Repurposing Old Quilts

Recently one of the members of our message board community, affectionately known as The Parlor, asked for ideas on reusing an old quilt made by her grandmother. The quilt was in mediocre shape and becoming threadbare, but as family heirlooms go, she wanted figure out a way to repurpose it. After all, isn't more respectful to find a purpose for all that hard work that grandma did, rather than stuffing it into a trunk in the attic? i like to think Grandma would think so.

Here are some suggestions inspired by our community as well as some of my own:

Teddy Bears
Turn them into teddy bears for the family's children and grandchildren. Because they don't need to be washed very often, they won't wear as much. The best part is that you will remember that special family member whenever you see our hug the bears.

Framed Quilt Patches
Use a plain black frame with a white matte. Place 1 quilt block, or a block of 4, depending on the size of your frame, centered within the matting. Cover with glass and close the frame.

Baby Quilts
Cut good sections of the quilt and finish all the edges to make a miniature version. Wonderful as an accent hanging in the nursery, draped over the crib, and better yet, used to cuddle baby in.

Pillow Shams or Covers
Old quilts can be cut up and made into pillow shams for your bed, or make smaller ones to cover plain pillows for your window seat or sofa.

Ornaments
Be creative! Cut out squares of the quilt and sew a backing on it, stuff with batting and add a hanger for a keepsake ornament. For sections that have worn squares or unsalvageable areas, cut around those and make shapes, such as pine trees, birds, and circles. Stuff these, add hangers and you have some lovely keepsake ornaments. These make perfect gifts to share with family members!

Pin Cushions
Cut quilt sections , stuff tightly with batting and you have an ideal pincushion.

Rag Dolls
Similar to the teddy bear idea, turning old quilts into rag dolls make for lovely accents to a tea room or little girl's room. Adorable sitting on a shelf as well!

Seat Cushions
Covering the cushions of a window seat, or the chair pillows of your tea room or sun porch is a great way to use old quilts. Because these areas do not receive as much activity as general living areas, the wear and tear on your keepsake fabric will be much less.

Place Mats & Table Runners
Repurposing old quilts into place mats and table runners is another great option. They look wonderful atop a shabby chic wicker table or an old rustic wooden table.

Bags & Totes
While making quilts into purses is common practice, you might not want to turn granny's keepsake quilt into something that will quickly wear out. However, making a craft tote or yarn bag will remain mostly in the house and receive much less wear and tear.

Heart or Flower Pins
Cut 2" hearts or flowers from the quilt fabric, use a blanket stitch to finish the edges, use fabric stiffener to make the fabric hard and attach a pin to the back. These make lovely lapel pins.

You might also like: Caring for Heirloom Quilts 

Do you have any ideas to share? Leave them in the comments, or better yet, join The Parlor and post your ideas there!

Special thanks to community members PamperedLady and Sheila for sharing their ideas!

Paint Stick Scarecrow

Last year we did some painting in our house, so we had plenty of paint stir sticks leftover. Crafty girl that I am ;) I am always looking for ways to turn items like this into something cute. I used one of those extra paint sticks and a bunch of fabric scraps to make this adorable scarecrow. He's definitely one of my favorites. I still have this cute scarecrow, though he's pretty faded now since I left his outside in a potted plant all summer. I guess I'll have to make some more. ;) I want to thank FamilyCorner.com, the site I originally made this for, for granting permission to reprint this here for you. Hope you like it!

Paint Stick Scarecrow
by Amanda Formaro

This adorable scarecrow makes a great decoration for your kitchen, garden, porch, or just about anywhere you want to "stick" him! Use scraps of material and inexpensive felt to put this cutie together.

What you need
paint stir stick
acrylic paint: tan or sunflower, pink, orange, white and black
paint brush
toothpick
fine tip black marker
felt: red, tan, brown, gold
scrap of old blue jeans (approx 8" x 10")
bandana or other patterned material (we used boxer shorts!)
*buttons: 3 orange, 1 each green, purple, navy blue
American moss or raffia
12" piece of green raffia
hot glue gun
pattern
*You can use any color buttons, or fabrics for that matter, that you like. We have listed the colors we used. Feel free to personalize this project any way you like.

What you do

Prep
Paint the top 5 inches of the paint stick with tan or sunflower acrylic paint. Set aside to dry.

Lay sheet of red felt on work surface and fold in half (greeting card style). Lay the shirt pattern on top of the felt so that the shoulders and neck area line up with the fold. Trace the pattern then cut out, keeping the felt folded. Be sure to cut the neck hole out as well.

Repeat the above process with the tan felt, laying the hat pattern so that the top of the hat lies along the fold, cut out.

Cut out a thin strip of brown felt, about 4 inches long, long enough to wrap around the hat (band).

Cut out a flower from the gold felt.

Place denim jean material on work surface and fold in half. Trace the pants pattern onto the denim and cut out. It is not necessary to line this up along the fold as with the shirt.

Cut out two long strips from the denim, about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long each. These will be the cuffs of the pants. Lay the strips right (dark) side facing up, and run hot glue along the top edge. Fold over to adhere and repeat with the other side, making a folded cuff strip. Set aside.

Cut 7 small squares out of the denim jeans for patches and set aside.

Cut out a scrap of bandana, boxer shorts, or other patterned material about 5" square. Set aside.

Assemble
With shirt still folded; insert the stir stick, painted end at the top, into the neck hole of the shirt. The neck hole of the shirt should cover about an inch or so of the paint. Use hot glue to tack the shirt to the stick just at the neck hole, front and back. DO NOT glue the rest of the shirt yet, you still need to insert moss in the arm holes.

Take one of the pieces of denim pants and place it over the top of the stir stick, positioned just underneath the bottom of the shirt. When you have it where you want it, tack it in place with hot glue. Take the other piece of denim pants and place it on the other side of the paint stick, lining it up with the one in front. Tack in place with glue. As with the shirt, DO NOT glue the bottom of the pants together or add the cuffs, you still need to insert moss.

Gather some American moss in your fingers like a bouquet, trim the ends. Hot glue some moss into the arms of the shirt and into the opening of the pant legs. You also need to glue some moss to the top of the paint stick for the hair. Trim if needed.

Glue the shirt together now that the moss is inserted. Glue the pants together as well. Glue "cuff" in place on the bottom of the pants, glue seams into the back and trim where needed.

Place folded top of hat at the top of the stir stick and fold into place. Position over the moss, there should be enough room for the scarecrow's face, about 2". Glue hat together.

Embellishments
Glue thin strip of brown fat onto hat as the band, glue seams at the back and trim if needed. Glue flower to the left side of the hat, covering the band and part of the brim. Hot glue a navy blue button to the center of the flower.

Fold bandana square in half and roll the long end a few times. Tie around scarecrow's neck to cover up neck hole. Hot glue in place.

Glue 3 orange buttons down the center of the shirt. Glue four denim patches on the shirt as noted in photo or anywhere you please.

Tie green raffia around the belt area of the pants, trim the ends and tack with hot glue.

Glue denim patches, wrong side up, to the pants as noted in photo. Glue a purple and a green button on top of two of the patches.

Use the handle end of a paint brush dipped in white paint to dot on whites of eyes. Use a toothpick dipped into black paint to dot on eyes. Use toothpick dipped in orange paint to draw on a triangle nose. Dip a paintbrush into pink paint, dab off excess and carefully dot on cheeks. Use black fine tip marker to add eyebrows and a moth, adding a few stitches to the mouth.

All done!

FamilyCorner.com has a printable version if you like.

Buying Fabric on the Internet

A friend of mine, Mary Wilkins, wrote this article on what to look for when buying fabric over the internet. She has some great tips and Brenda and I appreciate her wisdom! Thanks Mary!

The World Wide Web - it is an integral part of our lives. The possibilities and opportunities are endless. Now our shopping has taken on a whole new dimension. We can buy basics, gifts, even a new car over the Internet. However, there are a few things to consider before you make any purchase online. While buying fabric can be fun helping our stash grow almost overnight, the buyer should beware. When you are contemplating the purchase of fabric from an online site, consider the following factors.

1) Can you see an actual swatch of the fabric online? If so, remember that color variations take place from one monitor to another. How the fabric colors appear to you may not be what it really looks like at all.

2) Is the fiber content, width, price and washing instructions all available? These are all important things you should want to know. Ask about catalogues and if swatches are available to be mailed to you. Better safe than sorry.

3) Do they have a return policy clearly stated? If not, then ask.

4) Does the site have an email address that really works? Do they have an address and phone number that is active. Send an email query and find out. If you do not get a reply, and you couldn't find anything in your spam or junk email foders, you want to consider purchasing elsewhere.

5) Does the site have a secure order form to handle credit card transactions? If not, do not order online. Never send a credit card number through regular email. This valuable information can be picked up by someone less than honest.

6) Make sure you know about cross-border shopping if you are ordering out of your own country. Make sure it is very clear what charges will be billed to you. If you are Canadian, you will be charged the applicable tax for your province, duty, delivery and border handling fees. Make sure you know what their delivery charges are and approximately how long it will take to receive your fabric.

The postal system is great to a certain degree. I have had fabric delivered half way around the world in 10 days or less and I have also had orders to the next county take 3 weeks. It's far from perfect, but then again, what is?

7) Make sure you insure your fabric order. This might cost you a dollar or two, but it is worth every cent. When your order leaves the vendor, they have no control over the route your package takes or where it ends up. If you insure your order the seller receives a tracking number on their postal receipt from the post office. If your order becomes lost, they can start a trace to find your order. This is a long drawn out procedure that may or may not yield results. If your insured package is not found, then insurance claims are filed and you go from there.

But, if you do not insure your package, tough luck for you. You have lost your money, the vendor has lost his fabric and the post office will not take any responsibility for the situation. It's a lose-lose situation--all because you did not spend one dollar.

This is a broad overview of what you should be aware of when ordering fabrics online. I know this seems like a lot to remember, so print this column and keep it close by your computer for the next time that you just have to have that special fabric.

On Old Fashioned Living:

Tea Dyed Fabrics

Decorating With Fabric

Cleaning Vintage Fabric

Craft: Country Dammit Doll

This is a craft that I made many years ago for a friend who needed comforting. She was very grateful and I hear from people all the time about how they remember making one themselves, seeing their grandmother's doll, or hearing about one from a family member. It's a fun project and can be made in the simplest of forms, or you can add your own special flare. That's basically what I did when I made this doll those years ago. I added what I believed to be some lovely country charm. I hope you like it.

Country Dammit Doll

by Amanda Formaro

This little country doll is a great comfort gift for someone you care about, or an adorable addition to any room in your home.

You will need

FOR THE DOLL
country floral fabric (half of a yard should do it!)
doll pattern
white yarn
darning needle
Fiberfil
curled jute
sewing needle
thread to match fabric
6 buttons to coordinate with the fabric
2 flat backed black eyes
fabric glue
large unpainted wood button
scrap of blue gingham fabric for neck bow

FOR THE CONTAINER
12" cylindrical papier mache container
acrylic paint in antique white, light brown, and country blue
crackle medium
paintbrush
household sponge or sponge scrap
curled jute
rusty tin button
blue gingham fabric scrap
white tacky glue
black fine tip craft pen
ruler
scrap piece of paper
pen or pencil


What you do

THE DOLL

Bodice
To begin, print out the doll pattern and cut two pieces from country floral fabric, RIGHT side of fabric facing out. This doll is sewn on the outside, rather than sewn and turned inside out. This gives it a more primitive country look. Using a darning needle and white yarn, begin at the top/center of the head and sew downward, all the way around the doll until you get to the other side of the neck. Pause here to stuff the doll with Fiberfil, using the eraser end of a pencil to gently push the stuffing into the arms and legs. Complete the stuffing of the doll's head and sew shut, knot off.

Embellishments
Using a length of curled jute (can be purchased in the craft store where doll hair is sold), cut into 1 1/2" pieces. For each piece, fray the ends halfway, leaving the other half curled. Use a sewing needle and thread to sew the curled end of the jute pieces to the top of the head, frayed end should be pointing upward for the hair. You will need around 6 or 7 pieces of jute to complete the hair. Sew 3 buttons to the front of the hair, in the center, and 3 to the back, running thread through two buttons at once (one in back, one in front). Cut a strip of blue gingham fabric and fray the ends. Tie around doll's neck and secure with a couple of threads. Use fabric glue to adhere eyes to the doll's face. Sew wood button to the front of the doll's body.


THE CONTAINER

Paint the papier mache cylinder and lid with a coat of antique white acrylic paint and allow to dry completely. Following the directions on the crackle medium, apply a coat of crackle medium over the antique white, and allow to dry according to the manufacturer's directions (usually 15-45 minutes, or until tacky but not completely dry). Finish with a coat of light brown, again, follow the directions on the crackle medium! Use single brush strokes, DO NOT brush over and over, you will lose the crackle effect. Allow to dry completely.

For the lid, cut a piece of blue gingham fabric long enough to fit around the lid, fray and tie. Trim and fray the ends. Use tacky glue to secure the fabric to the lid. Tie a piece of curled jute around the lid over the fabric, tie in place, secure with tacky glue. Gently thread a rusty tin button with the jute, and tie, ends should hang downward.

When the light brown coat is dry, use the household sponge to apply an oval shape to the front of your cylinder using antique white. The oval should cover most of the length of the container, leaving about an inch at the bottom and the top (below the lid). Sponge a light border of country blue around the outer edge of your oval.

Using a piece of scrap paper and a pen or pencil, sketch out the poem listed below to ensure that you can fit it all on your oval. You can use a ruler to approximate how much area you have to work with. Use a craft pen to write on the poem when you are comfortable with it.


DAMMIT DOLL

When you want to climb the wall,
And stand right up and shout.
There's a little Dammit doll
You cannot do without.

Just grasp it firmly by the legs,
And find a place to slam it.
And as you whack the stuffing out
Yell Dammit, Dammit, Dammit!

If Dammit's not a word you say
Then twist its little neck
And grumble out repeatedly
Oh Heck, Oh Heck, Oh Heck!

And once your done abusing it
Just sit it on the shelf.
But hug it first, as I'd hug you
If I were there myself.

Note: Carefully stuff container with some light tissue paper before placing doll inside. You may need to tuck your doll's arms in a bit to fit her in. Cover her with a bit more tissue paper and cover with the lid.

Heart Rosebud Tea Cup Topiary

This week I want to share with you a craft project that has been on Old Fashioned Living for quite some time. Now is the perfect time of year to begin drying out those rosebuds growing in your garden!

This lovely topiary makes for a pretty centerpiece on your tea table, or make one as a gift for your favorite hostess. Be sure to capture your garden roses before they wilt so you can dry them for this great project. 

If you don't have roses, you can purchase dried roses from a craft supply store. 

Thrifty tip: be sure to check thrift stores and garage sales for tea cups!

You will need:

1 4" heart from Kreative Foam (I got mine at Michael's)

1 8" stick

1 Tea cup (or a 3" terra cotta pot and dish, plain or painted)

1 2-3" square of sahara green decorative excelsior moss

dried mini rosebuds (I use about 2 oz or 200 rosebuds)

a few pieces of dried fern or ivy

a doily (for the tea cup saucer)

ribbon

sage green paint

foam brush

glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

Stick the foam heart on the stick. Paint the heart sage green.

While that is drying, put the sahara in the tea cup, trim it evenly with the lip of the cup. Cover it with excelsior. Insert the painted heart.

Using the glue gun, begin at the top of the heart and glue rosebuds all along the outside edge of the heart. Choose one side and add a second line of hearts along the inside of the first row. Continues in the manner, moving in a row until you reach the center of the heart. Turn it around and do the same on the other side.

When the heart is covered in rose buds, tie a ribbon at the bottom. You may add a few pieces of fern and rose buds in the center of one side, or another dried flower (I used peonies).

Finish the project by gluing the doily to the saucer, then gluing the cup to the doily. add a few pieces of fern or ivy to the base of the tea cup and at the base of the topiary (on the excelsior). Add another few rose buds or peonies on the fern. This is optional but I think it gives it a finished look.

If you are giving this as a gift, I recommend that you gather it into a piece of cello wrap, and tie it with a pretty ribbon. You may want to add a Rosebud Heart Tie-on, or Rosebud Note Card.

You can view this project online at Old Fashioned Living

Thrifty Thursday: Reusing Denim

I have 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl. The two younger boys wear holes through their blue jeans before they even outgrow them. Sure, you can cut those jeans into shorts, but what do you do with the legs you cut off? There are only so many pairs of cut off shorts that you need though, so what else can you do with those remaining pairs that aren't worthy of the donation pile?

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

QUILT: Cut the good parts of the denim clothing into four inch squares. Sew together to form a quilt. I did this and made a "rag" quilt. I sewed the quilt and left the denim seams on the outside of the quilt. Washed and dried for a little fraying and bam .. one Christmas gift was finished.

PURSE: Turn the jeans (I used shorts) to the inside and sew just below the bottom at the beginning of the legs. I sewed a few times for extra reinforcing. Sew on a strap using the waistband from another pair of jeans. Lace a belt or use ribbon through the beltloops to draw closed. I also put a strip of Velcro on the inside of mine to keep shut.

PILLOWS: I made "butt" pillows for our van the same basic way the purse is made. Except you need to close the entire top with Velcro. Put a ready made pillow form in and you can unvelcro for easy cleaning. Just toss in the washer. I used an old pillow as the pillow form and had no cost at all for my pillows.

APRON: Use a pair of overalls for this project. Cut the seams of the legs apart and then sew both of the front legs together and then both of the back legs together. Slip over you head for a great apron. You can also use as a great overall dress. Quick and easy.

NECK ROLL PILLOW: Cut off one of the legs at the crotch. Cut the other end off at the length you want the pillow to be, so you're left with a 'tube' of denim open at both ends. At this point you could use some fabric paints to add designs. Then wash the fabric a couple of times and put them through the dryer. This will help make the ends frayed in a more natural (and easier!) way than doing it by hand. Once it's done, all you have to do is stuff the tube, and tie off each end with ribbon, kind of like a Tootsie Roll! If you're using cotton stuffing - stuff it good and full, because it will settle with use. You can even stuff it with what's left of your jeans, if you don't mind it being harder than an average pillow.

Here are a few other projects you might like:

Denim Diary for Girls
Braided Denim Rug
Denim Christmas Stocking

Here are a couple blue jean projects I made for Kaboose this year!

Denim iPod Holder
Denim Bible Cover

To see some other great frugal tips, visit Thrifty Thursday. Have a great Thursday!

~ Amanda

Valentine's Day Crafts For Kids

For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it.~Ivan Panin

Lina, one our long time readers and a friend shared these fun Valentine's ideas:

Note: If you don't have old cards you could always make hearts and things from colored paper or cut things out of magazines...the children love it.

Valentine Place mats: Gather up Valentines cards from past years. Glue onto light cardboard or construction paper in decorative fashion the size of a place-mat. Cover this collage with clear contact paper to seal the place mats. Be sure to have your child date and sign it. These make great gifts for grandparents.

Make simple heart shaped frames from cardboard and red/pink construction paper. Use the cardboard shape for the back and the construction paper for the front. Cut out a picture or drawing that can fit be put between both. (Choose a picture of your favorite sweetie or your children) Glue the edges when it's all together. Glue a magnet to the back for hanging on the refrigerator or a ribbon for hanging.

One of our forum moderators, Lizzy, shared this great idea:

We made a nice centrepiece for our Valentine's tea last year. We chose a plain pot and painted it red, added a large white bow to the outside and glued a heart in the knotted area of the bow. Then we put a piece of foam inside the pot and topped it with some crystal shredded paper/plastic. We stuck heart shaped lollipops (on sticks) in the foam. It was so cute - a pot of lollipops.

On OFL we have more frugal Valentine's Day tips:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/valentines3.html

Simple Christmas Crafts

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. ~Peg Bracken

Today I have more easy crafts to make for the holidays!

SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS
I made these ornaments years ago in my Kindergarten class and it was so successful. They make beautiful gingerbread men. ~Nani

You'll need:
2 cups flour
1 cups salt
1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients. Add the water a little at a time and knead until the dough is smooth. Roll out as you would any cookie on a floured surface. Cut out in your favorite shapes or mold like Play-Doh. Make a hole before baking if you plan to hang the ornament. Bake at 325 degrees F. for an hour to hour and one-half. Paint with acrylic paints and decorate. When they are very dry varnish to preserve and keep any dampness out.

A friend substituted coffee for the water in this recipe for her Gingerbread men and I intend to try it this year. I've wanted to do a very natural color and glue on buttons for trim. They would look darling on a wreath or just piled in a pretty basket on a table with greenery. You can add cinnamon and other spices for the aroma of Christmas.

Note from MaddeesMom: I made the gingerbread men ornaments with the recipe listed above, and I tried it with the coffee ... they turned out okay the first time, except they were kind of puffy in some places. So the next time I made them I laid parchment paper over them and put another cookie sheet on top with a heavy casserole dish on top of that ... they turned out really cute! The coffee
made a difference too. I liked the color!

DECORATING WITH NATURE
Lina shared this two natural decorations:

Sugared-Cranberry Garland
To make sugared cranberries, roll fresh cranberries in lightly beaten egg whites and then in superfine granulated sugar. Place cranberries on waxed paper to dry. To make garland, thread a large needle, such as a darning needle,with cotton string or dental floss, (I use dental floss). Loop and knot end for hanger loop. String the cranberries until the garland is desired length; then loop and knot end for hanger loop...use on tree with birdseed ornaments.

Dried-fruit Wreaths
Thread a large needle, like a darning needle, with cotton string or dental floss. Make a knot 4 to 6" from 1 end. String dried fruit (I use apricots, papaya,raisins and cranberries) until you have enough to form a small wreath; know string together to secure circle. If desired, place paper twist or raffia bow on top and know string to secure. For hanger tie some kind string through wreath around bow if you have one, tie string next to bow
to secure and then tie a know of two strings on top...hang on tree with birdseed ornaments and sugared-cranberry garland.

On OFL: Give these easy to make coffee mixes for gifts!
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/coffee2.html

Christmas Tips and Recipes

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

Today I have a neat tip on making homemade gift tags and a couple of recipes for holiday goodies.

I wanted to make gift tags that were special and homemade. So I went to the fabric store and bought pieces of country Christmas fabric. The print on the fabric is in blocks with angels,santas and stockings. I put fusible webbing on the back . then ironed them on index cards and cut them out. Punched a small hole in the corner added a ribbon. I can write on the back of them and the are so cute and easy. ~Lisa

Make these for a special gift or just a very rich treat to accompany coffee tea after Christmas dinner. ~Lizzy

Christmas Truffles

Ingredients:
7 oz. dark chocolate (good quality)
1/3 cup thickened cream
1 tablespoon of orange liqueur (or try rum)
3 oz. unsalted macadamia nuts (or almonds or hazelnuts)
Coatings: dark cocoa / shredded coconut / chocolate sprinkles

Put the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl (or double sauce pan) and place over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure bowl does not touch the water). Stir until the chocolate melts. Remove the bowl and stir in the liqueur and nuts. Cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours or until firm enough to roll into balls. Line a tray with non stick paper, roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on tray. Put in freezer for about 30 minutes then roll the balls quickly to smooth the surface and roll in desired coating. Makes 36.They will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

Alabama Chocolate-Pecan Jumbo Christmas Fudge Pie
Christmas With Southern Living 2003

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet
chocolate morsels, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Garnishes: vanilla ice cream, fudge topping

Combine chocolate crumbs and 1/3 cup melted butter, mixing well. Press into bottom and up sides of ungreased 9" pie plate. Bake at 350° F. for 6 to 8 minutes. Beat 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the melted chocolate and next 4 ingredients. Pour the filling into prepared crust. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes; cool
completely on a wire rack. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 1 (9") pie.

Make this adorable light bulb Santa this year!
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/bulbsanta.html

Family Christmas Ornaments to Craft

Today I have some neat family Christmas ornaments from two of our visitors.

BORAX CRYSTAL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
You can make beautiful ornaments using pipe cleaners and Borax for just about any holiday. These make great gifts, tree ornaments, kitchen magnets, or package decorations! ~Jeanie

You will need:
20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster
Chenille (pipe cleaners)
A wide mouth container
String or yarn and a pencil

Shape the pipe cleaners any way you want. you can make any shape you want... angels, stars, flowers, etc. In a wide mouth container (wide enough to hang your ornament in so it doesn't touch the bottom or sides), pour boiling water. Add about a cup of borax, less or more depending on the size of your container and the amount of water. A thick glass container works well, because you can see the Borax dissolving. Add enough Borax so the water is quite cloudy.

Suspend the Christmas ornament in the solution: tie a piece of string or yarn to it, tie the other end of the string to a pencil, and then lay the pencil across the top of your container. Make sure the pipe cleaner is completely immersed in the solution and isn't touching the sides or bottom of the container. As the solution cools, the crystals will begin to form on your pipe cleaner. Leave overnight. Remove from the solution and allow to dry.

Note: Overnight soaking will give you very thickly crystallized ornaments. If you want some of the color of the pipe cleaner to show through, leave in the solution for less time. If you want, you can spray your finished ornament with acrylic sealer or clear spray paint to keep the crystals from falling off too quickly.

Some ideas on using these ornaments:
-Tie several together to make a crystal mobile
-Hang on your Christmas tree
-Attach to gift packages
-Glue to cardboard backing to make a photo frame.
-Attach a strong magnet to the back.

These are just a few ideas. Use your imagination!

Birdseed Ornaments and Wreaths
I have done this every winter for the past 15 years. ~Lina

Mix together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup water, and 3 tablespoons corn syrup. Add 4 cups birdseed and mix well.

Cover a try with waxed paper and make stars,(and other ornaments), place cookie cutters on tray and spoon bird seed mixture into cookie cutters. To make wreaths, shape birdseed mixture into wreaths and place on tray: (I make a circle pat to size I want and make sure there is a small hole in middle, should look like a small wreath) if desired, decorate wreaths with holly berries, cranberries, or raisins. Let dry for 4 to 6 hours, Remove ornaments from cookie cutters. Turn ornaments and wreaths over to dry for another 4 to 6 hours. wrap string of raffia around each wreath, and
also around ornaments...I just put a hole in before drying the ornaments. I use red and green raffia for the holidays. Then I hang on trees outside.

Birdseed Bell

For edible glue, mix together 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup water, and 3 tablespoons corn syrup. Using an old paintbrush,coat 2 1/4" diameter peat pots with edible glue; then roll pots in birdseed to cover. Place bells on waxed paper and let dry for 4 to 6 hours. ( I put them over something so the seed also stays on bottom of bell) To make clappers for each bell, use a needle and thread a string with 4 to 5 cranberries, go from inside bell and tie off on top (bow of raffia will hide it). Fold a piece of raffia in half (the length you want) Tie knot on end that is not cut then put the two pieces through drainage hole and tie in knot so it stays in place, add bow of raffia on top between the two strands and tie with string of some kind to keep bow in place, tie top of two strands in knot, hang on tree.

On OFL we have instructions to make these adorable clay pot snowmen!
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/snowman4.html.