Pre-Christian Era Celebrations With Trees

       Some scholars trace the origin of Christmas trees to much earlier periods. Even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were widely used for religious ceremonials. Ancient Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice-shortest day of the year-brought green date palms into their homes. They were symbols of "life triumphant over death," just as the sun starts its annual "triumph over darkness" or "rebirth" at this time. 

Ancient temple of saturn, columns stand in the midst of
rubble in the forum Rumanum, Rome.

       When the Romans observed the feast of saturn, also at the winter solstice to celebrate the return or "rebirth" of the sun, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. This feast, and the New Year which followed a few days after, featured eating, drinking, merry-making, expressions of goodwill, exchange of gifts, and decorating houses with greenery and lights. Church leaders in Rome replaced the feast of saturn by Christmas on December 25 in A.D. 354 after Christianity became the accepted religion in the Roman Empire. (The name saturn survives in our Saturday.) 

       The early Scandinavians or Norsemen are said to have offered homage to the fir tree. When they became Christians, Christians, they made evergreen trees part of their Christian festivals. The burning of fir boughs and the Yule log in late fall were old folk customs in western Europe. 

       To the Druids or Celts of ancient Gaul (today's France) and Britain, sprigs of evergreens (particularly mistletoe and holly) in the house meant eternal life, while to the Norsemen such sprigs symbolized the revival of the sun god, balder. The superstitious of these lands long believed that branches of evergreens placed over the door of their homes would keep out witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and the like. 

       So we see that our Christmas tree custom has evolved from pre-Christian as well as Christian traditions, like the present-day use of greenery in various religious rituals. In America the decorated Christmas tree has become such an accepted tradition that Christmas would seem barren to most people without it. 

• How December 25th Became Christmas
• Christmas Isn't Pagan
• Why do we Celebrate Christmas on December 25th?

Old-Fashioned Animated Snowmen!

 Animated snowmen for Christmas and winter fun.

Snowman waves candy cane, birds waves wing.

Very snowy weather we're having.

Snowman juggler and audience.

Snowman walk

snowman tips his hat.

"Happy Holidays Snowman

"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas"

Three Christmas Parlor Games Your Kids Will Love!

       A game full of fun and excitement is "Holly Wreath Toss." Suspended in the doorway is a large holly wreath cut from green cardboard. The players, one at a time, are given a small ball of yarn or paper which they are told to throw through the holly wreath. Each player is allowed three throws; and if he or she succeeds the first time, they score fifteen points; the second time, 10 points; and the third time, five points. The player who has the highest. score wins. Depending upon the ages of the players, hang the wreath higher to increase the level of difficulty.

       "Filling the Stockings" is a pleasant game and easy to play. The children are divided into two teams. At one end of the room are a bag of candies and a butter knife for each team, and at the other end of the room are two large stockings, one for each team. To start the game, the leader of each side picks up his butter knife, puts on as many candies as it will hold, and races to the goal at the opposite end of the room where he drops them into his team's stocking. Then he returns and gives the butter knife to the next player on his team to carries on the race in a similar manner. After every member of the team has opportunity to join in the race, the candies inside of each stocking are counted. The team with the most candy wins the race. If the team members drop candy during the race, this can not be included inside of their stockings.

       "Blowing Out the Christmas Candle" is a jolly game and one that furnishes much amusement for a party. A Christmas candle, lighted, is placed on a sturdy table at it's center. The players are blindfolded one at a time and spun around three times before they must try to make their way to the table and blow out the candle with only one breath. The first person to successfully blow out the flame is the winner of this contest.

• Spinning bow game for the family
• 10 Christmas Games from Easy Play Ideas for Kids
• Parlor games for enthusiastic teens

Make a merry little tinsel-backed Santa...

A vintage tinsel-back wire trim ornament
surrounds and highlights Santa's face.

       Recycling 'scraps,' charms, or clay novelties was common practice among Victorians. They believed that one could never have too much ''bling'' on a Christmas tree, so naturally adding tinsel to any small novelty was appropriate for the season during that era. 

       Here you see that I have crafted a simple ornament in much the same attitude with tinsel stripped from last year's gift wrapping scraps and a magnet saved from a twenty year old craft stash in the basement. 

        Wether you wish to admit it or not, I'm sure some of our readers could make one similar to this from several forgotten boxes of rubbish in their own attics and crawl spaces!

   Supply List:

• wire wrapped tinsel garland (any color)
• recycled Christmas refrigerator magnets
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• wire snips or old scissors 
• scrap cardboard
• scrap decorative paper or old wrapping paper
• white tacky glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. To remove the magnet from the Santa face I soaked the bottom in soapy hot water. This loosened the glue. Then I inserted a butter knife between the glue and resin to pop off the magnet with little effort.
2. Then I traced around the half head with a pencil on top of a small piece of scrap cardboard. 
3. Around the cardboard cut-out, I shaped a ''teardrop'' using red tinsel wire that ended in a bow. 
4. Around the bow I then twisted white wire into a bow and then wrapped it's remainder around the cardboard cut-out.
5. Then I hot glued the mask to the wrapped cardboard cut-out.
6. Next came a little holly and leaf trim attached with glue to the wire bow along with a hook for hanging.

Far left, are a couple of Santa head magnets left over from Christmas decoration for a refrigerator 
or clipboard. Center, is the tinsel wire wrap to emphasize the festive nature of Santa. Right, 
even more white tinsel added to highlight Santa's features.

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
  

Craft Vintage Inspired Cone Figures

Finished vintage inspired, cone angel figures.

       Tiny cone figures were frequently produced by mass industry at the end of the 1940s, primarily by the Japanese or in Germany for the North American market place. Catalogue companies like: J. C. Penny, Wards and Sears sold cone figures by the thousands through the mail, while five-and-dime stores like Woolworth's and made small fortunes by supplying the same kinds of factory made, inexpensive holiday ornaments directly from store displays and shelves.

      My vintage inspired angels are made the old-fashioned way, by hand. Factory made ornaments became popular after the first and second World Wars. Prior to that time, most ornaments were either made at home or supplied by various cottage industries throughout Western Europe and The United States, wherever Christmas trees were most popular. I've posted some examples of these manufactured angles below.

       To make cone shaped angels, your will need the following supplies: cotton batting balls (for heads), decorative papers (tiny Christmas designs), scrap cardboard, trim for bottom of skirts (lace and rick-rack), acrylic paints for heads and arms, thin wire for arms, tiny novelties for angels to hold (see pictures), white glue and hot glue.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Roll heads from cotton batting and white glue. 
2. Cut out skirts from patterned Christmas papers. 
3. Shape and paste the paper skirts into cones. 
4. Glue the head on top. 
5. Stuff the cone shaped skirts with acrylic batting. 
6. Glue a cardboard disk to the bottom of the cones.
7. Glue the pom pom features to the top of the head(s), one or two.
8. Wrap the string around the pom poms and above the forehead areas to make the hair design.
9. Cut the wings from decorative papers and glue these on.
10. Wrap cotton batting around thin wire and let dry.
11. Cut small pieces of that wire for arms and attach these with hot glue.
12. Hot glue tiny gifts for angels to carry: holly and berries, bows for presents, snowflakes, bottle brush trees etc...
13. Smear on touches of white glue and sprinkle angle wings with glitter.
    

      Left, roll heads from cotton batting and white glue. Center, cut out skirts from patterned Christmas papers. Right, shape and paste the paper skirts into cones, glue the head on top. I stuff the cone shaped skirts with acrylic batting and glue a cardboard disk to the bottom of the cones.

Left, tiny cone angels hold: holly, bow and snowflake. Center several have bottle brush
 trees. Right, one has wings cut from a doily... and many have transparent glitter stuck
  to their wings.

Left, my tiny vintage cone angel ornaments. I hang these on my feather tree every Christmas. Right, old catalogue page shown. Elf-like figures. Pine-cone dwarfs, Santas, angels, snowmen. Cotton felt. Stand or hang from tree. Set of 15. From Japan. Shipping weight 12 oz.

 

 

Close up of a tiny vintage cone angle from the 1960s. This tiny angel has a metallic paper skirt and embossed gold wings. She carries two candles in her small chenille stem armature. Her head is made from cotton batting. She has a beaded collar and hair made from tinsel.

Close up of a tiny pink vintage cone angel from the 1960s. Her dress is made from painted pink cardboard sprinkled with silver glitter. She has white chenille stem arms and holds a tiny sprig of green to represent a tree. Her wings are embossed and pink, her head is a cotton batting ball and her yellow hair is made from a silky strand of yarn.

Left, are miniature angels with tulle skirts playing harps. Right the very same hold lights, seen in catalogue.

Pattern for making a cone angel and one version of wings.
Go here to see a craft of a praying angel wreath for older students.

More Examples of Vintage Figures from The 1960s:

• Pink vintage angel made with chenille stems
• Vintage, retro lot of Christmas collectibles 1960s
• Favorite vintage finds of the week
• Christmas Decorations for seven generations

Deck The House With Green Boughs and Wreaths

Hemlock displayed over the mantle with a traditional holly wreath, with red bow, in the center.
Pine boughs are hung above the windows and picture frame. Holly wreaths are mounted on the 
window panes and a sprig of mistletoe is hung between these...

        Of the many ways in which we can give expression to the Christmas spirit there is none more lasting than the attractive decoration of the house. The pleasure of exchanging gifts is soon over, as is the enjoyment of each of many festivities, but the home decorations remain throughout the holiday season, always reminding us that it is Christmas and of what the season means.

Mistletoe sprigs are nailed above the door frames and wreath. The wreath is 
made using bay leaves and dried cranberries. Two hardy laurels are on either
side of the hutch. Lovely formal red ribbons adorn the plants.

       On this post are shown a few simple suggestions which can be inexpensively carried out. Holly wreaths are always identified with Christmas, but in connection with them very effective use can be made of other evergreens, such as hemlock and laurel. Why not try to make the home more Christmas-like this year than ever before?

Above is a long pine garland draped down the banister of the staircase.
Small clusters of holly and berries also between the garland. 

Festoons of Christmas greenery also decorate more mantles in this home and pots filled with
 hemlock and small conifers.

Oranges for Christmas...

       Make the bowl of colored construction paper. The oranges may be cut from white paper and colored with bright orange colored crayon. The paper oranges are pasted together to present a piled appearance, and then placed back into the bowl. If desired a few holly sprays, taken from the spray from the clip art file may be put in and among the oranges, to give a Christmas appearance. The design may be displayed on the wall after the picture is finished.

Pattern for orange bowl and oranges.

"An Orange for Frankie" is written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco.

       Children might like to make Christmas orange pomanders for the festive season. To make pomanders you will need toothpicks, cinnamon, whole cloves, and oranges. Spread out newsprint or an old tablecloth onto the surface you will be working on. Give each person their own orange and toothpicks to work with. Poke a design or face into the flesh of the orange and plug each tiny hole with a clove. Once you have finished your design, put the oranges into a pretty dish and cover them generously with the cinnamon. The pomander will perfume the air and keep your home smelling just like Christmas!

Craft a Nativity Diorama Using Paper Dolls

Arrangement for the paper doll figures. CC
An simpler set of figures for young children.

The Nativity by Charles Kingsley

O blessed day which giv'st the eternal lie

To self, and sense, and all the brute within;

Oh! come to us amid the war of life;

To hall and hovel come! to all who toil

In senate, shop and study! and to those

Ill-warned and sorely tempted-

Come to them, blest and blessing, Christmas Day!

Tell them once more the tale of Bethlehem,

The kneeling shepherds and the Babe Divine;

And keep them men indeed, fair Christmas Day!

        Children may collect all nine if these lovely paper dolls (some are pictured together) from the Creative Commons. Each paper doll represents a character in the traditional Christmas Crèche. The restored illustrations are not to be redistributed from alternative collections or sold for profits.
       What is a Crèche? A painting, diorama, display or sculpture representing the birth of Jesus.
       After you have printed them out on your home computer, color and cut them, arrange and paste the figures neatly inside a box.
       Add even more blue or purple paint to the box for the night sky and glitter for the endless stars.
       Collect straw or grass to arrange about the figures. Place the diorama on a table or beneath the Christmas tree in your home.

Angel figure with outstretched arms and wings.

       "Displaying a creche, a scene showing the Bethlehem stable at the birth of Christ, is one modern Christmas custom tied directly to Jesus' birth. Other decorations - candles, garlands, bright ornaments, holly, mistletoe and even the Christmas tree - stem from other customs and or from legends.

      The tableau of the Christmas creche is an effort to tell again the story of  the birth of Jesus in a manger. More than 700 years ago, St. Francis of Assisi made such a model to help make the story more real for Italian boys and girls. Since then many others have been made, some of them rare and expensive art treasures, some simple and lovingly made at home.

       One by one, we bring you figures which you can put into your own Christmas creche. Above you can see how to arrange them after cutting the figures out, mounting them on cardboard, and coloring these in.

       The angel is to be hung above the creche scene. This may be done by putting a thread or cord through the two holes at the top of her wings. Use a hole punch for this."

Next Figure(s)

A Visit To Santa Claus Land

A Visit To Santa Claus Land

The children visit Santa's garden of toys in their sleep at night!

        ONCE upon a time there were two children, a little boy named Willie and a little girl named Annie. Now, they could hardly wait for Santa Claus to visit them, so every day they would say to their mother, "Oh, Mother, how many days until Christmas? Must we wait a whole month, Mother? Twenty days more, ten days more, only five days more - how slowly the days drag on, Mother!"
       Now, the busy mother felt the time slip by all too rapidly, but the children counted the days on the calendar and grew more and more impatient each day. At last they shouted in glee, "Santa Claus will visit us to-night, and to-morrow is Merry Christmas!"
       They borrowed the longest, strongest stockings which they could find, and when their mother came to tuck them snugly in bed and to kiss them good-night, Willie said, "Do you know, Mother, I'm going to prop my eyelids wide open and watch all night for Santa Claus."
       "So am I" said Annie, "and when he comes down the chimney, we will ask him where he gets all the toys."
       "Oh, no, you must go right to sleep and he will come all the faster," answered the mother, as she turned out the lights and left the nursery. 
       After she had gone downstairs, Willie whispered to Annie, "Say, Annie, are you awake?''
       Yes, I am, but I'm getting so sleepy I wish he would hurry and come right now. Let's sing our Christmas carols for him."
       And so the two children sang all the songs they knew.
       "My, it does seem so long to wait. I am most asleep," said Willie, with a big yawn. "I tell you, we can take turns - you watch for him awhile, Annie, and then I shall."
       After a time Annie called out, "Willie, I'm so sleepy; it's your turn to watch." But she received no answer.
       The next thing they knew, Annie and Willie were away up in the North Pole country, with snow and ice around them on all sides, and right in front of them stood a high ice-wall. "How I wish we could go through this wall," said Willie, and just as he said this the ice seemed to open and there was a great gateway leading into the strangest garden that you ever heard of in all your life. It was a garden all of toys, and Annie and Willie could hardly believe their eyes as they saw the wonders about them. Hanging right over the wall there appeared to be something growing like morning-glories. When they looked again the children saw that they were not morning-glories at all, but small, toy talking-machines, while on a trumpet-vine nearby they saw growing, like flowers, real toy trumpets. Willie picked a trumpet at once and played on it: ''Toot-toot-toot-toot-too-oo-o.''
       Oh, you must not touch the toys, Willie,'' gasped poor Annie in fright. ''We don't know who owns this garden.''
       Just then the children saw the gardener of this wonderful land of toys. He was the merriest old man, dressed all in red, and his coat and hat were trimmed with ermine. His hair and beard were as white as the snow and his cheeks were like red, rosy apples, while his eyes twinkled like stars. The children knew who this gardener was at once, you may be sure. Why, it was Santa Claus, of course! He was cutting down a crop of whistles with his sickle. He had a large, red sack at his side and smaller bags nearby, and he was so happy that he sang as he worked:  

"In my wonderful garden of toys
Grows a crop for the good girls and boys.
Dolls, cannon, and drums,
Candy cake, sugar plums -
All grow in my garden of toys.''

       He was just ready to make up another verse when he spied the two children. ''Oh, ho, ho, ho!'' he laughed merrily, ''how did you two children come here?''
       Please, Mr. Santa Claus,'' said Willie shyly, ''we were waiting for you to visit us and the next thing we knew we were in this garden. We don't know how we came here, but, now that we are here, may we not help you to pick some toys?''
       ''Indeed, you may,'' said Santa Claus. ''I need two such helpers. I was just wondering how I could gather all these toys in time for tomorrow. Willie, will you please go over to the garden-bed in the corner and pull up some tops?''
       ''Pull up some tops!'' echoed Willie in amazement. But he took a red sack and went to the garden and began to pull up  toy tops. There were large tops growing like turnips and little tops growing like beets and radishes. There were all kinds of tops; some would humm-humm-humm-m-m and make music while Willie pulled them up. Next, Willie climbed a tree and began to pick red marbles growing just like cherries; and he found purple and blue marbles growing on a trellis, just like grapes - so he filled many small bags with marbles. He also climbed other trees where he thought he saw apples and oranges growing, but, when he came near them, he found different-colored balls - so he picked a bag of balls for Santa. "Santa, may I help too?" asked Annie.
       Indeed you may, my child,'' he answered.
       How should you like to pick dollies?'' So all this time Annie was busy getting him dollies, and she was very happy.
       "You dear, dear dollies!'' Annie said, as she hugged each one in turn. ''How happy all the little girls will be when they find these dollies Christmas morning!'' There were large dolls with the cutest bonnets on their heads, growing just like roses, and other dollies with the dearest pointed hats, growing up like tall holly-hocks. And then there were tiny dollies like pansies turning their pretty little faces up toward Annie.
       Presently Santa Claus began to water the grass and suddenly every blade of grass was a tiny tin soldier with his musket erectly held, while soldiers - tents, like mushrooms, sprang up all around. Sail-boats, steam-boats, motor-boats, row-boats and canoes were all out on a lake nearby, but they could never sink, for the lake was a large looking-glass, and fishes, ducks and swans were swimming on looking-glass streams. The children rushed from one garden to another and saw so many things to pick that they were kept very busy helping Santa Claus.
       "Oh, see those pumpkins and squashes over there on those vines!'' exclaimed Willie, but when he went to pick them he found drums, large and small, and foot-balls and basket-balls lying on the ground, like melons and pumpkins turned brown.
       "Whee-ee-ee-ee! Isn't this jolly! See those funny brown leaves blowing in the wind," called Annie. "They are all sizes and shapes."
       When the children came near to pick them, they found no leaves at all, but brown Teddy- bears with their arms and feet out-stretched. The children hugged them in their arms and the Teddy-bears gave little squeaks of glee,  for they were so glad to be gathered in with this harvest of toys.
       Suddenly, overhead, the children heard a whirr-whirr-whirring noise, and when they looked up it seemed as if great swarms of dragon-flies and butterflies were hovering over them. "Ha, ha, ha!'' laughed Santa Claus, as he watched the surprised children.
       "Those are new toys; they only lately have come to my land - but, here, take these butterfly nets and try to catch a few of them."
       And when Annie and Willie brought these toys down a little nearer, they saw that they were not dragonflies or butterflies, but toy airplanes.
       Tiny, toy trains went gliding over steel rails, across switches, under tunnels, over bridges, and stopped at stations, quite like really, truly trains.  
       "How should you like to see my farm?'' asked Santa Claus. And the next thing Annie and Willie knew they were in a toy land barnyard. Houses, fences and barns with stalls for horses and cows, and everything as complete as a real farm. Horses rocked to and fro or rolled about on wheels; toy lambs, so wooly and white, said, "Baa-baa-baa,'' when their heads were turned to one side.
       There was also a menagerie of wild animals nearby. Elephants and tigers, lions and monkeys - more animals than you can tell about were there, and they looked so real that at first Annie felt like running to hide behind Santa Claus. Then Santa Claus led them through toy villages and they really felt like giants when they looked down on all the dolls‚ houses and different stores, toy theaters, toy post-offices, toy grocery stores, meat markets, and in all these stores were dolls for clerks and dolls for customers.
       Then Santa Claus took them far away from the villages, out through the orchard where the sugar-plum trees were growing, and after they had filled many bags with candy he led them out to the Christmas tree forest. Here they found Christmas trees growing with gold and silver tinsel and hung with glass balls and chains, while tiny, colored lights were twinkling through the branches. Santa Claus had to gather these trees and pack them with great care.
       The next thing the children knew, Santa Claus had taken them right into his home. There they saw a dear old lady with snow-white hair who was sewing on some dolls clothes. She was dressing some of the  dollies that had sprung up without any clothes. It was Mrs. Santa Claus, of course, and as she hugged and kissed the children she said to Santa Claus, ''The dears, where did you find them?''
       "Out in the garden," answered Santa Claus. ''I don't know how they came here, but they are excellent helpers. They have been helping me to gather my toys. I shall soon be ready now, after I do a little more work in my shop. You know, my dear, I must first test my winding toys, for that clock-work machinery does break so easily.''
       As he talked, Santa Claus took off his cap and coat, rolled up his sleeves and went right to work. He wound and tested each toy, and Willie helped him by handing him the keys for each one. There was a honk-honk-honk , a toot- toot- toot, a chug, chug. chug , and a clang , clang , clang , as automobiles, boats, engines, fire-engines and all kinds of mechanical toys went running about the shop like mad. Next Santa was working with his saw and plane, his hammer and nails, and with a rap and a tap he finished the roof of a doll's house.
       Mrs. Santa had dressed all the dolls and furnished the dolls' houses. "What a cute little kitchen!" exclaimed Annie. "Oh, Willie, do you see this dining-room and the cunning parlor and this little bed-room? How I should love to play dolls in this house!" Then Annie turned to Mrs. Santa Claus and said, ''May help you? I could thread your needles or help in some other way?"
       Why, so you may, my dear,'' answered Mrs. Santa Claus. ''My eyes are getting old and if you will thread my needles it will be a great help." So Annie threaded needles and helped Mrs. Santa Claus to dress the last doll and then to pack all the clothes in a new doll's trunk.
       Santa Claus sat at his desk and finished writing a story and drawing the last pictures when suddenly the clock struck, Ding- dong-ding. Twelve times it struck and Mrs. Santa Claus said, ''It is time you were up and away, sir.'' She helped Santa Claus into his big cloak and he pulled on his high boots and his warm gloves and pulled his cap down over his ears.
       Just then the reindeer were heard prancing and pawing outside, impatient to be off and away. Santa Claus bundled his big pack of toys into his sleigh and put in all his Christmas trees. He kissed Mrs. Santa on both cheeks, and with a big smack on the lips called out "Good-by, Mother," and, picking up Annie and Willie as if they were live dolls, tucked one under each arm and dashed out to the magic sleigh. They seemed fairly happy to fly through the air, and the moon and the stars seemed to dance in the sky as they went on faster and faster. Then they came down nearer and nearer to earth where the lights in the great city gleamed like fireflies far below.
       The next thing Annie and Willie knew, they were on the roof of their own home. The next thing they knew, they were down, down the chimney and - there they were right in their own, little beds! The sunlight was streaming into their eyes and their mother was calling, ''Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, little sleepy heads!''
       Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!'' they both shouted, as they bounced out of bed and rushed for their stockings which were fairly bulging with toys, and Annie was soon hugging and kissing a new dolly while Willie was blowing a new trumpet. In the other room stood a large Christmas tree which had come from the Christmas tree forest.
       "Oh, we know where these toys came from,'' said Willie. ''They came from the garden of toys, for we visited Santa Claus Land last night.''
       Now, tonight, when you go to bed, close your eyes tightly and go to sleep and I am sure you too can pay a visit to Santa Claus Land. by G. Faulkner

Merry Christmas!

Printable Christmas Wreath Frame

         Cut the oval center away to replace with a photograph of family, friends or even a beloved pet. Trace around the printed holly wreath on top of thin cardboard to cut a sturdy backing. Punch a tiny hole at the top of the festive frame with a pin and thread a fine wire or twin through it and knot. Now you can hang the wreath on your Christmas tree or use it as a fancy mat inside of a wooden picture frame to remember loved ones... Merry Christmas to All!

Cut-Away the green oval to frame a loved one inside using a photograph you take yourself.

DIY a Yule Log Centerpiece

Steps to assemble a Yule Log centerpiece.

 "The old north breeze thro' the skeleton trees, is chanting the year out drearily; but loud let it blow, for at home we know that the dry logs crackle cheerily." Albert Smith

       The Yule Log was a great log of wood, sometimes the root of a tree, brought into the house with great ceremony on Christmas Eve, laid in the fire-place, and lighted with the brand of last year's log. While it lasted there was great drinking, singing, and telling of tales. Sometimes it was accompanied by Christmas candles; but in the primitive cottage the only light was from the ruddy blaze of the great wood fire. The Yule Log was to burn all night; if it went out, it was considered a sign of ill luck.

• Read more about the Christmas Yule Log Traditions of England
• Craft a Cotton Batting, Birch Yule Log Ornament
• Make a Yule Log cake candy container

Supply List:

• a dry log
• drill press - woodworking tool
  
• candles tapers or other sizes if you prefer
  
• bit to fit the press that is the same size of the candles
• greenery collected together to trim the log: pine cones, red berries, holly etc...
• optional feet cut from branches to stabilize the log
• thin wire for attaching greenery
  

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Select a clean, dry log of medium size for decorating the center of your Christmas table.
2. This log may have a flatish bottom or your may need to cut pegs from scrap branches to keep the log from rolling while on display. (see photos)
3. Choose a drill bit the same diameter as the candles you wish to use inside of the yule log and drill several inches into the log. If some of these are deeper than others and the candles don't fit exactly, just stuff cotton down inside of the holes to even the candle heights in the beginning.
4. Wire in Yule Log greenery in an attractive fashion.
5. You may also wish to display a Yule Log inside of your fire surround or fireplace instead of burning logs. This always adds a romantic touch during the holidays and is far less messy!

Yule Log Plant & Candle Meanings:

• English Ivy - symbolizes eternal life
• Holly/Holiday Berries and Mistletoe - good luck, protection
• Pine Cones - symbolize resurrection
• Juniper Sprigs - symbolize healing
• Candles - white symbolize "light", red symbolize determination, green prosperity

Close up of plants used to trim our Yule log.

 

        "These are glowing today for very joy, each in the measure of its greatness, like the wax candles which burn big and bright if they are big, little and bright if they are little, but are all flaming heavenward in rapture. Christmas is for everybody. To each of us the Child was born, and the world that was redeemed is our world. The merry greetings of Christmas morning are but symbols of that redemption. The children's happiness, the neighborly good-will, the generous deed are at once memorials of that pure dawn of long ago, and prophecies of a day more perfect still. Indeed, when we truly keep Christmas in the heart, the heavens are so near - the earth that the angelic voices are like the voices of those we love, and the faces of those we love shine like the faces of the angels. We forget the poor gift, the half-filled stocking, the anxiety. We think only of the perfection that is so close, after all, to our imperfection. To live but one day in good-will to all men is to anticipate and hasten that day when all men shall live in good-will. It is thus that the candles now lighted in the heart shall also be." Perry

Christmas Tree Lane

Christmas Tree Lane
by Cecil Cavendish

There are many fine streets
In this good town of mine.
There's Walnut and Willow,
Persimmon and Pine;
And Broad Road, and Broad Way
And High Street and Main-
But none I love better
Than Christmas-tree Lane.

You'll seek it in vain
In all seasons but one.
When snow-clouds are hiding
The pale winter sun,
And winds of December
Blow cold at the pane-
'T is then you'll be finding
This Christmas-tree Lane.

They come with their branches
Of holly so gay,
With garlands of ivy
And mistletoe spray;
And dozens of pine-trees
They bring in their train
To make the old market
A Christmas-tree Lane.

The sight and the scent
Of the sweet-smelling pine,
They set me to dreaming
An old dream of mine:
I'd buy all the pine-trees,
The high and the low,
And trim them with presents
For children I know.

Yes, deck all the branches
With candy and toys,
And send out a message
For good girls and boys.
I fancy I hear their
Glad carol's refrain
As slowly I wander
Down Christmas-tree Lane.

Christmas Gift Tags for Coloring

Eight holly tags for coloring. Write to and from labels for presents.

       Color these simple holly and Christmas tree gift tags. Use your own pens, crayons or colored pencils to match the colors in your gift wrap this year. Punch the hole where shown and tie a colorful twine or ribbon to match your choice of gift wrap too.

Eight gift tags of Christmas trees for coloring. "Merry Xmas" on the labels.

Color and Cut-Out The Paper Santa Claus

This paper doll requires brads for it's assembly.

Description of Coloring Page: A Santa paper doll, Santa's suit, moving parts, bag of toys, snow white beard, big black boots

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.

 

 A Holly Song by Mary E. Butts

Oho! for the holly, the shining holly,
Green when the year is old;
Brave and bright in the winter light,
Glad in the storm and cold.
Oho! for the holly, the faithful holly,
Like the heart that is true and bold.

White are the drifts in the bleak December;
Red is the holly fruit;
Deep in the woods in the Christmas splendor
When the noisy winds are mute,
We gather the holly, the shining holly,
For its joy doth the season suit.

Then oho! for the holly, the brave, bright holly;
Oho! for the winter cold!
May we never forget our due and debt
To the Christmas Day of old;
But warm with love the patient earth
Wrapped in the snow's white fold

Hey kids, here are kids from WhatsUpMoms making three great Christmas cookies on their own in the kitchen! Learn how to make the holidays delicious all by yourself, well... maybe you will need a little help from Mom.

Snowmen With Children on Antique Postcards

       Fun, restored antique Christmas cards with children and snowmen playing in the snow together. Some holly, old farm houses, brooms, pipes, and old-fashioned clothing also pictured. Have fun crafting with these and mailing them to your friends and family!

Three little boys looking for a snowball fight.

Four children circle a snowman who wears a crown of holly.

A little miss shares secrets with a snowman.

"May joy and happiness be your's at Christmas"

Snowman with sick broom and admiring female fans.

Santa Toasts the Christmas Holiday

text, "Here's to you and a Merry Christmas."

Description of Postcards: Jolly Old St. Nicholas, toasting with Christmas punch, mulled wine or egg nog take your pick, Santa's beard, red suit, restored antique postcards for Christmas Greetings and crafts, holly berries and leaves

           

text, "A Merry Christmas, Cast dull care away, For here's to Xmas day. Join the festive bowl,
And be a jolly soul."

Quick and Easy Christmas Placecards

Step-by-step process for place-cards.

        A Christmas Place-Card: At Christmas dinner we like to have a card at each guests chair. The drawing, just right, shows step-by-step how to make a card that will hold a candle or perhaps a small sprig of holly.

1. Take a piece of heavy white paper that is six inches long and two inches wide. 
2. Fold it in the middle, like Figure 2.
3. Cut two slits in the fold, near the middle like figure 3.
4. The part you have cut makes a holder for a Christmas candle or holly sprig. Make a card for everyone at the holiday dinner table this year.
   

More Easy Christmas Place-Cards: 

• Mini tree stump Christmas place card holders
• Top 10 Creative DIY Christmas Place Cards

Christmas Spirit

by Adelaide Burnett, Age 15

The day had pulled its curtain and lit its multitudes of light.

Flakes of snow fell through the endless sea of night.

The world and all its cares were packed away,

To wait the herald sun's announcing of the coming day.

The fingers of the branches reached into the gelidity of air,

And formed a lacy network against the heavens everywhere.

God, seated on His celestial throne above,

Sent down to the world below rays of joy and love.

The Holy Spirit of Christmas settled over all the land,

And soon the nations everywhere would join hand in hand,

To sing, praise, and worship as with one great accord,

On the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord.

How to make double star ornaments for the tree, table or to hang in the window or on a garland...

1. Make two stars from heavy paper or cardboard.
2. Cut slits as shown in figures 1. and 2. above.
3. Insert one star into the other as shown in figures 3. and 4. above
4. Use a spray adhesive to make the surfaces tacky for glitter if you wish.