Christmas Decorations

I don't usually put up a Christmas tree.  It's not that I have anything against trees, but one bedroom apartments don't have a lot of room for that kind of thing.  So I have been practical, mistletoe in the hall, a wreath on the door and poinsettias on every flat surface. Festive on a small scale.

But now I have a house.

A mostly unfurnished house. The sensible thing to do would be to save my money and put it toward something I really need, like a desk.

I can live without a desk.

So this past weekend I blew my budget on a pre-lit, seven and a half foot tree. (It was on sale. I'm not totally crazed.)  But a tree needs ornaments, and while I've been collecting them for years, I only have about 15, not nearly enough to deck out a tree.

So I put the Christmas music on and got out my cookie sheets.

The flecks of coarse salt make them look specked.

These are made from salt dough, (follow the link for the recipe) which is astonishingly easy. Flour, salt and hot water. You can use coarse salt, like I did. Regular salt will give the dough a smoother texture. They can be painted, molded, covered with glitter, wherever fancy takes you. I'm more of a minimalist, so I just painted them with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 3 tablespoons water).

Harder than it looks: I'm right-handed, but I can't focus the camera with my left

The egg wash makes the ornaments brown and gives them a slight gloss, otherwise they're just a dull whitish grey. And don't forget to put holes in the ornament before you bake! If you don't, you're going to need a drill, these things are hard.

Once they are all baked and cool enough to handle, get the yarn back from the cat, who has appropriated it for her own use.

Get your own yarn - this is mine.

Thread the ornaments on the yarn, cursing yourself for not making the holes bigger, and voila!



 A plate full of cookies, ready to go on the tree.

Merry Christmas!

Friday Feel Good Video

Fortunately, my cat hasn't found the tree interesting.