How to make a Lantern for Winter Solstice.

Today is Winter Solstice... the shortest day of the year and tonight will be the longest night. It is a time to celebrate and mark the year by inviting the light back into our lives. In all this darkness, it is a time to reflect inwardly and ask that light and warmth grow our hearts too.

In honor of Winter Solstice, we made a winter lantern. We collected 'nature bits' that remind us of winter. As we worked, we talked about the things we love about this time of year and the things we look forward to as the sun returns. My children feel magical when they are holding a lantern... it signifies the capturing and nurturing of light... a power they know they posses inside. I love to see the excitement it brings.

To make a lantern like ours, you will need...

A small balloon

Tissue paper (we chose white for the winter snow)

Glue

Nature bits

Scissors

Bendable wire

Tear the tissue paper into small strips.

Squeeze glue into a recycled dish (we used an old yogurt tub and put it in the recycling bin when we were done with it).

Dilute the glue with a little water (you want the glue/water mix to be the consistency of light cream).

Dip a tissue paper strip into the glue and wrap it around the round end of your balloon.

Continue until the round end of your balloon is covered in a layer of tissue paper...

Stick your winter 'nature bits' to your tissue papered balloon and cover with another layer of gluey tissue paper. This layer seals your 'nature bits' into your lantern.

Set your gluey tissue papered balloon in the sun to dry. As it dries, the glue hardens, making the tissue paper firm and sturdy.

When the tissue paper is completely dry, pop the balloon with a pin. Once again, T found this the BEST! He is our official 'balloon popper'!

As the balloon pops, it comes away from the hardened tissue paper, leaving a lovely round lantern.

Cut a length of wire, about 20 inches long, for your lantern's handle. Poke one end through one side of the tissue paper and twist to fix in place. Repeat with the other side.

Voila! You have a delightful winter lantern.

Before dinner, we lit our lantern. T and K took turns holding it as we sang our favorite Christmas carols and I could see the light in their hearts grow with each second that passed. Light and warmth is now kindled within us for us to nurture throughout the year ahead.

I want to end this entry by taking you to this beautiful winter lantern made my Luciana and her family.

Blessings and magic.

Make Hanging Christmas Stars.

Our house is starting to look a lot like Christmas! It's SUCH fun! I just LOVE the holidays!!!

To add to the holiday ambiance in our home, we made these gorgeous hanging stars... they bring such magic!

They look so pretty hanging all around! They also look complicated to make, don't they? The amazing thing is that they are really easy to make... all that you need to make one is two pieces of square paper, a few folds and some glue and, in minutes, you'll have your own pretty stars to hang where ever you please.

What you'll need;

Square paper or card (any size will do... if your paper is not square, cut it into a square before you start.)

Scissors

Glue (I find glue dots work the best as there's no drying time)

Ribbon

Start by folding your square paper in half, making a rectangle...

Fold this rectangle in half again, making a square...

Open your folded square up...

Now fold you big square diagonally (corner to corner), making a triangle...

Fold your big triangle in half again, along the middle, making a smaller triangle...

When you open your paper, this is what your folds look like...

Use your scissors to cut along the 4 folds on the straight sides of your paper. Cut a little less than half way up the fold...

Lie your paper flat, upside down. Fold cut paper back, along the diagonals folds (as in photo) making points at the corners of the paper.

These points will be the points of your star.

Fold all cuts into points.

Now for the gluing... put a dab of glue (or a glue dot) onto one side of each point of the star...
Pull the other side of the point over the side with the glue and stick... this makes your 3D star point.

Repeat for each point...

One side of your star is ready.

Repeat all folding, cutting and sticking steps with your second piece of square paper... you will now have the two sides of your square.

Position them, one on top of the other, with the middle points facing outwards and stick them together using a few dabs of glue or glue dots and...

Voila!

Glue your hanging ribbon onto your star.

Your star is ready for hanging!

They really do look lovely anywhere... so bright and colorful!We have some in our window, some hanging from our beams and even more decorating our cabinets.

And they really are easy to make, I promise! Once you make one and get the hang of the folding and cutting, you will be able to churn these pretty stars out in a matter of minutes. They make very sweet holiday gifts for friends and neighbors too... go on, have a go, make some stars!

Blessings and magic!