@@@@@ Scented Cinnamon Ornaments1 cup cinnamon1 tablespoon cloves1 tablespoon nutmeg3/4 cup applesauceNon-edible2 tablespoons white glue1 drinking strawRibbonIn a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add applesauce and glue; stir to combine. Work mixture with hands for 2- 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters of desired shapes. Use drinking straw to make small hole in top of each ornament. Place cutouts on a wire rack; dry at room temperature for several days. Insert ribbon through hole in each ornament; tie with knot or bow. Yields 32 (2-inch) ornaments. @@@@@Salt Dough Ornaments2 cups flour1 cup saltNon-edible3/4 cups waterIn a large bowl, mix flour with salt. Add water slowly and stir. Use your hands to mix dough for 10 minutes. Add more flour or water if dough is not smooth. Roll out dough with rolling pin. Cut out shapes for decorations with cookie cutters. Press open paper clip into top to make hole for a hanger. Bake at 350 degrees for I hour; cool. Paint with acrylic paint; varnish. @@@@@ Window Dress UpCookie cutters Red ribbonDress up a window. Tie plastic or metal cookie cutters to wide pieces of ribbon with coordinating bows. Check thrift stores and garage sales for bargains to make this holiday decoration. @@@@@Christmas TableclothEach year, have family members sign a plain tablecloth with indelible ink and date their drawings, signatures, etc. Embroider these and you'll have a wonderful memory of all your Christmases together. @@@@@ Country Christmas ArrangementFill the bottom of a shallow wooden box or basket with Spanish moss. Then arrange 3 - 5 oranges inside. Cut small, shallow holes in the tip of each orange. Place a tea light candle in each hole. Fill in around the oranges with fresh or artificial greenery. Add 2 - 3 small pinecones, then tie a simple raffia bow to the side. Light the candles just before guests arrive. @@@@@Cranberry Candle CenterpieceFill a clear glass vase (10 inches or taller) with fresh whole cranberries. Add some fresh-cut greens for the smell of the holidays. Fill with water. Add a vanilla or green votive candle on top. Tie a Christmas ribbon around the base, making a pretty bow. @@@@@Holiday Herbal CandlesMake your own holiday herbal candles. Prepare a mixture of spices such as rosemary, sage and thyme or cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves. Melt paraffin and dip sage or ecru-colored pillar candles into the melted wax. Immediately roll them in the desired spice mixture. Using your hands, press the spices into the warm wax. Repeat the process several times to create a nubby-textured candle. An herbal candle looks beautiful in a wooden, yellowware or graniteware bowl with bay leaves and rose hips surrounding it. @@@@@Ice CandlesTall, narrow bucketsCranberriesHolly leavesPepperberriesEvergreen sprigsPaper cupPebblesTapeVotive or tea light candleFill a tall, narrow bucket with water. Add lots of fresh cranberries, holly leaves, pepperberries or evergreen sprigs to the water. Fill a paper cup with pebbles and stretch 4 - 5 strips of tape from the inside of the cup to the outside of the bucket. Make tape strings long enough so they will secure the cup in the middle of the bucket to keep it from sinking to the bottom. Freeze until the water is solid, slide off the bucket and remove the paper cup. You may have to tear the cup out a little at a time to remove it completely. Set a votive or tea light candle in the hole created. @@@@@ Apple Wreath2 (16-ounce) packages dried apple rings15 inches of wire15 inches of ribbonSlip the apple rings onto the wire, bend into a circle and fasten ends together. Make a bow from the ribbon and place at the top. Hang for aroma and decoration. @@@@@Wreath for WassailRibbon1 grapevine wreath to fit around punch bowl Interweave the ribbon through the wreath. It looks nice if the ribbon coordinates with your tablecloth. Set holiday wassail in the grapevine wreath to serve. This adds a festive country look to your table. @@@@@Fresh Fruit WreathNailsStraw wreathFresh firm fruitsFresh evergreenRibbon for bowPound the nails through the back side of a straw wreath so the nail ends stick out the front of the wreath about I - 1112 inches. If you put them in at an angle, they hold better. Push apples, pears, oranges or other fruits onto the nails. Fasten evergreen in between fruit to fully cover wreath. Add a bow, hang and enjoy. @@@@@ Spicy Potpourri1/2 cup dried apples, cut in pieces4 cinnamon sticks, broken into piecesI whole nutmeg, broken into pieces2 tablespoons whole allspice1/2 cup whole cranberries, dried2 tablespoons whole cloves3 drops cinnamon oil (3 to 5)Combine all ingredients. Place in a mesh bag, tie with pretty ribbon and attach to Christmas gifts for family and friends. Place potpourri in pretty bowls and place throughout your home. @@@@@ Holiday Fragrance3 cinnamon sticks3 bay leaves1/4 cup whole cloves1/2 lemon, sliced into wedges1/2 orange, sliced into wedges1 quart waterIn a large saucepan, place all ingredients and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer as long as desired, adding more water as needed. Cool and refrigerate between uses. Discard when no longer effective. @@@@@ Graham Cracker Cottage2 egg whites2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar8 graham cracker squaresAssorted candy for decorationBeat the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer. When foamy, gradually add sugar, continuing to beat constantly. Frosting should be fluffy, stiff and very white. Assemble cottage as illustration shows below, using frosting to hold together pieces. Allow house to dry. Attach candy decorations with dabs of frosting. @@@@@ Christmas Pinecones1/2 pound soda 1/2 pound borax 1/2 pound salt Soak pinecones overnight in any of the above dissolved in 1/2 gallon water. Remove from solution and place in mesh bags to dry thoroughly. When the pinecones are thrown into your fireplace fire, they will burn different colors. @@@@@ Christmas Fire StartersColorful and handy to keep in a basket by the fireParaffin or candle stubsHot waterMedium-sized pine conesWicksRed & green crayonsMelt the paraffin or candle stubs in a double boiler over hot water. Completely dip each pine cone in the paraffin, remove and cool. Pour paraffin 1/2-inch deep into the cups of a muffin tin. In each cup, insert a wick about 1 1/2 inches long so that it will stick out the side. Before the paraffin hardens, press the cones into the cups and allow them to harden. Loosen them from the muffin tin by dipping the bottom of the tin into hot water. Melt a small amount of additional paraffin and red or green crayons in a double boiler; cool. Dip the bottom of the cones into the colored paraffin and dry them on wax paper. Place fire starters under the kindling and light the wick. Note: Use scented candle stubs to add a delicious aroma.