Craft tiny sea horse ornaments for the feather tree!

Miniature sea horses made from cotton batting
in four colors: pink, lavender, coral and blue.

        These sweet little sea horses are not found under the sea...but hanging from our family feather tree. Paint them pinks, lavenders, and blues and sprinkle with glitter too!

Supply List:

• acrylic paints in pastel colors
• white cupcake liners
• translucent glitter
• white school glue
• hot glue gun and glue
• one chenille stem per sea horse
• puff paints for eyes

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a chenille stem into approx. half length.
2. Unravel several cotton balls and set these aside.
3. Shape the bottom end into a spiral. Shape the opposite end into a hook for the head of the sea horse. Both of these ends will be reworked later but having them bent early will help you to understand the proportions of the sea horse as you work.
4. The belly of the sea horse will require you to build up more batting than you will need at either end.
5. Layer white glue and batting fuzz around the belly first.
6. Now unbend the hooked head and gradually twist batting around the chenille end to bulk up the head area. Bend this end back in place and compare it with the photos of mine. When you are satisfied with your results let the head dry and harden.
7. Now do the same for the spiral tail. You will need far less cotton batting for this end. Make the application of cotton far less and gradually smooth it down from the underside of the sea creature's belly.
8. Bend the spiral tail back into place and let it dry completely.
9. Add pastel color washes to your sea horse.
10. Cut small rippled sections of the white cupcake liner for the dorsal and pectoral fins and glue them in place with hot glue. 
11. Paint the fins
12. Paint on the eyes using puff paints to make them more dimensional
13. Smear on a bit of white school glue and sprinkle on glitter.

The March of The Chocolate Soldiers!

  

The March of The Chocolate Soldiers
by Margaret McBride Hoss

The Chocolate soldiers are marching to-day
Through the heart of Candyville town.
Down Marshmallow Street,
With measured beat,
Stride the ranks of butternut brown

Tramp-tramp-tramp-tramp-
To the roll of sugar-plum drum,
Heads erect.
Step correct,
The chocolate soldiers come!

March-march-march-march-
Not a chocolate soldier lags,
Left . . right . . . 
They pass from sight
'Mid a flutter of peppermint flags!

 

More Toy Soldiers or Nutcrackers for Christmas:

• Craft a Christmas Soldier Wearing a Bearskin Hat
• Nutcracker Dolls at Doll Coloring Book
• The Steadfast Tin Soldier Diorama 
  

Simple and easy to make hydrangea under glass...

Delicate hydrangea petals in a Christmas bauble.

       My eldest daughter loves hydrangea. She has several of these growing in our lawn and displays them lovingly about the house fresh or dried year round. Frankly, I'm surprised she had not thought to include these in an ornament sooner...

Supply List:

• hollow, clear bauble and clip on cap
• dried hydrangea petals
• vintage lace

       To make the ornament, she gently pushed the dried petals through the opening at the top of the hollow glass ornament until the bauble was full. Then she replaced the cap, added a hook and tied a lace bow about the top! This would make a quick and easy craft for those of you who love to decorate the Christmas tree using plants from your garden.

• How to dray hydrangea blooms by Proven Winners
• How to dry out hydrangea flowers by Garden Style nw

Dreams of Toys Puzzle

         Both William and Hannah are tucked in tight and dreaming of the toys Santa might bring. Use the pictures included in the sheet below to help you unscramble the toys of their dreams.

Children with visions of toys dancing in their heads...

You can craft cotton strawberries for the tree too!

Tiny cotton batting strawberries for the feather tree.

    Miniature cotton batting strawberries are the easiest ornaments one can make using unraveled cotton balls and a bit of glue and paint. These ornaments look lovely on any tree, not just feather trees and they can be made much larger if you prefer.

 Supply List:

• cotton balls
• red and green acrylic paints
• translucent glitter
• green felt or paper for leaves
• thin wire
• black permanent marker
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First unravel several cotton balls. 
2. Dab onto the wire a small bit of cotton and glue. Roll the wire between your palms until it is covered.
3. Roll a tight tiny ball of cotton and glue and then wrap the wire around this twisting one end around itself and forming the opposite end into a hook.
   
4. Take another piece of cotton and roll it again between the palms of your hands along with a squeeze of white school glue. Do not compress the cotton.
5. Gently attach this berry to the end of the wire with the small ball using more glue and cotton.
   
6. Add more layers of cotton and glue until you have formed the fruit into the size and shape that you prefer. Let it dry.
7. Paint the berry bright red at the top with acrylics and gradually water down the red paint in areas with lighter pigment. (see photo above)
8. Cut tiny green petals from paper or felt and glue these around the stem. 
9. Paint the stem green.
10. Add tiny black dots for seeds using a permanent felt ink marker.
11. Smear on the glue gently wear you would like glitter. 
12. Sprinkle on the glitter and hang the strawberry on the tree to display and dry.
    

A Letter To Santa Crossword Puzzle

        I've made this crossword puzzle for Christmas based upon clues found in the lines of a poem, "A Letter to Santa." The poem has sixteen lines and there is one clue per line given. It helps to read the poem and know that the puzzle should be solved within the context of the lines of the poem. The additional clue for line "8" is edible, I felt that it was necessary for the word to be solved. Line "8" of the poem didn't quite fit in with the poem; I just thought about the only mittens being shaped like something a child would always choose...

"A Letter to Santa" crossword puzzle.

Answer key for "A Letter to Santa"

Tricky Tags Christmas Puzzle

19 presents must be found for 19 people under one roof!

       The gift tags were left off of the packages by accident! Help Santa figure out who gets what gift by unscrambling the letters that will identify each gift. Every person receiving a gift has also a clue included with their name that will help you figure out their present. If the game is too easy, time it so that the first person to complete the game in the least amount of time wins a prize.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier Diorama

"What a perfect wife she would make for me!" he thought. "But she might be too grand. She's used to a Castle. It would be hard to ask her to move into a box with me and my twenty-four brothers. Still I wish I could get to know her." tin soldier (from our families book about The Steadfast Tin Soldier illustrated by Fred Marcellino)

 

Left the front view of my cardboard castle diorama. Right, the backside.

This is a different version of the Steadfast Tin Soldier.

Read about our version in a book review here.

        To make a diorama similar to this one you will need to gather the following supplies. The project has many details and will take some older students (4th and 5th graders) more than one day to complete.

Dancing ballerina, 3 sizes. Make skirt covers the upper leg.
Craft paper ballerina finger puppets here.
Make ballerina clothespin dolls here.

Supply List:  on the right include a printable of ballerina.

• a shoe box lid 
• brown paper bags
• a fine tip black permanent marker
• Mod Podge
• green paper
• a metallic wrapping paper
• kitchen foil
• several cotton balls
• white school glue
• masking tape
• 10 or 11 acorn caps
• one tooth-pick 
• green glitter
• printable of the ballerina (just right) and the tin soldiers (below)
  
• extra white paper for the swans
• one cup cake paper cup liner for skirt
• ribbon (3-4 inches)
• colored pencils,
• two long narrow boxes the exact same size for the towers of the castle
• a jewel for the dancer's skirt.
• both flimsy and heavy scrap cardboard
• newsprint
  

       To make the figures for this diorama, print the patterns given below. Cut-out the figures and use colored pencils to color in the ballerina's arm, leg and face. Color all of the tin soldiers costume using a brilliant red and navy blue. Glue on the ruffled part of a cupcake liner to the dancer's waist to create a tulle skirt and finish off her costume with a silk ribbon bow and a small jewel bead. Color her tiara of flowers pink or blue. You may also wish to add details like a feather to the cap of the tin soldier. Mount both of the figures on flimsy cardboard, like the kind used to make cereal boxes with. You can further craft a small stand for the tin soldier and also glue a toothpick to the bottom of the ballerina's toe. About half of the toothpick many be pasted to the backside of her leg; let the other half stick out from the tip of her pointing toe. This will be poked inside the cardboard steps and secured with hot glue when the time comes to mount her inside the diorama.

       Use a hot glue gun to assemble the acorn "trees." squeeze the glue inside the caps and stack these on top of each other until you have trees the height you prefer. Smear a bit of white glue onto the surfaces of these nut-cap trees and sprinkle on as much green glitter as you like.

Step-by-Step Instructions for The Castle:

1. To make the castle for this diorama, you will need to cut a backing to secure the two towers onto  each end. 
2. Then using masking tape, firmly wrap and glue this wall structure to the inverted side of a shoe box lid.
3. Cut and fold a cardboard roof to bend and then sandwich between the towers. 
4. Cover the towers with brown wrapping paper and white school glue. 
5. Cover the roof between the two with green paper. 
6. Make sure that the space between the towers and beneath the roof is large enough to include the ballerina inside the gap. 
7. Cover this gap's back wall and steps with decorative Christmas wrap. 
8. Hot glue and mount the paper dancer by poking her toothpick tipped slipper inside the cardboard steps. 
9. Mount the aluminum foil covered lake in front at the foot of the steps. 
10. Hot glue acorn stacked trees around the lake. 
11. Glue in the swans and cover the surfaces with cotton batting to make the foreground look as though it is covered with snow. 
12. Now use the black permanent marker with a fine tip to draw on bricks or stones of the castle.
13. Mod Podge the castle structure.
14. Glue on additional snow around the towers and on the roof if you like.
    

The details of the mirrored lake where the wax swans swam.
Except, our swans are made of paper.

    

       In order to make the lake for the swans, cut a piece of cardboard in the shape you would like for the frozen pond; cover this with white school glue and then wrap the little mirrored lake with kitchen tin foil. Mount this on the bottom of the diorama's inverted, shoe-box lid just in front of the steps. Use the step-by-step instructions below to draw your swans on the extra white paper with a maker. Cut these swans out but include a small tab at the bottom of each swan. Fold this tab backwards (out of sight) and dab it with glue. Press the sticky tab firmly in place on top of the foil lake where ever you would like the swans to be swimming.

How to draw a swan Step-by-Step. For your pond.

 

 

 

 

The steadfast tin soldier with his brothers. Printable by kathy grimm for students and play only. Click to download the largest available size.

Extra marching band for your diorama. Click to enlarge.
another DIY Christmas toy soldier craft here.

 

How to fold a sailors hat using newsprint, just like the one the 

two child urchins put the tin soldier into to sail him down the 

streets into a great canal!

Baby Jesus Inside the Diorama

Baby Jesus born to be The King of Heaven and Earth.

       The Christ Child in the manger is the last picture in the Christmas crib series. Color the picture, paste it on cardboard and cut it out along with the star that shines above the manger scene.

       On the floor are some of the gifts which the characters in the nativity have brought to Him. Pure, clean water, a treasure in a dry land, is in a rude jug. That and the sheaf of grain are the gifts of the poor shepherds. Beside these stand caskets of incense and below is a tray of gold, the gifts of the Wise Men.

       Fold the center part forward, the outer ends of the base backwards so that picture will stand.

       The star cut-out should also be colored brightly first, then hung above the manger scene.

Back and Forward to The Index Page

Mary Inside the Diorama

Mary seated in prayer, admires her baby, Jesus.

       "Mary, the mother. of the infant Jesus, is shown in the fifth picture to be used in making a Christmas Crib.

       Color the figure, paste it on cardboard and cut it out. Because of many of the great painters of the past have painted this scene, we usually think of Mary wearing a cloak of rich deep blue over a red gown. But this is a artistic choice. Mary probably dressed in natural earth colors common to her people at the time. In either case, you may color her robes however you prefer."

One of the great Christmas hymns is "Silent Night." -

Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright

'Round yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy infant so

tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.

Back or Next To Last Paper Figure.

Joseph Inside the Diorama

Joseph watches over Mary and the baby, Jesus.

        This is Joseph, the fourth figure for your Christmas crib, or creche. He was a humble man, a carpenter, (actually a stone mason) so his clothing is plain. 

       Color the picture, paste it on cardboard and cut it out. He wears a dark mantle over a gray robe. But his sash is colorful, you could make it red or green. And the straw peeping out from under his robe is yellow. 

       The center of the base folds forward, the outer ends fold back to make it stand. Add this picture to the three figures you have already saved.

One of our best-loved Christmas songs tell us:

Oh, come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

Oh come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem:

Come and behold him, born the King of Angels,

Oh, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

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How to make mini cotton batting candy canes...

Mini cotton batting candy canes for feather tree.

       Candy canes are very old-fashioned theme for a Christmas tree. These petite "shepherd" hooks in peppermint colors red and white are simple made and look charming on any feather tree.

Supply List:

• thin wire
• cotton balls
• chenille stem
• red and white acrylic paint
• tiny brush
• translucent glitter
• white school glue
• fine gold cord for hanging

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Bend and cut the candy cane shape in the size and proportion you prefer. My mini candy canes for the family feather tree measure approximately two inches.
   
2. Unravel two to three cotton balls.
3. As you work with the batting and white glue it is easier at first to unbend the candy cane and cover the full length of the chenille stem with a even distribution of cotton. I made mine approximately 1/4".
4. Now bend one end into a hook shape again. Let the batting and glue dry and harden.
5. Roll a thin layer of glue and cotton batting down a foot length of wire between your finger tips. Make it an even coating of cotton as you go.
6. Next paint the candy cane hook red. Let it dry completely.
7. Wrap the white cotton coated wire around the red hook using white glue to attach it. Let dry.
8. Smear a bit of white glue on the mini candy cane and sprinkle it with glitter.
9. Attach a thin gold cord for hanging

Wise Men Inside the Diorama

Three Kings bearing precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
These gifts are things that a great King would need for his burial.

       Here, the third picture in the series of your creche, are the three Wise Men, who traveled a great distance to see the new King and to bring Him gifts. A tradition says their names were Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. 

       Paste this picture on cereal box cardboard and color is with crayons, markers or colored pencils. The kings are kneeling on straw, which is yellow. They are dressed richly and in brilliant colors- reds, blues, greens. Each king represents different parts of the world where people have many different colors of skin, so the picture should reflect this idea.

We three kings of Orient are:

Bearing gifts we traverse afar.

Field and fountain, moor and mountain,

following yonder Star.

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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!

Stamped ornaments from Brown Bag cookie tiles

Cookie stamps were sold inside a small wooden catty with decoupaged label.

        These cookie stamps by Brown Bag, 1999 are about half the size of regular Brown Bag cookie molds. They came in a set of four, which I have, but only two are included below so far. Visitors may copy the way that I have painted my own if they wish. I used air dry clay to mold stamped ornaments so that they would be incredibly light weight for the Christmas tree. I hand painted my ornaments with acrylics.

The snowman carries a straw broom stick and wears a top hat and scarf. He has a carrot for a nose.

The Santa is dressed more like a belsnickle here and he carries a small Christmas tree with star on top.

DIY Miniature Cotton Batting Cherries

Cotton batting cherries and stems.

       Here is another very simple, miniature ornament to complete for your feather tree. Small cherries on stems in festive Christmas colors of red and green.

Supply List:

• thin wire
• cotton balls 
• white school glue
• acrylic paints: green, red
• transparent glitter

Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Start by unraveling 5 or 6 cotton balls.
• Cut a length of then wire and apply a thin line of white glue down it's length. 
• Roll small pieces of batting on to it's length between your fingers until the wire is covered evenly with a thin layer of cotton.
• Bend this four inch length wire in half and glue small balls of cotton at each end.
• Build up the balls of cotton until these are the size of cherries. Let dry.
• Paint the stems with green acrylic paint.
• Paint the cherries dark to light from their centers nearest the stem and gradually add more water to the painted surface as you proceed around the cherry.
• Where the red is lightest brush on a thin coat of white glue and sprinkle on transparent glitter.
• Add a wire hook covered with cotton batting and painted a darker green.

Shepherds Inside The Diorama

Two shepherds, two sheep, one staff.

 

       Here are two of the shepherds who were in the fields of Bethlehem and followed the light of the great star to the manger. One of them is a grown man and the other a young boy who has carried his pet lamb as a gift to the Christ Child. Together thy form the second picture with which to make your own Christmas crib or creche.
       Color the figures brightly, paste them on cardboard and cut them out in one piece. The big sheep is gray, but the lamb is white.
       So that the figures will stand up, fold forward the center part of the base, and fold back the two end flaps. Then put it away with the angel until you have the whole set.

While shepherds watch'd their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around

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Craft a Nativity Diorama Using Paper Dolls

Arrangement for the paper doll figures. CC

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)

Make these tiny pears for your feather tree...

These tiny pears without their hooks are
no larger longer than one inch.

        Miniature cotton batting pears are simple enough to shape from cotton batting for a beginner. Paint them using water color like washes of acrylic. The acrylics will remain brilliant longer next to artificial lighting over time. Although, I do not hang fairy lights on my feather tree, some of you may choose to do this and so use a paint that has some durability but that also looks delicate after being applied.

Supply List:

• cotton balls (one or two)
• thin wire
• acrylic paints: two greens, brown yellow
• translucent glitter
• white school glue
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Unravel the cotton balls.
2. Cut a thin piece of wire and drip on a tiny bit of glue.
3. Wrap the wire with a fine film of cotton. Roll this wire between the palms of your hands to tighten the fibers down.
4. Snip off one inch of the wire and wrap a tear drop pear shape onto the wire slowly. Use glue between the layers of cotton. Let dry.
5. Smooth on a final glue finish and let it dry.
6. Paint the pear with a brown stem.
7. Add a unsaturated green around the edge of the batting that buts up against the stem. Gradually add more water to the green on the pear as you dab towards the center of the shape.
8. Water down the yellow and dab this on the center of the pear. As you approach the bottom end paint with a more intense yellow. Try to make the colors of your pear filter gently into one another, as through you are painting with water color washes on paper.
9. Smear on a bit of white glue after the paint colors have dries and sprinkle on the glitter. Let dry.
10. Paint the vine, which will also act as a hook, a darker green or another green entirely. Let dry and twist it about the stem of the pear into a hook shape.
    

The Secret to A Very Merry Christmas

Wise men seeking a King, a perfect King.

        When the first clear voice of the belfry rings out upon the frost sweetened Christmas morning air, let us rise within ourselves to a higher realization of the significance of the Christmas spirit. It remained for the noble, manger-born Jew of Nazareth to imbue this festival time with the splendid spirit of sacrifice, and to teach us that there is far greater joy in giving than in receiving.
       It is the special mission of all art workers to give. It is within their power to contribute to the world a kind of wealth beside which the millions of the plutocrat seem paltry. The glorious Christmastide affords a fine opportunity for any artist to carry his or her tribute to those who need them most.
       What shall be your frankincense and myrrh? It might be a little song to carry some aged soul back to the golden days of youth, when the argosies (merchant ships) were all coming in, when life was all hope, all joy, all love; it might be a soothing melody caressed from an old violin to ease the pain and mental anguish of some sufferer; it might be some happy little game played or craft made for the dear little ones in a homeless shelter, to make them forget, if for only a few moments, what it means to spend Christmas‚ of all days in the year without a mamma or a papa.
       Come, do not let us fall into the venal convention of making Christmas an consumption of cheap tinsel and gourmandizing. Let us be completely filled with the jovial spirit of the day. Let us remember that it is the privilege of musicians to give certain gifts, not to he found in the steel barred vaults of the multimillionaire. Let us realize that the best way to attain happiness is through making others happy. This is the secret of a Merry Christmas.  
       Since Christ's humble beginnings in Nazareth, the world has made tremendous advances in many directions, and it has also gone through cataclysms too hideous to think about. Empires, great cities, huge navies and millions of men have been wiped out of existence, but these ideals of the Christ Spirit, the spirit of love and giving, enthroned in Christmas, are eternal. A millennium of wars could not crush
       These ideals are still the ideals of many in this materialistic age, even more than ever before. They have sustained and fortified us. They are our everlasting Fountain of Youth, Faith and Joy. We are grateful for the unending fine responses that our readers have always given to them. They bring all of us closer together.

Eel for The Christmas Eve Soup

        Serving Eel is a traditional Italian Christmas dish. It is popular also with the Swedes, Dutch, French and English. In Victorian days, the eel pie was a feature of English fairs. In North America's past, the eel captured in the St. Lawrence and along the Richelieu river in Quebec was believed to have the best taste. In England, the eel of the Severn river was reputed to be of the meatiest grade, so much so, in fact, that before the World Wars the Dutch kept two eel ships moored off of London bridge in accord with an ancient charter.
       In North America, the eel is spawned in the Saragossa sea near Bermuda. Two thousand feet below the surface, the eel emerges from it's egg, a flat and transparent creature. After growing an inch in length, the eel then joins the rest of the herd that starts its migration north.
       The eels will swim for thousands of miles along the coast, heading into estuaries and tidal marshes. Males generally settle down, but the female restlessly moves on until finding waters exactly to her liking. After settling, the eels feed and grow rapidly, adding a row of tiny scales with each birthday. When eight years old, they reach maturity. Then they return to the Saragossa sea to spawn. It is said they turn a silvery white during the breeding period.
       Italian women have many special dishes for preparing this Christmas treat. There are recipes for baking, grilling and frying. The Swedes sell eel for smorgasbord. Cutting it into short lengths, they boil it tender and then mold the flaked white flesh in piquant vinegar aspic.

A lovely Italian grandma makes baccala & eel Soup!

Snowman gift tags to make Christmas a little merrier...

        Here is a set of snowman themed gift tags to label your Christmas presents. I've made these a bit larger than usual in case some little folks have difficulty writing such small text on packages. Kids can color the carrot noses orange too! Ho ho ho...

Snowman gift tags in blue.

When Christmas Was Born...

The Baby Gives A Blessing.

For this small hand in mine I take
Shall never grow to grasp a sword ;

But build the house we could not make
Fit for the living Lord.

And where we dared not follow Truth
But paltered with the word and pen,

The sudden lightning of your youth
Shall blaze a path for men.

O heart of hope, O little child,
Fulfillment of the grace we lack,

Lift up the trust we have defiled,
Give us our glory back. 

       That war will end is the testimony of Prophecy. Among the blessings to which Israel looks forward in the Messianic time none is more emphasized than peace. The covenant which God made with the fathers at the first, and for the fulfillment of which the prophets confidently look, is a covenant of peace. The messenger who brings tidings of the coming salvation is one who publishes peace. The Messiah Himself is the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more. Psalmist and prophet alike are full of pictures of the time when Yahweh shall bless His people with peace; when the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in the abundance of peace; when peace shall be within the walls of Jerusalem; in the temple; when men shall go in with joy and be led forth with peace; when the very officers shall be peace and the exactors righteousness; when peace shall extend to Jerusalem like a river and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; nay, when God shall speak peace to the very Gentiles. Even Jeremiah, bitter in his denunciations of those who cry peace when there is no peace, and prophesy before the time, is firm in his belief that a time is coming when God will reveal to His people abundance of peace and truth.
       The prophets recognized a divine purpose in the wars of the nations but they also believed that when God should truly reign wars will cease, that "the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. "Dominated by faith in the final triumph of God's justice, the desire for peace, not only in Israel but also among the nations, became the dream of their life and created a passion for bringing about peaceful relations among men. The vision of universal peace was ever before them, even in days of darkest despair. While they looked forward to it as something to be fully consummated in the future, yet this ideal also had a practical bearing upon their mission and gave to it aim and direction.  James Hastings

Matt Maher sings "Born On That Day" 

DIY Paper Mache Standing Snowman

       Crafting snowmen is a semi-annual event in my home. This is one of the easiest Christmas crafts and also folks are usually very happy with the results. Both adults and children can accomplish the craft with marvelous results.

       It is best to produce this craft during warm to hot and dry conditions. This is because paper mache clay dries quickest without molding during the summer. 

       You may actually produce snowman figures in stages. This is very convenient for those of you who produce crafts in bulk for Christmas fairs/events. Many years ago I crushed and masked snowmen during the cold and wet seasons and then applied the pulp later during the spring and summer.

 

Left, the finished front of my snowman. Right, the finished back of my snowman.

 

Select your bottle carefully. Use glass
only, if you are making a snowman
for sale at a craft fair or if you are 
selling this product from a shop of 
some sort.

Supplies Needed:

• paper mache clay (comes in grey or white)
• masking tape, very sticky kind
• a glass bottle in (especially in Winter)
• acrylic paints only
• novelties (tiny tress, wreaths etc...)
• fabric for trims (scraves, hats etc...)
• acrylic sealer or Mod Podge
• felt for bottom of the figure
• white school glue (liquid)
• translucent glitter (optional)
• Gesso (optional)

       Be mindful in selecting your glass container. You want this bottle to be heavier on the bottom than the top. The bottle should also have a flat, stable bottom. Often I have people ask if they might use a plastic bottle. This comes with added complications: plastic bottles must be stuffed with rocks or sand and then with paper on top of this in order to achieve weighted bottoms and if you should store figures in hot attics the plastic could crack or melt. Finer work, in my opinion should always be done over glass instead of plastic for these reasons but, if you are teaching a classroom of kids to make these snowmen, plastic bottles could be used for safety's sake. 

       Under these circumstances, it may be best for the teacher to 'weight' the bottles in advance of the project. Kids can get fascinated with this process to the point of slowing down the craft event too much. Make sure that you save the bottle caps so that you may permanently seal the bottles. Add a bit of glue to the inside of the caps and screw these back on to the bottles allowing dry time before handing them out to a classroom full of enthusiastic sculptors.

       Now, if you are crafting for a fair use the glass bottle, but do not select a bottle that is too large or wide. In time, paper mache crafters discover that a narrow bottle is best. This is because you will be crushing paper on top of the bottle's surface and the less of it there is, the more advantageous it is to shape a fluid looking figure. 

 

Left, details added to this snowman like a raccoon seated on his hat and
greenery in his fist help  to give him a personality.

 Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Clean the bottle you will be using and let it dry out completely.
2. Weight the bottom of the bottle with sand or gravel and then seal the top.
3. Crush newsprint or recycled paper around the bottle, excluding the bottom, in the shape of your snowman.
4. Use masking tape to cover the surface entirely, including the bottom.
5. Prepare the paper pulp according to the instructions printed on the package.
6. Sculpt the pulp around the figure in an even thick surface, excluding the bottom. Let the pulp dry completely. This could take one day in the summer sun or even a week in winter near a heating vent. 
7. Attach the novelties to the dry pulp with hot glue, wood glue or white school glue. The glue dictated here is dependent on the type of surfaces you are gluing against each other. Read the labels to make correct choices.
8. If you are a professional folk artist, at this point you should apply a Gesso sealer, for durability sake. If you are a school teacher doing this craft with little ones, you may apply a cheap white paint of some sort. (Read labels make sure that this paint doesn't include lead.)
9. Now paint the snowman's features with acrylic paints. Let dry. Do not use watercolors, these fade too fast. Do not use oil based paints for these breath, are toxic and should only be used for artworks that hang on the wall and that children or infants will not put in their mouths.
10. Seal the snowman with a Mod Podge if you are a teacher. If you are a professional artisan, seal it with a coating or two or three of acrylic, non-yellowing varnish for white snow people. If you prefer that "primitive" look as did I for this snowman, apply a wood varnish for an antique looking color.
11. Glue felt on the bottom of the figure to protect surfaces from scratching.
12. Apply white school glue and glitter at the end if desired. Let dry and display.

 Read About Materials Used for The Project:

• 7 Basic Methods for Crafting With Papier-Mâché

Angels from The Realms of Glory

       "Angels from the Realms of Glory" is a Christmas carol written by Scottish poet James Montgomery.  It was first printed in the Sheffield Iris on Christmas Eve 1816, though it only began to be sung in churches after its 1825 reprinting in the Montgomery collection The Christian Psalmist and in the Religious Tract Society's The Christmas Box or New Year's Gift.
       Before 1928, the hymn was sung to a variety of tunes, including "Regent Square" by Henry Smart, "Lewes" by John Randall, and "Wildersmouth" or "Feniton Court" by Edward Hopkins.  In the United States, "Regent Square" is the most common tune.  In the United Kingdom, however, the hymn came to be sung to the French carol tune "Iris"  (Les anges dans nos campagnes, the tune used for "Angels We Have Heard on High") after this setting was published in the Oxford Book of Carols. Sometimes the "Gloria in excelsis Deo" refrain is even sung in place of Montgomery's original lyric: "Come and worship Christ the new-born King".
       The name for the "Regent Square" tune is reportedly an association with the publisher of the first hymnal to contain it, James Hamilton, who was the minister of the Regent Square Church situated in London.

More Versions of "Angels from The Realms of Glory:

Performed by the Spring Arbor University
Angels, From the Realms of Glory brought to you by Trey Ogle

 

Lyrics for Angels from The realms of Glory

Angels, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:

Refrain: Come and worship,
Come and worship
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o'er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant light:

Refrain.

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star:

Refrain.

Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In his temple shall appear.

Refrain.

Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you—break your chains:

Refrain.

Though an infant now we view him,
He shall fill his Father's throne,
Gather all the nations to him;
Every knee shall then bow down:

Refrain.

All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising,
To th'eternal Three in One:

Refrain.

Christians Awake!

       "Christians, awake, salute the happy morn" is an English Christmas hymn on a text by John Byrom. It is usually sung to the tune "Yorkshire" by John Wainright.
       The text of the hymn is from a poem in iambic pentameter by John Byrom. The original manuscript, in Chetham's Library, Manchester, bears the title "Christmas Day. For Dolly", referring to the author's daughter, although there is no evidence to support the oft repeated story that it was written for her specifically. The original poem was in three paragraphs of 16 lines each (for a total of 48). The exact date of this document is uncertain, although it is usually dated between 1745 and 1750. This was later published in the author's posthumous Poems, &c. (1773) and later again in his Works (1814, vol. 2).
       The omission of some of the lines and re-arrangement of the remainder into singable verses appeared in combination with Wainwright's music in a 1766 publication, although the first printing for liturgical usage was Thomas Cotterill's Selection of Psalms and Hymns (1819, 8th ed.), retaken shortly thereafter in James Montgomery's Christian Psalmist (1825). The modern text, which runs to six verses of six lines, is frequently shortened, omitting one or two stanzas. The fifth verse ("Oh, may we keep and ponder in our mind") is sometimes replaced with an alternative one beginning "Like Mary let us ponder in our mind". A version by Davies Gilbert in 8 verses, printed in Some Ancient Christmas Carols (1823), stays more faithful to the original poem.
       The text retells the Christmas story as contained in Luke 2, referring to the birth of Jesus and quoting the angel's proclamation in verses 2 and 3. Verse 4 paraphrases the shepherds adoring the newborn Jesus.

Illustrated sheet music of "Christians Awake" carol.

Christians Awake!

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn,
whereon the Savior of the world was born;
rise to adore the mystery of love,
which hosts of angels chanted from above:
with them the joyful tidings first begun
of God incarnate and the Virgin's Son.

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
who heard the angelic herald's voice, 'Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Savior's birth
to you and all the nations upon earth:
this day hath God fulfilled his promised word,
this day is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.'

He spake; and straightway the celestial choir
in hymns of joy, unknown before, conspire;
the praises of redeeming love they sang,
and heaven's whole orb with alleluias rang:
God's highest glory was their anthem still,
peace upon earth, and unto men good will.

To Bethl'em straight the enlightened shepherds ran,
to see the wonder God had wrought for man,
and found, with Joseph and the blessèd Maid,
her Son, the Savior, in a manger laid:
then to their flocks, still praising God, return,
and their glad hearts with holy rapture burn.

O may we keep and ponder in our mind
God's wondrous love in saving lost mankind;
trace we the babe, who hath retrieved our loss,
from his poor manger to his bitter cross;
tread in his steps, assisted by his grace,
till man's first heavenly state again takes place.

Then may we hope, the angelic hosts among,
to sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal song:
he that was born upon this joyful day
around us all his glory shall display;
saved by his love, incessant we shall sing
eternal praise to heaven's almighty King.

 

St. Paul's Cathedral Choir sing "Christians Awake"

       The association with the tune "Yorkshire" (sometimes also "Stockport") is an early one: some accounts describe it being sung under the direction of its composer by a group of local men and boys for Christmas 1750, some time after the writing of the poem; although it is not possible to tell how the poem was originally divided along to the tune. The first edition that has it in combination with Byrom's text is in Wainwright's only known musical publication, undated but assumed from newspaper announcements to have been published in 1766.
       The melody was first published in the Collection of Tunes (1761) by Caleb Ashworth from Lancashire, who presumably "heard and liked" the tune, but as a setting for the paraphrase of Psalm 50 by Isaac Watts, beginning "The God of Glory sends his Summons forth, / Calls the South Nations, and awakes the North". The melody was again reprinted by another Lancashire churchman, Ralph Harrison, in his Sacred Harmony (1784): the popularity of this publication made the tune widely known, including across the Atlantic, although it is unlikely it was much sung by American congregations at the time. In England Byrom’s hymn was sung frequently as an outdoors carol, but it did not make its way into liturgical use until the 1819 publication by Cotterill.
       From thence it had passed by the beginning of the 20th century into most hymnals in common use, both in England and America, including Hymns Ancient and Modern, the English Hymnal, and many others thereafter.