Bird Feeders

This time of year is tough for our feathered friends up north, and I'm sure that the ones in the South wouldn't mind a free meal either. An easy and fun craft project is to make bird feeders from pine cones. Here's what you will need:

pine cones or stale donuts
peanut butter
bird seed
ribbon, yarn or string

First, take a piece of string (or whatever you have) and tie it around the pine cone. Make sure it is long enough, as you will use the loop to hang the bird feeder from a branch. Next, put some birdseed into a bowl (about 1 cup or so). Then mix enough peanut butter in so that the birdseed clumps together like clay. Press this mixture into the spaces in the pine cone or onto the donut. Hang on a tree, and watch to see what kind of birds come to eat there. Have fun!

Decorative Candles

These are really easy to make, and can be made for most holidays. You will need the following:

candles (tapers or votives, we usually use votives)
thin sheets of soft wax (can be found in crafts stores, often with pre-cut designs)
Optional: small buttons, cookies cutters, or drinking straws (to make shapes for cutting the sheet wax...ask an adult for help here), poster paints.

Use the cookie cutters or scissors to make shapes to use as decorations. If you have buttons, you can use these to press designs in the wax too. Stick your soft wax designs onto the taper or votive candles. You can also use paints to make designs or pictures on the candles. See if you can make a candle for each High Day.

Sand Designs

These can be very pretty and make good gifts for family and friends. Here's what you will need:

Glass or plastic containers (clear ones, with wide mouths)
2-3 boxes of salt
food coloring in different colors
bowls to mix the salt in (one for each color you want to use
a pencil or popsicle stick
Optional: melted parafin wax (ask an adult for help)
or plastic wrap to cover the top of the container

Put 1-2 cups of salt in a bowl. Mix in enough food coloring to make the color you want. Be sure to add it a little bit at a time (about one teaspoonful). If you have a four pack of food coloring, here's some combinations to get other colors: For purple, use blue and red. For orange, use red and yellow. For brown use red and green, and if you add some blue to this, you can get a sort of black color.

Once you have your colors, you can start by putting one color in the bottom of the container you chose. Use the stick to make hills and valleys along the edges. Pour another color on top of this, making sure it filled the areas you pushed down. Continue layering the colors until it is full. Cover it if desired. If you do not cover it, then you have to make sure it is someplace safe so it doesn't spill and spoil your creation.

Sculpy Clay Activities

Since Sculpy clay bakes and becomes a plastic type subsctance, it's good for making your own set or runes or ogham sticks. Find a picture of the runes or of the ogham. For runes make a circular design, for ogham try a stick like design. Use one color as a base and another as the design or use paint to add the design afterwards.

Follow the directions for baking on the package. Some other ideas for Sculpy craft are making beads, pagan or other type pendants, small statues of your favorite gods or goddesses, wall or window hangings, or even something to offer at ritual. Be sure to follow the directions for baking, and if you need permission, make sure you check with an adult before using the oven. But above all have fun :)