Mary Welling-Bonney's Blog

Posted by Mary Welling-Bonney

Back in August I published an article about making a gingerbread house advent calendar. One of my very industrious reader's family took it to heart and they were gracious enough to share the photos and journaling of their entire project.

You can see for your self at their website where they have posted the entire project.

Few people realize that as writers our job is to come up with new original ideas on a regular basis but realistically we have lives with demands and responsibilities. We often don't get the opportunity to actually do all of the projects we conceptualize. There wouldn't be enough hours in the day. Think about a simple cross stitch or afghan. They don't come together in an hour or two. Now imagine making a new one every couple of days. I still have many a cross stitch and afghan in a closet unfinished.

I love to do crafts and do as many as time allows. So many times I get an idea that I can see in my head but cannot find the time to do. So I write. It is so wonderful when readers make my vision a reality. That is the absolute best part of the job.

Thank you Chico and Jo! Merry Christmas to all readers of Suite101.com

Posted by Mary Welling-Bonney

The icicles we are making today have that very homespun appearance.

Materials Needed:

• Brown wrapping paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Gauze
• Tea or coffee for dying
• String or twine
• Straight pin or needle
• Sponge paint brush
• Optional-Clear glitter

Preparation

1. Cut the brown paper into rectangles that measure 5" x 4". They do not have to be exacting.
2. Roll the brown paper up into a tight tube.
3. Release the paper tube and pull the inside coil out to extend beyond the bottom about an inch and a half to two inches.
4. Glue the coil in place making sure not to tighten the coil back up.
5. Poke a hole in the fattest are of the brown paper with your pin or needle.
6. Cut eight inch pieces of string or twine and thread them through the hole in the paper.
7. Tea dye the gauze for an aged look.

Assembly

1. Beginning at the top, wrap the gauze around the brown paper coil.
2. Sponge glue onto the gauze to soak through to the paper. Allow to dry.
3. You can sprinkle the icicle with glitter for a little reflective light if you prefer.

Posted by Mary Welling-Bonney

Materials Needed:

• Two kitchen towels
• Two kitchen washclothes
• One square hot pad
• One piece of ribbon (about 12" long)
• One twist tie or piece of wire.
• Iron

Preparation

1. Take the hot pad and bunch it up from corner to opposite corner. Secure it using your twist tie or wire. Leave the excess on the ends hanging for the moment.
2. Open your towels and wash clothes. Using your iron press the towels accordion style. You will want about a one and a half inch fold all the way across. Repeat for both towels and for both wash clothes.

Assembly

1. Keeping your towels folded accordion style, stack them one on top of the other.
2. Lay the accordion styled wash clothes on top of the folded towels. Make sure they are centered.
3. Fold the whole piece in half with the wash clothes on top.
4. Tie the ribbon around the wash clothes and towel about three inches from the top center. This makes the head of your angel. The wash clothes will flare out a bit making your angels arms. The remainder of the towels are the angels body.
5. The hot pad that you bunched up are the wings. Move the wire through the ribbon and secure making sure the wings are horizontal.

Posted by Mary Welling-Bonney

Being environmentally friendly is more and more important for all of us to remember on a daily basis. So many projects we have done in the past are what we would consider "green". When we did many of them we weren't necessarily thinking about the environment but looking back so many crafts came about from people finding a way to reuse materials. Think about things like quilting. It used to be that quilt material came from worn out or out grown clothing. Those women years ago never thought about how it impacted the environment.

If you have any holiday projects that are "green" we want to hear from you. We would love to share your ideas with all of our readers. Even those projects you never thought of as environmentally friendly but now looking back you realize that they can play a role in saving our world.

All you have to do is click on the link and send an e-mail describing your project. It can be simple or complex, for children or adults. It just needs to be "green".

Posted by Mary Welling-Bonney

Since the new comment button has been added many people have been nice enough to add their thoughts. When you have a comment that it is assumed it requires no response. Make sure to still use the e-mail when you would like some information. That way I can respond to you directly. The comments do not list your e-mail address and I have no way of getting back to you.