Snow-Couple Bell Ornaments

Snow-Couple Bell Ornaments
2, 6-1/2 inch square pieces cotton batting
1, 4x4 inch piece of black felt
2 tiny jingle bells
2, 1-3/4 inch diameter clay pots
2, 6x1 inch homespun scraps
2, 14 inch long pieces light-weight wire
4, 1 inch cinnamon sticks
4 buttons
2, 1 inch diameter wooden balls
white, black, and orange paint
small brush
scissors
heavy thread
sewing needle and glue
Allow paint to dry after each application.
For each head, paint wooden ball white.  Paint an orange nose on face.  Use marker to draw eyes and mouth on face and add details to nose.  Paint pink cheeks on the snow lady.  Cut two 6-1/2 inch diameter circles from batting for bodies.  Trace patterns, onto tracing paper.  Using patterns, cut one each of hat crown, hat top and hat brim from black felt; and ear muffs from green felt.
For each body, use heavy thread to work running stitches along edge of batting circle.  (A sample of running stitches can be found on my Natural Angels post).  Center bell on circle and place flowerpot over bell.  Pull thread ends to gather batting over flowerpot; knot ends together to secure.
For each set of arms, thread wire through one cinnamon stick and button hole, then back through button and cinnamon stick; continue for opposite arm.  Leaving one inch between arms, twist wire ends to secure.
Glue arms and head to top of body.
For snowman hat, glue short ends of hat crown together.  Center and glue crown on brim; glue top on hat.
Glue hat on snowman, earmuffs on snow lady and remaining buttons on bodies.  Tie a 1x0 inch homespun scarf around each neck.  (Original Source:  Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book 2, pp. 21, 25, and 123)
Snow Couple Bell Ornaments Google Docs Pattern

Fragrant Vintage Ornaments

Satisfy your handcrafting urge by making Fragrant Vintage Ornaments.  Though mostly made from items in your pantry, these ornaments are not edible.  This recipe makes about 12 ornaments.  They can be used for tree and package decorations, bookmarks, necklaces, pins, and/or drawer fresheners.

First combine 1 cup of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves and 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg with a whisk in a medium size bowl.  With hands, work 3/4 cup applesauce and 2 tablespoons of Aleene's Tacky Glue and mix with hands 2 to 3 minutes to make a mildly wet dough.  If it is too dry and another tablespoon of applesauce.  If it is too wet add a little more cinnamon.

Divide ball into four balls and knead dough like Play Doe.  Keep the other balls of dough covered with a damp cloth until you work with it.  This is a good time to pass out dough to as many as 8 children by dividing into 8 pieces.

Placing the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll or pat to 1/4 inch.

Take off the top plastic and cut dough with cookie cutters.  When doing this project with children, cookie cutters with few corners works best.

As long as the dough has been well kneaded and not rolled too thin, the dough should be easy to peel away and reused.  The cutouts can be gently peeled off the plastic and placed on a cookie sheet.  I like to line my sheet with parchment.

Using a straw, make a hole at the top of the ornament, but not too close to the edge.  Place in an oven no more than 200 degrees for 2-4 hours, turning over halfway through.  Or place in a sunny window on a cooling rack turning over time to time to ensure even drying.  This could take up to 4 or 5 days.

When ornaments dry, you can insert ribbon--cut to 22-inch lengths--through hole and tie ends into a knot.  Tie another length into a bow around first ribbon near ornament top.  Ornaments can be decorated with opaque paint markers found in arts and crafts stores, if desired.  I used white Puffy Paint to make it look like royal icing.

Candy Cane Reindeer Ornaments

Reindeer Ornaments would make cute table centerpieces for parties or to decorate side and coffee tables.  I like to decorate my tree with them and then give the reindeer out to visitors (especially children).  You need mini red poms for the nose, mini googly eyes (I could have gone up one size on both), and brown pipe cleaners.  Also Aleene's fast drying craft glue keeps the eyes from sliding, and don't forget the box of candy canes!  This is a pretty good project for kids.

First cut a pipe cleaner in half (unless you want really big antlers).  Making sure the candy cane is in the middle of the pipe cleaner half, twist the pipe cleaner around the top of the candy cane crook.  Then fold the pipe cleaner in 45 degree angles about two or three times (more for larger antlers).  Put a bead of glue on the back of the antlers behind the twist so that the antlers stay on tight.

Next glue a pair of googly eyes to the candy cane making sure they touch each other.

Add a red pom for a nose.

Setting each into a cup is a good way to help them dry safely.  If you made your antlers large, they can lay flat on a table.  Now read Imogene's Antlers by David Small (hilarious!  He also wrote George Shrinks):