Mrs. Claus Christmas Crafts and Cookies

Mrs. Claus' Button Wreath Ornament

Colorful stray buttons can be put to new use as Christmas ornaments. If you don’t have enough loose buttons, or the right colors, don’t worry—stores sell them by the bagful. Kids will enjoy this project because each wreath they make will be unique.

Materials:

-Needle-nose pliers or wire cutters
-16-gauge copper wire or 22-gauge green floral wire, cut to 9-inch lengths
-72 buttons for each wreath
-Scissors
-Satin ribbon, 1/8 inch wide and 6 inches long
-Seam binding for decorative bow

Instructions:

1. Using pliers, make a small loop at one end of the wire.

2. Thread buttons onto the wire until you have enough to form the size of wreath you want. Our wreaths are 2 1/2 inches in diameter.

3. Using pliers, bend the plain end of the wire around the looped end. This will form the wreath.

4. Use the satin ribbon to make a loop for hanging the wreath; tie the ribbon in a knot about 3 inches above the wreath.

5. Tie a bow of seam binding to decorate the wreath.

Where to Buy
16-gauge copper wire
22-gauge silver-plate wire
Available at local craft and hardware-supply stores

22-gauge green floral wire

Mrs. Claus' Handmade Ornaments

Using a few readily available materials, you can make ornaments that will become treasured heirlooms even before they’ve spent a season on the tree: Shape wired tinsel into sparkling stars, beads into snowflakes, and sumptuous fabrics into small decorative globes. Even humble materials like buttons and wood can be transformed into distinctive decorations. The finished ornaments may be hung from the tree, used to embellish packages, or given as gifts. Wherever they end up, they will surely become Christmas keepsakes for family, friends, and yourself.

Frosted Pear Ornaments

Create a pear tree any partridge would be proud to perch upon. A wide variety of artificial fruit is available at crafts stores; the pears we used have a solid foam core covered with a realistically colored plastic skin. Glass glitter makes for the most sparkling effect; it’s transparent, unlike metal-flake glitter, so it lets the fruit’s color show through.

Supplies:

-Artificial pears
-Glass glitter
-Craft glue
-Small paintbrush
-Ribbon

Instructions:
In a small bowl, dilute craft glue with water until it has a thin, runny consistency. Thinning the glue lessens the amount of glitter that will stick, allowing the color of the pears to shine through. Brush each pear with the glue mixture, and lightly sprinkle it with glitter. Once the pears have dried, tie a loop of ribbon from each for hanging.

Wreath 101

Mrs. Claus' Wreath Lesson

With two basic techniques—wiring materials to a metal form or applying them to a rounded straw or foam base—you can make an infinite variety of wreaths, from greenery wreaths meant to last through the holiday season to heirloom wreaths that can be treasured for years.

Wire wreaths:

Wire frames are the most versatile supports for wreaths. Widely available in a variety of shapes, they’re sturdy enough for heavy materials like evergreen boughs and citrus fruits. A single-wire frame is best for a thin, delicate wreath; for a lush-looking wreath, like the laurel wreath shown at left, start with a double-wire frame.

Wiring greenery:

Attach floral wire on a paddle to the crossbar of a double-wire wreath form of any shape (we used a rectangular form for the Frasier-fir wreath above). Wear work gloves when handling any evergreen, since the needles are prickly and the sap can be sticky. Lay a small bundle of greenery on the form, and wrap the wire tightly around the stems three times. Do not cut the wire.

Add another bundle, overlapping the previous one by half; wrap wire around stems. Continue adding bundles until you reach the starting point. Tuck wire under form, secure with a knot, and cut. When the entire form is covered, tie off the wire, leaving a few extra inches before cutting the end.

To make a hanger, form the end of the wire into a loop and twist it around itself.

To make a more elaborate wreath, simply intersperse clusters of wired ornaments, pinecones, fruits, or other embellishments with the greenery bundles.

For added shimmer, spray-paint a portion of the greenery gold or silver before making the bundles.

The Perfect Christmas Wreath Bow

Mrs. Claus on Typing a Wreath Bow

No wreath is complete without a large, lavish bow. This is why I have every elf master the technique of typing a wreath bow. With the right material (a crisp ribbon – such as grosgrain, satin, taffeta, and velvet - is the best) and right techniques, a wonderful bow can be created for the perfect occasion. In fact, the elves enjoy making these so much that I used the leftover ones to decorate the Christmas trees around the house.

1. Cut the ribbon to desired length. (A bow with extra-large loops or extra-long tails will require more length.) Form ribbon into two equal loops with about 12 inches of ribbon between them.

2. Cross the right loop over the left.

3. Knot the loops by pushing the right loop behind the left, under, and through the hole.

4. Pull knot tight; adjust loops and tails to desired size. Lightly fold the ends, and cut, creating a notch. Attach the finished bow to the wreath with a small piece of green florist’s wire.

5. Voila! Enjoy!

Season of Jingle Bells

Mrs. Claus’ Jingle Bell Wreath

While keeping warm indoors, the elves and I love to add wonderful sounds (to the wonderful smells of the Christmas cookies and treats cooking in the kitchen) to the house. One of the ways we do this is by making jingle bell wreaths and hanging them on doors. It reminds all of us of the ring of Santa’s sleigh bells as he heads off to deliver gifts to the wonderful children of the world. Recreate this wonder and spread the cheer in your homes.

:: Form a 16-gauge wire into a circle ::

:: Make a closed loop at one end with needle-nose pliers ::

:: Thread jingle bells onto the open end in any size and color combination (we love silver, gold, red and green) ::

:: When the wire is full of the jingle bells, join the ends together by twisting the unlooped end into a hook and fasten it onto the closed loop end ::

:: Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow (see the "Mrs. Claus on Typing a Wreath Bow" post on the Crafts and Decorations section) and secure it to the bottom of the wreath with a 24-gage wire ::