Christmas Projects

I know Christmas is over, but I'm finally getting time to blog about some fun projects I worked on. This fruit tree was fun but time-consuming. First I cut out shapes with tiny cookie cutters from Michael's in star, flower & bell shapes. Then, using a 9" foam cone and a box of toothpicks, I began attaching the fruit to the cone in a varying pattern. I tried not to put any two colors together, which gives the tree more interest. I started at the bottom & worked my way up, filling in small spaces with cranberries & blueberries. It was helpful to cut the toothpicks in half with my wire cutters using short ones for most of the fruit. For the strawberries, I used 3 uncut toothpicks to stabilize them, since they were so heavy & large. Oh, make sure you start out with a nice plate too; you don't want to move the tree onto one afterwards! Credit: Thethriftymama

 

The gingerbread house was a kit that I bought at Michael's as well. It came with everything you need, including instructions. This took several hours, depending on how detailed your decorations become. I displayed these at our church's New Year's Eve Game Night, and they were a hit! Something naughty & nice ;)