Hey everyone. Easter is coming early this year, so there isn't much time to play around. There are many different things we can make for this time of year. It will even be more fun since we can bring spring around a little bit earlier, and chase away this nasty winter.

This next craft is easy and fun to do for all ages. It is called decoupage. You can decoupage just about any surface, or item. I will be using ceramics this time. My mom loves to do this, keeps her busy. All you need is some decoupage glue (Mod Podge), a short stiff brush, material, and ceramic eggs and pinking sheers. You can order ceramics online or go to your local ceramic shop and purchase the eggs. I make my own ceramic eggs. My Mother-in-Law has her own ceramic shop in her basement.

Pinking sheers are scissors with a serrated or notched blades. They cut the material and leave a zigzag edge that looks decorative and helps prevent the material from fraying. The material you use should have small patterns on it. It looks better when cut up and glued to egg. Larger patterns get lost and don't look very nice when glued together. When finished, you can decorate egg with ribbon and small flowers.

Decoupage Easter Egg

Supplies:

• Eggs
• Material (cut in small triangle shapes)
• Glue
• Brush (short stiff bristles)
• Pinking sheers
• Ribbon
• Clear gloss spray
• Ribbon
• Small silk flowers (if you want)

First step is to cut all your material into small triangular pieces. Next, use the brush to spread glue on egg in a small spot, just to stick the material on it. Then completely cover the piece of material with more glue. Keep repeating this step until egg is completely covered. Let dry. When completely dried, spray with a clear gloss to give it a finished smooth look. Let this completely dry. Spray the clear gloss in a well ventilated area, outside would be best if not too cold. Finally, you can decorate it. Use little flowers and/or ribbons. What ever you chose. I chose ribbon, just to give you an idea.

You can fill a basket with them, or just set them out by themselves. They make great little gifts for teachers. The following pictures show you each step. Have fun and enjoy.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I seriously needed a break from all the holiday crazy crafting. Even the most die-hard goes through a dry spell (I hope so or else they are really making me look bad!) and then slowly, ever-so-slowly starts twiddling away at one project or another to start off the New Year.

But what project to start if one doesn’t want to go full tilt into some massively time consuming craft, but not wanting to waste a single minute of precious time and expensive resources on a smaller project?

Enter the Artist Trading Card, the woman’s baseball card and like a piece of dark chocolate, you simply can’t have one, but even a tiny bite soothes the savage (artsy) beast.

For this crafting project you will need the following from your local arts and crafts supply store:

• Various colored and texture card stock paper
• Scissors
• Magazines/old books/print outs/newspaper
• Stickers
• Stamps
• Hole punches
• Yarn
• Glue
• Glitter
• Markers
• Crayons
• Any type of collage embellishments you may so desire

An ATC measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches and this is the ONLY thing about an ATC that is standard. Everything else, from the “ground” paper to the subject of your design and all the embellishments is strictly up to you, the artist. Which means, as a New Year project you can get as complicated or simple with an ATC piece as you see fit. Spend hours and days on one card, or a couple of minutes pounding out dozens.

ATC’s are the truly one of a kind piece of artwork, trade them amongst other ATC enthusiasts or have an ATC party with friends. They are great for kids, especially with Valentine’s right around the corner and your little ones can even have their own art display inviting friends over to look at their work or create an art gallery for their dolls.

These little pocket works of art are great for home decor. Frame one or dozens in display frames, glue them to clothes pins and clip to curtains or glue magnets on the back to hang on the refrigerator.

The possibilities are endless!

OK, so you want to be a florist? I hope you are ready to be overworked and under appreciated. It sounds mean but it is true. You work long hours on your feet. You work 'til your fingers bleed (literally). You work 'til the work is done, no excuses. You have a wedding to put out? The bride doesn't care if you have a 103 fever or you are running to the bathroom every 5 minutes. All she knows is her bouquet better be perfect. You know, the one she ordered filled with roses and diamond studded stephanodis. The one she cried about being $150.00. That probably cost me $149.00 to make. The one that would have cost her $300.00 in a big city. Yes that's the one. After she pays for her limos, photographer, ceremony, reception, and cake, she comes back to you and has the nerve to say we have to cut some of the flowers. There is no money left. Can you believe that?

I love it when they ask "What can I get for 20 bucks?" I would love to just be able to say NOTHING! Just once would be nice. Or say, "How about cutting out the 12 limos instead?" The brides always come in to make cuts on the flowers to save money. I guess they don't realize that the flowers will be in almost every picture.

Maybe I am being a little harsh (not really). Not all Brides are Bridezillas. On occasion, we do get lucky with a bride that loves everything you make and will pay anything for it. We love that kind of bride. You don't mind adding a few extras for the people that appreciate it.

No one really knows how much work goes into making a floral arrangement, of any kind. There is a lot of preparation involved. All the flowers we receive in the shop have to be cleaned. Daisies need all their little leaves removed from their long stems so they don't mold. Everything has to come out of its wrappers and placed in water so it can open up. Roses need to be stripped of their thorns without injuring their stems. This is where the "bleeding fingers" come in. All flowers need to be cleaned and preserved a different way just about. There are some flowers that can't even be stored together. This is do to ethylene being produced by the flower and ruining other flowers in the cooler. Click here for more information on this subject.

Just loving flowers isn't going to make you a great florist. You really need to LOVE the flowers even after the long hours and sore backs and bleeding fingers, and broken nails and blistering feet and whining brides. Should I go on? I think you get the picture. Before you jump in and say HEY! this looks like fun, remember that it just "looks" like fun for the most part. It really is a lot of hard work.

If you really want to open your own shop, I suggest that you go work in one for about three months. You will learn flower arranging techniques and tips. You will learn to work with fresh flowers, dried flowers and silks. You will either love it or hate it by then. That's what I did. I went to buy a woman's shop and ended up working there for five years. I really LOVE the floral business. I would still consider opening a shop of my own some day.

Buying out someone else's business isn't always the best route to go. Customers love their florist and when a new owner takes over they don't think you can keep up with their needs. When word got out that this woman was selling her shop and I was their learning the business, a funeral director called and complained about the casket spray. He said the new girl doesn't know what she is doing and everything was a mess. The best part about this is that I didn't make the casket spray; the owner did. So loyal customers assume you won't do well. I think I would be better starting from scratch without someone else's troubles and building my own clientele. That way I can't blame anyone but myself if I fail or succeed.

Lastly, don't be discouraged. If this is something you truly love and can be dedicated to, you will do well. You definitely need to be positive and believe you can offer services someone needs. Make sure you also have a sound business plan. You can get in over your head quickly with bills. Plan wisely.  Think about it for a while before you jump in.

I love flower arranging. I love to do up a vase or a bouquet just to see the joy it brings someone. Fresh flower arranging is my favorite. The colors and the scents are magnificent. You don't have to be overly creative to do this as long as you follow a few basic tips. You can go to your local grocery store and buy a mixed bouquet with all you need to make a beautiful arrangement.

One of the first tips I will share is, make sure you always snip the end of the stems, at an angle, before you place them in your arrangement. This fresh cut allows the flower to drink up the water. Also, use a preservative in your vase. This usually comes with the bouquet. It helps them last longer. A little known fact; when florists receive their flowers from a wholesaler, they are often dry packed in boxes, and could have been in cold storage with no water for over a month. So be sure to hydrate them. Do this even when you receive a new bouquet.

My basic flower arranging instructions:

• Fill vase with plain water and any greens that may have come with the bouquet or that you may have purchased. This can include baker or tree fern, or other greens used as fillers. Tree fern is fluffy and looks nice to finish off the edge of a vase. Place them in one at a time at an angle, so they crisscross in the vase. This will act as a grid and allow you to hold your primary flowers in place. I used some Seeded Eucalyptus in my vase. I love this stuff

• Place primary flowers in vase first. A primary flower is usually your focal point, or the prettiest and largest flower you are using. Cut stems as you place them. If they are big, put them a little lower so the arrangement doesn't look top heavy.

• Determine at what length you wish to cut your flowers. You can easily do this by moving the vase to the edge of the table or counter, where ever you are working. Hold the flower up to the greens, where you want it to sit in the vase. You will see the stem lower than the counter top. You then snip the bottom, right where it lines up with the counter top.

• Next, use the smaller flowers to place in between the larger ones to fill in the spaces. Cut them to the right length as above.

• If you have tall flowers like Liatris or Snapdragon, use them in the top to give your arrangement some height.

• When finished arranging flowers, grab the bouquet tightly and remove it from the vase. This will allow you to dump the water and put fresh preservative water in the vase. If you have two of the same vases, arrange in one and display in the other. You do this when arranging in a clear vase. Flowers are actually pretty filthy and the water turns brown and nasty when arranging. Plus, little leaves and pieces of stems will be floating about.

The following pictures show some steps. This will give you an idea of how easy this is. You will want to give flowers to someone special every day, and they will think it came from a florist.

AP Bulletin out for Casanova Frosty:

Be on the lookout for a plump, frosty male, with orange nose, dark eyes and manic smile; was last seen wearing mittens, scarf and top hat. This wanted individual has been known to frequent areas with less than hospitable weather conditions. He is considered armed and dangerous as he frequently carries on his personage two thin sticks. Should you see this person, do not approach without proper winter attire, and call your local authorities.

You will need the following from your local arts and crafts supply store for your own Casanova Frosty. The directions follow:

• Polymer clay
• Polymer liquid clay
• Paint brush
• 20 gauge wire
• Clothespin
• Exacto knife
• Scrap fabric
• Toothpick
• Elmer Super glue
• Aluminum foil
• Glaze
• Large knitting needle

The following is recommended but not necessary:

•  Miniature cookie cutters
• Clay oven
• Pasta machine
• Powdered chalk

Make three descending-in-size balls of white or pearl Premo polymer clay. Take a toothpick, cut off the pointed ends and insert each ball of clay making sure the toothpick does not poke out of either the bottom or top of Casanova Frosty.

Using rounded miniature cookie cutters make two circles, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten, on a 5 or 6 setting on a pasta machine, a rounded ball of clay and cut a long rectangular piece, roll and fit between the two circles to form Frosty’s hat. Use a large knitting needle to form a hole at the bottom of the hat so as to fit on the snowman’s head.

Make Frosty’s face with various size round balls of black clay with orange for a nose. A scarf can be made following the instructions from Santa’s in the House. 

For Frosty’s belly, use a miniature heart cookie cutter on flattened Sculpey II clay on a six or higher setting on a pasta machine. His gloves are slightly flattened circles with two tiny circles for thumbs. Twenty gauge wire is perfect for Frosty’s arms.

Once complete, take the 20 gauge wire and poke a hole in the bottom of Frosty going as far into the clay as possible, remove and set aside for later use.

Use Polymer liquid clay for adhesive, powdered chalk for antiquing if desired, bake according to instructions.*

As Frosty is baking take a clothes pin and wrap 20 gauge wire around one side leaving plenty of overhang to re-insert in the bottom of Frosty, securing with super glue. Allow time for glue to dry than glaze as desired. Scrap fabric wrapped below Frosty is a perfect way to hide the 20 gauge wire.

Clip Frosty to curtain rods, attach to gift bags, use in flower arrangements, to hang your child's artwork, the possibilities are endless!

*Once again, this can be a large piece to fit inside a clay oven. Use aluminum foil around Frosty to keep him stable. If necessary, remove his hat to bake separately and super glue together once cool. And remember, don't box yourself in, make various winter-themed characters or start now on the next big holiday by making Valentine or St. Patrick's theme creations. Spring will be here before we know it, make butterflies, flowers, etc.

Here is a quick and easy craft for all ages. My cousin received one from a friend. I thought it was adorable. Her friend was making them for the Veterans that she visits. She made them in patriotic colors, I believe. The one I saw was made in blue with silver accents. She also had a little note, thanking the Veterans for their service. It was tucked in the bottom loop of the angel. These men and women are truly Angels to us, everyday of the year, not just Christmas. Volunteering for them is a great thing to do. Many Veterans Hospitals can use help, especially around the Holidays.

Well after checking out the angel, I came up with my own way to make it. Very simple, which I like. She sewed a few stitches in the ribbon to keep it together. I don't sew. Give me a glue gun and I rock! I have hot glued hems and ducked taped rips in jeans before. Don't get me wrong, I do sew some things and I do own a sewing machine. (My daughter uses it as a television stand in her room.) I just prefer not too use it. With a little patience, a pipe cleaner, and a glue gun, I had the angel finished in under 5 minutes. No sewing involved.  

You can make the angels in any color you chose. There are so many options considering all the types of ribbon out there. The best to use, no matter the color, would be a wired edge ribbon, about 2.5" wide. This helps the angel to hold its shape. You can also decorate it by adding a little floral touch right at the neck or a small bow.

You can hang them on trees or use as gift tags. I will be using them as napkin rings this year for Christmas Eve dinner. I will slip the napkin through the bottom loop and stand them on their plate. Everyone can take one home with them as a little gift. They also make great magnets for the refrigerator. I figured that one out when I stuck a magnet in her skirt to hold it while I took the picture. See, ideas just pop in your head.

I always begin by laying out my supplies and tools. This makes me laugh because it is the only time I am ever organized in my life. There is nothing worse than having to stop in the middle of working on a craft to get something. That drives me crazy.

Supplies:

Ribbon (large and small)

Small glass ornaments

Pipe cleaners

Small floral picks

Tools:

Glue gun

Scissors

I begin measuring and cutting my ribbon. You can make them as big or as small as you like. It's up to you. I made the body 10" and the wings 11". The first thing to do is to make a loop for the body, pinch the two ends together, place a dab of glue in there and wrap it with one end of the pipe cleaner to secure it.

Next, take the piece of ribbon for the wings and overlap it, then pinch the center, and again add a dab of glue, then wrap the pipe cleaner around the wings to secure them to the body. You can follow these steps in the pictures below.

We then add the head, the small glass ornament. Put some glue at the base of the ball by its neck and stick it where the wings and body meet. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the neck once, leaving the pipe cleaner end up in the back. When the head is secure you then take the remaining pipe cleaner and make a loop, then position this over the ball as a halo.

Final step is decorating. You can make a small bow and cover the neck to give it a finished look. I like to add a small floral pick under the bow. I always have to go one step further, I'm to fussy sometimes. Have fun with this part. The little touches make it your own. Everyone will love these and think it took you forever.

With a little guidance children can help make these too. They would be great for arts and crafts in school. The directions are easy enough for them too. Kids love to make things as gifts. They are so proud when you make a fuss over them.

Remember, everything I have made so far can be used for almost every holiday. All you need to do is change the color or theme. These angels would make great Easter gifts, or even favors for a wedding or baby shower. Share your ideas in a comment. I would love to hear what you are doing with them. Happy angel making!

I would like to share with you one of my favorite things to make for holiday decorating. The Christmas Garland, made from fresh greens I gather myself. This is a little more time consuming. It involves gathering, trimming, wiring, and finally decorating. A labor of love for me.

I only make a few pieces of the natural garland for myself. I place it around the front door of my home, my mail box, and my lamp post. I use the fake stuff for everything else. Makes my decorating much easier. I'm just a tad bit lazy sometimes or too busy to fuss.

Here are a few pro's and con's for using fake garland:

Pro's

• I can start my decorating earlier and not have to worry about it dying on me.

• It is easier to add lights to.
  

• It has metal in its branches to wrap the wires and decorations in place.

Con's

• They don't smell good like the natural evergreens.

• After a few years they need replacing because they tend to get out of shape from storage.

• When used outside, the metal wires rust and break.

The greens I use are gathered from around my home. I live in a wooded area and it is easy to find. Most of the greens come from my yard. I don't let my husband trim my trees during the summer so I will have enough to make my garlands. I mainly use the cedar trees and my holly bush that are a part of my landscaping . My holly doesn't have many berries on it. Apparently you need to plant a male and female plant together in order for it to have berries. Luckily, I have nice neighbors. They let me cut theirs. The white pine I use is found in the woods near my home. I can go hike through the woods and cut it. Or, when I am in lazy mode, I go to Lowes and buy it. I also have juniper but it is very picky and I don't like to work with it.


When I have all my greens collected I begin trimming them. I like to cut each piece around the same length so my garland will look uniform when I begin to wire it together. I would say the branches are about 8 inches in length. It doesn't have to be perfect. I keep them in different piles so it is easy to pick up each piece as I add to the garland as I wire it.

Christmas Garland Supplies

Evergreens (Your choice. I chose cedar, white pine, and Holly.)

Lights

Ribbon

Pine cones

Berries (Either artificial or real)

Small red ornaments (Plastic, even though I hate plastic. They are better for outdoor use.)

Tools:

Spool wire

Wire cutters

Trimming shears

Scissors

Gardening gloves

Now that I am set up and organized, I am ready to begin. My first step is to pick up a nice full piece of cedar. I hold it in my hand, pretty side up (they all have pretty sides). I then wrap my wire around the end a few times. Next I add a piece of the white pine, wrap the wire around a few times. Next is a piece of holly. As you add each piece you will see that you can add more than one piece to each layer to make it fuller. As you go, you add each piece or layer, up a little further on the end and keep wrapping. You will gradually give it length doing this over and over again. It is important to wrap the wire around tight in order to hold it together. It gets very heavy, depending on how much you add. When you hang it up, the weight will stretch the wire and it will pull apart if you don't use enough.

The length you need depends on where you are hanging it. When I hang it around my door, I measure from the bottom of my door frame to the top and halfway over to the other side. I make two this size. When I have them made, I hang them from the center of my door frame over to each side. I have nails I hook this on. (My husband couldn't believe I could hammer 3" penny nails into the siding of my house. He thinks I am crazy.) Where it meets in the center I overlap it and wire it together. I then add a bow giving it a finished look. I use outdoor red velvet ribbon for this.

OK, with that said, I made a mistake this year. I made mine too short and I was way to lazy to take down my garlands from the house. So, in order to give it a finished look. I made a swag with the greens. I put a bow in the middle and added that over my door. You will see that in the pictures that follow.

The swag is made the same way you make the garland. You wire together the various greens and continue adding them until you reach the desired length. When you have both sides finished, you wire them together, end to end, and add the bow in the middle, where you wired it together.

Decorating your garland is the fun part. You can do this before you hang them up or after. Whatever is easier for you. I do it when it is hanging up so I can see exactly where I want the decorations. I start decorating my garlands with the lights. I wire them into place where needed. Next I add the berries, here and there, giving a natural look to it. I then wire in a few pine cones. Being lazy again, I bought the pine cones. I can find them almost any place in the woods. I like to buy them since they are dried and ready to go. I found them at KMart this time. My next step will be weaving the red velvet ribbon through it. After the ribbon I add some ornaments for a little bit of glitz.

To finish this presentation of my home, I add a wreath to my door. The wreath is an artificial one. I decorate it to match my garlands. Now it is done and ready to enjoy. You will get the hang of it as you go. It does get easier. It is truly something you can brag about. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment. I will be happy to respond to you with an email.

Happy decorating!

 

The following pictures show me wiring the garlands and different stages of assembly as described above.

Celebrations, Christmas and holidays in general are never boring for my family. Whether it was the unforgettable moment of my mother having lost an entire meatloaf she cooked for a get-together (we’ve yet to explain that under an hours time), yours truly having caught her hair on fire while blowing out birthday candles (I will never live that one down) or the fact we highly anticipate who receives a gift with the price tag still on! (Yes, we look and keep track so as to tease the giver relentlessly!)

To tie into those slightly uncontrollable, highly unconventional family gatherings we look for ways to be unexpectedly creative with our gifts, from the wrapping paper, the gift bag and even the gift tag!

Yes, something as little and seemingly insignificant as the gift tag can be creatively jazzed up for any gift-giving occasion with a little bit of clay, fabric and these easy directions.

You will need the following from an arts and crafts supply store:

• Premo Polymer Clay (in the colors of your liking)
• Premo Liquid Clay
• Paint brush
• Aluminum foil
• Yarn, fabric or string
• Drinking straw

Recommended but not necessary:

• Clay oven
• Pasta machine
• Clay glaze
• Molds, cookie cutters, etc.
• Stickers, glitter, etc.

Take a flat color such as brown or black to make the base of your tag. The shape can be anything you wish, circles, stars, squares. I suggest using molds, cookie cutters or cut outs. I typically use a paper punch the shape of a gift tag on stock paper.

After rolling out my base clay through the pasta machine I cut out the shape of the gift tag, using aluminum foil to protect work surfaces. A straw is perfect to make the hole to string fabric, yarn or ribbon through for later. (Tip: Push the straw all the way through and then twist the clockwise and pull up so as to get a clean, thorough and large enough hole. This may take a practice run with extra clay. Putting the flattened clay in the refrigerator for a few minutes is also helpful to get a nice circular cut.)

Once you have the base of your tag it is time to decorate with more clay! Depending on the size of your tag use clay molds, cookie cutters or as I have done on this tag, cut out various shapes to create a one of a kind design. (Leave space for stickers or other items that can only be added after baking.)

Polymer liquid clay is great as an adhesive for your design and then bake according to instructions.

Once the tag is completely baked and cooled continue decorating your piece with stickers, glitter, etc. Glaze, if desired, but allow drying time before stringing fabrics or yarn. I like to use wild yarns or for this tag, pieces of fabric with silver garland.

The possibilities are endless and won't your receiver be surprised! A great activity that's fun for kids, as well, with adult supervision, of course.

We have all seen wreaths throughout the year on doors of many homes. Wreaths have many purposes, decorative being the most popular, but there is actually a history. Wreath history goes back to ancient times, beginning with fabric headbands adorned with jewels, or wreaths of laurel leaves being used to crown victors of Olympic Games. Another is the advent wreath for religious celebrations. For this post we are going to stick with the use of Evergreens symbolizing the continuance of life through the winter. We will be using silk flowers for this floral arrangement, so you can enjoy it year after year.

I love making wreaths as gifts for friends and family. They are very easy and very pretty. You can make an expensive looking wreath for a few dollars. I like to shop around for my supplies hitting the local Craft Stores for their sales. A.C. Moores, Jo Ann Fabrics and Michael's are my usual stops. Michael's has a better quality silk flower. It's a little more expensive, but their wreaths are usually on sale for $2.50 which is very cool.

To begin, I always gather up my supplies and tools to be a bit organized. This wreath will be basic red and green with a little touch of gold. I always like to mention, BE CAREFUL! The glue is very hot and can cause burns. I like to keep a bowl of ice water next to me when I am using my glue gun. If it gets on you, quickly dip hand or fingers in bowl. It takes the heat away quickly, reducing the degree of the burn. I have scars from hot glue accidents. Not pretty. I have actually dipped my glued up fingers in my cold drink before when I forgot my ice water. Another glue stick tip: when finished making your item, go over it with the hair dryer. This eliminates the spider webs from the glue.

Basic Wreath Recipe

1 Wreath (24")

1 Silk Poinsettia Bush

Ribbon (Wired is the best in my opinion. It holds its shape.)

Glass Christmas Ornaments (I prefer glass to plastic because there are no seams in them that make them look cheap.)

Berries or Floral Picks

Lights (optional)


Tools:

Scissors

Wire Cutters

Glue gun or pot (I use a glue pot when I am making many items and have a lot of gluing and sticking to do.)

Spool Wire

I like to keep to a specific theme or color, not all thrown together so your eye can focus on it without being pulled in to many directions. I begin with the bow. I make mine by hand, very easy with a little practice, that will be another post on its own. After I make the bow and attach it to the wreath, I set out my florals, ornaments, berries or floral pics. I start by cutting apart my Poinsettia bush, leaving at least 2 inches of stem under the flower to glue into the wreath. I glue in the Poinsettias first since they are the largest item. Then I add my next set of items like the floral picks then the glass ornaments and so on. When I am finished gluing in all my pieces, I add a string of 50 white mini lights to it. This is easy to do. With the plug end at the top by the bow, I weave the lights around the decorations, making my way around the wreath. I finish the lights back at the top, where I began. I always add my lights after I decorate so they are easy to remove when they need to be replaced. Lights are optional, some people don't care for them. When that is finished, I add some extra ribbon through it to bring it all together. Very easy and very elegant.

It is a great gift for friends and family. You can find out what they like and what colors they are using in their home to decorate and make the wreath to complement what they already have. Different themes work well also. Enjoy!

The following pictures show the different steps.

My childhood memories are full of time spent deep in cold white snowdrifts with a frozen face and fingers, suffering silently in order to make the biggest and the best snowman on the block.

There is something incredibly nostalgic about snowmen. Even as an adult I can't help foaming over the first perfect snowfall, eager to get outside to create! At least until I'm brutally reminded just how laboriously intensive making a snowman is, from how heavy snow can be to the disgusted discovery that the mound I'd been pushing all through the yard for the last ten minutes includes a massive spot of yellow snow!

Ewww....

So rather than get my children and myself all bundled up for what will inevitably be a knock-down-drag-out-quarrel over any of the following: How to properly make a snowman, whose fingers are the coldest and "who threw that snowball at my eye?" How about bringing the snowman making indoors!

You will need:

• White terry cloth fabric
• Fiberfill
• glue gun and glue sticks
• polymer clay in orange and black
• scrap fabric
• small sticks, bell or pipe cleaners (optional)

Make three round, connected circles on 8 1/2 x 11 paper to represent the head, belly and bottom of a snowman. Cut and pin to the white terry cloth fabric, leaving plenty of seam allowance and cutting two of each. Put like sides together, sew, leaving a large enough gap at the bottom so as to turn the snowman from wrong side to right and fill with fiberfill.

Once your snowman is full, sew the hole closed.

Using black polymer clay, make five small circles for a mouth, two larger circles for eyes and three slightly larger than the eyes for "buttons" on the belly. A carrot nose can be made using orange polymer clay; bake according to instructions.

Once the clay nose, eyes, mouth and buttons have cooled completely use a hot glue gun to glue clay pieces to the face and belly of your snowman. Use scrap fabric to tie about the neck for a scarf and more scrap fabric to wrap about the head as a sock hat. I wrap and glue the end of the sock hat just off the shoulder of my snowman where a pinch of fiberfill or a small bell completes the end of the hat.

Optional small sticks, pipe cleaners, clay or wire can be added for arms and hands. Make gloves out of scrap fabric or clay and glue to the ends. Leave your snowman without arms if putting on a Christmas tree as it makes for easier placement and storage.

If you are one of those wives with a husband who considers holiday decorating more than just stringing a single strand of lights around the Christmas tree or sneaking off with an armful of holiday baked cookies, then you are one lucky gal. 

As for yours truly, holiday decorating was a fairly lone project and after putting up lights, my collection of Santas and every-little-do-dah consisting of proper tree decor and etiquette my hub had the audacity to stand back and survey MY work.

"Tree looks a little bare." He replied, one hand under his chin, the other on his hip.

Several glares and one mighty, "Bah humbug!" later, I had to agree. The Christmas tree was not so much bare as looking mighty pathetic. Several moves over the last few years, coupled with a thieving cat, a chew-obsessed dog, and two destructive children has equalled the loss of the majority of our holiday ornaments. Boxes missing, glass and ceramic ornaments smashed from overloaded moving vans; what was one to expect? But how to fill a tree without putting too much pressure on the wallet or repeating history by having fragile ornaments easily and all too quickly destroyed?

My only solution was going paper and stuffed. As for paper, I really wasn't wanting to go paper chain (though that would be incredibly cheap and would fill empty spots on the tree quickly) stuffed seemed the next-best-thing. If I managed to keep it not only quick but relatively simple, long-lasting and pet-proof.

I first traced out a star, absolutely nothing perfectly proportional (I can't expect too much of myself), just a simple, slightly skewed star measuring a little bigger than 5x7 on paper with plenty of seam allowances. After cutting out the star I picked the most pleasing of fabrics I could find amongst my stash. (Obviously I was in a red mood!) and then pinning the star to the fabric and cutting two of each. Flipping the fabric over so that right sides are together, it was time to sew, baby, sew! I left a large enough hole so as to flip the star right side out and then stuffed accordingly with polyester fiberfill. (Don't skimp on those pesky corners, carefully use the eraser end of a pencil to help push fill in, also helpful while turning from wrong side to right.) Once I had the star stuffed to my liking I sewed the hole closed.

With stuffed star in hand the possibilities are endless; decorate with buttons, glitter or even fill, before sewing hole closed, with dried herbs! You can sew ribbon to hang from tree limbs or do as I did and simply sit amongst the other ornaments. Make dozens of stars, sew them to each other with ribbon to make garland.

Easy. Simple. Tree filling and husband shushing!