Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. My family and I spent the day eating a lot of chocolate and watching the entire Die Hard series. Fun, fun, fun. Ok, this craft project is probably best done for Christmas, but is good for any time during the remainder of winter as well. Gourd Snowmen.

Gourd Snowmen

These little snowmen never melt no matter what the weather. Made from dried birdhouse gourds, they will last for years.

You will need:
Dried birdhouse gourds
Acrylic paint: white, black, orange and a bright color for the scarf.

Acrylic varnish
Hot glue gun
Black card stock

Mini-birdhouse gourds make the cutest snowmen, as each is only about 4 inches tall, but they can also be made from full size birdhouse gourds for a full size display. To begin, apply a coat of white paint to the entire surface of the gourd. Let set until dry. Apply a second coat of white paint. Let dry.

Using the black paint, add the eyes, mouth, and “buttons” down the front of the snowman’s body. Add an orange triangle to represent the traditional carrot nose. Paint a scarf around the “neck” section of the snowman.

When all the paint is completely dry, coat the snowman in a layer of varnish or sealer. Some craft stores carry a sparkle varnish with the regular acrylic paints. It works great on these snowmen as the sparkly bits give the gourds the appearance of having been made from real snow.

Take the black cardstock and cut a circle about 2 inches in diameter. (If you are using full size birdhouse house gourds, adjust the circle to about 5 inches in diameter). Then cut a 1-inch circle out of the middle of the larger circle. Set aside. Cut a strip of black cardstock an inch and a half wide, and about 5 inches long.

Hot glue the strip of cardboard to outside of the 1-inch circle. Trim the excess length, then hot glue the free side of the strip (which is now curled into a circle) to the inner edge of the 2-inch circle. This is the snowman’s hat. Hot glue the hat to the snowman’s head to complete the wintry look.

Tin Can Luminaries

Old soup containers can be recycled to make beautiful candleholders. The holes punched in the tin exude a warm glow from the candle within.

You will need:

• Used soup cans with wrappers removed
• Hammer
• Nail

To begin, you will need to make the can hard enough to pound without bending. To do this, either slide a tight fitting block of wood into the soup can to support its edges or fill the can with water and let it freeze. Once the can is ready to be pounded, decide on a design. (As an alternative to a soup can, cat food cans work great for smaller candles such as tea lights.)

Designs can either be drawn freehand or printed out from a computer. You may want to put newspapers or towels under the can if you use the ice method, as it will begin to thaw as you pound.

Pound your design into the tin can, one hole at a time. Try to space the holes evenly. When you have finished pounding, remove the block of wood or let the ice melt. (This process can be sped up by running it under hot water). Use the hammer to pound down any sharp edges or areas that may have warped during the pounding. Place a candle inside and watch the luminary glow.

There are many possibilities with this craft, don’t limit yourself to just one nail. Try mixing and matching nail holes of different sizes to create interesting patterns, or add long, thin marks from a flathead screwdriver.

Cream Cheese Stir-fry

I don't know if this technically qualifies as a stir-fry, but it has a lot of the same ingredients. It's sort of like house fried rice with cream cheese. I usually make this to use up leftovers.

Ingredients:
6 oz. box of wild rice
8 oz. package of cream cheese
10 baby carrots
About a fifteen 1-inch chunks of meat (chicken, pork, or turkey seem to work best)
Peas, corn, or chopped beans, depending on your liking

Cook the rice according to the box’s instructions. When it is done, chop 3/4 of the block of cream cheese into tiny piece and drop them into the rice. Set the burner to medium, and stir the rice and cream cheese together until it has entirely melted.

When the cream cheese is fully melted, drop in the chunks meat. Stir the entire meal together over medium heat for about 30 seconds.

Chop the baby carrots into tiny pieces, and drop them into the stir fry. Add in the peas, corn, or chopped beans, and stir together. When the entire mixture is warm, it is ready.

If there is any left over, it can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Fleece Scarves

Fleece scarves are a warm welcome on a cold winter day. These scarves can easily be made in under an hour.

You will need:

• Fleece material
• Scissors

The following items are optional:

• Fabric Glue
• Sequins
• Fabric markers

To begin, cut a piece of fleece 8 inches wide and 1 yard long (shorter if you don’t like long scarves). Use the scissors to cut slits 3 inches long, at half-inch intervals across both short ends of the scarf to make fringes. To decorate the scarf, use fabric glue to add sequins, or if you have a steady hand, use fabric dye markers (available at most crafts shops, i.e. Jo-Anne Fabrics, Michael’s, etc.) to draw on embellishments.

Other decorative options include embroidery, needle-felting, or iron-on appliqués. Finish decorating and voila! You now have a nice warm scarf to wear or give as a gift.

Scrap Paper Christmas Tree Garland

These garlands are made using the same technique as gum-wrapper chains. Scrap paper offers an alternative to gum wrappers, giving a wider selection of prints and colors, and does not require hours of chewing gum.

You will need:
Scrapbook paper
Scissors

This is a relatively easy project, though it can be a bit time consuming. The first thing you need to choose is your scrapbook paper. (I have a tendency to use these lovely papers for everything but scrap booking!) Plain colors always look lovely, but if you want a pattern, choose one with a small design so it will not be lost on the garland. An alternative to scrapbook paper is to recycle newspapers by using brightly colored sections such as “the funnies” to make these garlands.

Cut the paper into strips four-inches long and half an inch wide. To begin the chain, cut one of the four-inch strips in half. You will now have 2 two-inch strips. Set one of the two-inch strips aside. Fold the other two-inch strip in half, then fold the sides into each other until they touch the middle fold. You will now have a square.

Fold a four-inch strip in half. Slide the two ends through the folds in the square you made previously. Fold the sides down until they touch the middle fold, this will lock the strips in place. You should now have half an inch sticking out from the first square.

Fold another four-inch strip in half. Slide the ends up through the half-inch. Fold the ends down until they touch the middle fold. A new half-inch will be sticking out. Continue sliding and folding the four-inch strips until the garland has reached your desired length.

At that point, retrieve the two-inch strip you set aside.
Slide the ends of the two-inch strip through the half-inch as you would normally. Fold the ends down until they touch the middle fold. This time there will be no half-inch sticking out, the garland will end with the square. Wind the garland around a tree or doorway for a holiday feel.

Mini Pies

When you take a brown bag lunch to work multiple days a week, you're bound to eventually come up with some creative, frightening, and even desperate concoctions. This is one of the more edible ones that I came up it. It makes a nice after lunch dessert, and sort of breaks up the monotony.

Ingredients:

• Rolled Piecrust
• Fruit for pie filling
• Honey
• Oatmeal
• Brown sugar (optional)

It is easiest to make several of these pies at the same time. Start with a rolled piecrust. They’re usually found in the freezer section and are very flexible. Cut the piecrust into 4×6 inch strips. Take your fruit of choice; apples, strawberries, pears, and blueberries all make great mini pie fillings. Chop or mash the fruit, then test the tartness. If the fruit is too tart, add a little brown sugar to sweeten it.

Spread the mashed fruit onto the pie filling. Carefully wrap the edges of the piecrust over the filling, completely encasing it. Pinch the edges to keep them in place.
Using a basting brush, spread honey on all sides of the mini pie. Then roll the honey-coated crust in the oatmeal. It will give a pleasant crunch to the finished pie.

Stick the pie in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. The piecrust should be a nice golden brown when it is done. The fruit inside will have melted down a bit, forming an almost jam-like interior. These pies are best fresh, but will last for several days, and no refrigeration is needed.

Sights of The Season: Exterior Illumination

There's nothing quite like the holidays. Christmas trees, candles, holly garlands, and of course, extension cords being used well beyond their intended capacity. Here's an amusing yet truthful shot of holiday decorating.