Making Floral-Themed Crafts

Floral plants like holy have been a part of Christmas traditions for centuries. Now it can also be a part of your Christmas crafts.

Here is a completed Light the Yule Log.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Here is a completed Light the Yule Log.

Light the Yule Log

Add Christmas cheer to your mantel this holiday, along with the convenience of not having to look for the matches! This small decorative touch will bring lots of warmth to your family. Here's what you'll need to get started:
  • Empty snack food cylinder
  • Paper towels
  • 10x12 inches corrugated cardboard
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun, glue sticks
  • Copper spray paint
  • 1 yard green ribbon, 21/2 inches wide
  • Assorted Christmas greens, cut into pieces
  • Copper berry spray, cut into pieces
  • Wire cutters
  • Copper blossoms
  • Fireplace matches
  • Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece
  • Woodsy Winter Wonderland
To construct a Light the Yule Log:
  1. Use paper towels to clean inside of cylinder. Wrap corrugated cardboard around outside of cylinder. Cardboard can extend above lip of cylinder but should be flush with bottom. Trim cardboard if needed, and hot glue in place.

    Wrap corrugated cardboard around the outside of the tube and glue into place.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Wrap corrugated cardboard around
    the outside of the tube and
    glue into place.

  2. In a well-ventilated area, lightly spray cardboard with copper paint. Let dry, and repeat.

  3. Tie ribbon around center of cylinder, leaving 31/2-inch tails. Glue knot of ribbon to cardboard. Trim ends of ribbon into Vs.

  4. Use photo as a guide to glue lengths of greens to center of knotted ribbon. Glue berry sprays to greens, then glue on blossoms.

    Glue the greens to the tube as shown.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Glue the greens to the tube as shown.

  5. Cut striking surface from match box, and trim as needed to fit bottom of cylinder. Glue in place on bottom of cylinder. Place matches inside cylinder.
Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece

Let that brilliantly colored bird, the cardinal, decorate your living room this Christmas. With bright berries and evergreen boughs, this centerpiece is sure to capture everyone's attention! Here are the materials you will need:

Here is a finished Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Here is a finished
Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece.

  • Terra cotta pot, 51/2 inches tall
  • Terra cotta saucer, 8 inch diameter
  • Hot glue gun, glue sticks
  • 4x2-inch foam piece
  • Serrated knife
  • Tape measure
  • Assorted Christmas greens, cut into pieces
  • Wire cutters
  • 3 pinecones
  • 2 red berry sprays, cut into pieces
  • 3x9-inch red pillar candle
  • 7 red crab apples
  • 1 yard red plaid ribbon, 21/2 inches wide
  • Scissors
  • Floral wire
  • Red cardinal
  • Potpourri
To construct a Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece:
  1. Place pot at back edge of saucer, and glue in place. Use knife to trim foam so it fits snugly inside pot and is 1 inch below rim of pot. Glue foamin place.

    Glue the pot at the back edge of the saucer.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Glue the pot at the back
     edge of the saucer.

  2. Glue short lengths of Christmas greens around base of pot, leaving front open. Glue pine-cones to sides, and add a few berry sprays.

  3. Place candle inside pot. Insert short lengths of Christmas greens around base of candle. Glue crab apples and berry sprays around candle.

    Place the candle in the pot and cover the blank spaces with greens.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Place the candle in the pot and cover
    the blank spaces with greens.

  4. Cut ribbon into three 12-inch lengths, and form each length into a loop secured with floral wire. Glue a loop to each side of saucer and remaining loop to back.

  5. Glue cardinal to left side of saucer. Fill saucer with potpourri. Caution: Never leave a burning candle unattended.

    Glue the cardinal to the left side of the saucer.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Glue the cardinal to the left
     side of the saucer.

Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder

Here is the completed Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Here is the completed
Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder.

Bring the spirit of holiday music into your home with this festive candleholder. Group a few together to create a wonderful centerpiece, or give one as a gift to your favorite holiday host. Here are the materials you will need:
  • 9-inch-tall clear glass cylindrical vase with 31/4-inch opening
  • 2x2 inches foam
  • Low-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
  • 8 evergreen sprigs, 6 inches each
  • Scissors
  • 3 sheet-music pages
  • 1 yard gold metallic ribbon, 13/4 inches wide
  • Ruler
  • Floral wire
  • Wire cutters
  • 2 red berry sprays, 12 inches each
  • 6 holly leaves
  • 48 gold jingle bells, assorted sizes
  • Clear glass votive holder
  • Red votive candle
To construct a Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder:
  1. Glue foam block to outside bottom of vase. This is where you will insert evergreens.

  2. Place vase so foam block is on your right side. Insert and glue 2 evergreen sprigs horizontally at base of foam, one coming in front of foam and one extending away from foam. Cut remaining evergreens into short lengths, and fill in around already inserted evergreens.

    Glue two evergreen sprigs to the base of the foam block.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Glue two evergreen sprigs to
    the base of the foam block.

  3. Cut pages of sheet music in half horizontally. Tightly roll each section, and glue edges in place to secure. Cut 1 music roll in half, and insert and glue all rolled pages into evergreens.

  4. About 6 inches from one end of gold ribbon, shape 2 loops about 31/2 inches each. Pinch 2 loops together, and secure with short length of floral wire. Trim end of bow streamers to 4 inches, and cut V shape into end of each. Glue remaining ribbon trailing out back of design. Trim end of ribbon into V shape.

    Shape two loops out of the length of gold ribbon.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Shape two loops out of the
     length of gold ribbon.

  5. Cut 1 red berry spray in half, and insert a length vertically behind bow. Insert other section coming forward beneath bow. Cut other berry spray into short lengths, and insert around bow. Glue holly leaves into design around bow and music. Glue jingle bell to middle of bow; add more jingle bells as desired.

  6. Fill vase with assorted jingle bells to about 3 inches from top. Place votive holder with candle inside vase.
In the next section, we will show you how to incorporate candy canes and other sweets into your crafts.