12 Days of Christmas - Day One



Well, hello! After a very long hiatus, I have decided I need to blog again. Over the last year, I have thought about my blogs a lot, and I've taken a bunch of pictures meant for posting, but just haven't taken the time to do it! Life has been getting in the way! But now it's December, and I just can't let it go by without doing my 12 Days of Christmas posts. I'm getting a late start.....I had planned on starting the 1st, but I didn't have all my supplies, and now that my husband is on Social Security, a very SMALL Social Security, and we only get paid once a month, I have to be extremely careful about what I spend on craft stuff! And I have to wait until after pay day, because there is no other money coming in. Anyway, I think I have managed to come up with some cute projects, and you can be sure they won't break the bank!

 

So, for Day 1, we have an idea that I used many years ago for our church choir when we went caroling - Jingle Sticks! Only I have made them kid-friendly, and there is more than one way to make them, so you get to choose which way you like best.

 

Here are my supplies, at least most of them.

 

I started with a wooden spoon and some little wood buttons. I glued a button to the back side of the spoon for a nose, then painted the top part of the spoon flesh color and the handle bright red. I used the side-loading technique to paint his cheeks, but a little blush would look just as good.

 

 

 

I made his hat from a triangle of red felt glued into a cone. It looks a little messy, but when you put it on him and glue it down, none of that shows. After it's glued on, add a strip of white felt or fleece, or even batting, to the bottom of the hat. I added a little collar at the base of the spoon bowl and tied a bright green button on, because I thought he neeed a touch of green to go with all that red!

 

 

 

 

Add a mouth, some eyes, and a big jingle bell at the end of the hat and there you have it....a Jingle Stick! I put a snowflake on his hat, too, because it looked like it needed a little decoration.

 

If all that is too much work for you, they have red plastic "wooden spoons" at the Dollar Tree right now that you don't even have to paint! You can just drill holes in them and wire the bells on and be done! The green jingle bells came from Dollar Tree, also. They were on a door hanger, and there were 5 bells on it! Great deal for $1. 

 

So, that's day 1. I hope you will make some of these with your little ones. They will love them, and if you go caroling, they will make a joyful  noise. And a joyful noise is pleasing unto the Lord, so do it often! Until tomorrow,