|
HOLIDAY GIFTS FROM NATURE On December 4 the fourth annual Children’s Holiday Gift Workshop sponsored by Santa Fe Botanical Garden will be held at the Genoveva Chavez Center. Elementary age school children attend this free workshop and move from table to table making gifts with a botanical theme for their family members. It's an event that is popular not only with the children and parents attending but also the SFBG volunteers who lead or assist with the craft making projects. This will be my fourth year as a volunteer and I’d like to encourage those of you with school age children to attend. For those who can’t attend, I want to share a few ideas for holiday gifts from nature. Aspen Candleholders - Cut a 4 to 6” length from a small aspen log, being careful to keep the cuts parallel. Drill a hole on one end for a tea light, taper, or both. Use a 1 1/2” spade bit for a tea light and a 13/16” bit for most tapers. If making candleholder for both styles, drill the larger hole first, center the hole for the taper and drill it. Make a little spray of dried flowers or greenery and secure it to aspen log with floral wire. Tie a piece of ribbon or raffia around the aspen to hide the wire. Another variation is to use a larger diameter log and set a chunky pillar candle on top. Use a grouping of different sizes. Note: children should not do the cutting or drilling. Holiday Potpourri – Gather attractive dried materials. Possibilities include several kinds of small pinecones, seeds from sycamore trees, large rose hips, nuts in the shell, Echinacea seed heads, and slices of dried apples. Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, dried lavender petals and a few drops of essential oil of lavender. Wrap in a cellophane bag tied with a pretty ribbon or display in a bowl that fits your décor. The essential oil may be omitted if you don’t care for scents. However, using the essential oil will give a nice scent that is not overpowering. Decorated Wooden Plaques – Select a square or rectangular piece of scrap lumber. Nail a small hook on the back. Arrange preserved or dried leaves, seed heads, and flowers in a fairly flat spray or other attractive arrangement. Use white glue on the backs of the plant material and affix to the plaque. A clear acrylic spray paint (used outdoors) will help preserve the arrangement but is not necessary. Note Cards – Purchase blank cards and matching envelopes at an office supply or craft store. Glue pressed flowers on the cards. Alternatively, use fresh flowers or just the petals and leaves. Place them directly on the card, top with wax paper and pound with a smooth rock. The color from the petals will permeate the paper. It’s best to use a high quality card, as it will absorb the color more easily. Package 4-6 cards and envelopes together and tie with a ribbon. These are great activities to do with children. You’ll be teaching them a little about using imagination and creativity to make simple gifts from natural materials. Lacking children, try some by yourself.
|