Dec. 2010

Christmas Crafts:

This year I decided to go with the traditional cornhusk crafts along with some woodcrafts: 

Cornhusk dolls, a cornhusk wreath, wooden ornaments from reclaimed wood, and of course some stockings.

 

Each year I make a few custom stockings for the growing family or for friends. Each one is made from scraps or an awesome fat corner I found sometime during the year that screamed which person it was meant for. I use the same pattern I made for myself from a brown paper bag years ago which has held up nicely.

This year I was thinking I would love to create some cornhusk dolls. It has been years since I had made them. There was good reason for such time to go by, for they are not so easy to make. I noticed after the first doll, which of course will not win any beauty contest, my hands got sore from all the water, fine needle work and early arthritis setting in. After crafting away with friends we realize four hours was long enough before the use of our hands and patience were gone. Luckily there were some keepers! Yes, I did make a few that looked more like action figures than dolls. Special thanks to the ladies that endured making the corn husk dolls!

 

I then decided I was determined to make a cornhusk wreath. I remember my mom making them every year when I was growing up. I didn’t realize how much crazy work went into each one she made. No wonder she only made a few. What a hard working woman- props to you Mom! I managed to make a great knock-off of one of my mom’s designs; after many hours, of course. I now feel my mom never charged enough money for the wreaths she would sell at the annual holiday craft fair. 

Making a wooden Ornament was also at the top of my list to create since I managed to find some quality reclaimed hardwood. I had recently purchased a wood burner and I wanted a proper refresher project in order for me to remember how useful a wood burn could be. It was so much fun to be able to do this project on my kitchen counters. Granite counter tops are awesome for crafts!!!!  It was great to be able to use tracing paper to transfer my designs and use olive oil as the finish on the final pieces.