“Christmas Gifts,” Friend, Dec. 1974, 24
Christmas Gifts
Doorknob Decorations
Trace the hanging circle pattern twice on different colored paper, felt, or cloth. Cut along dotted lines as shown on pattern and paste the two circles together, folding triangles back. The 6 triangles will make a pretty star around your doorknob.
Trace Christmas stocking on colored paper and decorate with ribbon, rickrack, or cotton.
Glue it to the triangle on the bottom of the hanging circle. (Kitchen salt, when sprinkled on glue, sparkles.)
Candleholder
To make an attractive candleholder you will need: a half-gallon or a gallon-size plastic bottle with cap, plaster of paris or styrofoam, small pinecones, Christmas greenery or flowers, tiny balls, paint, candle, scissors, piece of wood approximately 4″ square and 1/2″ thick.
Cut bottle to allow for a nice cup or flare when inverted (see illustration). Paint board and bottle if desired. Nail cap of bottle upside down to middle of board. Screw the threaded part of bottle into cap and fill with plaster of paris or styrofoam to within 1″ of top. Before plaster hardens, push candle about 2″ into center. Arrange pinecones, holly, greenery, and tiny balls around candle.
Candles
You will need: cardboard tubes, wrapping, colored, or metallic paper, lightweight cardboard, scissors, paste, tape, crayons, and pencil.
Choose cardboard tubes of different lengths to give variety to candle size. Cover cardboard tubes with paper. Cut a circle to fit top of each tube, cover with paper, and cut a slit in middle of circle. Draw a flame and color it yellow with a red center. Push end of flame through slit in circle and paste circle to top of candle.
Candy Candleholder
You will need: 9″ diameter styrofoam ring, straight pins, approximately 3 pounds wrapped, striped peppermint candy balls, red candle 8″ high x 3″ in diameter, ribbon, greenery, and tape.
Begin by pinning candy to outside bottom of ring and continue around, row after row, to center edge of ring. As you work, trim cellophane ends so candy can be pressed tightly together. Fill in open spaces with candy for rounded effect. Tie bow around candle, place in center of ring, and add greenery.
Paper Tree
To make this stand-up paper tree, trace tree pattern on paper. Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise and trace around pattern. Cut out two of these trees, unfold, and lay flat on top of each other. Staple together three times down the center fold. Stand tree up by bending each half tree away from its matching half.
