Surviving Christmas

Paper quilling is a form of art or craft born out of creating decorative designs using thin strips of curled paper. This age-old quilling craft has been practiced for centuries!

Quilling originated during the time when nuns used small edges trimmed from Bible pages to create a simple but beautiful form of artistry. This craft was known as “Quilling” due to how the scraps of paper were wrapped around goose quills to create “coiled shapes”.

Getting into paper quilling craft is not very expensive, as most of the time you will only need few basic materials, all which you can buy at most art and craft stores. If you're really pressed for cash, simply buy a sheet or two of colored paper, and cut your own strips!

With a bit or practice and a touch of perseverance, the opportunities opened up by this unusual and highly flexible medium are endless.

Christmas ornaments made through paper quilling are quite common and in-demand. According to paper quiller, Lana J Bates, she earned $900 at a single farmers’ market style Christmas crafts show. That’s quite a good return for a bit of paper, clue and your creativity.

Moreover, the tools used in paper quilling are rather simple and straightforward.

Some of the common tools used in the process are slotted quilling tool, needle, glue, tweezers and pins. Just by using these simple tools, long strips of paper are wound tightly and released, and hereby forming complicated and complex shapers.

Tear-drop shapes are made by pressing one part of the circle. Using just the coils and some tear-drops, endless combinations are possible.

Get creative and create squares, ovals, etc – and the sky's the limit!

Slotted Quilling tool – the slot along its shaft is used to hold the paper securely as you turn the tool in your hand. Generally, the knurl on the handle ensures a firm grip of your hand that will be helpful in the rolling of a neater and even tight roll.

Needle tool – the needle is used to used to enable a finer center hole after rolling. This will generally produce a much tighter roll.

Glue – One of the most important tools in paper quilling. The glue is widely used in joining the shaped quills.

Tweezers – Tweezers are excellent tool to put the small bits and pieces of your quilling in the right place. They can be used to hold the coils that have been shaped, while you put a few drops of glue on the edges you are gluing together without damaging them.

Pins – While the tweezers will help you to put your pieces together when you are sticking them to their background, pins are used while the final design is drying. The pins will also allow you to put the project aside and finish it later.


Using pre-made strips, or your own hand cut ones, make several dozen coils of varying colors. Pinch some off to form tear-drops, squares or triangles as needed for your design.

After all the coils have been made, place them together on a sheet of paper to finalize the design and make sure you have all the shapes you need.

One by one, glue two or three shapes to each other and let dry. Then glue the larger shapes together into your design. Use your pins on a piece of cardboard covered in waxed paper or plastic wrap to hold the shapes while they are drying.

Once your piece is finished, you can either use it as-is, glue it to card stock or other background, or even create several layers to add to a shadow-box!

If you are going to be covering something that is not flat, generally it is possible to glue directly to the surface if you wish.

For covering glass ball type Christmas ornaments, I have found that it is very easy to use two styro-foam balls of the same diameter, and create half of the design on each ball... They will come off easily, and then can be glued onto the final glass ball with minimal effort.

Many Blessings
GrannySue 

Making a peacock feather wreath is a very easy project and will result in a beautifully elegant finished product.

This sort of wreath makes a beautiful adornment for your home at any time of year, and can be enhanced by the addition of ornaments, dried flowers or left in its natural splendor.

For this project you will need a straw or foam wreath base, feathers, white craft glue and ornaments (if desired).

The size of the wreath base which you choose to use will be a part in determining the size of the wreath. After you have chosen your base, you will need to buy peacock feathers.

The amount of feathers you buy will be determined by the size of your straw wreath base, the larger the wreath base, the more feathers you will need. There are great sources of peacock feathers on the internet or you may choose to visit a local craft supply store and pick out your own.

If you live near Chinatown, peacock feathers, both natural as well as dyed, can be found for almost ridiculously low prices. Sometimes you can also order them through the gift shops in bulk as well.

In buying a product of this kind, I usually buy a few more than I think I will actually need for my project.

I find running short of supplies before a project is finished to be very frustrating and I’ve found that I can always add the surplus to my craft supply box and just knowing that they are there usually brings to mind some sort of fun project for which they can be used.


You may also want a sharp nail to help make openings in the straw wreath in which to place the feathers.

Before you start your wreath, you will want to look at your feathers to see where you want to cut them off. While there are fronds nearly all the way down the shaft on these feathers, usually only the last 6 to 12 inches should be used (or you might have a 7 foot wreath!).

Cut about 2 extra inches, and trim off the side feathers so that you have a smooth quill to stick into the base.

First, dip the cleaned end of your feather in a bit of white craft glue (the kind that dries clear, like kid's glue for school), and then insert the feather into the wreath base about two thirds down. You may need a nail at this point, to create the openings for you. Set the feathers about three to four inches apart, all in a row.

When you have gone completely around the wreath base, you will want to go up about a half an inch, and repeat, setting these feathers over a bit so that they don’t come directly over the other feathers.

Repeat this for about two more rows.

Then you will want to do one more row with slightly shorter feathers. This will give your wreath a fuller layered appearance.

If you are going to add in sprigs of dried flowers, they will go in the “V” created between two feathers, and the stem should be dipped in glue as well.

To add small ornaments (glass balls or otherwise), use floral wire, and attach by running the wire through the ornament hoop, then around the back of the wreath, and twist to secure.

Tuck the twisted end into the wreath base so that you don't scratch whatever you hang your wreath on!

Congratulations! You have just created a beautiful work of art, ready to be hung!

Many Blessings
GrannySue 

This Christmas bird feeder is a fast and easy project for children of all ages - even adults! The feeders are fun, functional, and should easily last the entire winter season.

Every neighborhood has a host of wild birds that would enjoy an extra tid-bit or two during the winter. Kids and adults alike love watching wildlife up close. That’s where we come in!

Christmas bird feeders are fun to make and even more fun to watch! They will teach your youngsters many lessons in a delightfully engaging way, and will help the birds survive the long winter months.

The following is a super simple way for children (and adults) to make a Christmas bird feeder.

In fact, its so easy, and accomplishes so many things, try making several!

You can reduce the stuff going in the recycling bin, teach the kids about all the different wild birds in the neighborhood, have lots of fun making them together, and even more watching them, and help out the birds with a special Christmas gift all their own!

• Empty 2-liter or gallon plastic bottles or gallon milk jugs - with screw tops
• String (must be strong)
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Hole punch
• Small sticks or dowel rods (long enough to stick out of both sides of carton by at least 2 in.)
• Bird seed
• Decorations: Water-based acrylic paint and brushes, papier mache, yarn, string, etc
• Spray sealer

Ensure that any paint is water based and try not to use anything as a decoration that can be potentially dangerous to swallow.

1. Wash and dry carton thoroughly inside and out.

2. Decorate your carton however you would like. Let dry thoroughly.

3. Seal with the spray sealer. Again, let dry thoroughly.

4. Using your scissors cut a square or circle in each side of the carton (an inch or two should be good), about two inches from the bottom.

5. Using your hole punch (or your scissors) make a small hole about an inch below each larger one.

6. Push your sticks or rods through the holes from one side of the carton to the other (this will make one perch on each side, and a cross "X" inside).

7. Tie string around the lip under the bottle top by wrapping around twice, tying off and leaving 2 long ends.

8. Fill the container to within 1/2 inch of the perches with bird seed.

9. Hang your finished feeder on a tree branch by tying the ends around it.

Check and fill at least once a week by unscrewing the top and using a funnel to add the new seed.

Decorating can take the form of painting, decoupage, papier mache, or just about anything you have the mind and materials to do!!

Many Blessings
GrannySue

If you are a parent, there is a pretty good chance that you already know just how much kids love the holidays. One of the most fun and engaging things you can do is to let your children help you decorate for Christmas.


In fact, in addition to just letting them help you hang Christmas decorations, why not let them make their own handmade Christmas decorations.


Not only will you find that there are a number of benefits to doing so, but you will also find that there are a number of fun and exciting Christmas decorations that they can easily make.


Christmas ornaments can be made from regular paper or any other type of material. You can create your own designs, or if you are not an "artsie-fartsie" type, you can purchase a number of Christmas ornament cutouts or guides from your local craft store.


These ornament pieces are likely plain, but already shaped like something, such as a star or a cross. It would be up to your child to paint their ornament.


This type of Christmas decoration craft project is great for small children or those who may be making their own Christmas decorations for the first time.


In addition to Christmas trees, a large number of families have small Christmas signs or pictures throughout their home. These signs and pictures often state a Christmas message or have a picture of Santa.


Your children could easily make their own paintings or drawings, often with supplies that can already be found inside your home. Your child’s picture would likely look great on your refrigerator or you could even frame the picture and hang it up somewhere else inside your home.


This type of Christmas decoration craft project is ideal for children of any age and, as previously mentioned, is a great way to save money since you likely already have all of the needed supplies.


We have dedicated a section of the largest living room wall to the kids' artwork. First it was decorated with my daughter's efforts from pre-school through high school. Now, it also displays the artwork of my two grand-daughters.


There are Christmas trees made from green paper napkins, reindeer heads made from construction paper cones, even bell trees and small paintings done on paper plates. Only the works they choose as their best efforts go here - the rest are spread throughout the house.


Another fun Christmas decoration that your children could do is make a centerpiece for your dinner table. If you are looking for a somewhat elegant centerpiece, you could easily have your children help you make one.


If you purchase a large pot potpourri bowl, you can fill it with artificial flowers, greenery, ribbons, candy or even ornaments. To get really fancy, add a small string of battery-operated mini led lights.

Put a pillar candle in the holder, and you've got an elegant hand-crafted centerpiece that you can display year after year.


Everyone will be amazed that you and the children crafted this magnificent piece in less than half an hour!


There are thousands of Christmas decoration crafts you could enjoy with the kids - more than enough to keep you happily crafting away at family treasures for generations. And, for each craft, of course, individual variations make the available choices truly limitless!

Regardless of which type of Christmas decorations you allow your child or children to make, they will enjoy the experience, especially if you participate as well.


For a child, there is nothing like seeing their Christmas drawings hanging on the walls or their Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree.


Consider setting aside an afternoon - or several - this holiday season, to create some wonderful family memories, and the heirlooms that go with them!


I'd love to read about your own favorite Christmas crafts for family projects, so be sure to comment or post your own ideas below!

Many Blessings
GrannySue