Today's craft is home-made Applesauce Ornaments!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes:
Recipe #1
1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup store bought applesauce (homemade sauce will likely be too watery) Or, any equal portions of both ingredients depending on the quantity you desire.
Directions:
Stir together cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon until the dough becomes stiff, then use your hands to create a ball of dough.
Place the ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, flatten slightly with your fingers.
Place a second sheet of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
Use cookie cutters or your own template shapes.
Air dry creations on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet or a cooling rack for at least 24 hours until they are completely hard.
Recipe #2
Mix 1 cup cinnamon and 1 cup applesauce with 1 Tablespoon of white glue. You want a consistency that can be rolled with a rolling pin but not quite as sticky or it will stick to your counter! Sprinkle counter with cinnamon and roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. Cut a hole in shape with the straw so you will be able to hang them. Let dry about 24 hours. They shrink as they dry. Cut lengths of gold thread, make loops and hang. they will keep their scent for a few years. Refresh scent with cinnamon fragrance oil.
Recipe #3
1 cup cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. allspice
1 tbsp ginger
3/4 c. applesauce
In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger & nutmeg. Add applesauce, stir to combine.
Work mixture with hands 2 to 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters. Using straw or pencil, make small hole in top of ornament. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from the cookie sheet and bake on the oven racks for another hour and a half.
Use these ornaments to decorate gifts, hang on tree, etc.
Creative tips:
For extra "sparkle," mix in decorative glitter.
Make your own shapes by trimming the dough with a table knife following around patterns you've cut from cereal box cardboard.
After cutting out shapes, use a drinking straw to create holes for jewelry or ornaments.
Use toothpicks to make smaller holes for threading. Leave in dough until dry and remove.
For a wall hanging, thread a colored ribbon through the shape.
For a brooch, decorate with fabric paint and glue a metal clasp pin to the back (available at craft stores).
Decorate creations with acrylic paint or fabric.
The creations can be used as decorations on a gift box or bag.
Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity.
Every year I read certain books to my son Lancer. This year, his younger brother Shaun will be joining in on the fun with the story. I read them books from writers of their heritage (I'm Cajun full through!) So to connect with my family, every year Lancer has received a Cajun story book. His favorite is Cajun Gingerbread Boy by Berthe Amoss.
If you have a child in your life, you can also make Gingerbread Playdough:
Gingerbread Playdough
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Lots of cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg (The spices should turn the mixture brown like gingerbread, but you can also add red and green food coloring to develop a brown color.)
Mix the dry ingredients. Play with the spices until you get the scent and color you want. Mix the water and oil together first THEN add to the dry ingredients and stir.
Cook the mixture over medium heat for two or three minutes, stirring constantly until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and clump together.
Take the dough out of the pan and knead it until smooth.
Store in closed container.
I hope you enjoy these ideas and many thanks for visiting the Cauldron!
