I have no wintersparkle decorations and I want to make some. I favour biodegradable and/or scrap materials. I'm reasonably handy. Any ideas
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I get a bit obsessed with origami at this time of year,it hurts but it's only once a year, currently obsessed with making mini lucky Christmas stars out of some old foil Christmas wrapping ribbon and a couple of Christmas trees Christmas tree youtube vids 1-3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNgwFPG4I0&feature=channel
Strings of peanuts (you can paint the shells with food colouring).
Tangerines - poke a long darning needle threaded with pretty ribbon through and tie a knot in the end (make it quite big or as the skin shrinks slightly around the hole they will fall off)
I'm a little skeptical, but it would look interesting. Ah. I have just remembered we had a mouse in the flat a couple of months ago, maybe festooning the place with food isn't advisable. Unless I can persuade the mouse to wear a little santa hat.
we used to spraypaint (eek, not so eco) pine cones silver and gold.
if you poke an orange full of cloves and leave it to dry you can hang it in your wardrobe afterwards to keep your clothes smelling lovely. i think i will do that again one day!
you could make little bird figurines, too!
also, stars and moons are not only for faith-based decorating.
I'd forgotten pomanders! I made one, once. Right, can pick up the oranegs and the cloves on the way home (ideally, big bag of cloves from grocers, not futile tiny baglet from supermarket).
we made them when i was little and my parents were pretty much hippies, but i haven't made one for... wow, more than 20 years. maybe i will make some soon.
(Batting back the results of my experiments) Stained-glass-window biscuits with hanging hole (make biscuits thin but reasonably large with sweet fairly centrally, and bake on non-stick greaseproof paper - ordinary greaseproof paper Will Not Do)
Greenery, if you can get it sustainably and free in the Big Smoke. Ivy is much more tractable (and less painful) than holly. Soak in bath for hours beforehand to make it last longer.
Dried plants (teasels or just anything that's twiggy and a weed) sprayed/painted gold or silver or red, or other colour of your choice (purple?). Then put them in a big vase with some sparkly bits.
My suggestions are sounding terribly tasteful and Good Housekeeping circa 1985. Which is probably not coincidental, as that's when I reached the zenith of my christmas house decorating. These days, I like some kitch and bad taste things as well to counterbalance.
I shamelessly appropriate Christian symbols, alongside others, on the perhaps spurious grounds that that's part of my (and the kids') heritage.
Greenery! There must be some. We used to nick it from the cemetary - they wanted their statues cleared, we wanted ivy, it all worked out. Ta.
It's a shame, I just had to throw out a load of dried thistles because they started smelling terrible. But maybe more could be gathered in.
I shamelessly appropriate Christian symbols
Housemate pointed out that the moons and stars I have so far produced are actually crescents and stars of David, so it's all looking a bit tokenistically multifaithtastic.
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I also like stars, and moons, and pine trees.
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I did put a husky on my last Christmas card (well, a werewolf, but it had a hint of sled dog about it).
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Christmas tree youtube vids 1-3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNgwFPG4I0&feature=channel
lucky stars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQNgwFPG4I0&feature=channel
there's loads of videos for this on youtube
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Strings of peanuts (you can paint the shells with food colouring).
Tangerines - poke a long darning needle threaded with pretty ribbon through and tie a knot in the end (make it quite big or as the skin shrinks slightly around the hole they will fall off)
Gingerbread people.
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Ah. I have just remembered we had a mouse in the flat a couple of months ago, maybe festooning the place with food isn't advisable. Unless I can persuade the mouse to wear a little santa hat.
Reply
if you poke an orange full of cloves and leave it to dry you can hang it in your wardrobe afterwards to keep your clothes smelling lovely. i think i will do that again one day!
you could make little bird figurines, too!
also, stars and moons are not only for faith-based decorating.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Stained-glass-window biscuits with hanging hole (make biscuits thin but reasonably large with sweet fairly centrally, and bake on non-stick greaseproof paper - ordinary greaseproof paper Will Not Do)
Greenery, if you can get it sustainably and free in the Big Smoke. Ivy is much more tractable (and less painful) than holly. Soak in bath for hours beforehand to make it last longer.
Dried plants (teasels or just anything that's twiggy and a weed) sprayed/painted gold or silver or red, or other colour of your choice (purple?). Then put them in a big vase with some sparkly bits.
My suggestions are sounding terribly tasteful and Good Housekeeping circa 1985. Which is probably not coincidental, as that's when I reached the zenith of my christmas house decorating. These days, I like some kitch and bad taste things as well to counterbalance.
I shamelessly appropriate Christian symbols, alongside others, on the perhaps spurious grounds that that's part of my (and the kids') heritage.
Reply
It's a shame, I just had to throw out a load of dried thistles because they started smelling terrible. But maybe more could be gathered in.
I shamelessly appropriate Christian symbols
Housemate pointed out that the moons and stars I have so far produced are actually crescents and stars of David, so it's all looking a bit tokenistically multifaithtastic.
Reply
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