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Category: Seasonal Crafts

Peppermint Stick Candle Holder

Peppermint_Stick_Candle_Holder
These holiday Christmas candle holders are sweet in more ways than one! Make several of these candle crafts to keep and to give. As an alternative, consider using the same technique to cover a square or rectangular paper mache box to give or store Christmas cookies.

Things you need:
3-/2″ round paper mache box (without the lid)
About 40 or so 4-1/2″ peppermint sticks
High shine glaze spray
Super tacky glue
Red glass pebbles or marbles
Red pillar candle
Waxed paper
Sandpaper (optional)

Things to do:
1. In a well ventilated area, lay the peppermint sticks on top of a few sheets of wax paper and spray with the glaze. Let the glaze dry completely.
2. Make a wide bead of glue along one side of a peppermint stick, and press it onto the paper mache box. Make sure the bottom is lined up evenly with the bottom of the box. Repeat with each stick until the box is completely covered.
3. When the glue is dry, if you want the tops of the peppermint sticks to be even you can sand the tops though this is not necessary. Seal them with another coat of glaze.
4. Fill the box with the glass marbles adding the votive candle so that it is flush with the top of the box. Fill in around the candle with more of the marbles.

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Scented Pine Cone Fire Starters

Scented_Pine_cone_Fire_Starters
When we went looking for a house a few years ago, I didn’t worry about what color the walls were painted or what kind of refrigerator was in the kitchen. Those are all things that can be changed, tailored to your own liking. But what I did look for, what I had to have in any house we might buy, was a fireplace.

The winters get cold here, and occasionally we have storms big enough to knock out the electricity, sometimes for a couple of days. So a fireplace is a practical thing. But more than that, it’s just something I love. Growing up, my childhood home had a massive woodstove set into the fireplace that kept the whole house cozy and warm.

We’ve fallen into the habit of lighting a fire on chilly winter mornings, letting the crackle of the flames and the scent of wood ease us into our day. And one of my favorite ways to get the fire going is by using scented pine cones as fire starters.

You can, of course, buy scented pine cones, but if you have a ready supply near your house, making your own is so simple that you’ll never go back to store bought.

Things you need:
Pine cones, closed cones will last longer scent wise, but open cones burn better
Large Ziploc bag
Cinnamon (or other scent) oil scent

Things to do:
1. Gather up a bagful of pine cones and give them a quick rinse in the sink. Lay them out on a cookie sheet and dry them in a low oven (200 degrees or lower) until they are totally dry.
Scented_Pine_cone_Fire_Starters2
2. Place as many pine cones as you can in the bag while still being able to zip it closed.
3. Shake 5-8 drops of oil into the bag and zip closed. Leave in a cool dry place for a week before using.

*These pine cones can also be used as an air freshener by setting them out in a bowl near a heater vent (the heat helps release the scent) if you are fireplace-less!*

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