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Keepsake Christmas Decorations – Part 2: Picture Christmas Wreath
Author: CD Mohatta
Christmas memories always include the time I put aside for my children to make Christmas decorations. We love to make wall decorations and have many keepsakes of past Christmases, some 25 years old! Remembering the activities that we shared making the decorations makes the holidays more special as you lovingly place your decorations on the walls. In the last article, Christmas Keepsake Decorations - Part 1, you saw how to make a "Rudolph Handmade Deer", using your child's hand for antlers. A perfect companion keepsake to place beside it is a Picture Christmas Wreath, using your child's picture as the centerpiece.
Materials needed: white poster board, red felt, scissors (both regular and Z edged), glue, green tempera paint, red wooden beads, tape, a protractor or 2 different sized bowls, some newspaper, and a picture of your child. If you can get your child's picture in front of a Christmas tree, then it will really be cute! Doing these kinds of Christmas activities can make a family feel closer and helps make wonderful Christmas memories.
The first thing that you should do is draw 2 circles on the white poster board. The largest should be about 7 or 8". The smaller circle should be 3 & ½ to 4 & ½" and centered in the middle of the larger circle. Let your child help you by cutting out the shapes. Use craft zigzag scissors to cut the outside edge on the larger circle like small Zs. Cutting the inner circle might be hard for children and they may need you to start the cut.
Next, lay down newspapers and let your child paint the larger circle with green tempera paint. It will be cute to see the 'evergreen' look or their brush strokes when it dries. While the paint is drying, take the 3 & ½ " square cut red felt and draw a bow on it. The bow should use most of the square. The bow looks like a butterfly and the ribbon will be like an upside down V, about1" wide and 1" long. You should practice a few times until you get the design you like, then copy to the red felt square, and cut it.
Once the paint dries, you're ready to assemble the wreath. Turn the painted side down and tape the picture over the hole in the middle. Turn it over and check to see if the picture is centered. If the placement is good, then turn it back over and glue the edges to the wreath. Cut a 5" circle from the white poster board and glue it over the picture, on the back.
You are now ready to finish the Christmas wreath. Attach the red bow with glue to the bottom of the wreath. Glue 5 red wooden beads on the wreath, like holly berries. Your child's masterpiece is complete and ready to display alone or with the Rudolph Handmade deer. We enjoy making wall decorations that add Christmas spirit, memories and color to our home. If you and your family enjoyed this activity, then you can always use the remaining supplies to make other wreaths, and give them as Christmas presents from the child or family. More keepsake memory decorations will be explained in Keepsake Christmas Decorations
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/keepsake-christmas-decorations-part-2-picture-christmas-wreath-481479.html
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Christmas Stockings for Stocking Fillers
Author: Suie Roberts
Nowadays, stockings are a firm feature of Christmas however, we do tend to hang out our stockings more expectantly rather then to appreciate a welcome accident.
To make a mini Christmas stocking you will need...
Assorted coloured pieces of felt, coloured thread, ribbon, glue and a print out pattern (see the link at the bottom for a free printable patter)
Cut out the pattern piece.
Place the stocking pattern piece onto a piece of felt. Put the pattern close to the edge of the felt to save fabric. Cut right up to the pattern piece, there is no need for a seam allowance. Two main stocking parts are needed for each stocking. These can either be the same or different colours.
Pin the two pieces together and working on the right side, work blanket stitch around the edge of the stocking to sew he two parts together.
Tack a loop of ribbon inside the top of the stocking at the back. This is the loop for hanging the stocking up.
Decorate the front of the stocking with holly leaves and berries cut from scraps of felt. Stick them into place with PVA glue.
You could personalise the stockings by embroidering a name or initials on it.
Sequins make attractive decorations. Sequins look really festive near the Christmas tree, reflecting the light from the fairy lights.
Another simple decorative idea is to cut away shapes in one side of the stocking before blanket stitching them together. This Lacey effect is pretty and shows off a little of the stocking filler inside.
These little stockings are ideal for small gifts, such as sweets, chocolates, money, nail varnish, broaches, and other little trinkets. Hang them on the fireplace or on the Christmas tree.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/christmas-stockings-for-stocking-fillers-242558.html
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Chocolate Candy Gift Basket - A Great Gift For The Chocolate Lover
Author: Anna Sher
There's no better gift for the chocolate lover in your life than a chocolate candy gift basket. It makes a great present for just about any occasion ... a birthday, Valentine's Day, an anniversary, Easter, even Christmas.
So what do you look for in a chocolate candy gift basket?
If the gift is for a close friend or a spouse or a family member and you know the person's tastes ... go with what you know. Even chocolate lovers can have their own personal preferences. So if you know she enjoys a particular type or a particular brand, seek out a collection that you know will satisfy her.
If she enjoys variety, consider chocolate truffles, butter creams and soft centers, dipped fruits, caramels, and gourmet chocolates. These can all be prepared in milk, dark, or white chocolate combinations that are simply irresistible. And if she enjoys a variety of brands, these can include everything from Belcolade to Callebaut, from Ghiradelli to Lindt, from Rocky Mountain to Lake Champlain, from Romanicos to Recchiuti Confections.
You can even find gift baskets for the vegan. Or the sugar free variety for the diabetic.
For a more personal touch ... make your own chocolate candy gift basket. You can pick up a beautiful basket at your local crafts shop for less than a few dollars. Line it with a colorful cloth napkin or two, fill it with a few gourmet chocolates (for instance. Godiva or Lindt or Ghiradelli are all popular brands), add some candy bars, perhaps some mint truffle hot cocoa, Hershey's Kisses, and wrap it all up with a beautiful ribbon and bow. That's all it takes. A few minutes of preparation and your thoughtfulness will be appreciated for a long time to come.
On the professional side, gift baskets are also great for business promotions or to express appreciation to company team members or even the whole office. While a wonderful selection of different chocolates that suit a variety of tastes should be your first and foremost concern, you can even do more. For example, why not take advantage of modern technology and customize some of the chocolates with your business emblem or name? What a powerful way to brand a business while expressing appreciation to those who help build and run the business!
Whether your budget is large or small, your choices are gourmet or everyday and available at your local grocery store, a chocolate candy gift basket is sure to bring a smile to your favorite chocolate lover. In fact, it's hard to go wrong.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/chocolate-articles/chocolate-candy-gift-basket-a-great-gift-for-the-chocolate-lover-859102.html
About the Author
Find out more about the chocolate candy gift basket, and more about all your chocolate options at: Chocolate Euphoria

The Story Of A First-time Wedding Planner
Author: Melissa Cruz
Sandra looked at the clock and wished the ground would just open and swallow her up. It was already 7.30am! Nothing had gone right after her phone call to the happy bride-to-be last Saturday. Jo was giving Sandra the chance to show that she could be a wedding planner as well as a corporate event manager and oh, how she would regret it. Sandra assumed that her work experience would be an advantage. Never did she expect there would be so many details to take care of for a wedding. First, there was a problem with the cake. Then, among other millions of things, the bridal gown needed additional beading... oh dear! She had almost forgotten, she hadn't bought those beads yet!
She should have seen it coming. Weddings were not corporate events. They came with higher expectations and must proceed without a hitch. In other words, the pressure was intense. She swore to herself that she would be more prepared next time. What next time? She must be dreaming. Who in her right mid would want to employ her as the wedding planner after this? Even if by some miracle she managed to pull off this wedding, she was not even sure that she had the mettle to go through the same process again.
Nevertheless, there was no escape this time. The wedding date was set. Sandra proposed a range of wedding themes to the bridal couple and they had set their hearts on having a Christmas wedding. Unfortunately, they failed to consider the consequences of such an arrangement. Churches and popular venues were already booked solid for the festive season. In the end, they had to resign to the family's backyard to hold the matrimony as well as the bridal shower.
That was just the tip of the iceberg. Everything else started to fall apart from then on. Because the wedding was going to be held on Christmas, most of the craft shops did not have enough supplies. Having to vie with everybody else who was buying gifts for the festive season, it was nearly impossible for her to get everything she needed for the big day. As a result, Sandra found herself spending the whole week searching high and low, rushing in and out of shops, and carrying everything from organza lace to satin ribbons. Belatedly, she chided herself for trying to be Martha Stewart. Why hadn't she thought of letting the experts deal with the decorations instead?
Fortunately, there was an online craft retailer who had the rest of the wedding supplies she needed so desperately, ending her hunt. For now. Next she just had to place some phone calls to the bride's relatives and friends and see if they could come over to her house to help with the wedding favours. She was in for another heart attack. With the festive season coming up, none of them could lend her a hand because they were preoccupied with their own holiday preparations. It took more than a dozen cups of calming herbal tea to convince herself that things would turn out fine. After many frantic phone calls, she managed to gather a mixed group of eager helpers. But because they were inexperienced, Sandra found herself besieged by yards of wrappers and ribbons scattered around her living room the next morning. She had purchased the wrong material and now about a hundred or more potpourri pouches and their contents were lying on the floor.
Still, nothing a little extra time could not fix. Unfortunately for Sandra, that was exactly what she was running short of as she still had about a million other pressing concerns to see to. Jo's mother had called the night before, expressing great dissatisfaction with the design that the couple had chosen for the cake. Never mind that Sandra had to call up at least four different confectioners before finding one who was skilled enough to pull off the unique Christmas log cum wedding cake design. Never mind that she had to comb through the various designs of wedding cake toppers that were still in stock this time of the year and which best suited the concept. Now, she was smack in the middle of a PR crisis involving a cake and one very unhappy mother-of-the-bride!
And all this was before the bride herself called, a crying bundle of wrecked nerves in need of soothing. Apparently, there had been some sort of mix-up at the gown rental shop and the designated set of bridal accessories that came with the gown opted for, had been misplaced. A new set had been ordered but would only be available a day after the wedding! She would have to squeeze in an emergency accessories-shopping trip somehow and pray real hard that they would be able to locate that exceptional pair of bridal hair clips that Jo had her heart set on.
Indeed, the day could not have started off better than Sandra had wished. It was 7.45am in the morning.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/the-story-of-a-firsttime-wedding-planner-177616.html
About the Author
Melissa Cruz is a wedding planning expert and lots of her experience was channeled into articles which can be found on mydreamwedding.ca. Her various works on the topics of choosing wedding themes, buying wedding favours, is highly regarded.
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A Look at the Varieties of Candy Canes Available in the Market
Author: Muna wa Wanjiru
Candy canes are the most common display during Christmas festival. They are not only famous sweets but also form the most popular decorative pieces during the festival. In the early ages, when the Europeans started decorating Christmas trees, real candies and cookies were used as the decorative items. The candy canes were introduced during this time that and gained importance over the centuries. The candy canes, which made their appearance in the early era, were plain white straight sugar candy canes. They got their signature shape of bent shepherd's crook in the early days of 1670.
They were widely used as pieces of decoration for the Christmas trees. The Americans extensively used these candy canes first in the eighteenth century. However, candy canes were still plain white. These candy canes got a colorful look in the twentieth century. Now these canes were available in red stripes. These canes were given religious importance and people started honoring the candy canes. The "J" shaped candies represented the holy name of "JESUS".
Candy canes are hard solid candies and are available in peppermint flavor. These canes are also available in different flavors. The peppermint flavor belongs to the mint family of Hyssop. Hyssop symbolizes the purity of Jesus Christ and the sacrifices he made. The white color of the cane represented the pure virgin birth of Jesus Christ and the red colored strips symbolize love of God.
Candy canes are made by blending vanilla, butter, food color and peppermint together. The material and the procedure to make these canes:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4th tsp salt, 1 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 tsp red food color, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 cup powered sugar.
Procedure: Mix the flour, butter, salt, sugar, egg and the vanilla together. Mix the ingredients properly with the hand mixture on a low speed. Divide the mixture into two parts. Mix the food color in one-half and keep the other half-plain white. Preheat the oven on 375º. Roll both the halves into 4-inch rope shape. Twist the red rope on the white rope by pressing the ends. Arrange all the candy canes in a baking sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes on 375º. These candies stay fresh for one week and if stored away from direct sunlight these candy canes will certainly last longer. These candy canes are given a final touch by adding a glossy coat and they look attractive thus lighting up the festival..
Various candies are manufactured by mixing sugar in water or milk. This mixture is boiled at different temperature to get the perfect consistency. The mixture of the hard candies is boiled at higher temperature and the mixture of the soft candies is boiled at low temperatures. The final product or the quality depends upon the ingredients used in the process of making these chocolates. Some types of candies are made by using gelatin, which are made from animal products thus restricting the veggie to consume them. You can thus add variety to the occasion with the wide range of candies available in the market.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/a-look-at-the-varieties-of-candy-canes-available-in-the-market-356936.html
About the Author
Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Candy for Years. For More Information on Candy Canes, Visit His Site at CANDY CANESI Will Also Highly Appreciate Your Views On Candy Canes At My Blog here
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Christmas Ornaments -Beautiful, Easy and Fun
Author: Mary Spargo Marquez
Baker’s Clay Ornaments

We all have treasured Christmas ornaments stashed away in boxes labeled “Christmas Decorations.” These were made over the years by family, friends, and especially dear to all of us are the ones created by our children. Make more holiday memories this year with the simple, old-fashioned dough called “Baker’s Clay.” This clay is easy to make and allows the smallest ones and those of us who are totally lacking in creativity to create stunning, durable ornaments for decoration and gift giving.
Start by making the simple dough consisting of flour, salt and water.
The recipe follows:
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 ½ cups water (approximately)
This can be mixed by hand or with a food processor using the bread dough attachment. Mix the flour and salt and add water until the dough is soft and pliable but not sticky. Dough must be kneaded until it becomes smooth and satiny. If you are doing this by hand, it may take up to ten minutes. If you have not kneaded it long enough, it may fall apart when it is drying.
The dough should be made at the start of the project and used up rather than stored.
Assemble an assortment of items to create ornaments. Paper clips make a good hanger and should be firmly pressed into the top back of the ornament. A rolling pin and cookie cutters are handy. While adults and older children may form intricate Santa Clause figures or angels, smaller children can roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thickness and cut the clay with a snowman or a star cookie cutter. If making an ornament that consists of different parts put together, water should be used as glue, but it is necessary to use it sparingly as too much will weaken the joint. Impressions can be made on decorations with an assortment of different items such as forks, pencil erasers, and bottle caps. A cheese grater makes dough shavings that can be used for creating a snowman’s hat or nose. A garlic press creates small strands perfect for adding “hair.”
Lay ornaments on a cookie sheet along with a small “test” piece of dough and bake them at 275 degrees for three hours. You can tell by breaking the “test” piece of material if the drying is complete after three hours. If additional time is needed, usually ½ hour is sufficient. Allow cooling time before starting the painting process.
Acrylic paints are easy to apply, inexpensive, and are available in small jars from the craft section of most department stores. While acrylic spray cans are available, it is not advisable to use them around small children.
Decorate ornaments and allow them to dry completely before applying sealer. This dough must be sealed well as exposure to moisture will cause mold and disintegration will occur. Any good, transparent coating can be used as long is it is not penetrating. Apply a coating in a well ventilated area and let it dry completely before adding another coating. If you prefer a strong protective coating for your art, up to four coats can be used.
Homemade ornaments are always appreciated and become family treasures for future holidays. But the greatest benefit is derived from the fun enjoyed by all during the creation of these cherished decorations.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/crafts-articles/christmas-ornaments-beautiful-easy-and-fun-1334517.html
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