HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-11-15, Page 16PAGE 613—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1973
Every Christmas one of the
most exciting - and time con-
suming - parts of getting ready
for the holiday is gift wrapping.
Even a small gift can he
tremendously important if the
wrappings are imaginative.
This year, start things off
right with a handy gift -wrap
kits It isn't any fun searching
the house for paper, tape and
scissors every time you need to
wrap a present.
While, the home handy -man
can make an elalc►rate caddy
for your gift wrappings in-
cluding dispensers for paper
and ribbon, about all that is
really nece,sary is a sturdy box
'rap those
Christmas gift4
in glamour
clearly labelled "Christmas •
Wrappini, and kept in a cen-
tral spot.
In it place several rolls of
wrapping paper. some tape, a
pair of scissors, tags, seals, rib-
bons, ropes, cords, string, glue,
a couple of pens and anything
else you might need for gift
wrapping You might even in-
clude heavy brown paper par-
tial address stickers and sticky
tape for packaging boxes and
gifts for mailing.
Once everything is assem-
bled, let your imagination take
over.
For these small, hard -to -
Stain glass lantern
made at home
o add°extra warmth to your
Christmas decor why riot try a
stained glass candle lantern?
That may sound exotic, expen-
sive and difficult but such. is
not the case.
These lanterns are transfor-
mations --of •old fashioned--lamj
chimneys and tin cans. Many
homes still have some of the
lamp chimneys stored -away in
the attic but if you do not, they
may be purchased from various
retailers for between 50 cents
and one dollar. The tin cant,
may be salvaged at no extra
cost from any kitchen.
Other supplies you will need
are glass stainer, available at
hobby and craft shops, and
liquid metal, available from
hardware stores.
The liquid metal -can be
either craft .steel, which is
black, or 'craft lead, which is
grey. Both come in tubes that
coat about $1.00.
-'To make your lantern,
squeeze the liquid metal in
thick lines to lav out sections
on the chimney. Be sure the
lines form a tight bond with the
glass•so the stain will not run
into an adjacent section. Make
a ring around the top edge and
put a row of thin stripes or dots
of metal one half inch from the
base so that when you fit the
chimney into the can it will ad-
mit air for the candle.
Build up the' stripes by ad-
ding several coats, letting them
dry in between. Craft steel
takes about three hours to dry.
Glass stain is preferable to
glass paint because it comes in
mann rich colors and - tones
whereaspaint--rolors are- harsh--
-' and available only in primary
colors. Purchase ` a jar
of stain for each color you
choose and select them so that
colors on opposite sides of the
chimney will complement one
another.
Once the steel is dry apply
the stain with a paintbrush to
one section at a time. When you
have completed a section, turn
the glas's upside down to allow
the stain.to spread evenly over
the glas .'
You might want to paint
several coats depending on the
colors and the effect you desire.
Darker colors • require fewer
coats than lighter ones.
For more subtle tones you
can use different colors on top
of each other. Let each coat dry
about an .hour and a half before
applying another coat and use
a separate hrush for each color.
For the- lamp base choose a
tin can to fit snugly around the
base of the chimney. Spray it
with flat black enamel and set
a candle -inside. Place the chim-
ney in the base and adjust it so
that it is stable.
walnut surprises
Advent treat
Especially for children the
last few weeks before Christ-
mas can be a time of great an-
ticipation but when the big day
comes, and all those'beautifully
wrapped gifts under the tree
are opened, the- whole event
seems .to end too quickly.
This youthful anticipation
can be heightened and the
Christmas season made more
rewarding through a variation
on the Advent theme.
Surprise filled walnuts are
an interesting v*riaticn of the
qaditional Advent calendar.
Hollow out a walnut for each
day of Adv. t, • beginning
November 30 a continuing to
Christmas, and place inside a
small surprise gift.
Cracking those nuts and
hollowing them out may take a
little care but the real fun can
be ,a search for unusual gifts
tiny enough to fit inside the
cache,
The best suggestion might be
to use a small screwdriver to
split the nuts by tapping it with
a hammer. With a little prac-
tice you can split the shells
evenly.
Step number two is to -pry the
meat out using a sharp tool
such as an awl. Then paint the
inside of the shell with a bright
enamel and if you would like to
dress up the outside of the shell
gloss it with clear fingernail
polish.
To find the small gift objects
first look around your home for
such items as old jewellry o,/
shiny beads. At this time 74
year craft shops carry tiny
items like figurines, pine cones
and hells. Ahother source
might he second hand stores
who often have odd relics lying
around with a very low price
tag.
It. might be a good idea to
bring along one of your
hollowed walnuts to check for
fit as you shop around for the
tiny surprises.
Once the items have been
rounded up glue them into the
shell using a bond fast glue or
airplane cement. At the same
time glue in a narrow velvet
ribbon or piece of yarn for use
in hanging the nut.
Finally seal the shell halves
back together 'with a piece of
contact paper, electrician's
tape, or possibly rd`bber cement.
Then hang your walnut sur-
prises on a miniature Christ-
man tree or house plant.
It might also be fun to num-
ber the shells for each day of
the Advent season.
wrap boxes (usually. Jewelry)
try an "easy elegant hangup"
trick.
Cut a holiday symbol from
heavy cardboard arid. cover
with colored construction paper
- red, white, blue, green. Make
a big sock, a Santa face, a can-
dle, a Christmas tree, an agel, a
star. Then wrap a gift box in a
shade. to complement the color
used in the ,cutout.
Twist gold cord tc► form
roping that " volt place around
the -lift box and attach to the
top of the cardboard symbol.
Also place a hanger on the car-
dboard symbol,. ready for
hanging on the tree. Finish
decorating the gift box and the
motif in any materials that will
reflect light so that when the
gift is hung on the tree, it will
glitter with the rest of the or-
naments there.
Or how about using last
.year's Christmas cards to ad-
vantage for this year's Christ-
mas wrapping.
PP g•
For instance, wrap a parcel
in gay green paper. Then cut
out as many different Santa
faces from last year's cards as
you can find and paste them in
a. kind of voltage i i rhe-frroti-ri f
the package. Add a bright rib- -
bon and the gift is ready for the
tree.
The 'Madonna and Child
from one of those Christmas
cards you've been reluctant to
.throw away can make an
elegarit .gift ornament.
Carefully ;cut out the picture
and mount it on a bright circle
of velvet or felt. Add a frame of
gold cord or tinsel.. Place it on
the front of a package which
;has been wrapped in gold or
silver foil. Add a rich ribbon
and the gift is perfect for
mother or grandmother, an
elderly friend, a loved one,
Whimsical wrap-ups too can
give some -hint of what is inside
the package.
A frilly blouse for mother can
be wrapped in a parcel trim-
med with lake and small but -
'OM
tons, makeup tor daughter\Yan •
he packaged in a decor
cosmetic hag; a shirt for fa
can be in a box featuring a
wrapping paper 'collar and
cuffs, a construction paper tie
and a beaded tie pin and cuf-
flinks.
l`se scraps of fabrics, yarn,
ribbons and other odds and
ends of trimmings. They dress
up a package but don't add a
great deal to the cost. .
It's easier to fasten the
decorative designs to the box if
they a re created 4►n post er
board first. Attach the designs
to the packages with masking
tape or straight pins. This
allows the recipient to remove
the decoration and keep it in-
tact. When the big day is over,
the trims can be used for
decorations in children's rooms
on kiirlletin hoards, framed as
pictures to hang on the wall -or
stored for similar package
wrapping sessions.
Another fun tete gift is in a
bag. Fur a small child, for in-
stance, where the gift is a
variety of writing and drawing
materials, make a colorful
burlap bag with a draw string.
_..Entbruid-er_the_c:hilWs- .name -on
the front in a contrasting color.
Then, stuff the bag full of gaily
wrapped crayons, water' colors,
pencils, erasers, stencils etc. etc.
Using the burlap idea once
more,,.. simply wrap gifts in
burlap - or op of her . leftover
materials. Sew the end flaps
down if you wish for a neat
finish. Then take some colorful
colored yarn and embroider on
the package to your heart's
content - names, motifs, per-
sonal messages. It is fun and
individual.
• Gifts can also be wrapped in
gifts .... such as table cloths,
dish cloths, scarves, mittens,
tea towels, bath towels, pillow
slips. The list is endless.
Have fun this Christmas. Let
your imagination go wild. Your
friends and family will love it
as much as you will.
er
Christmas means .gifts
for the family ...
So give them a family gift
for the home
1,1
From the leaders in home decorating
McArthur & Reilly's _.
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i DR-APERIfS
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professional advice on anything
you need for HOMDECORATING.
cArthur 1tt Reilly
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familiar with what might suit you.
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