Swedish Christmas Activities

These clever pinecone decorations are made in Sweden to hang on Christmas trees. A pinecone is used for the body. Tie a string around cone and make a loop so it can be hung on the tree. The head can be made from salt dough clay, papier mache or a styrofoam ball. To make salt dough clay, take one cup flour and 1/3 cup salt, adding enough water to form a good molding clay. Shape head and put on top of cone. When head is dry, paint the face. The pinecone may be painted too.

Tomte Korjen is a Swedish Santa Claus basket. These little paper baskets are filled with popcorn, candy, or other treats and hung on the Christmas tree. When someone comes to visit on Christmas Day, a basket is given to him with a wish for a Merry Christmas.

You will need: two different colored sheets of construction paper, ruler, scissors, and a large button.

Cut each piece of construction paper 3 1/2″ wide and 9 1/4″ long. Draw a line across the center of each piece and fold on this center line (see illustration A).

Measure and mark a border 1″ from the end of each folded paper. Rule lines 1/2″ apart from the fold to the border and cut on these lines, cutting through both thicknesses (see illustration B). When the paper is unfolded, it will have seven strips as in illustration. Fold the paper back again and you are ready to start weaving. Hold the two folded pieces of paper together (see illustration C).

To begin weaving, slip the colored strip through the fold of the first white strip, then slip the second white strip through fold of the colored strip. Continue on across in this way.

For the second row, slip the first white strip through the fold of the next colored strip and then slip same colored strip through the fold of the next white strip. Continue until second row is finished.

Repeat these two steps until weaving is completed (see illustration D).

Scallop the ends of the unwoven paper by making half circles, using a large button as a pattern (see illustration E). Paste the ends of a strip of paper 1/2″ x 9″ on inside of basket for a handle.