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Have fun making your own, pagan-oriented Yule decorations!

As many of you know it can be hard to find pagan-oriented xmas/Yule
decorations and if you happen to find some in a pagan store, they're
bound to be expensive. Here are a few ideas that I have used in years
past that are lovely, easy to make, fun to make for the whole family,
and inexpensive.

Herb and Crystal ornaments

I pirated this idea from a Silver Ravenwolf book, so credit where
credit
is due! They are beautiful and if you're not out of the broom closet to
family yet, they have the added bonus of being 'silently' pagan, you'll
be the only one who knows how very UN-mainstream they are!

    * Empty glass ball ornaments (to be had at any craft store for about
      $2 for 6, get at least two dozen for a decent sized tree)
    * ribbon (to hang them from, a nice thin ivory ribbon is pretty and
      you can get a few yards for less than a buck)
    * seasonal herbs (dried holly berries or mistletoe berries, pine
      needles (stake out the xmas tree lots and get a ton for free from
      the trees they are gonna toss anyway)
    * small clear quartz fragments (easily had for cheap at any stone
      shop, cut, uncut, tumbled or not, it doesn't matter, also you can
      use any other stone that catches your fancy, I just really like
      quartz)
    * spray glue (any craft shop)
    * silver glitter

First a couple warnings, when removing the tops from the balls, be VERY
careful to squeeze the wires together before pulling the top off, or it will snap and crack the glass! (learned from experience last year!) Also when applying the spray glue wear old clothes and do it outdoors on a piece of newspaper, cardboard or old tarp, it can get messy.

Now then, first create your herb mixture, the balls come in large medium or small, decide which size, though pretty, the large balls use a lot of herbs, so keep the cost of the herbs in mind. After the herbs are mixed set them aside.

Next you want to apply the glitter to the balls. Spray each ball one at a time and lightly sprinkle the glitter onto the still-wet glue (you don't want to cover the whole thing, just add a little sparkle), then move on to the next ball, glue and glitter Do NOT glue all the balls first then try to apply the glitter, the glue dries fast so do them one at a time. Shake off the excess glitter and save.

Let the balls dry, then fill each ball about halfway full of the herb mixture and add a little of the leftover glitter as well, for a sparkle. Replace the tops as each ball is filled.

Next you want to use a hot glue gun to glue small pieces of quartz (or whatever stone you chose) to the tops, I liked to glue them around the whole top standing straight up so it looked like a beautiful crown atop each ball.

Last simply hot glue a loop of your ribbon to the top and let dry. They really are beautiful and if you have children get them involved by letting them fill up the balls or even sprinkle the glitter!

These are a bit harder, my hubby made these for me. What he did was cut from pieces of cardboard dozens of small pentagrams using an exacto knife and lots of patience! I then spray glued them and covered them in silver glitter and hung them from the tree. If you or a very patient loved one has the talent to do the actual cuttings, go for it, they turned out very pretty and went perfectly with the herb ball ornaments above. But they did take a long time to get cut out, so take that into
account.

A bit of a variation on the usual fireplace mantle swag or above the door swag.

    * Real or fake pine mantle or above door swag
    * thin silver wire
    * crystals of any shape, color or size you want
    * hot glue gun glue sticks

Very simple, instead of gluing the normal fake berries and gaudy angels and such to the swag, use the wire to wrap and attatch the crystals to the swag. You can either hot glue the crystals directly to the swag, scattered across the length, and also have some crystals hanging at varying lengths from the swag using the wire. Again, quartz is my stone of choice, it looks like diamods scattered across the swag and like
stars hanging from it, especially when hung across a fireplace mantle where the fire can catch the crystals and sparkle.

Yule Crafts

Clay Dough "Goddess and Sun" Nativity Set - This is a way to re-claim
the true meaning of Yule: The birth of the Sun. Using the same recipe
above for clay dough ornaments, shape the dough into the form of a
Goddess, the newborn Sun, and animals, trees, plants or people. Be
creative and create this scene as you wish. Roll up some tin foil into
a
ball and put it in the middle of any really large pieces, to help it
keep its shape. Once molded, cook at 325 for one hour to harden, and
then paint and varnish.

Flower Pot Bells - You will need an even number of miniture terra cotta
flower pots, 1 jingle bell for each pot, 1 yard 1/4 inch ribbon or
cording for each pair of pots, craft paint, paintbrushes, and holiday
stickers. Paint the pots in holiday colors. Use theme related designs
if
you wish, or apply stickers. Set aside. Gather the lengths of ribbon or
cord together in your hand. Pull the ends out from the center a bit so
they appear to be different lengths, then fold the bundle cords in
half.
Tie an overhand know about two inches from the fold. Hold a pot in your
hand and thread the cord through the drainage hold, then through the
top
of a jingle bell. Knot the cord to hold the bell in place. Tie another
knot about one inch away from the bell to hold the position of the pot.
Repeat the process with each cord end until all the pots and bells are
securely fastened. Hang the bells on the front door.

Tree Skirt - You will need old newspapers, 2 yards of felt (60 inches
wide), felt scraps in different colors, fusible webbing, beads, yard
stick, and a pencil. Unfold three sheets of newspaper and tape them
together lengthwise. Measure around thebase of the tree. With that
measurement, draw a circle of the same size on the upper portion of the
newspaper. With the pencil and yardstick, divide the circle into four
equal quarters. Extend the lines of one quarter to the length you have
in mind for your skirt. With the yardstick, add 1/2 inch to each long
side of the quarter. Cut out the quarter and pin it to the felt. Cut
out
the piece. Repeat to cut out three more sections. Sew the sections
together using a 1/2 inch seam allowance, or apply fusible webbing to
join them. Cut out seasonal shapes from the colored scraps to arrange
them on the skirt. When you like the way things look, fuse or sew them
to the skirt, then embellish as desired.

Yule Log - To make a traditional Yule log you will need a large piece
of
wood (see below), small pine cones, some evergreens (holly, fir, pine,
or spruce snippets work nicely), other flowers and greenery (see below)
a hot glue gun, and a length of red ribbon. Starting from the log
center, work with the greenery and cones until you have an arrangement
that suits you. When you like the placement, attach it to the lot with
hot glue. Then tie the ribbon around the log to form a bow in the
center. If you like, write personal wishes for the new year on little
slips of paper, and insert them sporadically under the foliage. Put the
log aside until Yule. For extra luck in the coming year, make sure to
keep the Yule fire going for twelve days. After the twelth day, place
some of the ash in a jar with a tight lid. These ashes are very
magickal, and can be used to boost spellwork in the coming year.

The Yule log can be made of any wood. Each releases its own kind of
magic.

Aspen: invokes understanding of the grand design.
Birch: signifies new beginnings.
Holly: inspires visions and reveals past lives.
Oak: brings healing, strength, and wisdom.
Pine: signifies prosperity and growth.
Willow: invokes the Goddess to achieve desires.

You may also wish to decorate the log with greenery, flowers, ribbons
and herbs for magickal intent. Some choices might be:

Carnations-protection, courage, strength, healing, increases magickal
power, vitality
Cedar-wealth, protection, purification, healing, promotes spirituality
Holly-dreams, protection
Juniper- Exorcism, protection, healing, love
Mistletoe-a catalyst, fertility, health, success, protection, banishing
evil
Pine-healing, wealth, protection, purification, exorcism, exorcism,
fertility, wealth
Rosemary-health, love, protection, exorcism, purification, increase
intellectual powers, peace, blessing, consecration, very powerful
cleansing and purifying
Roses-love, courage, luck, health, protection, beauty

Twelve Herb Yule Sachet
© 1989 by Scott Cunningham

Herbal sachets, or charms, consist of herbs and other materials tied-up
in bits of cloth. Some sachets ward off certain energies or disease;
others draw specific situations or powers to you. Easy to make and
pleasing to the nose, sachets are a distinctive and aromatic gift for
the holidays.

Items needed:

7 parts Juniper
4 parts Cinnamon
4 parts Allspice
4 parts Ginger
4 parts Caraway
2 parts Nutmeg
2 parts Rosemary
2 parts Lemon peel
2 parts Orange peel
1 part Clove
1 part Bay
2 pinches Orris root

Tie up in a green or red cloth and give as a gift on Yule or Christmas.

http://www.dreamcatcher.net/moonwise/crafts.html#anchor6391

Yule Goddess Doll

Items needed:
newspaper
unbleached muslin (1 yard)
sisal rope
white glue
florist wire
small egg-shaped Styrofoam ball
trim

Directions:

1.Fold one section of newspaper in half and roll it lengthwise.
2.Fold the roll in half, and twist a twist tie at the upper third of
the folded roll to form the body and legs. It may be helpful to stuff
the legs into a large bottle while you work.
3.Cut off a 20 inch section of florist wire and twist the ends
together. Twist the ends into a loop approximately 1 inch long, and
bend the wires close together. This will be the arms and hands
4.Stick two pieces of florist wire approximately 6 inches long into
the wide end of the Styrofoam ball and fold them around the ball,
twisting them together to hold it securely. With the remaining wire,
secure the ball to the loop of the newspaper - this will be the head.
5.Thread the arms through the paper of the loop, not the loop itself,
to help it remain secure.
6.Mix the glue with an equal part of water to form a solution that
the material will be dipped in and used to hold the fabric to the
doll and stiffen the fabric to desired shape.
7.From the muslin, rip several 1/4- 1/2 inch strips of fabric, run
them through the glue solution. The material should be saturated, but
not dripping. Wrap the hands and arms wire with the material,
covering the wire completely. It may take several applications of
material. Tuck the ends into the material already wrapped.
8.Repeating the same dipping process, cover the head first with
horizontal wraps and then with vertical. Wrap the body of the doll
crossing over from the front to the back in an "X" shape. Wrap the
neck wire and secure the ends of the strips
9.For the skirt: Rip a 12 inch by 20 inch piece of material, sew the
12 inch ends together if desired, and dip the material into the
solution. Pull up over the legs, gather the waist and secure to the
paper using a 1/2 strip acting as a belt.
10.Make the apron - rip a 2 inch wide strip that is wide enough to
fit over the top of the skirt, and cut the front bottom edge into a
curve if desired. Secure the apron with a piece of trim.
11.Rip a 1 inch piece of material approximately 8 inches long, dip,
and drape around the neck.
12.Rip a 3 inch wide piece of material approximately 16 inches long
and drape around back and over arms.
13.Arrange the skirt into desired folds and allow doll to dry.
14.After the doll has dried, cut the rope into 12 12-inch sections
and fold in half - this will be the part of the hair. Sew the ropes
at the fold down the center of the head. Unravel the rope.
15.You can garnish the White Goddess with a wreath of dried flowers
if you like - take a vine and wrap it on itself until you have a
wreath. Insert dried flowers into the wreath and place on the head.
16.She can be left in the bottle for year-round use, or placed on top
of the tree at Yule.

posted by MagickalRuby to Eclectic Cauldron 2003

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