Sweet Christmas

Hi Hi Hi!
or should I say...
HO HO HO,
It's almost Christmas, the merriest time of the year. Time to craft, create and give!

Today's project is good for a
1. last minute gift
2. a project for kids to do
3. a hostess gift
4. the best White Elephant gift ever

It is a:

CANDY TREE

You will need:
a bag of wrapped candy
straight pins (the ones with round heads are the easiest to work with)
a chocolate lollipop with Santa on it
a foam cone (from the dollar store, Michaels, Joann's or Hobby Lobby)
You can add ribbons or tinsel if you wish

Starting at the bottom, pin the top of each candy onto the cone. Work your way around, then up to the top.
Stick the sucker into the very top.

tip of the day:
If you run out of ribbon, or have some little scraps of wrapping paper you can cut these into long strips, gently curl them with scissors and make a bow out of them. Stack them and staple in the middle and add to your package. Cute!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL~ and to all a good night...
that's all for this week, have a great holiday!!!
Dee

Hot Stuff!

I love making new things from old stuff!

It's sizzling summer right now. Lots of BBQ-ing and getting together with friends.
Today's project is good anytime you have a hot dish and need a trivet.
Wood is a good insulator, and can withstand your hottest plate or bowl.

Today's project:

TWIG TRIVET

You need:
~glue gun
~string, twine or something similar to tie twigs together
~twigs (at least 1/2" thick) I used 9, but you can use more.
~ felt or leather or non-fraying fabric

First you need to gather some twigs. Try to find ones that are the same thickness.
Mine are 8" long and 1/2" thick.
I used pruners to cut them to approx. the same lengths (but no need to be exact).
Wash them and let dry.

You are going to tie one twig to the next one, to the next one, etc.

Cut two lengths of string, about 1 yard long (36")
Lay out the string so you can find the middle, and making a double knot, tie onto the first twig toward one side. Do the same with the other string toward the opposite side of the twig. (see pictures)
Now take the next twig and knot it to the first twig, on both ends.
Continue in this way until you have achieved the size of the trivet you want.

After you tie the last twig, trim the ends of the string to about 2" long.
Now measure the trivet and cut a piece of felt about 1/2" smaller.
Using your glue gun, adhere the felt to the bottom of the twigs, and make sure the loose ends of the string are tucked under.

TIP OF THE DAY:
Summer is full of picnics and I got a great tip from my sister-in-law Lauri on how to keep your sandwiches from getting soggy on your next picnic, or outing.
If you make peanut butter and jelly, spread the P.B. on one side of both pieces of bread, and then put the jelly in the middle. The P.B. will make a barrier so your jelly doesn't soak into the bread.
If you're making sandwiches with cheese, put these slices next to the bread (both slices). The cheese will protect the bread from soaking in the butter or mayo or mustard. Put these in between, with your lunchmeat, lettuce, etc. in the middle.

That's all for today!
Dee