the crafty thing(s) I made this week

[cerridwen]

I'd like for this forum to be a sharing one, so I'll start with an idea/sharing thread.

I'm crafty by nature, I love making things. Working in a craft store, I've every opportunity to get my supplies!

I've been meaning to sit down and make my things for wicca, and finally this past week I sat down and got some things done!

I collected a bunch of beeswax and made about 30 candles, each a different colour or combinations of 2 or 3 colours.... I also decorated a box to use as a 'box of shadows' in a sense.... something that I can bring with me when I go out of town, with wicca-ish things... incense, coloured candles, etc....

Does anyone else get crafty?

[Samhain]

yeah i make my own powered incense and candles, and create all my own spells and rituals.
my saying is if you wannna do it right do it yourself

s

[cerridwen]

what are some of your recipes for incense? Please share!

I've been looking a lot into scrying the last while... so I found a crystal that I can use for it. Today I strung some decorative beads to add a bit of me to it... It's actually very pretty!

[Samhain]

i don't really have reciepies as such just bung a load of things in.
however heres a helpful hint.
make one ingredient for incense out of flowers or plants that you have on your altar.
strip the flower of its petals and to dry put in a little cauldron (every witch should have one) put that on top of your radiator, when the radiator is on it will dry your incense.
store the dried ingrediants ready to make into the incense.
that way you can make incense with a theme.
e.g. if the flowers where on your altar for beltane you can call it beltane incense and give it to everyone who celebrated the festival with you.

'do you remember those lovely roses i had on my altar, well this is the incense from them!'


s

[cerridwen]

Don't you have approximate recipes or favourite combinations?

I find it weird if you're into making that sort of thing - or any sort of thing - and you don't have recipes for it.... you must have some kind of favourite.

[Samhain]

Don't you have approximate recipes or favourite combinations?

I find it weird if you're into making that sort of thing - or any sort of thing - and you don't have recipes for it.... you must have some kind of favourite.

ooch i feel like my hands been slapped!!
i really do tend to make things up on the spair of the moment and bung a load of things in.
but your right if i don't write the ingrediants down i risk not being able to produce that incense again.
when i next make some i'll let you know the recipe and the results ive found
deal?!!

s

[cerridwen]

Darn tootin, your hands get slapped! ;) ah, but you know I love ya... Share and share alike, that's my only point!

I've done a couple more crafts this couple of days... I've origamied a couple boxes for the altar, to keep small items in place, a resting place for things like crystals, my pagan rosary, et cetera.

I also made some more beeswax candles, I've been going through them like nobody's business... And, finally, I finished my goddess statue that I've made from clay. I found some really pretty neon, sparkly, and metallic paints to decorate her with, and even though I was afriad it'd come out tacky, she looks rather nice!

Ah, I wish I had a digital camera so I can post her picture here... Oh well, soon I hope!

[Samhain]

[QUOTE=cerridwen]Darn tootin, your hands get slapped! ;) ah, but you know I love ya... Share and share alike, that's my only point!


you sound just like Willow, now don't turn all evil on us will you??

blessings

S

[cerridwen]

I don't know who Willow is, but I promise to not go evil.... :)

Another craft I made this past week.... for my alter, I noticed I was missing a wand to help with a few spells.... So I made one out of a piece of driftwood, some ribbon and beads to decorate it and to make some streemers coming from it. It's actually quite pretty.

I also made my own rain stick, I think these sound so nice, I wanted to see if I could make my own. I found a piece of tubing, about 3 feet long, and sealed each end with a piece of plastic and glue. Before I put the second end on, I had nailed through about 20 thin nails, making sure each nail is at least an inch away from the last, and forming an 'x'. I put in a handful of plastic buttons, tiny nails, and a few pennies, then sealed it. (That way when I turn the rainstick, it makes that 'rain' sound as it moves through it.) I wrapped it with plain white wallpaper, and painted it appropriately and colourfully.

[cerridwen]

Earth PuppetsMaterials: Use natural items found in the yard, tape, and glue.
The easiest kind of puppets can be made from a twig. Select a twig that forks. You now have 2 arms and a handle to hold the puppet with. Find a fallen flower, and tape the stem to the handle for the head. You can also tape the stem of a fallen leaf to the handle for the head. For clothing, wrap a leaf around the handle, and your puppet has natural summer wear.
Another puppet can be made with a pine cone. Glue the pine cone to the forked twig, for the head. Dried and fresh grass make loads of hair styles, beards, and mustaches. Use seeds or small rocks for eyes, nose, and mouth. Make clothing out of leaves and bonnets out of flower petals or acorn caps.
Use a large box or table for the stage, and enjoy the show.
Vegetable Tray Puppets Materials: Large carrots, popsicle sticks, cream cheese, raisins or olives, celery, parsley, green beans, radishes, cauliflower buds, broccoli buds, cucumber spears, any other desired vegetable, and cheese slices.
Having trouble getting the younger children to eat their vegetables? Let them play with their food! Peel several large carrots and cut off both ends. With a paring knife (adults only) cut a slit in the bottom of the larger end. Place several carrots on a plate. On a serving tray, in the middle place a small bowl of cream cheese, and surround with "garnishing vegetables". Cut cheese slices lengthwise to strips of hair.
Insert popsicle stick in the slit in a carrot. Using the cream cheese as glue, attach raisins or olives as eyes, and other assorted vegetables as arms, legs, hair, etc. Let the child(ren) put on a mealtime play before eating the characters. Lots of fun for the whole family!

Treasure BoxesMaterials: Sturdy cardboard box, natural items for decoration, white glue, med-size paint brush.
This little box is for the youngster to collect "treasured" memories from summer. Start with a large shoe box and lid. Let the child collect some items from the yard, the park, and/or the beach. Glue flat items to the box, and place the non-flat items inside. To give the box a more durable finish, brush on a coat of white glue diluted with water. Encourage the child to tell stories of where the different items came from, or make up stories about the contents.
Wheelbarrow Planter
Materials: 1 plastic detergent scoop, 2 large brightly colored buttons, white glue, 1 cup potting soil, seeds.
Take the plastic detergent scoop and poke a couple of small holes in the bottom (adults only!) with a nail or a needle. Let each child pick out two brightly colored buttons for the wheels. Glue wheels onto the sides of the scoop so that it sits at an angle. Once the glue has dried, let the child pour 1/2 cup of potting soil in the scoop, place in a couple of seeds around the sides of the scoop, and pour in the rest of the soil. Slowly add water to the soil until soaked through. Place on small dish in sunny spot. Watch the new life grow from the seeds and spring forth from the soil just as life springs forth from the Goddess.
Litha Spiral CandlesMaterials: Decorating wax strips or preprinted wax logs, plain ball or short pillar candle(s), craft or butter knife.
Have your child choose a couple of colored wax strip combinations. Cut each strip into 2 pieces 2 3/4" long and on piece that is 2" long. Lay a short length of one color over a longer length of another color and roll them into a tight spiral log, 1/2" in diameter by 11/2" long. When you've got eight logs use the knife (adults or older children) to cut each log into as many slices as you can. Firmly press the wax slices all around the outside of the candle, starting at the base and working up. Continue placing the slices as close together as possible until the whole candle is covered.
Stained Glass Sun Catchers Materials: Wax paper, crayon shavings, colored string, yarn, or thread, lace, leaves, flower petals.
To begin, have the child empty crayon shavings from their sharpener, or (adults only!) use a paring knife to create shavings. A cheese grater works great for large crayons. Arrange shavings, and any of the accessory items the child chooses and sandwich between two sheets of wax paper. Iron (adults, of course) the whole package on low setting, just until the shavings melt. Cut the "stained glass" into shapes and hang them with string, in a sunny window.
Fairies' Feathered Friend Feeder Materials: An empty milk carton, nontoxic paint, glitter, white glue, popsicle sticks, 10" wooden dowel w/ 1/4" diameter, wire hanger (cut bottom of hanger for inserting into milk carton), birdseed.
Rinse out milk carton thoroughly. Do not completely open top, rather glue open spout back together. Cut 3" wide by 4" long arched openings on "spout" side and opposite side of carton, with base of opening approx. 3" from bottom of carton. Let the child paint the outside of the carton in Litha colors of red, yellow, orange, white, green. Before the paint dries let child sprinkle colored glitter all over the carton, (birds are attracted to shiny objects). Let carton dry. Glue painted or non-painted popsicle stick shingles onto the top of the carton as a roof. For the perches, poke holes in the carton just below the openings, and slip the wooden dowel through the holes. Poke two holes in the top of the carton just under the roof, insert one end of the cut hanger into each hole. Fill the bottom of the carton with wild birdseed. Hang in a spot that is easy to view, but far enough away from fences or other objects to thwart predators. Tell child how fairies, brownies, and sprites ride on the backs of birds to get from one place to another if it is too far to walk.