82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 7, 2002 Turn a discarded piece of wood into a checker garneboard, which also makes a nice decorating accent when hung on the wall. Use pieces of old shutters or old wood to cre ate shelves and hanging racks. « /jifts LOU ANN GOOD outbuildings. l oad And f amily These pieces of “junk” can features fditor form the basis for gift giving and NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster for home decor if you follow the Co.) those who live on a farm, example of Judy Kurtz, Bow no doubt can find odd pieces of mansville, and Cindy Wegaman, wood, wooden shutters, paint, Berks County, and other discarded items from It’s true that Judy and Cindy years past in the barn and other are adept with using a drill, jig- Ruth Frantz said that the foundation for this cedar and pepperberry swag is formed using a bent wire clothes hanger. LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor LEBANON (Lebanon Co.) Items to transform into stunning decor and gifts can be found in your backyard, in the field, or in the woods. With a little bit of know-how, a set of instructions, and the leni ency to adapt and substitute what you have, Ruth Frantz demonstrated just how easy it is to create a “natural holiday.” Frantz, master gardener with Penn State Lebanon County, used greens, birch branches, box wood, and a crafts person’s sta ples of hot glue, floral foam, and floral wire for several projects. Can't make a perfect wreath? Frantz is reassuring: “Nothing is straight in nature. It doesn't need to be perfect." However, do make sure that you wire wiap things tightly. Natural materials shrink as they dr\ Here arc ducctions tor three projects. Frantz adapted them from "Nature Crafts for Christ mas” by Dawn Cusick and Carol SFrom It? Taylor. Remember, you can use mater ials you have on hand. Make wreaths and swags as full and as thick as preferred. OBLONG WREATH This three-foot-long wreath can decorate the largest fireplace without looking skimpy. The base is heavy, galvanized clothes line wire shaped into an oval with the ends overlapping about 3 inches and taped together with duct tape. Bunches of boxwood 3-4 branches about 12 inches long are wired together and to the base, starting at the bottom and working up one side, overlapping the bunches to cover the stems of the previous bunch. The other side is covered in a similar mat ter. Three-inch burgundy cock scomb heads (or yarrow, rose hips, oi whatever else \ou have on hand) are hot-glued at random to the branches; White strawflowers, sprigs of baby’s (Turn to Page B 12) saw, and sander. But they claim that “it takes no talent” to use many of their ideas. Old tins and clay pots can be given a new look with a bit of paint. If you can’t paint free hand, many stencil designs are available. The star motif is espe cially popular not only at Christ mas but year-round. Craftmakers can even stencil with the word “joy” or other words. Old doors with original peeling paint or made to look that way are in vogue in home decor. Prop doors upright in a corner or hang horizontally on a wall. You can even cut out parts of the door to use for a variety of shelves or other craft ideas. Fill a painted aluminum buck et with cookies, teatowels or vari ety of other little gifts. Use an area rug (new or clean) beneath a table centerpiece. Turn old porch posts into can dlesticks. Update old clay flowerpots and saucers. Have some old mason nails? If they aren’t already rusted, leave / Old shutters can be painted and used a variety of ways, from hanging on the wall to using as a cup board door. (Turn to Page B 12) Judy Kurtz, left, and Cindy Wegaman used an animal skin stretcher for this snowman. After painting the snowman, they hung a few finishing touches on it. The top of an old chair finds a new life as a shelf when hung on a wall. ’ j// • '. / Fay Strickler, Berks County home economist, serves soup in a pumpkin and offers many ideas for packaging soup mixes for holiday gift giving. She also stresses the importance of washing hands often and thoroughly to prevent spreading germs when cooking and serving food. Turn to page B 6 for recipes by Strickler and others. • >,?■// fa* th 'hrh
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