Christmas

Plarn that Wreath

Here is another way to use those ubiquitous plastic bags that are handed out at almost every store and market.  Of course, you can cut them apart, knot them into plarn, and crochet with them, but the holiday is coming, so consider making a wreath instead.

Many of the plastic bags are colorful, but the plain white or gray grocery store bags work just as well for plarn purposes.  As far as tools and materials go, all you need to begin with is a metal coat hanger, a lot of empty plastic bags, and a pair of scissors.  Now, the first part of this process can be rather tedious, but you get the material for free, and you don’t have to throw something non-biodegradable in the trash.  Cut the bags apart into rings, and tie them onto a wire circle made from a coat hanger.  

Although these wreaths are not exactly elegant, they are especially suitable for outside doors.  The plastic is exceptionally durable and the rain or snow doesn’t damage them.  

Wassail

Ingredients:

6 small apples, washed and cored, 1 gallon apple cider,

5 ½ cups beer or 1 large can pineapple juice, 3/4 cup tea

Place in a cheesecloth sack: 1 tablespoon whole cloves,

1 tablespoon whole allspice, 2 sticks cinnamon,

1 tablespoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cloves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut and wash the apples and score each around the middle using a sharp knife so it won’t explode. Put the apples in an ovenproof dish and roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the cider with the beer (or juice) in a saucepan over low heat. Add the bag of spices, stir, and continue to heat through until the surface of the liquid starts to foam.  This is also good to make in the crock pot.  In that case, let it simmer slowly for 4 to 6 hours.   

Remove the spices, pour into a heat-proof bowl and float the roasted apples on the top. Serve whilst hot.  Serves 20 thirsty guests.

Herbal Ornaments

If you still don’t have enough to do this holiday season, you could make small embroidered motifs into Christmas ornaments, gifts, or sachets. 

Find or draw a small picture or pattern that will fit nicely within the size circle you want to use. Make sure to leave plenty of salvage around the edges for blocking and gathering. Copy the design onto your fabric.

Once the design is on the fabric, embroider it with your favorite stitches. When the embroidery is blocked, cut it into circles, allowing enough of a margin to for gathering the fabric. Gather the fabric by basting around the edge and pulling the thread tight. I gather the material around a circular piece of card stock cut to size to make sure the gather is even.  

Knot a small loop of cord or yarn, and sew it on the top for hanging. Sew a circle of felt on the back with buttonhole stitch, leaving enough of an opening to fill the ornament.  Before you sew the ornament together, fill with herbs or batting and sew the last few stitches.  Your ornament is done. 

Christmas Terrarium

To make a plant-free terrarium, you need an empty jar, filled part way full of pebbles as a base.

Then I used a piece of heavy material in woodland colors and embroidered it with various stitches, mostly French knots in a random design.  This was destined to be the “ground.”  You can do this in any way you like to give the piece texture.  Cut it about the right size to fit in the jar, but a little larger.  The you can gather edges of the material underneath so that the raw edges won’t show.  You can stuff it a little with batting if you like.

Stick this in on top of the stones so that it looks a little like a clump of moss.  Now, you are ready to put in whatever small house, tree, or figurine that you like.  I used one of those small paper houses that I told you about earlier, and secured it to the material with a T-pin to keep it from shifting.

There it is.  Put on the lid, tie a bow around it, and you will have a miniature Christmas scene—without dirt, plant products, or tromping through the woods on a snowy evening.  Happy Crafting!

Christmas Riddle

Before TV and the internet, people sat around the fire, and told and answered riddles.  

Here is a Christmas riddle in the old-fashioned style.  Can you guess what plant is speaking?

Winter is here, but the snows do not kill me.
I drink deep at the table of my wooden host,
though he neither invites nor wants me.
My hair grows wild, and my roots go deep.
Apple, pear, black poplar, and oak
Provide my favorite nesting places.
No one can convict me, I’m already hanged.      
Berries, like hailstones, drift on my leaves,
But I provide little for the scavenger birds.
Long ago, they came with golden sickles
to cut me down.  I was a powerful protector.
Now, I am merely the reason for a kiss.
What am I?

I hope I don't spoil the surprise by telling you that the answer to this riddle is the Mistletoe plant.