Christmas Gifts

Salt and Pepper Shakers

By Bess Pierce

To make Christmas salt and pepper shakers for your holiday table, you will need: two empty thread spools, two small buttons (one white and one black), Christmas seals or cutouts, glue, and two small pieces of tape.

Remove paper labels on both ends of spools, and decorate sides of spools with Christmas seals or designs cut from Christmas cards. Center holes of each button over hole in each spool and glue buttons in place. Be careful to keep glue out of holes in buttons.

When glue is dry, fill black-button spool with pepper and white-button spool with salt, and cover holes at bottom with tape.

Bath Mitten

You will need: piece of terry cloth or old terry cloth towel, thread to match, piece of ribbon, pencil, paper, scissors, needle, and pins.

1. Place your hand down flat on a piece of paper and trace it, keeping thumb separate from other fingers. Then enlarge tracing to allow for 5/8″ seam and cut out pattern.

2. Pin pattern to terry cloth and cut out. Repeat so you have two pieces.

3. Sew pieces together with a backstitch, leaving top open. Trim seam and clip curves. Turn top edge under 1/4″ then 1/4″ again and hem. Turn mitten inside out.

4. Fold 6″ length of ribbon in half lengthwise and sew on top edge of bath mitten. When hung in the bathroom the mitten can be used as a washcloth, or pieces of soap can be saved to use in it.

Lollipops Lollipops

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons flavored extract food coloring

You will need: candy thermometer, metal cookie cutters without bottoms and with sides at least 1/4″ high that have been coated with shortening or cooking oil, large sheets of greased waxed paper, two dozen 6″ pieces of string, coconut for angel’s hair or Santa’s beard, and candies for decorating.

1. Remove the top pan of a double boiler and heat directly on burner sugar, corn syrup, and water, stirring constantly. Lower heat and cook without stirring until temperature reaches 300° on candy thermometer.

2. As candy temperature nears 300°, half fill bottom of double boiler with water and bring to boil.

3. When temperature of candy reaches 300°, remove pan from heat and stir in extract and coloring; then place in pan containing boiling water. Turn off heat and move to area where you will be working.

4. Place cutter on waxed paper with 5″ of string extending beyond edge of cutter. Holding cutter firmly against paper, fill with thin layer of syrup. If mixture runs underneath cutter, mixture is too thin. Wait a few seconds and pour again. As soon as mixture is poured it will begin to cool and harden.

5. Quickly press decorations into lollipops, but do not lift cutter away yet. Pour only three or four lollipops at a time; then replace pan with mixture over boiling water to keep it fluid.

6. Let lollipops harden at room temperature for at least three hours. Carefully lift off cutter and gently peel away waxed paper from back. Hang lollipops in windows or on Christmas tree.

Christmas Card Cutouts

Your friends and relatives will be delighted with these cards you can make with your own holiday messages. You will need: construction paper, wrapping paper, glue, scissors, and felt-tip marker.

Stand-up Card

1. Cut a piece of construction paper 4 1/2″ x 5 1/2″.

2. Bring two ends of paper to exact center of paper and fold.

3. Trace, and cut if necessary, half of design on one side of paper, and use as a pattern for other side.

4. Decorate center section with wrapping paper or your own design.

Ornament Card

1. Draw ornament pattern and cut out.

2. Fold construction paper in half. Place pattern with hook on fold and cut out.

3. Decorate front with stars made from construction or wrapping paper.

4. Write your personal greeting inside.

Blooming Bookmark

You will need: felt, ribbon, lace, glue, and scissors. Cut a 3″ circle of felt and glue a flower cut from felt on top. Make a trailing page marker from a length of lace or ribbon.

Fresh as a Breeze

By Marie Latta

To make a freshener to keep a closet smelling fresh and clean and to remove any dampness, you will need: 5″ x 12″ piece of firmly woven cotton fabric or bonded material, needle and thread, red and blue felt-tip markers, 24″ shoelace, and 1 cup clay granules used for litter boxes.

Fold fabric in half crosswise, right sides of fabric together. Sew up each side so it looks like a small marble bag.

Fold top of bag down 1″ all around and stitch to make a casing, leaving one inch open at side to run shoelace through. Turn bag right side out.

Draw a design on one side of bag with felt-tip markers. (Be sure to place blotter or thin cardboard between the two layers of cloth first.)

On the reverse side write the name of person for whom you are making gift, or draw another design. Thread shoelace through casing and leave both ends sticking out the side for a drawstring. Put granules in bag, pull drawstring tight, and tie.

Slip bag over empty coat hanger, and add tag that reads: “Hang me in your closet, please, to make it smell fresh as a breeze.”

Talking Puppet

You will need: felt, scissors, needle, thread, and glue.

1. Cut three pieces as shown.

2. Join Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 by sewing from A to B on dotted line.

3. Place joined pieces on back piece (Fig. 1) and stitch from C to D on dotted line.

4. Add felt details for eyes, nose, and mouth.

Hanging Santa Claus

You will need: two paper plates, piece of red construction paper, and black and blue scraps of construction paper for facial features.

Illustrated by Julie F. Young