Saturday 24 November 2007

Christmas Games

Original Source: Tiger, Quebec City, Canada

Wrap a present - Again, in relay fashion, each team has a table with a box, wrapping paper, ribbon, bow and tape. The amount of supplies will depend on the number of players in each team. The idea is to rush up to the table and wrap the box with a layer of paper. The final few players will add ribbon, add a bow, and perhaps a gift tag. You can make this whole idea more interesting by everyone having to wear oven mitts or thick gloves. Small groups can go twice, and maybe with your larger groups the last person has to done some sort of costume and deliver the parcel.
Imagination runs free.......

Another activity that involves everyone is another off-shoot from musical chairs. A large garbage bag is passed from hand to hand and when the music stops, the person left holding the bag removes an article of clothing or decoration from the bag and "puts it on". Play continues til everyone has something to wear and the bag is empty. Make sure and take a group photo for this one! (WARNING: Head lice alert for those caps and hats included in the bag)

Twelve Days of Christmas

Just because you never have it when you want it .....


On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords a Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids a Milking
7 Swans a Swimming
6 Geese a Laying
5 Golden Rings

4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Christmas Angel

Original Source: Jane Maddin, 1st Orleans Pathfinders, Orleans, Ontario, Canada

Ecru or white crochet cotton
A small ribbon rose
15 inches of Pearls on a string.
12 inches of narrow ribbon
a small round stiffened doily

(I used a 6 inch Battenburg lace doily, which I stiffened with fabric stiffener the day before and folded in half, and let dry overnight.)
And a lo-melt glue gun

Make a tassle for the body of the angel with the crochet cotton by wrapping the cotton around one hand. (How to make a tassle - One hundred and twenty five wraps made a nice tassle about 4 inches long, on my hand. Tie a piece of crochet cotton about 6 inches long through the loops [this will also be your hanger, so knot it at the top], fold the loops down and tie a second piece about 6 inches long, around the whole thing about one half an inch below the crochet cotton that you tied first. Cut through all the loops at the bottom of the tassle.)

With your fingers smooth out the strings of your tassle. Decide which will be the front and back. The half inch area at the top is her head! Take one and one half inches of beads off the 15 inches that you had to start - you will make her halo with this!
Fold the ribbon in half. Fold the long string of beads in half. Glue the ribbon and the beads together in the center and glue them on to her chest. Take a few strands from the right and left sides of the tassle to be arms. Cut them shorter so that they are the right length. You might want to tie a small piece of cotton around her 'wrists' but you don't really have to. Glue her hands onto the fold in the ribbon and beads - against her chest and then glue the ribbon flower onto of them.

Take the short piece of beads, shape it into a ring and glue it onto the back of her head to be the halo. Don't glue your hanger into the halo!! You may find it easier to glue one end down, wait for it to dry a bit (only a couple of seconds) and then twist the other end around and glue it down.
Glue the stiffened doily onto her back, again being careful not to catch the hanger in the glue.

The instructions look a little tricky, but really this is a very simple craft!

Pine Cone Christmas Tree centrepiece

Original Source: Ann, gsusa - Illinois crossroads council - Palatine

Trim the pine cone so it stands on end.
Spray with green spray paint and then while wet sprinkle with fine white glitter. Glue a small red skirt around the bottom of your tree (tree skirt) and place a few small wrapped boxes on the bottom.

Readers Digest Christmas Tree

Ok, as promised, some Christmas goodies ... let me know if you try any of these things out :-)


Readers Digest Christmas Tree
Original Source: Bonnie Sedore

Supplies:
•Readers Digest magazine
•Glue
•Glitter
•Spray paint( green, gold, or silver)

Directions:
Remove both covers from magazine.
Take the upper right hand corner of the first page & bring it down so that the top edge of the page rest against the glued binding of the magazine.
Now crease this first fold, carefully.
Again take this page &fold it over until the crease rests against the glued binding of the magazine.
Crease second fold.
Finally fold the triangle (that overlaps the bottom of the magazine) upward so it will be even with the bottom of the book, crease it.
The first page is finished continue folding & creasing the remaining pages.
When the magazine is completely folded glue the front & back pages together. Paint tree, add glitter while wet add star to top.

Saturday 17 November 2007

Sorry, MIA

Sorry I haven't updated here in so long - I'm planning to get some Christmas ideas up on here in the next wee while.
I have been working for the last 6 weeks and after not "working" for 7 years it was a VERY rude shock to the system. Anyway I am down to just 3 more days to go and then my time is a bit more my own for a while at least.
So check back in soon for some Christmas ideas ... :-)