Craft a Paper Candle Stick for The Feather Tree

Vintage paper candle stick made
using a accordion paper folding
technique that most children 
learn in school.

        This light weight, construction paper candle stick ornaments is perfect for a feather tree ornament. Here I have clipped it onto a regular tree branch but it is so "feather" light that it could be attached even to a young cedar tree and not bend a single branch!

Supply List:

• any two colors of construction paper
• two cotton balls
• tacky white glue
• recycled paper egg carton
• acrylic grey to silver paints for the candlestick "holder"
• 2" clothespin
• green or white paints for the clothespin
• orange paint for the pretend flame

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Fold your accordion braided candle stick to any length you wish but cutting two long lengths of narrow paper strips from contrasting colors. 
2. Cross the two strips of paper on top of eachother with a dab of glue to start. 
3. Then alternate folding the strips over and over on top of each other to create the braided look you see here. I've included a diagram below illustrating the steps.
4. Finish the candle stick off with glue at the top. 
5. Then unravel the cotton ball and wad up a tiny ''flame'' shape, rolling it between the tips of your fingers with a dot of glue. 
6. Glue the flame to the top of the candlestick and let it dry before painting the flame orange.
7. Now cut a small dish for the candlestick to sit inside from a paper egg carton cup.
8. Glue this egg carton part to the top of a 2 inch clothespin.
9. Paint the little dish grey or pewter or silver.
10. Once the candle stick is dry, paint the clothespin the color of your Christmas tree so that it will appear to disappear into the branches once attached.

Left, the candle sticks are attached with tacky white glue. Right, al of the pieces of this ornament
have been finished with acrylic paints.

Illustrated accordion braid process.

"J" is for Jesus Card Craft

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep." John 10:11-13

 

       This traditional Christmas Card is assembled with bright red stripped paper, large letters cut from an alternate polka-dot red paper and a real candy cane. Include also The Legend of The Candy Cane inside the card or on the back of the card if you like. Legend of The Candy Cane can be read here along with a poem.

Handcraft a Block Sorting Cart

        The block cart is twice as much fun to play with because it is two toys in one -- the toddler can not only walk around with it and pull it along, he can also take the pieces apart and put them together again. It's fascinating to be able to make it's parts fit just right. 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut 1 piece of wood for the frame, 1" x 4" x 12".
2. Cut another piece 1" x 3" x 24" for three 2" x 5/8" diameter circles, and three 2" x 5/8" x 2 5/8" right triangles. 
3. Bore a 5/8" diameter hole in the center of each block
4. Measure and cut 1 piece 1/2" x 10" dowel for three pegs 3 1/4" long.
5. Cut and measure 2 piece of 1 1/2 x 4" dowel for wheels and attach wheels.
6. Round off edges and corners of all pieces.
7. Finish with your choice of non-toxic paint.

More Toddler Toy Crafts and Eye-Candy:

• Push and Pull Toys - Alligators and frogs, trains, phones and dogs . . .
• Stack more toy soldiers, penguins and blocks 

Fold and Assemble a Waldorf Paper Star

Finished, hanging Waldorf paper star.
The paper folding technique is simple
enough for little children to follow, ages
 five through nine. 

       This particular paper star example is traditionally referred to as a "Waldorf" star, but the pattern design has been around long before this name was applied to it inside the classrooms of Waldorf schools in Germany and America.

       I suspect that patterns like the one shown here were originally developed by Moravians because there are so many star pattern examples like this one in their Christian design work featured in quilts, birth certificates and baptismal records.

       The Moravian church is the very oldest Protestant denomination that began back in 15th century, Bohemia. It even predates the Lutheran Church Reformation by 60 years.

Supply List:

• ribbon or wire for hanging
• Two generous sheets of contrasting print or solid colored papers
• white tacky glue
• small clamps or paperclips to hold paper segments together to dry during assembly

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a two inch square piece of decorative paper.
2. Fold this square in half, unfold it.
3. Repeat this same step after turning that same square once to the right. Unfold the second fold. Now with the paper unfolded completely you should see a perfectly divided square with four equal marked areas between the creases in the paper. (Not shown unfolded in photo below.)
4. Fold two corners into each the center directly opposite to each other.
5. Repeat the step again with the two remaining flaps. You should now have a perfect square shape again.
6. fold in two sides opposite of each other to make the edges line up in the center. This should create a "kite" looking shape.
7. Once you have folded this shape eight times with two alternating patterns or colors, glue the star together so that the shorter sided corners tips meet in the center of your assembled Waldorf Star. Glue this pattern in place as you go.
8. Take a needle and poke a tiny hole at one of the points of your star. String in a ribbon or push through a fine wire to make a hanger for this paper ornament.

Steps 1. through 3. illustrated.

Steps 4. through 6. illustrated.

Assembling the star using tacky glue and clamps illustrated.

Craft a "Pound the Peg" Toddler Toy

         What fun to have something that Mom lets you pound on! There is real satisfaction in being able to put the peg in the hole and hit it right on the head with a toy hammer or mallet as they used to say. At least there is for a two to three year old...

Supply List:

• 1 piece of 1"x 6'' x 20" wooden board
• 6 pieces of 3/4" x 2" dowels
• 4 pieces of 1/2" x 1/2" x 5 5/8" quarter round or 1" x 1" strips
• Glue and nails

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. The center lines of the two rows of 3/4" diameter peg holes are 1 3/4" from the outer edges of the board. The center lines of the holes in the rows are 2 1/2", 4 1/2", and 6 1/2'' from the end of the board.
2. If the pegs fit too tight make a 1" saw cut lengthwise in both ends of each peg.
3. Be certain the cut at one end of the peg is at right angles to the cut at the other end.
4. Use a 12 or 13 ounce clawhammer for a pounding device or make a mallet of 1 1/4" dowel with a 1/2" dowel for a handle.

Craft More Charming Wooden Toys:

• Here is a whole page of wooden peg dollies; not for pounding though!
• People, animals and homes featured on blocks . . .

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

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

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

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

DIY Gingerbread Barnyard!

Faux gingerbread silo, barn and cow.

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

Supply List:

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

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

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

See the gingerbread silo and barn from four sides.

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

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

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