| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| mochyn |
Festive decorationsRight. I'm hunting around for ideas but what decorations do you make for your homes/schools/work? I'll be getting people making things at the mid-Wales midwinter thingy so watch this space for pics... |
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| nettie |
Last weekend I collected some twigs, conkers, acorns and leaves and roughly sprayed them antique gold for table decs for a golden wedding party. Some of the conkers were left brown and had little hearts and things painted on them in the gold stuff that you use for decorating glass, and I used glitter glue on the ones already sprayed, they looked surprisingly nice. I made little nests of the twigs around church candles and scattered the assorted nuts and leaves around. I'm not really an advocate of spraying stuff but what I ended up with was much nicer than the gold foil tat in the shops! | ||||||
| Sherbs |
What about proper wreath type things, or garlands with ivy and berries and stuff | ||||||
| mochyn |
OOh yeah: I feel a cone-collecting spree this weekend!
Keep the ideas coming. |
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| Ixy |
Similar to nettie's idea - I remember one years as a kid we couldn't afford a tree so we went and found a big fallen bare branch in the woods, sprayed it silver and hung the decorations from that - looked ace! You could do mini versions? | ||||||
| Ian33568 |
Blown eggs with a ribbon threaded through and painted 'christmassy' can look great. For hanging on trees or branches and twigs as in Ixy's post.
We have made Santas and reindeer out of Walnuts, hazelnuts acorns and pinecones threaded with rafia in the past with, dressed with felt trimmings. |
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| Fee |
This year I intend making pompoms from wool and with a nice ribbon to hang on the tree.
Like that idea with the eggs, Ian, I remember making something similar as a child, but I cut a hole in the front and painted the inside all glittery and had baby Jesus in there  Well, it was supposed to be baby Jesus  My Mum still puts it on the tree, bless her.
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| Dogwalker |
Stars made of twigs tied with raffia, ribbon or gold thread. Can be big for room decorations or small for the tree. Done them with primary age children before.
Table decorations- holly, fir etc in oasis with tall candle in centre. I'll have a look and see if I've unpacked the ideas box yet. Sure I've kept the bits and pieces of ribbon if I can find which crate it's in. |
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| maryf |
I found some little crochet decs on an American website yesterday - won't take much yarn or too much time!! crochetmagazine.com look for issue dated October 27 If I get round to making any I'll post a pic. | ||||||
| mochyn |
You've reminded me: I've got a bag of those I did a few years ago somewhere! Anyone coming here in November could bring useful bits if they have any: paper, ribbons, cloth etc... |
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| nettie |
Ooo that's a nice idea. |
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| mochyn |
I'll cut some of the coloured dogwood stems for that. |
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| Frewen Feltmaker |
padded hearts or birds in gingham strung with bay leaves, dried orange slices and cinnamon quills?
clove orange pomanders? squares of felt folded into triangles and then the ends nipped over to make a bird shape + sequins? |
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| nettie |
Come on Frewen you must have got a photo of those by now to put on here!
They are beautiful 
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| Frewen Feltmaker |
I posted it before - don't want to bore people 
Not sure how much to charge for them though 
We have nearly enough stuff Nettie  A week of making flowers and we'll be there
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| Fee |
Bore people? BORE people? I for one can't gt enough Pics please
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| nettie |
That's you told then 
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| Frewen Feltmaker |
Ok - compromise - here's a linky so it's not so *in yer face*
http://feltingneedle.blogspot.com/2009/10/starting-to-mock-up.html The string decorations are on the far right
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| vanessa |
STUNNING, Frewen. Just stunning.
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| lowri |
I make a Christmas decoration by hanging up a large potato, and sticking short twigs of holly, bay, ivy, anything berried, in to hide the potato and keep a ball shape. If there are no berries, little strips of red ribbon, small flags, etc, strings of beads, etc. colour it up! To make it a Kissing Bunch, add some mistletoe at the bottom!! Hang up high enough so tall people don't bash it! Nice in a porch or hall!
(Note: don't use box as greenery - it stinks of cat pee!!) |
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| Dogwalker |
Hang up high enough so tall people don't bash it!
That would be difficult in this cottage! |
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| mochyn |
Lowri must live in a newer house than either of us, DW! |
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| emmac |
What fantastic ideas on here
How about making/decorating some festive candles? Could be a bit of a fire hazard... but my sister made some fantastic candles a couple of years ago, as gifts for everyone. |
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| wellington womble |
Dried orange slices always look lovely (and smell very festive) | ||||||
| lowri |
It was just a suggestion! I am just under 5 foot 4 inches (lost a bit through the hip operations) and can touch every ceiling in my cottage except the bathroom and the back kitchen!! I usually make a similar decoration to hang under the ship's bell outside the porch door! (without the mistletoe!)
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| mochyn |
Ah: another typical Welshcottage, then!
When we moved in here there was a light fitting suspended from the central beam in the parlour. the beam we almost hit our heads on. It didn't last long. |
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| Dogwalker |
I don't have a problem in the cottage, it's just tall son's that can't cope.
Mochyn's more than mine I think. |
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| Gill |
I always end up cutting lots of Christmas tree baubles from blocks of wood around this time of year. Goodness knows what happens to them - there never seem to be enough.
 
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| Dogwalker |
Wow, they're lovely.
Must be a way to make something like that out of textiles. Going to be puzzling that all day now. |
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| vanessa |
Dogwalker ... I'm thinking tubes of fabric with pipe-cleaners stuffed through? Not sure how you'd tidy up the joins ... maybe with a big bead?? | ||||||
| judith |
Is this sort of thing any good? They are so quick and easy to make and we can get the straw via Tanya in Pont.
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| vegplot |
This is way scarier than a a really scary thing on a scary night.
Edit: The thread I mean. |
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| mochyn |
That's smashing, judith. Yup, let's do some of those. Do you want to contact Tanya? | ||||||
| mochyn |
? |
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| judith |
Wicker man-building might take a bit longer than an afternoon, unfortunately.
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| mochyn |
Oh, I don't know. A group for each arm, leg, the head, the body and then join it all together for a sort of finale... I'm sure Jack would let us use the field opposite. |
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| judith |
It would round off the weekend quite nicely.
I do love a good bonfire. |
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| vegplot |
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