Crafts

November 25, 2013

I have been doing crafts for about 25 years, and between 1990 and 2000, I participated in many craft shows and festivals in my home state of Pennsylvania. I started out making "animal dolls" (cows, bunnies, ducks, etc., dressed in homespun and gingham dresses, bonnets, bloomers and aprons.) I also made angels, snowmen, Amish dolls, and the Raggedy Ann/Andy dolls. Then I started dabbling in painting on wood cutouts. And I found the type of craft that soon became a passion........wood crafts! I soon had my own shop, complete with a band saw, scroll saw, a drill press, and two types of sanders; not to mention a collection of approximately 300 craft pattern books. All this led to my passion for decorative painting on the wood pieces I created. During that time period, I was known as "Utopia Country Crafts."



Of course, being a creative person, I did not limit myself to just one type of craft. After moving back to Minnesota for the second and last time, "North Country Cabin Crafts" was born.


December 1, 2013

Old-Fashioned Jar Candle Holder

If you like to decorate for Christmas as it was done in the late 1800's, here is an easy way to make a candle holder from an old Mason jar.

First, make a small wreath from fresh pine, or buy an already made up wreath like the one I used (pictured.)
Next, find an old quart size Mason jar. I used an old green Mason jar that has the year 1858 on it.


Next, purchase a wrought iron candle holder like the one pictured. I bought mine at a craft festival from a vendor who's craft was making wrought iron fixtures, hooks, and etc.


Insert a 12" candle into the holder. Set the candle and holder down inside the Mason jar, and set the jar inside the pine wreath. You now have a nice old-fashioned Christmas candle holder.




Winter Oil Mason Jar Candle


This is an idea that my niece Brenda saw on Facebook and sent to me. I have not made any of these, nor has my niece. Below the article, were many comments (for and against) concerning the safety of these candles, which are actually homemade oil lamps. I have a couple of friends who made these or something similar to these. They both have lots of experience as professional candle and oil lamp makers. In their opinion, they do not feel their is a safety concern, whereas there are others in this type of profession that feel otherwise. Since they do  make beautiful gifts with the cost being approximately $5, I guess the decision to make them...or not, has to be a personal decision.

You'll need: mason jar w/ lids http://tiny.cc/MasonJars smokeless odorless paraffin oil http://tinyurl.com/ParaffinOIl fiberglass wick (never needs replacing/do NOT advance wick) http://tiny.cc/FiberglassWick wick holder insert (glass or metal) http://tiny.cc/WickHolder drill http://tinyurl.com/pyecqkz Decorations: pine cones evergreen trimmings berries holly seedpods lichen/moss fern fronds sticks, or whatever else you can think ok. 1. Put decorative items in clean jar, arrange items until you get the look you want 2. Fill w/ unscented paraffin oil 3. Drill hole in top of flat cap lid same diameter as wick holder insert 4. Thread fiberglass wick through wick holder insert 5. Place the wick (& wick holder insert) in the lid hole & put the lid on the jar making sure the wick hangs in the center of the jar 6. Screw lid ring on jar tight.



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