thread through the wooden shoulders and thighs. See photographs for placement. 
8. Then use the thicker gold twine to knot around each threaded set of  arms and legs. Extending a pull cord down between the legs to pull and make  the little doll "jump." Attach a smaller bead to to the end of the cord for marking the place where a child might "pull'' to animate the doll.
9. Thread a hook through the hoop at the top of the jumping-jack's head to hang it on the Christmas tree.

Left, here you can see that the head and torso are made prior to the arms and legs. If you were
planning to make many of this design, you could process through the steps in stages: heads
 painted, torsos assembled, then legs and arms etc... Right, eyes and facial features
on this doll are highly stylized.

Left at top, see the chenille stem that is glue inside of the bead with a hoop at it's top for the hook
and it's bottom is left straight. This piece is glued at the back of the jumping-jack barely extending
 it's head just above the wooden neck and shoulders of the doll. It is carefully hidden from the front
 side of the doll. Right, A detailed photograph of the parts unassembled. The twine jumping mechan-
ism is simple and easy enough for older children to attach successfully. The smaller holes made for
the thin twine  attachments are difficult to see here. These are made with a sharp needle and the twine
 is threaded through. Then the thicker gold twine is knotted around each threaded set of  arms and
legs and a pull cord is extended down between the legs to pull and make  the little doll "jump."

Left is the "jump" position of the doll when the cord is pulled down. Right, is how the doll looks
assembled from the back.

More Christmas ornament skiers to make:

• More adorable skiers for the tree - these are made using clothespins
• Paper doll skiers from our family doll crafting blog

A place for baby mice to sleep inside the Christmas tree!

        There is nothing sweeter than tiny vintage mice for the Christmas tree, that is if they are not living. This traditional craft is one in particular that little ones love during the holidays and it has been crafted by hundreds of thousands of children across the United States for over 100 years! It is a craft that may be as simple or detailed as the maker of it wishes. I have seen some mice that are crafted from felt, some from pom-poms, others from wool and still more made from cotton balls. My example below is made from the former although a bit more manipulated. In any case, I'm certain that any young person will enjoy making these so much that he or she will happily make too many! Give them away in stockings if you need to.

Black mouse sleeping in nut shell; his fur colored with lint.

Supplies Needed:

• fine wire for tail and arms, hanger
  
• a few cotton balls 
• a bit of dryer lint (for fur color)
• acrylic paint (flesh to pink, white
• permanent black ink pen
• bits of fabric for blanket
• walnut shell half 
• white school glue
• pink felt for ears
• hot glue gun and hot glue (optional)
• hammer, chopping block and one sided razor blade for preparing the walnut shells (Preparing the shells must be done by an adult only in advance of completing the remainder of the craft activity,)
  

Left, the cotton bodies and heads are glued inside of the walnut shells. Right, painting on eyes.

This baby mouse is wearing an acorn shell night cap.

All of these mice have curly long tails too.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First you will need to prepare the walnut shell. Break it in a perfect half and clean out the nut contents. I have shown folks how to do this in detail here.
2.  Next, make the baby mouse's head by rolling cotton batting fluff (one cotton ball's worth) between the palms of your hands with a squeeze of white school glue. Set this tiny ball aside to dry.
3. Add more cotton fluff and glue if you think the head of the baby mouse is not yet big enough. 
4. Attach a delicately cut pair of paper or felt ears with glue to the head. Let dry.
5. Stuff the walnut shell with glue and white cotton; this will be the baby mouse's body. 
6. Glue the mouse head on the edge of the nut shell, touching the body on one side. 
7. Roll a bit of cotton batting over fine wire to make the mouse arms and a long loopy tail. Glue these inside the shell around the edges to the positions you think look best.
8. Cut a tiny blanket for the mouse baby and glue this on top of it's belly in the middle of the walnut shell.
9. Now add the tiniest features to the sleeping baby mouse like: a tiny pink nose, tiny eyes using the permanent in marker, coloring the the mouse fur made from dryer lint.
10. Tuck and glue in a wire hanger behind the mouse baby's head to hang this old-fashioned ornament on your Christmas tree. You can also include as many baby mice in walnut shells as you like inside of a mouse house for play! 
    

External Links
More Mice in Walnut Shells:

• Walnut shell mouse making workshop
• DIY Walnut Mouse Ornaments by kelsey malie
  

How to sew old-fashioned paperclip skates...

Finished paperclip ice skate ornament.

      To sew these vintage paperclip skates you will need the following supplies: two large (2'') paperclips, one sheet of craft felt, thread to match, contrasting rick-rack, 16 silver or gold beads (for buttons), contrasting embroidery floss, ten cotton balls, wire or twine for hanging.
       Ordinarily these ornaments are hung in pairs as are mittens; but this is a choice of course. You could just make a single skate ornament.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Upload the pattern included here and print it out for this craft. The pattern is superimposed on a piece of graph paper quarter inch scale.
   
2. Cut out the pattern pieces and trace around these on top of cardboard to make your own templates. The seam allowance for my version is 1/8 inch.
3. With right sides together, sew the boot seams from point A to point B with a straight stitch. (toe to heel and then up behind the calf. You should do this twice, using four cut pieces of felt for two boots. 
4. Sew the tongue in place between the felt boot parts where the laces will be. Use tiny straight stitches to sew this in place.
5. Now turn each boot inside-out and stuff each boot.
6. Take the outside point of each paperclip and poke these through the sole at the toe of each boot. Sew the paper clip in place by working your needle through the stuffed felt sole inside and out and around the paperclip over and over until you have firmly attached it down it's length under the felt boot.
7. Sew on the beads spaced-out evenly on either side of each boot in the positions that would be eyelets on a real ice-skate boot.
8. Now "lace'' each boot with embroidery floss.
9. trim the boot with additional fancy stitching if you prefer. I used rick-rack along the tops, sewed on an additional boot 'grab' at the top and also used a blanket stitch for emphasizing edges. 

Left, the back of the paperclip ice skates with heal details. Center the front of the ornament with
 laces and bead work. Right, the paperclips poked through the toes and sewn in place.

Boot, tongue and heal patterns to be cut from felt.

More Ice Skate Crafts:

• Make a Frosty Ice Skate Paper Wreath
• Print and assemble Victorian paper ice skates

Recycled Sugar-Plums for The Tree

       This has been too lean a year for any new Christmas decor. But sometimes I find the leanest years to be full of old-fashioned charm and that is the way we like it at our house! No fuss, no muss, just using our imaginations and a few supplies to turn a tiny table-top tree into something only a very hungry five year old would dream up . . .
        The supplies I used to make these small sweets or "sugar-plums" for our family Christmas tree included: recycled, vintage peppermint Styrofoam balls, a paper egg carton, gold foil mini cup-cake liners, gold foil holly petals, wire, hot glue, masking tape, red glitter glue pen and tacky craft glue.

I didn't have the heart to toss these vintage peppermint, foam balls. I kept them in our family
 Christmas craft stash until our daughters decided to craft a candy themed tree this year.

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Remove any old wire from the Styrofoam balls; mine where formerly attached to old picks.
2. Cut shallow cups apart from a egg carton molded from paper pulp. Make sure that the sides of these cups have been cleaned up and are relatively uniform in height all around their edges. 
3. Hot glue each of the peppermint foam balls down inside of the egg cups, keeping the nicer halves facing up.
4. Take the gold foil mini cup-cake liners and smooth a small piece of masking tape onto the inside of the liner at the bottom. This will help the surfaces attach better using the tacky glue. 
5. Squeeze the tacky glue into the mini liner and then smooth and press it around the egg carton cup to cover the bottom and side surfaces.
6. Now bend a wire for hooks and poke as many as you need into the very tops of each recycled sugar-plum so that a wire may be twisted through these to make hangers for each ornament.
7. Hot glue the gold foil holly leaves to each sugar-plum and then apply a tiny bit of red glitter glue to the center of each sugar plum tip. See photos above.

More Peppermint Candy Crafts for The Christmas Tree:

• Craft cross candy canes from chenille stems
• How to make mini cotton batting candy canes 
• Make wool lollipops for the Candy Christmas tree 
• Sew penny peppermints using a blanket stitch or two
  

When was the very first Christmas tree erected in North America?

        It is said that the first Christmas tree in America was erected at Trenton, in New Jersey colony. In 1776, by Hessian soldiers hired by the British to help subdue the rebellious followers of General Washington.

• Washington's Christmas at War
• New Jersey's Revolutionary War Historic Sites

Little Drummer Boy

       "The Little Drummer Boy" (originally known as "Carol of the Drum") is a popular Christmas song written by the American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Austrian Trapp Family, the song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale; the Simeone version was re-released successfully for several years, and the song has been recorded many times since.
       In the lyrics, the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the Infant, the little drummer boy played his drum with approval from Jesus's mother, Mary, recalling, "I played my best for him" and "He smiled at me". Despite the song's popularity, the story of the drummer boy is fictional. However, it teaches a Biblical principle that is based upon the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25: 14-30. This parable demonstrates that dutiful servants who multiply the gifts/talents entrusted to them by God demonstrate faith in the Goodness of God. Whereas, to store or hide something given to you by God demonstrates contempt for God's agenda and His kingdom.

For King + Country sing "Little Drummer Boy"

The role of a drummer boy during battle was 
similar to that of a shofar when blown during
battles by Jerusalem and her enemies in the
Bible. The drum was used to give signals that 
might not be understood by enemies and to
 also rally the troops together to fight.

DIY Paper Mache Pomegranate Ornaments

   You might think that pomegranates are an unlikely fruit selection to represent the Christmas holidays here in the Western part of the world, but this fruit is very much a part of Christmas in the East. These colorful, delicious edibles have ancient origins and many folks attach their folklore and symbolism to them. I've linked to histories below the directions if you would like to learn more about the pomegranate's history and the meaning associated with them.

Finished pomegranates for the Christmas tree.

Supply List:

• paper mache pulp
• Styrofoam pellets
• acrylic paints: brown, red, pink, green and white
• masking tape
• recycled paper egg carton
• tissue paper
• white school glue
• 3 cotton balls
• wire for the stems
• typing paper, one sheet
• Mod Podge

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut out the cups of a cardboard egg carton. You will need two per pomegranate. 
2. Use masking tape to form a larger hollowed out cup of this ancient fruit.
3. Mask the surfaces of the cups, first with tape and then a layer of shredded typing paper and white glue.
4. Attach also the calyx shaped using masking tape and paper.
5. Mix together part water and paper mache pulp. You will not need much of this pulp to cover the outside surfaces of the skin. Mix it according to the directions on the package. Let it harden over a few days. You can strategically place the faux fruit near a space heater or in the sunshine. This will help the pulp to dry faster.
6. First fill the cavity of each pomegranate with tissue paper and tape the tissue down to give it a smooth surface on the inside of the ornament.
7. Then fill the shallower part of that same cavity with white school glue and press the Styrofoam pellets or beads down into this glue. Let it dry. 
8. Unravel the cotton balls and line the outer edges of the cavity with layered white glue and cotton batting. See pictures.
9. Now paint all of the surfaces red and white just as you see these in the pictures included here.
10. Take more of the unraveled cotton batting and roll this around the wire to give it more thickness.
11. Use a sharp-tipped pair of scissors to poke a in the top of each pomegranate. Fill the whole with glue and poke the cotton covered wire down inside. Let dry before painting the stem green.
12. Shape the stems into curly looking vines. You may hang the fruit form this stem or attach a hook to it.
13. Seal off all of the surfaces using Mod Podge once the glue and paint have dried.

More About Pomegranates:

• A 16th Century Pomegranate Design for Chrismons
• The Pomegranate Cross
• Color the pomegranate or use the image here for embroidery 

Left, the hollow shaped pomegranates before the paper pulp has been smoothed over the outside
surfaces. Right, what these ornaments look like on the back when finished.

Sleep Holy Babe

       Edward Caswall wass born 15th of July 1814 and died on the  2nd  of January in 1878. He was a clergyman and hymn writer who converted to Catholicism and became an Oratorian priest. His more notable hymns include: "Alleluia! Alleluia! Let the Holy Anthem Rise"; "Come, Holy Ghost"; and "Ye Sons and Daughters of the Lord".
       He was born the son of  Rev. R. C. Caswall, sometime Vicar of Yateley, Hampshire and  was educated at Chigwell School, Marlborough Grammar School and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1836 with honors. Later  he proceeded to Master of Arts and in 1838 he was ordained a deacon, in 1839 priest, in the Church of England. Before leaving Oxford, he published, under the pseudonym of Scriblerus Redivivus, The Art of Pluck, a satire on the ways of the careless college student.
       He was curate of the Church of St Lawrence at Stratford-sub-Castle, near Salisbury from 1840 to 1847. As curate, he would invite the children who had attended morning services to the parsonage and give them breakfast. On the anniversary on one's baptism, he would give some money to buy clothes.
        In the summer of 1846 he, his wife, and his brother Tom visited Ireland and one year later he resigned his curacy and, in January 1847, was received into the Catholic Church by Cardinal Januarius Acton in Rome. His brother Tom had converted to Catholicism previously. Caswall's conversion caused an estrangement from some members of his family, including his mother and brother Alfred.
        His wife, Louisa Stuart Caswall, who had also become a Catholic, died of cholera on the 14th of September in 1849 while they were staying at Torquay. The following year Caswall joined the Oratory of St. Philip Neri under future-cardinal John Henry Newman, to whose influence his conversion to Catholicism was due. 
       He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1852. Caswall was delegated the responsibility of establishing the Oratory school, which opened in 1859. He often served as acting superior in Newman's absence.

"Sleep, Holy Babe" performed by the Magdalen College Choir, Oxford.

The Wonderful Night Draws Near

       Now  it  came  to  pass  in  those days,  there  went  out  a  decree from  Caesar  Augustus, that  all  the  world  should be  enrolled."  This  is  the point  at  which  the  orderly and  scholarly  Luke  opens his  account  of  the  birth  of  our  Lord.  It seems  like  going  a  long  way  off  from  and around  to  the  end  in  view.  But  there  are no  isolated  facts  and  forces  in  the  world  and all  things  work  together.  When  we  see  providence start  in  we  never  can  tell  where  it  is going  to  come  out.  If  God  is  about  to  bless us,  he  may  start  the  chain  of  causation that  shall  at  length  reach  us  in  some  far-off place  or  land;  or  if  he  is  about  to  save  a soul  in  China  he  may  start  with  one  of  us in  the  contribution  we  make  to  foreign missions.  Caesar  Augustus,  master  of  the world,  from  time  to  time  ordered  a  census to  be  taken  of  the  empire  that  he  might know  its  resources  and  reap  from  it  a richer  harvest  of taxes.  It  was  probably between  the  months  of  December  and March,  B.  C.  5-4,  that  such  a  census  was being  taken  in  the  province  of  Syria.
        In  accordance  with  ancient  Jewish  usage, all  citizens  repaired  to  the  tribe  and  village from  which  they  were  descended,  and were  there  enrolled.  In  the  town  of  Nazareth in  the  north lived  Joseph,  a  village carpenter,  and  Mary,  his  espoused  wife, who  though  a  virgin  was  great  with  child, having  been  overshadowed  by  the  Holy Spirit  and  the  mystery  having  been  revealed to  her and  her  betrothed  husband. They  were  both  descended  from  the  royal line  of  David,  and  therefore  to  Bethlehem they  must  go.  With  us  such  a  journey  of eighty  miles  would  mean  no  more  than stepping  on  a  railway  car  at  nine  o'clock in  the  morning  and  stepping  off  at  noon. But  with  them  it  meant  a  toilsome  journey on  foot  of  several  days.  Slowly  they wended  their  way  southward,  led  on  by the  irresistible  hand  of  Caesar,  far  away on  his  throne.  The ancient  Hebrew  prophecy of  Micah  and  the  imperial  decree  of Caesar  thus  marvelously  fitted  into  each other  and  worked  together.  Mary  must have  known  of  this  prophecy,  and  we know  not  with  what  a  sense  of  mystery and  fear  and  joy  she  drew  near  to  the  predicted place  where  the  Messiah  was  to  be born.
       Bethlehem  sits  like  a  crown  on  its  rocky ridge.  At  length  its  walls  and  towers loomed  in  the  distance,  and  then  presently up  the  steep  road  climbed  the  carpenter and  his  espoused  wife  and  passed  through the  gate  into  the  village.  When  they  came to  the  inn,  it  was  already  crowded  with visitors,  driven  thither  by  the  decree  of Caesar  that  had  set  all  Palestine  in  commotion. In  connection  with  the  inn,  generally  the  central  space  of  its  four-square enclosure,  but  probably  in  this  case  a  cave in  the limestone  rock,  was  a  stable,  or place  for  the  camels  and  horses  and  cattle of  the  guests.  Among  these  oriental  people it  was  (and  is)  no  uncommon  thing  for travelers,  when  the  chambers  of  the  inn were  fully  occupied,  to  make  a  bed  of straw  and  spend  the  night  in  this  place. In  this  stable,  possibly  the  very  cave where  now stands  the  Church  of  the  Nativity, Mary  and  Joseph  found  lodgings for  the  night.  It  was  not  a  mark  of  degradation or  social  inferiority  for  them  to  do this,  though  it  was  an  indication  of  their meager  means,  as  wealthy  visitors  would doubtless have found better  accommodations.   by James Henry Snowden

"No Room, No Room'' - Ruth Morris Gray

The Week Before Christmas

 The Week Before Christmas

Why, goodness me!" said Percy Gunn,
"Christmas is just a week from SUN!

"This present business is no fun."
Then he sat down to count his MON.

But after paying what was due,
His surplus dollars were but TUE.

Then Percy sadly shook his head,
Thinking of one he fain would WED.

The weather was depressing, too;
For first it friz, and then it THU.

And presents also he must buy
For sisters, aunts, and smaller FRI.

No answer could he find to that.
He sat and thought and thought and SAT.

And sitting still was Percy Gunn
When Christmas came, and it was SUN!