heart-felted friends for adventures near and far
Just as in our post about creating animal ornaments with needle felted wool, we began our hopeful emissary with a chenille stem armature wound with 100% wool roving. Once the form was fleshed out, we sewed on glass bead eyes, then felted on wool ears, paws, and pink nose. In order to replicate a true field mouse’s coat of browns and greys, it was necessary to comb together a blend of wool fibers.
Undermouse ready for felting on the details! Needle felting uses a special barbed needle to entangle the fibers together pretty permanently.
This entanglement allows for great details. The more the fiber is felted, the tighter the wool. Light felting allows for fuzzy fur etc.
We added nylon thread whiskers as a finishing touch! We were following the model of Augustine Mouse from the Instagram account story unfolding @augustineamouse, but this little one went as an encouraging pick-me-up to a good friend and Augustine fan working through chemotherapy in lieu of flowers or a card.
The original Augustine and her stunt double, Resilient Mouse hanging out between takes.
Resilient Mouse (above) in her duplicate gear heading out to bring some cheer.
Augustine rolling along in her story post.
whacking in a garden
SO, you all have your winter-weathered compost pile turned and that garden spade with a strong smooth handle and a clean sharp blade at the ready, right? Us? Not so much. We always have ambitions for a black gold yielding compost from our zero waste kitchen goings-on, but have fallen short— defeated by inefficient countertop containers (hullo, bugs and smell) or underperforming barrel tumblers (who has the arm strength to dig that thing out? who?).
We have largely embraced porch containers for those things we most want to pluck: tomatoes, usually small, peppers, and herbs. Benign neglect being the order of the day, anything planted in the greater garden must do well pretty much on its own— and, since, there is serious debate about how much tilling is good for the planet, were are erring on the side of low disturbance of the soil.
We have come round to not only saving the soil, but eliminating the unnatural lawn as much as possible. We’ll be getting into the whys and wherefores from the effects of the devastating loss of insect life to the benefits of healthy biodiversity. We have eliminated much of the mown grass on our patch, planted for seasonal picking and use for birds, wildlife— and, oh, us as well!
Healthy planting areas are alive with motion— bees, beetles, worms, butterflies and birds, birds, birds…
Enough for all and plenty to share.
hold fast to what matters
The rings were all converging this past weekend, were they not? Those who follow the Abrahamic religions were observing and/or celebrating Easter, Passover and Ramadan— plus it was a full moon, the pink moon, as it happens… or the "pink, lavender, pale blue, and other pastel springtime holiday” moon AKA "Reese’s peanut butter eggs for breakfast” moon…
The world, no less tenuous, no more peaceful, did seem a little cheerier as widely available Covid tests meant many people got together to celebrate.
We did.
And we absolutely forgot how to function at a Sunday dinner in the (gasp) DINING ROOM.
Boxes, storage bins, and unoccupied cobwebs were safely cleared to reveal a vault of a room. In the center, a flat surface surrounded by chairs clearly intended for convening and comestibles. We entered this unremembered temple to sharing a meal as cautiously and with the breathless exultation of Howard Carter and his Egyptian team headed into Tutankhamen’s tomb for the first time, but with (all toes and fingers crossed) fewer viral results.
Could not find the linen napkins, couldn’t be bothered with the china— but with a bit of last minute clipping from outside and a recycled Easter basket, there WAS a centerpiece. Needn’t be much. You can do it, too. The important thing was to have those laughs and love those faces that could make it.
Plus also, sent some cards, some chicks, some chocolate, and bunny beans to those who we gathered close in our hearts if not our arms.
Recycled wool chicks, carefully created blown out Araucana eggs— and the beautiful work of Ukrainian artists.
Centerpiece of repurposed ribbon, sprigs of viburnum, and real eggs in the (gasp) DINING ROOM, surrounded by viburnum branches in a bourbon bottle and sheep headed for the yarn shop.
Eggs have always represented new potential, new beginnings. We wish you better days, safety, and the surety of peace and plenty.
we are not just a one chick pony
We’ve been working around the cluck… ahem… to get some tutorials up for easy peasy spring decor. If you thought the pom poms could only be used one way? Yolks on you— Chick this out: same pom, different chicken.
We used the same techniques as our spring chicken post. A store-bought or homemade yarn pom pom, eyes, a beak, then encircled with wire or chenille stems for legs and feet, embedded down in the fiber approximately halfway on the sphere, and made secure fairly tightly. A new twist on chicken legs!
Defying eggspectations, we changed it up and dyed the yarn chickie-yellow, using easy-to-hand food coloring. Hint: leave off gluing on eyes and beak until after the dyeing and drying process is complete.
So we got up to our old chicks, covered our work surface, protected our clothes, and put on some plastic gloves in preparation for operation Tres Chic II…Hensome Lad: Son of a Biscuit.
We mixed yellow food coloring and water in a small bowl.
In a poultry amount of time, the yarn became saturated with dye by turning the pom a couple times. We rinsed the dyed pom in cool water, wrung it out carefully, then put it in the dryer with a couple old towels (the dye will come off until it is fully dry and set).
Trimming out some of the fiber to add some shaping, gives our chick some definition.
Talk is cheep… pictures say it best: this little one is im-peck-able!
Don’t mind us. Everyone around here is a comedi-hen. The best chicken puns don’t fall far from the poul-tree and we have all been dealing with not one, but several, eggs-istential crises, so we had to get them all in. Can’t wing for losing…
We’ll show ourselves to the eggs-it…
this IS a spring chicken
Adding handmade Spring decorations to your home or someone’s basket is easy and fun! Use homemade or purchased yarn pom poms as a start for this simple Spring Chicken.
Small pom poms, which can be made or store-bought, chenille stems or simple wire, any type of eyes— combine to make this adorable little Easter tree ornament or basket stuffer.
We twisted the stems to form simple feet, trimmed a purchased pom into a beak shape —but an end of orange chenille stem would work as well. We added simple animal eyes, trying everything in place before gluing with water-based glue (school glue or tacky glue will work and are not as messy as hot glue).
The stem or wire legs and feet are wrapped around and into the pom pom tightly so that the fiber covers it all around. We added a bit of ostrich feather for a floofy tail.
Tres chic!
upcycled easter
We are still loving the idea of using what you have on hand, re-using what can be given a second purpose, and cutting back as far as possible on cheap, imported, high carbon-cost decor. Bein’ that it is Spring and we turn to all things renewing, we are going entirely renewable. Take an old wool coat and rehabilitate it as your bunny!
This fellow is stuffed with chopped up, mismatched socks. The carrots are spindles, twine, and last year’s Easter grass combined.
Simple stamped cards to send your happiest thoughts. Stamp and embellish with markers, stickers, or paint.
Wool coat bunny showing the simple, sturdy construction.
We thought he looked a bit downcast, so we brightened him up with needle felted wool accents.
A leftover yarn “ribbon,” and Rabbit is ready!
be nice. be kind. even when.
Woof. People. Oscars night. We usually gather around the screen with a glass of wine and watch the Academy Awards for the stunning red carpet fashion and to celebrate the behind-the-scenes people who do so much to bring amazing entertainment to the world: the set, costume, sound, and lighting designers. Magicians, all, who do as much, or more, to create indelible pieces of art and culture that can last generations. They can be HUGELY influential, often setting the tone for the all of the design world. We are looking at you, The Power of the Dog for picking up on the love/hate relationship with the American West currently found in the resurgence of both kitschy and authentic western wear and interior design themes. Big as the sky in Montana right now.
This year more and more of the technical wizardry recognition was shunted off the main program in favor of ratings… Well, folks, we all got a show, did we not? Honestly, we don’t give much of a damn who hosts— but DO NOT want to see or hear jokes at the expense of ANYONE’S appearance, life style, or life choices. It is NOT a roast— and people watching are not about that kind of attack humor… and, if that is the audience the producers are seeking? We 100% GUARANTEE those people are NOT the ones paying for tickets to the artistic, complex and often lengthy movies that WIN.
We are NOT saying there are no people we feel need a slap, especially after watching the divisive and repulsive displays at the Supreme Court hearings and all the toadying, unpatriotic so-and-sos who defend or took part in insurrectionist behavior on and around Jan. 6. We ARE saying we do not slap them— physically. The devolvement of culture, entertainment and general demeanor —online for example— continues a precipitous slope downwards at an alarming rate, greased from the top by the bad behavior from the previous administration. Decorum, restraint, and impulse control are really the pillars of civilization —and they are needed to stop this slide to misrule, incivility, lack of empathy, and unchecked aggression. Y’all worried about one millionaire playground fussing with another millionaire? Democracy and the people of Ukraine would like to have a word.
Taking the higher ground is really the only way to hope and, yes, peace, in the world. How do we practice this when everything seems to be devolving and everyone seems to be uncaring and out for themselves?
Breathe.
Really? That’s what we lead with? Really?
Yes. Really. Just breathe… take deep, mindful breaths wherein you notice the sounds around you, the scents, the ambient air, and consciously, thoughtfully and, even painfully, push out the red impulse to do harm, to do too much, to sass back, to hurt, to be first… and just… be.
(You all do know that that does NOT mean breathe ON anyone at this particular time, right? Mask up, ponypeople, we are not yet done with the Covid rodeo and there are many susceptible people out there!)
Take yourself or someone else out of a heightened situation.
Turn away. Turn the other cheek. Turn them with a laugh, or, with THAT stare. Shame is a mighty, mighty thing. If you are a mom? You know.
Find Nature. Science affirms. The natural world heals.
Hug a damn tree. The electron dance from mycorrhizal to you through bark and skin zaps cortisol. Lean in. The underland is the overstory. The further we go from dirt—the deeper we surround ourselves with unnatural elements, the more disconnected we are from the vibrant connectivity of true life and the deeper we sink into “me” ego thinking, de-linking from caring for others, from CO-mmunity.
Begin the practice of real empathy — learn to listen. NO one is good at this this. Practice.
When you, yourself, are centered — which is to say realizing you are NOT the center of the universe but ARE fully expanded and open to the feelings of others — beam outwards. Practice aggressive modeling of better behavior. Commit acts of loud, radical kindness to yourself and others. Ask. Help. Send notes. Thank others. Pay their way. Plant. Grow.
If you are safe and/or secure, call out what needs reprimanding. As moms? We do this— even if it gets uncomfortable. Follow those instincts. You are not always going to be right, but apologies are not against the law and are, in fact, an essential element of being a good human.
Be a good human.
Sending flowers to all of you for no particular reason.
Leftovers from purchased bunches for a birthday arrangement repurposed to go on to make someone else’s day a bit brighter.
Easy peasy— re-purpose the pickle jar, tape up the top.
with love...
the strength and symbolism of flowers
As sunflower pictures, emojis, and seed packets appear everywhere in solidarity with Ukraine, we are reminded daily of the power of flowers as symbols. Especially at this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when bulbs bloom, and trees burst forth in blossom. Puts us all in mind of winter’s end, new growth. Hope… Renewal… Solace… Gifting flowers is a powerful way to express care and concern, or to share joy. Or, in the case of Absolute Hero Ukrainian Grandma, to sow Resistance and Revenge.
🌻
And, as the Pandemic has not left, but only been pushed to levels where we seek to live with it, we have sent flowers to too many funerals in recognition and celebration of departed friends and consolation to their families.
Having a yard full of giving greens means that we can get something ready at a moment’s notice — for too many moments already this year. We add in store-bought blooms and do our best.
From even the most unexpected bunches and color combination, flowers just send their hope-filled message.
We’ll watch for droop and adjust a bit as flowers drink up water and move a bit— but just looking should lift hearts a bit! We are programmed that way.
A basket of long lived blooms to keep company in a sadly new turned soil.
So, henceforth, a refresher on flower arranging for all the many things for which flower power is wanted:
If you have the opportunity to plant, plant that which is useful for cutting— greens, perennials, or annuals that can take on a second use (thereby reducing the amount of floral material that is purchased from far away with a huge carbon footprint).
We have curly privet, Chesapeake holly, laurels, and other shrubs that stay evergreen and useful for most of the year. Unfortunately, at this time of year, we do have to rely on purchased blooms to fill out arrangements, but try to plant so that the rest of the year keeps this at a minimum.
Set up a protected work area.
Attach a waterproof container to receive soaked floral foam.
Cut greens and condition in a clean bucket (preferably cutting the day before use and allowing the greens to soak up water and harden off so they stay vibrant in an arrangement).
"Greening up” — filling most of an arrangement with cut greens minimizes the number of purchased blooms that have to be used to make a gorgeous, full arrangement. It also gives the desired shape to the floral piece, as well as sets proportions.
Divide and allot cut or purchased material for an all around arrangement or concentrate on one side, if for an altar or mantel (but always finish all the way around so that none of the “mechanics” show!).
Start with large elements and add in smaller, balancing shape and texture, and contrasting color elements.
Arrangement in a sturdy basket, with a waterproof bottom, filled with long-lasting blooms— almost ready to travel to brighten someone’s day!
heron repair— kinda kintsugi
Getting out a bit by wearing a really good, well-fitting mask. Finding a way back to being in business at some point. Hit the local antique mall, one of the few locals left standing after pandemic shutdowns. We came across a neat piece in need of a bit of TLC and invited him home for tea and kintsugi.
At some point this carved and painted folk art heron had a run in with a Tudor dynastic failure or Alice’s Red Queen. The head was re-attached with love, but not skill… and with Super Glue. For the love of all that is Good in the World— DO NOT USE SUPER GLUE. It is overrated, brittle and impossible to remove from a lot of surfaces— hello E/R trip for fingertips or eyelashes…Cyanoacrylate is only super at being the basis for fuming for fingerprints in an sealed aquarium. If you know, you know and you are our peeps— and if you have done more than watched/read/podcasted True Crime and tried this at home? Welcome, tribe.
This really nifty carved bird needed careful surgery and re-gluing. We broke that g-darned brittle seal and picked out the plastic super glue, applied cellulose-based glue which melds with the fibers of the carving, expanding into a nice bond… WOOD glue— the hint is in the name, people...re-fit the head to the neck, and wound it with rubber bands for about 24 hours to hold the pressure seal until the glue was pretty set.
Assemble tools, prepare an area to work— covering vulnerable surfaces, please (We are looking at you, swipes of Super Glue permanently attached to the kitchen countertop by other occupants).
The repair is multi-stage process though. The super glue adhesion formed bubbles outside of repair line and removing it did pull out some wood fiber. We mixed some paint to begin a match. Letting the paint dry over the continuing repair adds to the effect of old paint already on the surface of the heron.
Cured wood glue and dry paint can be gently sanded with small grit sandpaper such that the “seam” is nearly seamless.
Mixing the color of the body of the bird. A house paint sample— flat latex has the chalky finish of paint that has been weathered.
The blue green was a little bright, so to grey down the color— add the opposite on the color wheel. Orange added to blue. We also added in a universal neutral umber brown which “ages” anything right down. Touched up a few of the markings so that it is tough to see that anything was ever amiss. But we did NOT do a conservation repair. Not trying to fool anyone here— just give new life to a deserving piece of art!
top trends: early 2022
IN:
Wearing N95 masks or double masks.
Vaccinations for littles.
Animated sparkles, especially in video.
The moon.
Pop-up cards, especially in place of flowers.
Natural cotton cord.
Painter’s pants.
Work aprons for all, recognizing that women work in shops.
Tarot.
IOT for households— see self-aware warming coffee.
Cupboard games, especially customized unusually shaped puzzles.
Waldorf-inspired natural and handmade toys and learning materials.
Retropalooza for the 1950’s, especially in horribly backward political thought — but also in design.
Porting your playlists to other platforms.
OUT:
Facebook.
Spotify.
Horribly backward political thought.
Not wearing masks.
Valentine's, Pal O'Mine
Heart it or hate it, the day of Lurve is on the way. You might be celebrating Valentine’s or Galentine’s or Palentine’s, so we have a little “SHOW ME” sesh for making homemade cards that are really cute and truly easy.
Reuse papers from old envelopes or those stacks of patterns you got that time when you were going to organize all the photos and scrapbook the hell out of mementos… no? yes? no? We’ve given up that idea, too, friends. It’s a GOOD thing.
Take papers of different, related patterns and fold in half. Cut half-heartedly, ah… we mean cut half hearts… along the folded edge such that you end up with a little pile of heart shapes in different sizes and patterns.
If you have blank card stock, glue hearts on the fronts of cards. OR create your own cards and envelopes from trusty kraft paper.
We used bits and bobs from the whole process— parts of leftover paper and the negative space hearts left over from our first cuts, which, as we all know, are always the deepest.
Have fun! Lay out hearts and pieces in different configurations, balancing patterns, values. It is A-Okay to just glue one heart on each card too! It’s the love you are sending, not the art.
We are playing with 3-D pop-up effects as well. Pop-Up cards are a top trend…. but more on that in a bit.
Whatever you do, make sure you put on enough postage, especially if your envelope is a non-standard form. Last thing: S.W.A.K. (seal it with a lick, because a kiss won’t stick!) Lil bit gross, but goes right to the 9-year-old in you, doesn’t it?
times slows in winter but blows on
Here we sit, in the sullen frozen start of the year.
Time is abundant when locked back in for virus reasons and weather season, so we make lists, and timetables and dream of the things that turn and stir under a warm blanket of earth.
A good time to prepare for changes on the way. Troops of birds blew through before the wind the other day, ahead of the snow. Groups of cedar waxwings, North American robins, jays, crows… all feasting on what was planted with them in mind. Such a treat to hear their happy chatter as they filled the branches, stripped the berries and fruits, and filled their bellies.
Do your bird friends a favor and plant native varieties that grow over time to feed the native birds. Bird feeders, though a great draw to view many birds, have become associated with infective processes — so we are told to either disinfect regularly, or better still, plant species which will feed the birds naturally.
Look for resources to identify native plants in your area!
We have planted native Winterberry, Inkberry, Serviceberry, Crabapple, Viburnum, Native American Holly, and let the Elderberry, Chokeberry, Poke and Hackberry alone on the verges to thrive and fruit.
Yes, we cut them some for holiday dec, but like Robert Lawson said in his sweet book, Rabbit Hill, we plant “enough for all!”
Soak in the low angle sun streaming in. The globe turns back eventually to spring and sprouts! The pivot of Imbolc is upon us. Time to move on!
odds and svens
Before this fuzzy dude, lovingly dubbed “Sven,” headed home as a gift, he was a thrift store find in need of a little TLC.
A close-up shot shows the wonky neck and derpy expression of a deer in need of repair/upgrade. Kinda how we all strolled into 2022, amiright?
Here’s the $2 thrift store find in its original condition, along with wool roving that will be carded together to mix the same color of the body as we repair/upgrade the lil fella.
And finally, the finished reindeer retaining a comical expression, but with more colors and features — which, amazingly, just happens to be our wish for all our loves as we step into this new year. Look at that. XOXO
trends for 2022, post-hibernation
The end of one year and on to the next means we spend a little time with the crystal ball to stay ahead of emerging trends.
Not that we are all going anywhere if we have any sense at all, but these things will be on point when we emerge, chubby, blinking in the light, in spring ready to caterpillar-> cocoon->butterfly it out into a better world. 2022 will zing back and forth between comfort and outrage. Not unlike the news cycle. Calling it now.
Trends
IoT (internet of things and they will all “talk” to your handheld and, worse by far, LISTEN.
Machine Learning— see above, but not as nice as Star Trek’s Computer. Also, they will NFT us out of the art mart.
But also, thankfully, a resurgence in hand learning and creation. Encouraged to see so many young people into learning how to create, how to grow their own, and developing a deep appreciation of the slow processes of making.
Nostalgia of all types, but particularly the kitschy, the western— so cowgirl cute, with fringe and boots and pearl button pockets.
Lightweight neutral trench coats in silk or tencel.
SUPER high-water pants, jeans… hate to tell ya’ll, but leggings are on the way out.
Cotton gauze and corduroy, 1970s brown/green/mustard prints— think wearing your cottagecore living room around town.
Doc Martens… frankly, never out of style.
Combat boots worn with your 1980’s romantic prints, cotton florals, puffy sleeves… calling Laura Ashley!
Uber-saturated eye popping color because we are tired, tired, tired of neutral. Hell, maybe even in vinyl. Don’t forget your poodle perm hair and Blondie shades.
chocolate is the only true currency…
… in this bankrupt world. And because we are kitchen witches in love with the alchemy of chocolate, these are some of our favorite go-tos when putting together quick holiday treats.
Maybe you don’t have a lot of baking skills or time to spend. No problem. Buy commercial cookies and dip them in melted chocolate. Semi-sweet morsels in a microwave safe bowl can be melted in minute or two. Lightly coat an aluminum foil sheet with cooking spray or spread a thin layer of vegetable on foil or cookie sheet. Partially dip cookies in melted chocolate and place on treated sheet or pan to harden. For additional flavor or interest, sprinkle on chopped nuts, chopped candied ginger, or orange or tangerine zest while the chocolate is still soft.
The fastest fudge.
- 3 cups of semi sweet chocolate morsels (1 1/2 standard bags— leaving some left for melting to drizzle and plenty to eat while you mix up a batch of fudge)
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (note: NOT evaporated milk— the syrupy super sweet stuff)
- 1-2 tsps vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- butter, cooking spray, or parchment paper for pan for fudge mixture
Prepare pan for fudge mixture to rest in in for chilling.
Line an 8x8 baking pan or aluminum foil pan with parchment paper or foil. Soften butter and coat the bottom and 1/2 sides of foil or paper OR spray with cooking spray.
In a large sauce pan over VERY LOW heat, combine 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk and 3 cups of chocolate morsels. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until morsels are all coated then let the mixture sit until morsels start to lose their form. Stir gently. Once most of the chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and continue stirring until mixture is glossy and fudge-y. This takes just a couple minutes, so don’t walk away and have the prepared pan ready before beginning mixture.
Pour into prepared 8x8 pan and spread mixture gently with wooden spoon or spatula to all edges. Cover with cling wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Once chilled, lift out fudge block and slice squares to share!
We added pecans to the top of one batch— pressing them into the fudge while still warm just before chilling.
We stirred small marshmallows and chopped pecans into to the slightly cooled fudge mixture while it was still in the pan before pouring into the prepared foil for rocky road fudge.
Mint plaid nearly instant fudge... no candy thermometer required!
We created plaid peppermint icing for one batch by creating 3 colors and flavors of icing and drizzling them on in layers once the fudge was cool.
Plaid peppermint drizzle:
- white chocolate baking bar dived into thirds
- 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
- butter: 1 TB per color
- peppermint or spearmint extract: 1 drop
- green food coloring: drop
Melt 1/3 of white chocolate baking bar with 1 TB of butter by microwaving in 10 second increments until all the bits are melted and stir easily. Baking bars take longer to melt than morsels.
Melt 1/4 cup semi sweet morsels in microwave with 1 TB of butter by microwaving in 10 second increments until all the bits are melted and stir easily.
For peppermint drizzle: melt 1/3 of white chocolate baking bar with 1 TB of butter by microwaving in 10 second increments until all the bits are melted and stir easily. Once stirred, add a scant drop of green food coloring and a drop of peppermint or spearmint extract, and stir until smooth.
Fill baggies with each of 3 flavors. Cut a small corner of each baggie in succession and drizzle small lines of each flavor over the cooled fudge block. Re-chill to set the icing before slicing.
Divide into pretty boxes, then spread chocolate joy to neighbors and friends!
Packaged and ready for delivery. Happy holidays — especially to all the hardworking elves who make it all possible!
truly doable last minute holiday gifts
Down to the wire with a few holiday gifts? Hello, you gorgeous normal human, you. We got you on this, hon. Here are some truly manageable presents for when you are down to the fa-la-laing g-darned wire.
Bake something from a box— but put it in a reusable container like this breakfast bread with added cranberries, orange zest, and —duly labeled for the allergy potential— nuts, delivered in a fluted baking dish (ready to re-gift this year or next).
Ye Olde Fruit Bowl, Basket or Box is really a welcome gift for the classic ring and run. Fruit is pretty durable when placed on the porch as long as it is not below zero. Including lots of immune system boosting citrus is an especially good idea this year of all years. Make it extra EXTRA by adding a pineapple. Perfect for the background of your ZOOM interview, right RoomRater?
Don’t have baking skills or time to spend? Buy commercial cookies and dip them in melted chocolate. Semi-sweet morsels in a microwave safe bowl can be melted in minute or two. Lightly coat an aluminum foil sheet with cooking spray or spread a thin layer of vegetable on foil or cookie sheet. Partially dip cookies in melted chocolate and place on treated sheet or pan to harden. For additional flavor or interest, sprinkle on chopped nuts, chopped candied ginger, or orange or tangerine zest while the chocolate is still soft.
Print out or write up a certificate for future gardening sesh in person or Zoomalong. Include seed packets or planting plan with types of plants found nearby and where they can go.
Divide houseplants to share.
Some other suggestions that are always welcome:
Commit to print and inexpensively frame or digicube family or friend pictures, especially for someone who struggles with technology.
Send a donation to the animal shelter or food bank nearest to the gift recipient in their name— or to any charity you know that they hold dear.
Contract with a service to provide and essential service for a shut-in or family who is isolating… meals, cleaning, deliveries, yard services, mobile pet grooming are all good choices.
Pay for a subscription to an online newspaper or local print edition because supporting real journalism matters.
Handmade artwork or cards from kids or grandkids are always heartwarming, welcome surprises.
A mason jar filled with the dry ingredients from your favorite cookie recipe, along with instructions, and a simple bow or tag never disappoints.
hat ornament upgrade: gnome big deal
We are always learning, ya’ll. Sometimes the same lesson over and over! It took a bit of time to create the hat ornament from leftover and recycled materials. We have illustrations below on how to add on elements to create a jolly little gnome.
Perusing the wider webs, we saw so many examples. Gnomes are in! We saw some that were really adorable — and crazily “affordable.” Hard to resist absolutely adorable ornaments for $3. But the real costs are actually higher. Made us think we could not or would not work for such a low return on our time and materials, but somewhere someone has to do so.
Please, all, take a moment and contemplate how little workers everywhere are paid! Work towards changing the corporate approach to labor and supply.
Gather wool roving, cotton fluff, or any fuzzy bit for a gnome beard. Felt up wool roving into a ball for a nose, or use a standard commercially available pom pom.
Use tacky glue, white glue, or hot glue to secure the beard to the inside of the base of the yarn hat ornament, and the felted ball or pom pom to the front just above the beard. We secured the ball and beard with cord for extra stability. Then we added a nice Brooklyn groomed mustachio for extra panache! Go big or go Gnome, right?
clever no-sew hat ornament from leftovers
If you have learned one thing about us, it is that we are going to reuse the HELL out of the contents of our recycle bin— especially the cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls. After all, they are a constantly renewing resource! We saw various posts for adorable hat ornaments made from leftover yarn or string and parts of toilet roll tubes and thought we would give it a go.
Gather materials:
yarn or string— preferably thick enough to grasp easily and cover the cardboard
scissors
toilet roll tube
some bit of time— this takes more time than it looks!
Cut toilet roll tube into approx 1-inch sections. Cut lengths of yarn into 10-11 inch segments.
Fold lengths of string or yarn in half, then wrap the loop formed at the halfway point over the top of the cut section of toilet roll tube. Slip two ends of yarn or string through the loop such that the knot formed snugs up against the two tails at the base of the tube section. This is called a “Larks Head Knot.” Looping the loop over the back and pulling the tails through allows the two sections to lie flat in closed lines. If the knot is tied incorrectly, the lines will be divided and open. Correct ties are shown on the left of the tube. An incorrect tie is illustrated on the left of the picture above.
Correct formation of the Larks Head Knot for this project shown above!
Using a approximately equal lengths of yarn or string, continue tying knots until the tube is completely and snuggly covered.
Once the the tube is completely covered, you either have the beginning of Cthulu, which is a great way to go, if you have a mind… or the next part to the hat.
Hat?
Ok.
Push all the lengths of yarn through the tube, out the top (opposite the knots) and straighten. We know… Cthulu STILL a possibility! But, onwards.
With a length of matching string or yarn securely tie the gathered spaghetti monster…er… strands into a cinched area about hat height from the toilet roll tube brim.
We wrapped twice securing with a non-slip knot like a square knot (right strand over left, then left strand over right).
Using cotton balls, cotton salvaged from medicine bottles, or wool roving, stuff the inside of the hat form.
Trim the top strands to a pom pom or tassel shape. Add a bit of string or twine as hanger.
Adorable lil hat on the tree— squeeeee!
fresh evergreen wreath part 2: putting it all together
Spend some time with the wreath base you want to amend and decorate— look at it from every angle to assess where judicious editing of wild ass branch construction will help with overall balance. Truly, it is a rare piece that comes into the workshop that doesn’t need a little grooming!
Trim leggy branches and anything that looks wilty or sad, clip out areas that are overrepresented, and add in where branches are thin. A turntable or lazy susan on the work surface helps with this process immensely. Once the base is in overall good shape, turn it over and put a strong holder on the back— preferably wire and preferably in a contrasting color to the wreath itself so it is easy to locate. Do this BEFORE you spend an enormous amount of time wiring and gluing potentially crushable decor to the the front of the wreath. Trust.
Assemble the greens to amend the basic base. We suggest picking greens a day or two ahead of wreath production, placing the cut branches into water and allowing the greens to harden off —or condition— before use.
Then pick, wire, or glue branches of greens around the whole wreath until it is full and fluffy.
We customize wreath orders to suit their new homes. Have fun and be creative with elements on your own!
These are ready to ship— same base, completely different looks:
ANY wreath base benefits from attention to balance. As we can attest when we play: Faux or No? on a front door.
fresh evergreen wreath part 1: prepping material
As with any fresh plant material construction, beginning an evergreen holiday wreath should begin with good preparation. Set up work area, preferably with a work surface tall enough to prevent bending down to table level. Unless you are working in a dedicated workshop, securely cover surfaces with waterproof material such as plastic drop cloths or large garbage bags. A turntable or lazy susan is a great way to rotate any arrangement project, but is especially helpful in working each part of a wreath equally.
It is very possible to use fresh cut evergreen branches and wire to create your own wreath, but with so many things vying for attention at this time of year, we happily recommend using a purchased wreath base — they are widely available at garden centers and grocery stores.
We look for springy, fresh branches on these wreaths and a minimum of falling needles. Once home, we dunk the whole thing down into a tub of water and let the branches absorb moisture. After removing the base and allowing a day to dry, we treat the base with a anti-dessicating spray such as the commercially available brand, Wilt Pruf, or similar, generously spraying BOTH sides of the wreath base and allowing it dry. This one step, though not essential, makes a world of difference for evergreens lasting longer, staying prettier, in winters that are becoming ever warmer.
We like to tidy up the purchased wreath bases with judicious trimming and balancing of branches before any decoration begins.
When your work area is set up, the wreath base is ready, gather together your tools of the trade: pruners, snips, wire cutters, scissors.
Don’t forget additional items which help avoid attachment issues: wooden floral picks, green florist wire, twine, and glue gun with plenty of glue sticks.
Adding a pick onto almost any element in a wreath provides extra structure for securely attaching to the evergreen branches. Running wire securely through or around cones, fresh fruit, or the tops of ornaments, all help the embarrassment of a wreath yeeting its dec onto unsuspecting guests at the front door.
We pick fresh evergreen elements to add to a commercial wreath. Varying the colors, leaf types, and texture adds to visual interest. We use cut-from-the-yard or bought at the garden center elements that have had a day to sit in containers of cool water so they are conditioned (hardened off from a freshly cut) and ready to insert.
Once the base is tidied and ready to decorate, assemble materials to attach. Start with bundles of found or purchased greens wired on picks and then glued at the base. Leave your newly gorgeous green base as is— OR go for something fun and unusual! Eschew the expected! Leave off the ribbon entirely— be bold!
Feathers, twigs, leaves, nuts, grasses...
Varying the sizes or types of similar items is great way to add pleasing harmony.
Wreath dec needn’t be traditional cones, fruits etc. Add a variety of elements tailor-made to your style! Avoid the cookie cutter look by adding in actual cookie cutters, ornaments, beads, baubles, spools of thread, faux fruit or berries, tiny tools — whatever fills out the former store bought wreath with your own personal flair. Whatever you add, just make sure it is firmly attached to last the season!!
