CRAFTS



	CANDLE WICKS
	The herb Mullen was used centuries ago to make wicks for candles. You
	will have to find the seeds for Mullen and grow them yourself.
	Mullen is a tall straight plant with a hard stem. When the plant is
	fully grown and ripe, cut and remove the hard outer stem. In the center
	of the stem is a vegetable cord like substance. Remove the cords and
	twist carefully, tying at top and bottom, then hang with a small weight
	like a pebble attached to the bottom. You can plait several cords of
	Mullen together to make the thickness of wick you require. Leave to dry
	for several weeks, then use in candles as normal.

	SCENT BALLS
	Scent balls or scent pastilles are made from scented flowers and herbs
	melted together with a resin into a shapeable mixture and can be any
	size or shape, and can be sculptured to produce belt buckles, broaches,
	bracelets, pendants, or just simple beads, ovals or disks.
	The mixture dries hard and can be polished or shaped by turning on a
	lathe. They retain their subtle perfumes for a very long time, years in
	fact.
	Use only DRIED herbs in these recipes not fresh.

	STANDARD RECIPE
	Powdered Orris Root ? 3 oz
	Cassia ? 1 oz
	Lavender flowers ? 1 oz
	Cloves ? 1 oz
	Vanilla ? 1 tsp
	Ambergris Musk ? 6 grains. this can be changed to 6 drops of tincture of
	benzoin, a tsp of rose essence, or rose oil, or even rose water, if you
	find ambergris too expensive or difficult to find. Amber oil is also a
	good replacement or any musk oil fragrance you like. If using oils use 6
	drops). Sandalwood or any perfumed wood ? 1/2 oz in tiny pieces or
	sawdust.
	Attar of Roses, or Rose water ? 15 to 20 drops.
	Oil of Verbena ? 15 to 20 drops
	Mucilage of Gum Tragacanth ? enough to mix. Ribbon gum is best.
	You can adjust the scent by using your own choice in flowers, herbs, or
	seeds. Once the mixture becomes doughy and sticky form into balls or any
	shape you wish. Put a hole through the beads for stringing by using a
	needle. Polish and rub the beads once they are dried.
	Dry in the fresh air, do not put them into anything plastic to keep,
	that makes them soft again and eventually they will go moldy.

	SIMPLE RECIPE
	A simple bead preparation is just add to flowers and herbs, rose water,
	and enough mucilage of gum tragancanth to make a sticky dough, shape and
	when dry, polish.

	These are not as successful or long lasting as the recipe above but will
	give a nice bead without to much expense.
	If you can add powdered orris root, it makes a much more easily shaped
	bead.

	ELDER FLO BUCKLES PENDANT.
	scented wood, in sawdust or small chips ? 1/4 oz
	Rose water
	orange zest
	lavender flowers
	Gum Tragacanth

	Using a double boiler, melt and mix. Leave to cool until its comfortable
	to hold. Using a bottle roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into
	circles, using a cutter. Stamp or draw a design on the front of the
disc. Put a hole in the disc where the cord or thread will go. Leave to
dry in fresh air.
These discs can also be used for scenting laundry drawers, sheets,
underwear etc or worn.
The perfumed ingredients can be replaced by those of your own choice.

QUEENS PERFUME.
This is one of Queen Elizabeth the firsts recipes for scent balls.
Sugar ? 2 flat tsp
Rose Water ? 8 tsp
Sweet Marjoram ? 1/2 oz
Gum Benzoin ? 2 pieces
enough Gum Tragacanth to mix in
Put the rose water and sugar into a double boiler and bring to the boil.
Add all other ingredients, turn off heat and as the mixture is cooling
blend and melt them all together. Add more heat if necessary.
As soon as the mixture can be handled comfortably start to make and
shape your jewelry, either beads, or whatever shape you like, this would
often be made into a pomander about the size of a golf ball, polish and
thread a cord through the center to hang as a pendant, it was usually
worn on a cord that was waist length.

POMANDER OF CLOVES.
Using a small firm orange, cover the skin in patterns using clove
seeds. Push the cloves in firmly. Leave the finished pomander to dry in
heat. Leave room on the skin for a cord or ribbon to be tied round, both
across and over the fruit. You can do this before the cloves are pushed
in if you wish. Tie a knot at the top of the fruit, and leave enough
ribbon to make a long thread to put round your neck. Or to hang in
cupboards, toilets, wardrobes, etc.
Check out my list of Herbal Folklore for making your own protective
discs beads and ornaments. Use separately or mix together for the
combination you need. Remember, not all of these are sweet smelling so
include a couple of sweet smelling herbs to give you a delightful
perfume and protection.

ROSE BEADS
Beads can also be made out of rose petals without adding any extras.
Make sure your roses are picked dry, and preferably in the morning when
the oils are strong. Collect gently and don't crush the petals.
Chop the petals finely using a chopping knife, mixer, or pestle and
mortar. But I wouldn`t advise pestle and mortar unless you have an old
one as it will stain the pestle badly. Don't chop on wood, use plastic
or tiles as it will stain the wood.
Keep them in a loosely lidded jar or box until they become paste like.
Make your beads about the size of a large pea or larger. Using rust
proof pins (or needles), push a pin through each bead and into a piece
of cardboard or foam, making sure the bead does not touch the cardboard
or foam.
Put them into as dry a place as you can, an airing cupboard is ideal.
Don't keep in a kitchen or bathroom as they will go mouldy. Also keep
them out of direct sunlight.
Tiny beads will take 3/4 days to dry, the larger shapes longer.
When they are dry and hard to the touch, polish well with a lint free
cloth until they shine. You can even use a little fine sandpaper to
smooth them first if you wish. Larger shapes can be turned or polished
on a lathe.
The resulting beads will always be dark ebony or deep brown in color
and some with a reddish sheen depending on the petals.
Keep them in a dry place, as too much humidity will eventually turn them
mouldy.

Although the simple beads with no fixative keep their scent for quite
some time, the scent is stronger and longer lasting if you use Gum, or
orris root.
They make wonderful gifts, especially as you have taken the time and the
trouble to make them yourself, and the polished beads are very
attractive indeed.

Goddess Snow Globe


Almost any jar works for the project. Baby-food, pimiento, and olive jars are good
choices.

Look for plastic or ceramic figurines or any other item (metal rusted) at a craft
store, Wal Mart or other similar store. We used unpainted ceramic figures we
found at Michaels.

Synthetic evergreen tips are available at many floral-supply stores.

If the jar lids are not in seasonal colors already, paint them with oil-based enamel
paint. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. With clear-drying
epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid, and let the epoxy dry. We let
ours dry 3 days. Wanted to make sure it would stay on good.

Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water; add a pinch of glitter and a dash
of glycerin (available at drugstores) to keep the glitter from falling too quickly.
Don't add too much or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's
flipped. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine. Turn
the jar over and back again-and let it snow.


They used an angel in their work, but its easily modified for anything you want it to be.

Colored Flame pine cones...

What to use:

large pine cones
wooden or crockery containers
rubber gloves
cheesecloth
or old pillow case
newspapers
mesh veggie bags or paper sacks
table salt
ribbon or yarn
borax
water
What to Do:

l. Put a pound of salt or borax and a gallon of water into the container.
Never mix the two chemicals! Salt will give you
a yellow flame and borax a green flame. Wear the rubber
gloves to protect your hands as you work.

2. Place a few cones at a time in the bag or pillow case.
Dip them in the water mixture and soak thoroughly.

3. Drain the cones and spread them on newspapers to dry.
This might take several days!!

4. When the cones are completely dry, they are ready to pack
in bags for storage. The mesh bags used for oranges and
onions are perfect.

5. If the cones are to be used for gifts, the bags should be tied with big
fat ribbon or yarn bows. Add a gift tag cut in a pine cone shape from
construction paper or use an old greeting card.

You can do the same treatment to a small log, and make it
into a Yule log!!

The colors are great in a fireplace!!

A while ago, I listed a craft using pine cones and coating
them with different things to make the colors more effective.
They make pretty gifts etc. Well, here is the full list now:

Sodium salts-use ordinary table salt and it will produce yellow
flames

copper salts use copper sulfate (blue vitrol) and it will give you
green flames

baron salts use ordinary Borax to get yellowish green flames

Strontium Salts gives red flames


Potassium salts..use 3 parts pot. sulfate and one part pot. nitrate
(saltpeter) and get violet flames.

Calcium salts..calcium chloride and get blue flame.

Magnesium salts..ordinary Epsom salts and get white flames.

Witch Balls-I have seen many instructions for Witch Balls and they do not match mine, so perhaps what I have isn't really a "Witch Ball", but lets just call it that for simplicity's sake. smile These balls are more of a charm for your home or room. It is up to you which one you make, they are all so easy. The hardest part about them is finding the clear glass ball to make them in. I found mine at the craft store, but only near Yule have I been able to find them there. Perhaps at JoAnn Fabric or a store of that nature will carry them year round. In any event, on with the show.

There are basic materials needed for each ball no matter which one you make.
You will need paint in color that corresponds with your intentions. (There will be colors listed with the various balls)
You will need the glass ball
You will need herbs that correspond with your intentions. (These will be listed as well)
You will need ribbon in a color that corresponds with your intentions.


Intention Herbs Needed Colors Used
Protection Angelica, Basil, Cinnamon, Cinquefoil,
Clove, Mugwort, Oak, Sage,
Willow, Witch Hazel, Violet Black, Blue, White
Happiness Catnip, Lavender, Meadowsweet,
Marjoram, Hawthorn, St. Johnswort White, Red, Pink, Blue
Healing Allspice, Apple, Cedar,
Cinnamon, Elder, Flax,
Oak, Onion, Pine,
Sandalwood, Spearment, Thistle,
Thyme, Violet, Willow Blue, Red
Luck Allspice, Cotton, Fern,
Nutmeg, Oak, Orange,
Pineapple, Poppy, Rose Green
Fertility Carrot, Fig, Grape, Hazel,
Mandrake, Nuts, Oak,
Olive, Patchouli Peach,
Pine, Poppy, Rice,
Sunflower, Wheat Green


Ok first you want to take the paint, the color you have chosen to use, and coat the inside of the ball. Allow the excess to drain by placing the ball upside down in a jar or glass. Once the ball is completely dry, (this may take a day or two depending on the type of paint you used. I use regular Tulip fabric paint.) you will want to add the herbs you have chosen. You can use all the ones listed or you can use some or only one, it's up to you. The ribbon is for decorating and again, you can use all the colors or just one, or a couple, it matters not. You get to decorate the ball any way you want, just so long as you keep the the colors. Keep your intention in mind the whole time you are making the ball. Pour your energy into it as you pour in the herbs. Hang it somewhere special to you, where you think it will do the most good!


Sachets

Sachets work the same way as the Witch Balls, you pick and choose, using the same idea. You choose the colors for the fabric and the ribbon or cord, and you choose the herbs according to your intention. Use the same chart as above. You will want a piece of fabric about 6 inches square. Place the herbs in the center of the fabric. Gather the corners up and wrap the cord around 3 times, making sure the fabric is secure and nothing is going to fall out. You can add personal things to sachets to increase their power. Such as adding a penny to the luck sachet or adding a crystal to enhance the power as well. It is up to you. You will want to carry them with you, you could leave the cord long enough so that you could tie it up and wear it around your neck, or you could put it in your pocket. Sachets such as the fertility sachet may not be needed at all times and you may only want to wear it when you will be using it. The Witch Balls and the Sachets are highly personalized, you really come up with the "ingredients" yourself. I just listed some that will work. The chart is by no means a complete listing of the herbs that can be used.

Glowing Lawn Maggots

Needed: Rice, Woolite Laundry Liquid, Paper Towels, Black Light Bulb that
fits your porch.

Well, first you cook some rice. Then you lay them out on towels to dry. You get
chunkier maggots that way. Then when dry you pour a little woolite laundry soap
over them in a bowl and mix them up. Spread them out on a towel and dry again, or
if you know it wont rain you can sprinkle them directly onto your lawn around your
porch. Now you go and get the black light bulbs and put them in your porch light.
Woolite glows under black light. My kids have also spread them onto skeletons and
stuffed animals the cut open and put spaghetti intestines in. It is very cool and
gross.

The Glowing maggots came off of Spellcraft.