Hand-made Holiday Ornaments

Let's hope none of the recipients of these Christmas gifts read this entry... hehehe. For the rest of you, here are the results of my "Advanced How-to Hand-made Ornaments Class." As you can see, you can get pretty elaborate. The pink ornaments (nicknamed "Princess") was made using a faux pearl necklace that had fallen apart. (Invest in a good pair of metal clippers. They're invaluable for crafting.)

The purple and white (for my mother-in-law) was made entirely of recycled materials, many found on Etsy.

The pale blue was made with recycled trim from BethQuinnDesigns. The only new items in each were the pins and the styrafoam. Even the silver beads I pulled off an old necklace. Oh, how smug I can feel today.

Less Waste at the Holidays

Here's an idea for a zero-impact holiday gift: yummy food items in used containers. Sounds great, huh? OK, it sounds like you're giving someone an old can of beans. But, it can be lovely and tasty to give green this season.

First, visit a resale shop, like Good Will, Salvation Army, or locally in the Bay, Urban Ore, or Out of the Closet.

Purchase some great mason jars with lids (it's OK if they are the half-lids; just use a fabric square to cover your goodies). You can also choose used holiday tins, or other creative containers, like muffin tins (great for home-made candies) or bread-loaf pans that you can bake a loaf of gingerbread in.

Then; make something special! Pictured are mom Mom's famous candy nuts:

2 C mixed or single-type pecans, walnuts, almonds, macadamias
1/2 C sugar
2 T butter
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
Melt butter in a metal (not iron) pan. Add nuts. Add sugar. Carmelize. Add salt and vanilla, and pour onto a plastic cutting board. Break apart. They'll be very hot!

Add a ribbon or a fabric square to deocrate your gift, and voila! Green giving!