814-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 24, 1987
Christmas In October
For The Creative Giver
BY LdU ANN GOOD
LANCASTER You may
complain that October is too early
to think about Christmas, but for
the do-it-yourselfer a headstart is
needed to create lovingly-crafted
gifts and holiday decorations.
More than 500 women gathered
at the Farm and Home Center,
Lancaster, this week for the annual
extension-sponsored “Christmas
in October.”
The workshop started with
Audrey Hallgren, freelance home
economist' and columnist for
Microwave Cooking, sharing hints
and recipes to make hehrt healthy
holiday dishes. Many traditional
Christmas recipes are loaded with
calories, and Audrey shared a few
ideas and recipes that can make
holiday meals healthier.
Since holiday snacking seems to
be a part of everyone’s life,
Audrey shared several easy-to
make recipes. One called “Date
Surprises” calls for 12 whole dates
split open and the seeds removed.
Insert a shelled almond into each
hole. Pinch the edges of the date
ry is her recycled basket filled with
Inexpensive presents to Lancaster County Extension Home
Economist.
The audience at the “Christmas In October" program dis
covered that many holiday decorations are simple to make
and very Impressive. Here, Dprls Wallace from Wallace’s
Antiques and Crafts, plopped’some greens In a basket with
a light and some gingerbread men.
back together. Serve immediately
or store in the refrigerator.
This year, the toy industry is
marketing some amazing new con
cepts in toys. Doris Thomas, Lan
caster Extension Home Econom
ist, presented a short slide presen
tation on new toys. The audience
found it mind-boggling to discover
there are dolls that cah actually
carry on a conversations with
others with a vocabulary that
expands daily over a two-year
period.
Sherry Kalbach, better known
as the garbage can lady because
she uses junk for her crafts, again
participated in the annual work
shop and demonstrated inexpen
sive ideas made from scraps like
dryer lint. To make a modeling
material from dryer lint, Sherry
instructed, “Take 3 cups lint, 2
cups water, 2 A cup flour, 3 drops
oil of wmtergreen or cloves and
cook over low heat, stirring con
stantly until mixture forms peaks.
Pour onto several thicknesses of
newspaper to cool. Shape over
boxes, bottles, balloons and other
forms for molding like papier
mache. It dries in 3-5 days to felt
like consistency.
To give Christmas use to bat
tered Easter baskets, Sherry sug
gested that they be sprayed and
then stenciled with hearts or holly.
The baskets can then be filled with
small gifts appropriate for the age
of interests or recipients. For child
ren, Sherry displayed homemade
games made like “Concentration”
which she made from carboard
covered with fabric and wallpaper.
Baskets used to give a mother of
small children a break can be filled
with bathroom supplies plus a cer
tificate for two hours of babysit
ting service so the mother can
enjoy a leisurely bath.
To custom design a sweatshirt
for that special person on your list,
Sherry suggests that you purchase
a pastel-colored sweatshirt and
draw or stencil a design on it with
glitter pens. If a mistake is made
the glitter can be washed out as
long as it has not been permanently
set with a hot iron.
Into her humorous Christmas
demonstration, Sherry crammed a
few ideas for other special ocas
sions. For example, “If your child
loses a tooth. Sprinkle some glitter
on the bedroom carpet and on the
pillow to awe your child with the
thought that the fabled tooth fairy
actually has visited.” And for the
Easter season, Sherry showed a
stencil of a gigantic rabbit foot
print. She sprinkled flour in a
rabbit-like foot trail over their yard
that led to the Easter basket’s hid
ing place.
When you use glitter, traces of it
does get scattered across the floor,
but Sherry points out, “It’s classy
dirt.”
As an innovative idea person,
Sherry admits her housework usu
ally gets shoved aside. Since many
homemakers can identify with the
frenzy of holiday preparations,
Sherry offered her favorite clean
ing tips that can save your house
keeping reputation from unex
pected guests. She said, “Keep
your vacuum cleaner inside the
front door. When unexpected
guests arrive, pull it out and say,
‘Oh, I was just starting to clean.’”
If you’re wondering what to do
about the stacks of Christmas cards
accumulated over the years, Sher
ry suggests you recycle them by
cutting off the picture part in a
4x6-inch size and send them out
for Christmas post card greetings.
Sherry admitted, “Some people
think it’s tacky,” she said with her
typical humor, “but what I think is
tacky is mailing them the same
card they mailed you last year.”
Doris Wallace, from Wallace’s
Antiques and Crafts in Warner,
wrapped up the afternoon session
by demonstrating country crafts.
One of the new products on the
market is a ribbon called Creative
Twists which can be used and’
reused. The treated paper ribbon
has a texture similar to dried com
husks aqd comes in natural and
pastel colors. Creative twists are
used not only as package decora
tion but also braided, twisted or
bowed for unique wreaths.
To line your walkway with light
and give a merry welcome to
guests, Doris suggests partially
filling mayonnaise jars with cat lit
ter, and inserting 1 'A -inch diame
ter candles in the litter. To extin-
Are you frustrated by the growing stacks of outdated
neckties? Sherry Kaibach, who thinks of a use for every
thing, suggests making a Christmas tree skirt out of them.
Doris Wallace demonstrates the use of Creative Twists, a
treated paper ribbon used for package decorations,
wreaths and other crafts.
quish the flame, screw the lids on several long cinnamon slicks in the
the jars and you have easy to care back that gives a festive touch to
for luminaires. typical country assesorics.
Doris demonstrated dried and Several farm women groups
silk flower arranging. She stuck provided the luncheon. Others set
greens in a basket, placed a globe up craft and food displays. The
light in the center and inserted same program was offered on
gingerbread boys around in and Monday and Tuesday.
This elegant swan Is fashioned from dried branches. By
changing the bow and the silk and dried flowers that flow
from the back, the swan becomes a Christmas decoration
for Doris Wallace.
Alternate Ag Conference
Scheduled In Reading
accepted. Preregistration fees are
NEWARK, De. A two-day $l5 f or the first participant and $lO
regional conference on marketing f or cac f, additional person regis
specialty loods, ornamentals and tcrcsted from a farm family or
flowers will be held November 18 business
and 19 in Reading, Pa. To obtain a copy of the program
Open to growers, producers and an( j a registration form in Dcla
marketers, the conference will ware contact county Extension
focus on how to develop new offices in Newark (451-2506),
markets through direct marketing Dovcr (597.4000) 0 r Georgetown
techniques, wholesaling to restaur- ,(355.7303)
ants and promotional campaigns. xhe conference is sponsored by
The conference will also offer ses- Cooperative Extension Sys
sions on organic farming coopera- lems 0 f Delaware, Pennsylvania,
lives, aquaculture, perennials, jq e w Jersey and Maryland and the
herbs and edible flowers, and Departments of Agriculture in
game birds and specialty fowl. Pennsylvania, Delaware and
The first 450 registrants will be Maryland.