 |
|
|
|||||
 |
|
||||||
|
|||||||
Scents and Good Sense
Natural, yet Festive, Decorative Bowl
Sink Facilitator: Crystal McVey
Place a festive cloth or tree trim in a pretty bowl. Gather pinecones, pomegranates, ornaments, cinnamon sticks, and apples and place them in the bowl.
Pinecone Place Holders
Make name cards on the backs of used greeting card pictures. You can do this by cutting pictures from old greeting cards and writing a name on the blank side of the paper.
Fit name cards in pinecones and attach a festive ribbon or strip of festive fabric.
Fragrant Pomanders
Sink Facilitator: Crystal McVey
6 to 8 assorted firm, thin–skinned apples, oranges, lemons, and limes
1/2 pound whole, large–headed cloves with strong scent
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground all spice
1/4 cup powdered orrisroot
Nut pick or slender knitting needle for piercing fruit (optional)
Ribbon (optional)
Small paintbrush
Hold a piece of the fruit firmly, without squeezing. Insert the cloves at 1/8 to 1/4 inch intervals in rows (or at random) over the surface; the fruit will shrink as it dries, closing up the spaces. (If you have difficulty inserting the cloves, you can pierce the fruit first with the point of a nut pick or knitting needle, but take care to keep the holes small or the cloves will fall out when the fruit dries.) If you intend to hang your pomanders from ribbons, you can leave a 1 inch “path” around the fruit to provide a channel to keep the ribbon in place.
Blend the spices with the orrisroot in a small bowl. One at a time, roll each piece of fruit in the mixture, coating it generously to keep air out. (Any pomander you start should be completed to this point within twenty–four hours to eliminate the possibility of mold forming.)
Place the spice–coated fruit in a large bowl, cover with spice mixture, and set in a warm, dry place to dry. Turn the fruit daily, making sure the spices are evenly distributed. Drying can take from two weeks to a month, depending on the size of the fruit. The pomanders will be hard when they are completely dry.
Remove the pomanders from the spice mixture and dust off the excess with the brush. Tie with ribbon, if desired.
Handmade Gift Paper
Sink Facilitator: Crystal McVey
Paper grocery bags or recycled brown paper
Leaves
Non–toxic paint
Twigs, berries, outdoor treasures
Glue
Coat leaves with non-toxic paint and use them to stamp patterns all over paper and/or glue pretty treasures from the outdoors on.
Use twine to tie packages up with to add a natural outdoor feeling to the package
Lemon Oil Duster
Most commercial lemon oil is not all natural, but may contain petroleum distillates. Contact herbalists for pure sources of lemon oil. Traditionally, lemon oil has been used for furniture because it is so lubricating and antiseptic.
10 drops lemon oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
A few drops olive oil or jojoba
Dip a soft recycled cloth, such as one of flannel, in the lemon oil mixture, and wipe furniture.
Smudge Your Home
“Many Native American tribes have used smudge bundles for millennia. They help to purify an area of negativity and induce a feeling of serenity and calm.” (Bond, 2005) A good “smudge” of your home can help clear out old energy and help connect your home to this energy of the universe.
Favorite herbs for sacred smoke include sage, lavender, sweet grass, thyme, cinnamon, frankincense or myrrh (both resins), and clove.
Keep your bundles 8 inches or shorter to avoid creating a long torch. To smudge, untie the bundle and take out a branch or two. Light a leaf on one or two of the branches and then blow it out. It will glow and smoke. Hold the bundle over a traditional abalone shell, bowl, or large ashtray to catch the ashes. When you’ve burned enough of your smudge, tamp out the end.
Cedar or juniper branches
White sage leaves, sweet grass blades, or lavender stems
Cotton thread and colorful cotton yarn
Cut branches into 8-inch lengths. Holding the branches together, make a bundle about 2 inches in diameter at its thickest part. As sage leaves, sweet grass, or lavender stems. Secure the bundle with the cotton thread. Hang the bundle upside down in a cool, dry, dark place, and allow the plant material to dry thoroughly for a month or two.
If you’d like a decorative smudge bundle, use colorful yarn to create a crisscross pattern up and down the stems.
|
|
 |
|
|
|