Create Your Own Christmas Candle Holder

This is a fun project that can be enjoyed by all ages. These festive candle holders can be used as decorations in your own home or can be given as homemade gifts.

Supplied Needed:

Glass paint
Glass candleholder
Paintbrush
Palette
Cotton balls
Rubbing Alcohol

Protect your work space with newspaper. Use the cotton balls to wipe the candleholder with rubbing alcohol. Once you have wiped the candleholder, don’t touch the area you intent to paint.

Find an image to paint. You could go online and print something out, use a stamp (like I did), take a picture from a magazine, or draw your own picture. Tape the picture to the inside of the glass.

Now trace the image onto your glass with the paint.
Younger kids will enjoy experimenting freeform on the candle holder. Even just painting dots of red, green, and white is fun.

When you’ve finished, have an adult light a tea light and drop it into the candle holder for you. I recommend a Christmas-y scented candle like cinnamon.


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NaNoWriMo 2007 WINNER!!

I am an official NaNoWriMo Winner! I have written 50,000 words in one month!
And I got this pretty winner's icon. Cool, huh?

My total NaNoWriMo Word Count:

50024 / 50000 words. 100% done!

And with 3 1/2 hours to spare!

Create Your Personal Advent Calendar

An advent calendar is a calendar that counts down the days to Christmas beginning on December 1. Each day you pop open one of the flaps and read part of the story of Christmas. Since today is the last day of November (I know, where did the month go?), create your own advent calendar to chronicle your personal journey to Christmas.

Supplies Needed:

Two sheets of poster board (any color but I recommend one red and one green)
Ruler
Pencil
Craft Knife
Gel Pen
Tape
(Eventually, you’ll also need glue)

Begin by measuring and drawing 24 boxes onto the top sheet of poster board. The boxes can vary in size but you’ll want them to be large enough to fit pieces of photographs.

Have an adult help you cut three sides of each box. Each box should become a window that can be folded open. Number the outside of each box. You can also decorate the boxes with Christmas-themed pictures from magazines or your own drawings.

On the inside of each flap, write an activity that you’d like to do on that day. This can be anything from shopping to wrapping gifts to cookie baking to making ornaments.

Each day of December, open one of the flaps and complete the activity written on the inside. Take a photo of yourself and your family completing the activity. At the end or as the month progresses, tape a photo so it shows through the corresponding box when the flap is open. When you’re finished the calendar, glue the second sheet of poster board to the back of the first to hide the backs of the photos.

Next year, take out your personal advent calendar and remember the times you shared with your family. If you create a new calendar each year you’ll be able to see how you grew and you’ll be able to share memories every year.

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

47647 / 50000 words. 95% done!
ALMOST THERE!!!

Create Your Own Matisse Collage

Yesterday you read about Henri Matisse who created large, bold collages late in his life. Today, make your own collage in the style of Matisse.

Supplies Needed:

Acrylic Craft Paints
Poster board
Thick/textured sketch paper
White glue
Plastic Cups
Paintbrush
Scissors

Look around your house or outside and choose a subject. For example, a pine tree. Choose what colors you’d like to use in your collage. Remember, the colors you choose don’t have to be the natural colors of your subject. You might choose to create a pine tree in warm tones: red, orange, yellow, magenta. Or you might use all the colors of the rainbow to create orange slices. You can even use one color for the whole collage like the one by Matisse shown above, Blue Nude. Go crazy. Be creative. This is what art is all about.

When you’ve chosen your colors, paint one sheet of sketch paper in each color. If you’re using all one color, you’ll need to paint a few sheets to have enough material to make your collage.

Let the paint dry.

Cut your sheets of painted paper into shapes. If I were making a pine tree I might use triangles as branches or long rectangles placed at angle and overlapping in the center. Lay your shapes in the desired pattern on the poster board.

Mix some glue with a little water in your plastic cup. Use a paintbrush to apply the glue to the back of each shape and attach your pattern to the poster board. Paint a layer of glue over the top of the collage as well. This will seal the shapes and give the whole collage a smooth finish.

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

45336 / 50000 words. 91% done!

I’m struggling to write those last few thousand words.

NaNovel Excerpt 2

In celebration of finishing: another excerpt from the novel.

Click here to read an early excerpt.

__________

Henri held the oil lamp and lighter in one hand and Emily’s wrist in the other. There was a restaurant straight across the boulevard and Henri didn’t bother to wait for the horses to trot their carriages out of his way before pulling Emily onto the cobbles. They hurried into the restaurant, making a scene, and one of the waiters took Emily into the kitchen to soak her hand in a tub of cool water.

“Your hand will keep burning unless you cool it off,” Henri explained, “so let it soak for a few minutes. “Do you have any clean cloths?” he asked the waiter. “Here, I’ll pay you.” He shoved his hand into his pocket and searched frantically, finally pulling out a few coins.

“No need, monsieur. Take the cloth. She needs it, we can see.”

“Thank you so much. Thank you.” Henri took the cloth.

“Emily, how’s your hand?” Andy asked. “Does it hurt any less?”

Emily nodded. “I think it’s cooling down.” She swished her hand slowly through the bucket of water. “Much better.” She pulled her hand out of the water and patted it dry on her apron before holding it out for Henri to wrap. Her hand was still very tender but her excitement about unsealing the cave occupied her mind more than the pain.

When Henri finished, Emily inspected the dressing. “Thanks. Ready to go?”

“You sure you’re okay?” Andy asked.

“Yes.” She took his arm with her good hand and began to walk toward the front of the restaurant. “Thank you, monsieurs,” she said to the waiters.

__________

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

43633 / 50000 words. 87% done!

Started book 3!