Depression Support Group
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Every Christmas season, the local United Way holds a dinner for the folks in the community. Dinners are distributed to our Meals on Wheels recipients, and a church opens it doors for all else who want some great food and companionship. All who partake also receive a handmade ornament/decoration.
For the last 10 years I have been the person in charge of the ornaments. I decide on a project and see that about 400 of them are made. I am always looking for suggestions! Last year we made angels out of angel shaped paper clips and beads. The year before we made bells out of colorful paper cups with a bell inside. We have done popsicle stick reindeer, clothespin reindeer and angels, pipe cleaner and bead candy canes, and tiny wreaths. One year I forgot (it was the year my brother passed and i was not myself). At the last minute I came through with 400 wooden figures that the man down the street found cleaning out a relative's estate
I have not seen anything so far this year that tickles my fancy. The idea has to be inexpensive...the United Way pays for the supplies...but I try not to spend a lot of their money. And it had to be easy to do....our school aged day care children provide the elbow grease. They normally get bored before all 400 are done....so the staff watching them pitch in. And when i get them back...9 times out of 10.....I have to "fix" a whole bunch. LOL!!!!
This is honestly a part of the holiday i enjoy. I have been scouring the interwebs, and nothing has jumped out at me. Any suggestions?!
For the last 10 years I have been the person in charge of the ornaments. I decide on a project and see that about 400 of them are made. I am always looking for suggestions! Last year we made angels out of angel shaped paper clips and beads. The year before we made bells out of colorful paper cups with a bell inside. We have done popsicle stick reindeer, clothespin reindeer and angels, pipe cleaner and bead candy canes, and tiny wreaths. One year I forgot (it was the year my brother passed and i was not myself). At the last minute I came through with 400 wooden figures that the man down the street found cleaning out a relative's estate
I have not seen anything so far this year that tickles my fancy. The idea has to be inexpensive...the United Way pays for the supplies...but I try not to spend a lot of their money. And it had to be easy to do....our school aged day care children provide the elbow grease. They normally get bored before all 400 are done....so the staff watching them pitch in. And when i get them back...9 times out of 10.....I have to "fix" a whole bunch. LOL!!!!
This is honestly a part of the holiday i enjoy. I have been scouring the interwebs, and nothing has jumped out at me. Any suggestions?!
I think it would be pretty easy to make.
Sugar cookies cut into thick dough with a bent paper clip hook baked into it can work. I'm not a food chemist, but I'm sure that my changing the recipe a bit you can get something that is very hard. Frosting and/or spray paint can be used to get the color you want (or food dye in the mixture), and then some spray on glue and glitter can make them look really nice.
Have you contacted your local Girl Scout Council? Tell them the age of children you are using as your labor pool, they might be able to suggest some ideas that different scout troops use in their district.
(Boy scouts tend not to do things like this.) :(
I don't know what trees grow in your area, but Liquid Amber trees have a really cool spiked seed pod that is about the size of a large cherry, and it is all spiky! They can be spray painted different colors, and then thread can be tied around them to form a loop-hook to be used to attach them to the Christmas tree.
Sounds like fun! Do let us know what you end up doing!