Pine cone ornaments

Christmas is a great time for projects, and almost anything can be adapted to display the holiday spirit! If you happen to be sick of seeing all of the plastic around year after year, or maybe if you are short on cash. Hey you might just be feeling really creative and are looking for a project you can do. A great choice is making pine cone Christmas tree ornaments. You can have a family evening of arts and crafts, or an afternoon crafts date with your girlfriends, heck even if you are alone its a great project. It costs hardly anything as well, since you most likely have all the things you need in your home already. And if not, they are cheap to buy.



What you will need to create your pine cone Christmas tree ornament:


- A pine cone, the number depends on how many ornaments you wish to make.


- A string of a sort, it can be sewing thread, fishing line, pretty ribbon, yarn, etc.


- Glue, either a hot glue gun or liquid crafts glue will do.


- Oil, tempera paints.


- Some paint brushes.


- Glitter, either in form of glitter pens, in paint or sprinkles.


- A plastic cup for water, this is for when you are painting. As well as a paper towel or two to clean the brushes.


- Old newspaper or other scrap to protect your work surface.


How to create your pine cone Christmas tree ornament:


- Before you start make sure you cover up your table, or other work surface with old news paper so it doesn't get ruined or dirty in case of any mishaps that are usually bound to happen during arts and crafts sessions.


- Now clean up your pine cone, get rid of any dirty or cob webs that might be on it. You can do this with a lightly damp paper towel.


- Once they are clean let them dry a few minutes. While they dry you could prepare your oil paints, water and brushes.


- After the pine cones are dried you are ready to decorate them. You can paint the whole pine cone in one color. You can go two tone, or one color per row. Really the options are endless, you just need to let your imagination run free. Golden, bronze and silver colors will make them look fancy, while bright colors will show off the more playful side.


- When done painting add some glitter. You should do this according to manufacturers instructions. And it depends on which type you get.


- After you have painted and glittered it up, once again let the pine cone dry completely.


- As for attaching the string so you can hang it, you can do this either buy tying it to the very tip of the pine cone, gluing it to the bottom. Or maybe you want it sideways in which case you can glue it in between the rows.


There are many variations of how to make these ornaments and with a little imagination and will they all come out looking spectacular.

Make Your Own Christmas Cards

Make Your Own Christmas Cards

If you are on a real tight budget this Christmas or just love to be crafty during the holidays here are some wonderful homemade Christmas card ideas for you to try this holiday season.

Potato Stamp Cards:

Supplies you may need for your homemade Christmas Cards:

Paper Bags or Craft Paper

Potatoes or Sponges

Paint or colored ink

Ribbons

Hole Punch

Ink Pen

Paring Knife (adult supervision)

Plastic Plate

Scissors

Step #1 - Check to see if you can find any left over envelopes. You can look in old Christmas card boxes or the drawer where mom or dad pays the bills (ask first). If you find any unused envelopes you can use them and you will need to be sure that the cards you make will fit inside these cards.

Step #2 - Measure the envelope (if you didn't find any have mom or dad buy some for you).

Step #3 - Cut out the brown paper bag to be the same height as the card but twice as wide as the card.

Step #4 - Cut the potatoe in half with an adult helping.

Cut out a Christmas tree shape on the exposed side of the potato (white not the skin).

Cut away potato from the outer edge of the tree that surrounds the tree. You can use three potatoes to cut out different sizes of trees.

Step #5 - Put the paint or ink onto the plastic plate

Dip the Potato Tree into the paint or ink, now place it on what will be the front of your card (one tree or you can make a group of trees).

Step #6 - Make two holes with the hole punch about a centimeter apart below the Christmas tree.

Step #7 - Insert one end of the ribbon through the left hole, and then put it through the other hole. Loop each end around back and through the opposite hole. Now, pull the ribbon out the front of the card. Tie the ribbon into a pretty Christmas bow.

Step #8 - Use the scissors to trim the ribbon.

You can stamp more trees on the inside or write a holiday greeting.

You can also place Christmas stickers on the card or place crayon ornaments on the trees.

You can also decorate the envelopes too.

Use the sponge instead of the potato or buy stamps in the store.

Easy Construction Paper Cards:

Every child knows how to make Christmas cards out of construction paper. You just fold a piece of construction paper in half. Decorate the one outside half like the front of a Christmas greeting card and write a greeting on the inside of the card. Use Christmas colors (green, red, gold). Use Christmas stickers to decorate the cards if you wish.

Left Over Christmas Cards:

If your family saves old Christmas cards ask if you can use them to make new cards. 

You will need the old Christmas cards, construction paper, glue, pen, crayons or markers, and scissors to make these homemade cards.

Sort through the pile of old Christmas cards to find the front of your homemade card. Once you find one you like, cut the front off the old card. You can use parts and not the entire front if you like. You can also use more than one old card to make a different picture.

Fold the construction paper in half

Glue the old card picture onto the front of your construction paper card.

Using the pen, crayons or marker add to the picture, or draw new pictures to go with the old card picture.

Write a holiday greeting on the inside of the card with your pen. You can copy greetings from the old cards.

Christmas Cake Recipe

Yes, it is still August and yes, I am writing a recipe for a Christmas Cake. There are many recipes out there and although they all call for the cake to be made in advance the times vary greatly, from a couple of weeks to a couple of years before serving.
Crazy right?! No cake could go untouched for that long in my house!

If you don't fancy baking one yourself visit http://www.englishchristmascake.com and they will do it for you!

Makes a 20cm / 8in Christmas Cake

• 150g/5oz raisins
• 125g/4.5oz dried dates, stoned and chopped
• 125g/4.5oz sultanas
• 100g/3.5oz candied cherries, rinsed
• 150ml/5 fl oz brandy
• 225g/8oz butter, plus extra for greasing
• 200g/7oz caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• grated rind of 1 orange
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1tbsp black treacle
• 225g/8oz plain flour 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 25g/1oz toasted almonds, chopped
• 25g/1oz toasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 750g/1lb 10oz marzipan
• 3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
• 3 egg whites
• 650g/1lb 7oz icing sugar
• Edible decorations of your choice

The recipe which I use states to make this Christmas Cake AT LEAST 3 weeks prior. I will be making it in September this year.

1. Put all the fruit in a bowl and pour over the brandy. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
2.  Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas Mark 1/4. Grease a 20cm/8in cake tin with butter and line it with grease proof paper. Cream the remaining butter and the caster sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Stir in the citrus rind and treacle. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and mixed spice into a separate bowl, then fold into the egg mixture. Fold in the soaked fruit and brandy and the nuts, then spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for at least 3 hours. If it browns too quickly cover with foil. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container until required.
4. Roll out the marzipan and cut to shape to cover the top and sides of the cake. Brush the cake with the jam and press the marzipan on to the surface. Make the icing by placing the egg whites in a bowl and adding the icing sugar a little at a time, beating well until the icing is a very thick and will stand up in peaks. Spread over the covered cake, using a fork to give texture. Decorate your Christmas Cake as you wish with the edible decorations of your choice.

Inexpensive last minute gift!

For those of us tight on cash and with a lot of gift recipients this year here is a great gift to the rescue! Hot chocolate is a winter staple as far as drinks go. From plain to fancy shmancy everyone loves a cup one way or another. Once you set out to make this gift, making it in bulk is even easier so you can take care of all those teachers, neighbors or coworkers for which you need to get a gift. Read on for a quick "How to" for one hot chocolate gift mug.
What you will need for your homemade hot chocolate cup:

- One winter, holiday related cup. You can get them at a dollar store for a buck (like this lovely one I picked up).

- Two packets of hot chocolate mix. Any quality brand that you like will do, the brand won't be shown anyway.
- A handful of mini marshmallows.
- A handful of mini white chocolate chips.
- A handful of milk chocolate chips.
- Flavored powder coffee creamer. These do not have to be flavored, however it is a very nice touch if you know what the recipient likes.
- One peppermint candy cane. You don't need a lot at all, less than half of one.
- Two plastic spoons. Or if you see cheap fancy looking ones at a dollar store you can grab that too. Up to you.
- Festive ribbon.
- Plastic wrap usually used in the kitchen.
- Small clear cellophane gift bags. You can have them be decorated as well if you find ones fitting your theme.

- Cellophane wrap. You can usually find this at an arts and crafts store or amongst florist supplies. You can also use a cellophane gift bag providing that you find one big enough for your mug.
- Couple of sheets of card stock printer paper.
- A working color printer.
- Two small microwave safe bowls.

How to set up your homemade hot chocolate cup:
- Open up the small cellophane gift bag. Make sure the bottom is nice and flat as much as possible. To make it stay that way you could cut out a small piece of card stock and line the bottom with it.
- First we will put down the coffee creamer into the bottom of the bag, while doing this try to keep the edges of the bag clean.
- Now open up one of the packets of the hot chocolate mix and layer it over the powder coffee creamer.
- Once that is done put down a handful of mini marshmallows and over them the second bag of hot chocolate mix.
- On top of your second layer of chocolate mix do a thin layer of the mini white chocolate chips.
- Now take that peppermint candy cane and crush it into sprinkles. You can just crush a small portion as you will only need a pinch of the sprinkles to put over the white chips.
- Alright so this baggie is done. You need to tie it up tight, if you want you can use one of those trash bag ties and then tie a ribbon around it, also keep in mind when making this baggie that it needs to fit into the mug.
- Now melt the milk chocolate and dip one of the plastic spoons into it so you come out with the coated spoon head and a spoonful of chocolate. Do the same with the leftover white chocolate. Put in the freezer for a few minutes to chill and harden. Cut up some cellophane and wrap up the tops of the spoons in it, secure with ribbon.

- Assemble the baggie with the mix, the chocolate spoons and an optional peppermint steer stick. Wrap the mug with the ingredients into the cellophane gift wrap.

- Now take that card stock and either print out some gift tag designed templates or better yet paint and cut out your own by hand. Either punch or cut out a hole at the top, pull the ribbon through and then tie it at the top of the mug to hold the cellophane gift wrap in place.

A great gift for any teen

I have found a very lovely little gift which can be on its own or a stocking stuffer! It is the Samsung Pebble mp3 player.
While there are a few different colours, I chose the white one as it actually looks like a marble stone. I believe I saw some black ones that also had a marble effect.
It is the size of an average rock, but much lighter and shinier!

The pack came with the MP3 player, earphones, USB adapter and an installation CD.
The Samsung Pebble is a pretty basic music player. Pretty much it has the Play, Pause, Playback, Volume and on and off buttons. I have found that my pebble mostly shuffles songs, however it doesn't always do it.

1GB is plenty of space for me, as I am a bit ADD with music anyway so I change my playlists frequently!
It imports music from a laptop/pc via the USB adapter which also serves as a charger. So you can get your music sorted on the player and charge it the same time.
My Samsung Pebble also came with this tiny clip so that you can clip it onto your clothes. And it doesn't look intrusive at all when you do! So that was another big plus.

I will be honest I am not the nicest person to my pebble. The poor thing has been dropped, kicked, thrown at hubby's head and it still soldiers on.
The side with the controls has a rubbery sort of feel and has darkened in color slightly (after more than a year) however the other side is scratch free and shiny as ever.

I have initially bought this because it was a 'cutesy' little player and haven't expected much from it but I am extremely happy with it!