Is there anything so Christmassy as green cookies? And what’s best, you can make all-natural green Christmas cookies – naturally dyed with vegetables or nuts!
Green is fairly easy to achieve with homemade natural food coloring. I’ve already made all-natural green Christmas cookies with pistachio nuts, matcha tea, curly kale and sunflower seeds. Yes, sunflower seeds can dye food green! 😀 Continue reading 4 All-Natural Green Christmas Cookies→
These DIY felt pine cones are made without glue! All you need for the DIY felt pine cones is felt and a piece of thread.
DIY felt pine cones are a fun and easy last-minute Christmas craft! While felt pine cones are often made with glue and a foam core, these DIY felt pine cones are eco-friendly made without glue! But they are just as easy – or even easier – to make than glued pine cones. Additionally, these felt pine cones are even all-natural Christmas ornaments if you use wool felt like I did. You could even compost them after Christmas time but they are much too pretty for that! 😀 Continue reading DIY Felt Pine Cones→
Bake and craft along with me to count down the days until Christmas! Visit my interactive Christmas countdown calendar every day in December to open a door and find a DIY Christmas ornament tutorial or Christmas recipe behind it!
Gilded walnuts were popular Christmas tree ornaments in the Victorian era. Victorian gilded walnut ornaments are easy, cheap and beautiful natural Christmas decorations – all you need are walnuts, ribbon and gold acrylic paint.
‘Then the ladies called us into another room and there was the Christmas tree! […]There were dozens of little candles upon it all alight. And it was covered with pretty things, gilded walnuts, and oranges, and apples, and sweets.’ (Philips’ Series Of Reading Books For Public Elementary Schools, 1874, p. 57)
Make natural DIY rosehip wreath ornaments for your Christmas tree decoration. They’re easy, cheap and fast to make – and perfect for a dog- or kid-friendly Christmas tree!
Who doesn’t like a toy for Christmas? Turn old clothes and fabric scraps into these 2 cute DIY Christmas dog toys: A green and red Christmas wreath dog toy and and a red and white candy cane dog toy. You’re pup will love them!
These 2 DIY Christmas dog toys are great for playing fetch and tug-of-war with your dog. And the Christmas toys cost you nothing if you use your old torn clothes to make them. For the Christmas wreath dog toy I used an old sweater that I wore as a child. And for the candy cane dog toy I used old red and white fabric strips. Sweater pants and leggings work well too because you can cut them into long strips.
These naturally green dog treats are naturally colored with sunflower seeds!
Aren’t these green dog treats fun? They’re perfect for Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day! And what’s best they’re made without artificial food coloring: Sunflower seeds make these dog treats naturally green! Sunflower seeds contain chlorogenic acid which turns green in an alkaline environment (baking soda). Continue reading Naturally Green Dog Treats – Colored With Sunflower Seeds!→
Learn to make an authentic Victorian rag ball for your kid, pup or as decoration.
In the Victorian era, a rag ball was a toy of poor children. Old rags and fabric scraps were wound into a ball and covered with ball stitches to hold the rags together:
Rag balls were popular Victorian Christmas presents. Victorian mothers would make rag balls for their toddlers, while kids could make their own rag balls – rag balls are so easy and fast to make! And cheap too – using just what you’d usually throw away! I’ve wanted to make a Victorian fabric ball for a long time and now I’ve finally found the time.
‘To make this coveted Christmas toy take a small rubber ball or a piece of cork, wind it with coarse worsted of any color, until the ball is of the desired size, then knit the cover.’ (Demorest’s Family Magazine, 1891)
Today, rag balls are still popular: They are a favorite decoration at Christmas time. Or you could make a rag ball as soft toy ball for your baby or toddler. And if you don’t have a toddler, your pup would love a new toy too!
‘There are innumerable games to be played with a soft ball which the very tiny children even can enjoy and profit by.’ (Every Woman’s Encyclopaedia, 1910-2)
How To Make A Victorian Rag Ball
You’ll need:
rags, old clothes or fabric scraps
yarn
needle and scissors
DIY Victorian Rag Ball
Cut an old T-shirt into a long, continuous 1-inch (2.5cm) strip. Then roll the strip into a ball like you’d roll a ball of yarn. Tuck the end of the strip under one of the previous loops to secure it.
The Victorian Ball Stitch
‘Bind some loose rags tightly together into a ball. Wind string across as in the illustration forming sections. Thread a needle with bright-colored wool, and work round and round, passing the needle each time under a strand of string. If different colours be used the effect is very pleasing.’ (Embroidery Stitches, 1872, p. 9)