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:
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.
Lift top ribbons; fold one across the other to form second basket weave.
Pull ends firmly.
Bring one loose end up and slip it through one open side. Turn loop inside out with thumb and forefinger.
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.
Turn star over and repeat steps 4 and 5. Now three are eight star points.
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).
Repeat procedure with remaining top strips to make four standing points. Turn star over and repeat steps 7 and 8.
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.
Carefully study the photos here to see how many cuts and parts you will need for the jumping-jack skier.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Add more cotton fluff and glue if you think the head of the baby mouse is not yet big enough.
Attach a delicately cut pair of paper or felt ears with glue to the head. Let dry.
Stuff the walnut shell with glue and white cotton; this will be the baby mouse's body.
Glue the mouse head on the edge of the nut shell, touching the body on one side.
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.
Cut a tiny blanket for the mouse baby and glue this on top of it's belly in the middle of the walnut shell.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Sew the tongue in place between the felt boot parts where the laces will be. Use tiny straight stitches to sew this in place.
Now turn each boot inside-out and stuff each boot.
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.
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.
Now "lace'' each boot with embroidery floss.
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.
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:
Remove any old wire from the Styrofoam balls; mine where formerly attached to old picks.
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.
Hot glue each of the peppermint foam balls down inside of the egg cups, keeping the nicer halves facing up.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
"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 heard by human voices and to also rally the troops together to fight.
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:
Cut out the cups of a cardboard egg carton. You will need two per pomegranate.
Use masking tape to form a larger hollowed out cup of this ancient fruit.
Mask the surfaces of the cups, first with tape and then a layer of shredded typing paper and white glue.
Attach also the calyx shaped using masking tape and paper.
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.
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.
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.
Unravel the cotton balls and line the outer edges of the cavity with layered white glue and cotton batting. See pictures.
Now paint all of the surfaces red and white just as you see these in the pictures included here.
Take more of the unraveled cotton batting and roll this around the wire to give it more thickness.
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.
Shape the stems into curly looking vines. You may hang the fruit form this stem or attach a hook to it.
Seal off all of the surfaces using Mod Podge once the glue and paint have dried.
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.
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.
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
Three ways to finish decorating these cotton batting soft-serve ice cream cones. Left, strawberry and vanilla swirl. Center, toffee crunch. Right, mint and vanilla with candy coated chocolate chunks.
What the cotton batting cones look like before painting.
These soft-serve ice cream cones are perfect for a tree decked out in candy, ice-cream and baked goods! Kids will enjoy finishing them with all kinds of craft materials too: seed beads, glitter, trims, paints etc...
Supply List:
recycled egg carton (cardboard)
cotton balls
masking tape
white school glue
transparent glitter
acrylic paints
hooks for hanging
brown paper bags
Step-by-Step Instructions:
I cut apart quite a few cardboard egg cartons while making these ornaments. Inside of each egg carton there are four sections that are shaped like cones. Cut these out and tape two together so that the shape you will be working with looks like a long tube, tapering at both ends.
Mask all of the surfaces before layering the lower half with glue and brown paper bag scraps.
Leave the upper cone for the layering of cotton batting and glue. Work the cotton in a spiral shape resembling soft-serve ice cream. This is the same spiral technique that I used for the cotton batting ice sickles here.
I then painted the ice cream cones different colors. Some are pink and white, others chocolate and still more left white with glitter and sparkling balls.
I painted the sugar cones last using a very small paint brush to sketch the diamond pattern.
Mint and chocolate soft serve sugar cones.
Caramel, vanilla and strawberry ice creams
Nut, candy or berry combined with syrup.
See More Sweet Things To Display On and Under the Tree:
Turning plastic apples into decorative candy apples for the Christmas tree is an easy way to reuse something for a better purpose. After all, who uses plastic apples to decorate with anymore? But in a Christmas display these look good enough to actually eat!
Supply List:
cotton balls
white school glue
permanent ink marker
plastic apples
masking tape
copper/caramel colored acrylic paints
Elmer's gold glitter glue
wire for the hangers
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Use the permanent ink pen to draw a wavy line around the apple, marking the place where the caramel is molded over the surface.
Mask off every thing above the line.
Glue and bind with masking tape the wire attaching it to the plastic apple stem.
Now unravel your cotton balls and layer white glue and cotton on top of the masked areas, so that these will give the faux melted caramel dimension.
Layer the batting over the stem as well and twist it onto the wire. Let dry.
Paint the faux caramel with acrylic copper paint or something comparable.
Squeeze Elmer's gold glitter glue on the painted surface to add a little extra bling.
Shape the wire into a hook.
Left, plastic apple. Next, ink pen marks for the caramel. Center, masking taped surface. Right, after the cotton batting was layered over the tape with glue, I let it dry and then painted it.
Layers of cotton batting and glue are used to shape the caramel.
See more ways to transform fake fruit into something special:
The land of Palestine is divided from north to south by a central range of mountains which runs up through this narrow strip of country like a spinal column. About five miles south of Jerusalem a ridge or spur shoots off from the central range towards the east. On the terminal bluff of this ridge lies the town of Bethlehem. On the west it is shut in by the plateau, and on the east the ridge breaks steeply down into the plain. Vineyards cover the hillsides with green and purple, and wheat fields wave in the valleys. In the distant east, across the Dead Sea, the mountains of Moab are penciled in dark blue against the sky. At the present time, 1919, the town has eight thousand inhabitants. Its flat-roofed houses are well built and its narrow streets are clean. It is a busy place, its chief industry being the manufacture of souvenirs of olive wood which are sold throughout the Christian world. Its principal church is the Church of the Nativity, which is built over a cave that is one of the most sacred and memorable spots on the globe. It is believed that this cave is the place where Christ was born, and a silver star inlaid in the stone floor is intended to mark the exact spot. It was then used as the stable of the adjoining inn, and in its stone manger the infant Jesus may have been laid. At the time of this event Bethlehem was a mere village of a few hundred people. It might have been thought that Jerusalem, the historic metropolis and proud capital of the country, the chosen city of God and seat of the temple and center of worship, a city beautiful for situation, magnificent in its architecture, sacred in its associations and world-wide and splendid in its fame, should have been honored with this supreme event in the history of the Jews. But an ancient prophet, while noting its comparative insignificance, had yet put his finger on this tiny point on the map and pronounced upon it a blessing that caused it to blaze out like a star amidst its rural hills. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." And so proud Jerusalem was passed by, and this supreme honor was bestowed upon the humble village. Great men, as a rule, are not born in cities. They come up out of obscure villages and hidden nooks and corners. They originate closer to nature than city-born men and seem to spring from the very soil. The most noted birthplace in Scotland is that of Burns: it is a humble cottage with a thatched roof and a stable in one end of it. The most celebrated birth- place in England is that of Shakespeare, and again it is a plain cottage in a country village. Lincoln was born in a log hut in the wilds of Kentucky, Mohammed was the son of a camel driver, and Confucius the son of a soldier. The city must go to the country for its masters, and the world draws its best blood and brains from the farm. It was in accordance with this principle that the Savior of the world should be born, not in a city and palace, but in a country village, and that his first bed should be, not a downy couch, but a slab of stone. by James Henry Snowden
Though surcharged with such tremendous meaning, carrying a heavier burden of news than was ever before committed to human language, yet the simplicity with which the story is told is one of the literary marvels of the gospels. This event has inspired poets and painters and has been embroidered and illuminated with an immense amount of ornamentation. Genius has poured its splendors upon it and tried to give us some worthy conception of the scene. But the evangelists had no such purpose or thought, and their story is told with that charming artlessness that is perfect art. They were not men of genius, but plain men, mostly tax collectors and fishermen untrained in the schools, with no thought of skill or literary art. Yet all the stylists and artists of the world stand in wonder before their unconscious effort and supreme achievement. No attempt at rhetoric disfigures their record, not a word is written for effect, but the simple facts are allowed to tell their own eloquent and marvelous tale. The inspired writers mixed no imagination with their verities, for they had no other thought than to tell the plain truth; and this gives us confidence in the trustworthiness of their narrative. These men did not follow cunningly devised fables when they made known unto us the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, for they were eye-witnesses of his glory. by James Henry Snowden
The term Magi was anciently used generally throughout the East, to distinguish philosophers, and especially astronomers. Pliny and Ptolemy mention Aribi as synonymous with Magi; and it was the opinion of many learned in the first ages of Christianity, that the Magi who presented offerings to the infant Savior in Matthew 2:1 came from Southern Arabia for it is certain that "gold, frankincense and myrrh,'' were productions of that country. They were philosophers among whom the best parts of the reformed Magian system, which was extensively diffused, were probably preserved. They were pious men, also, who had some acqaintance, it may be, with the Hebrew prophecies, and were favored themselves, with divine revelations. They are to be regarded as members of the old patriarchal church, never quite extinguished among the heathen; and they had the special honor to present the homage of the Gentile world to the infant Savior. - Hend. Buck; Watson
A Byzantine mosaic of the three Magi depicted in Persian clothing.
The backside and frontside of our Popsicle Alpine Cottage. It has been painted and the glitter added.
To make an alpine Christmas cottage out of Popsicle sticks you will need the following supplies: tacky craft glue, twine for the hanger, acrylic paints in white, red, brown and green, a small bottle brush wreath, two cotton balls, transparent glitter, 10 small Popsicle sticks, 21 Larger Popsicle sticks, masking tape, hot glue and white school glue. Clamps to hold wooden craft sticks in place while these dry come in handy for this project!
The front and back of the Christmas cottage before the painting and other details are added. See cross-bracing craft sticks on the back; the beginning Popsicle sticks are first glued on top of these for strength and accurate position.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Line up 10 large Popsicles side by side and then use masking tape to hold them together right down the center of the group.
Now glue two more Popsicles, spaced two inches apart perpendicular to the rest, to hold the bulk of the sticks in place permanently. Let these dry in place. Remove the tape once everything has dried.
Build a roof in the same way using five Popsicle sticks. Clip the ends on each side to form a pitched roof.
Glue on two supporting sticks on top of the right and left sides to form an inverted "V'' shape that reinforces the pitched roof line. See photos above for correct placement. Let these sticks dry.
Now glue the roof and front of the alpine cottage together, overlapping just one Popsicle at the ends. The cross-bracing on the walls of the cottage should face to the back of the ornament. The cross-bracing along the roof-line should be facing the front of the cottage.
Now glue on the large window and shutters to match the scaling you see in the detailed photos above.
Draw, with a soft pencil, a wavy line across the roof cross-bracing, in order to mark the place where you will be gluing the ''snowdrift'' across the roof.
Unravel a cotton ball and glue this directly to those wooden sticks carefully in order to keep the snow in place.
Cover the entire pitch of the roof on the backside of the ornament and layer unravelled cotton batting on top of it. Let all of the cotton dry while the cottage is standing on it's bottom edge.
Apply more glue and transparent glitter if you like.
Next, paint the wooden surfaces to match those shown in the photo above.
For our window, I cut window mullions in a diamond shaped pattern from white paper and glued these to the painted surface for more detail.
Hot glue on twine for hanging to the backside of the ornament.
Hot glue on a white, bottle-brush wreath to the front above the window.
Glue on more glitter snow inside the nooks and crannies of the window pains and shutters too!
The story starts with the place and time of the Savior's birth. Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king. There are many myths and legends floating through the world that are often beautiful and useful, but they hang like gorgeous clouds in the air and are ever changing their shape and place. They are growths of the imagination and lack historic roots and reality. They are chary of names and dates and hide their origin in far-away mists. However powerfully and pathetically they may reflect the needs and hopes of the human heart, they are unsubstantial as dreams and afford no foundation on which to build our faith. Heathen religions are generally woven of this legendary stuff. The Greek and Roman divinities were all mythical. But the scientific spirit has swept these imaginary deities out of our sky and rendered belief in them impossible. Our religion must be rooted in reality and cannot live in clouds, however beautifully they may be colored. We refuse hospitality to anything but fact. Give us names and dates, is our demand. The Bible responds to this requirement. Christianity is an historical religion. The gospel narrative begins with no such in- definite statement as "Once upon a time'' but it starts in Bethlehem of Judea. The town is there and we can stand on the very spot where Jesus was born. The narrative places the time of his birth in the days of Herod the king. History knows Herod; there is nothing mythical about this monster of iniquity. These statements are facts that no keenest critic or scholarly unbeliever can plausibly dispute. So the gospel sets its record in the rigid frame of history; it roots its origin down in the rocky ledge of Judea. Christ was not born in a dream, but in Bethlehem. We are not, then, building our faith on a myth, but on immovable matters of fact. This thing was not done in a corner, but in the broad day, and it is not afraid of the geographer's map and the historian's pen. The Christmas story is not another beautiful legend in the world's gallery of myths, but is sober and solid reality; its story is history. Our religion is truth, and we will worship at no other altar. by James Henry Snowden
Description of Coloring Page: angel ornament, inside a Christmas tree, bell, garland, star, candle, decorate a Christmas tree
"Our Christmas tree glows with trim Bright and shining on every limb. But the nicest ornament of all Is an angel, so dainty and small.''
Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image
as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question
about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located
directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I
can.
How to cut a Christmas tissue paper garland:
Take a strip of white, red or green paper 3 inches wide and any desired length. Fold paper vertically into thirds. Alternate slits as in Figure 1. shown above.
Description of Coloring Page: childartwork, Christmas Creche, camels, sheep, shepherds and wise men, hammer and nails, backdrop, props, scene, table
"Shepherds Star and Wise Men too,
All appear in our Christmas view.
At school, each does his part
To make this scene a work of art.''
Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image
as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question
about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located
directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I
can.
3 Steps To Make The Stars and Straws Garland:
Trace and cut stars from colored construction paper, using many colors, if possible. You may use the pattern above for this.
Cut drinking straws 1 1/2 inches long.
Thread a needle and string one large star after 12 straw segments; then repeat this pattern over and over until you have a long garland to wrap about your Christmas tree.
His birth was a wonderful fulfillment of prophecy. The Jews had cherished the hope of the promised Messiah for thousands of years. Through all their national vicissitudes, enslavement in Egypt, wanderings in the wilderness, establishment and growth in the promised land, internal division and external captivity in Babylon, restoration, and final subjection to the Romans, this hope burned on the horizon of their future as a fixed star. It was this that ever led them on and held them together and made it impossible to break or subdue their spirit. This was the dawn that filled all their dark and bitter days with the rosy glow of hope. Yet the Messiah came not, and as the centuries slowly rolled along they must have grown weary and at times have doubted. Skeptics scoffed, "Where is the sign of his coming?' But the great heart of the nation remained true to its trust, while prophets caught glimpses of the coming glory and white-headed, trembling old saints prayed that they might live a little longer and not die before he came. Perhaps this hope was never at a lower ebb than when the Roman power was ruthlessly grinding the nation down into the dust. But suddenly at this darkest hour a blinding light burnt through the floor of heaven and shepherds ran about announcing that the Messiah was born! Who can imagine the surprise, the wonder, the overwhelming amazement this news created? How many were eager to go to Bethlehem and see this thing which had come to pass! And when it was found to be true, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy and old men blessed God and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servants depart in peace." Luke 2:29-32 Yet why should they have wondered at God's faithfulness in keeping his promise, as though he could ever have forgotten it or failed to bring it to pass? Why should we ever wonder at the faithfulness of God? Doubtless in some degree because of our human infirmity. Our sense of unity with God and trust in him have been weakened by sin until we are ready to doubt him as though he were one of ourselves. His promises also are so far-reaching and great, splendid and blessed, they so far surpass our thoughts of wisdom and mercy, that, even though they have been repeated to us until we are familiar with them, when they are fulfilled we wonder at the faithfulness that will bring so great things to pass. by James Henry Snowden
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