N o, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; we really are presenting a Christmas craft in July.
Beginning this month, Craft Corner will offer one holiday craft each month in anticipation of the annual fall and winter celebrations to come.
After writing the craft column for several years, we have realized that at the end of the year, when the holidays are upon us, we don’t have time to present Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas crafts in a “comfort zone.”
And so, with that in mind, we offer our first holiday craft: candles decorated with cinnamon sticks, glitter and festive ribbons.
When we began this craft, we didn’t have any idea how accommodating cinnamon sticks could be.
Imagine our surprise (and delight) when we found that sticks from a single package could be placed side-by-side to form a uniform – yet interesting – pattern around a candle, with little or no adjustment, except for trimming to match the candle’s height.
To make our samples, we used two 3-inch-diameter candles – one short (3 inches tall), one tall (6 inches tall) – and three packages of cinnamon sticks.
The candles we selected were Yankee candles – cranberry -which have a divine aroma.
Bear in mind that some scents are overbearing and even offensive, or downright sickening, to some folks.
The cranberry candles we chose have filled our small house with a delightful light, fresh and fruity scent, but it’s best to know the preferences and sensitivities of the person to whom you will give the candle, just to make sure your gift won’t offend.
To decorate our candles, we purchased three bags of cinnamon sticks, and it took all three bags to cover the two candles we chose.
We didn’t realize how tough cinnamon sticks are, so be warned: You’ll want to have a pair of heavy-duty scissors on hand to cut the sticks for the shorter candle.
If the sticks break off at irregular places when you cut them, don’t despair. The irregularities add character to the candles.
Attach the cinnamon sticks to the candles with a hot glue gun, leaving just a bit of an edge above the top of the candle.
We thought that a nice touch might be to add a layer of glitter decoupage medium to the cinnamon sticks and we were really jazzed with the results.
Not only did the layer of glitter add a bit more sparkle – which is what we had hoped for – it provided a rich, deep-color luster to the cinnamon sticks.
To add this touch, simply brush one or two layers of glitter decoupage medium over the cinnamon sticks with a sponge brush.
When the glitter is dry, tie on a festive bow – sparkling golds, silvers or other iridescent ribbons will work best to add a subtle sparkle.
If there is a particular holiday craft you would like to see in Craft Corner, please drop us a line at the e-mail address below. We’ll do our best to find – and try out – your request.
You can reach craft master Jonetta Coffin at jrcoffin@aol.com.
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