Christmas Crafting On Nantucket
by Robyn Smith
During December, Nantucket looks like an old-fashioned Christmas card with lighted trees lining Main, Centre, Federal and India streets. Historic houses are festooned with simple wreaths or garlands. Some of the island decorations take advantage of the abundance of natural materials here. We see seashell wreaths, cranberry wreaths, traditional bowers laden with pine cones and berries on many in-town doorways. Christmas time brings out the creative urges in most of us, and in particular islanders who enjoy decorating their homes and making gifts.
The holidays are an excuse to decorate our homes, make tree ornaments and stockings ≥and give gifts that are expressions of ourselves. The fact that the Christmas season begins the day after Thanksgiving and doesn’t end until New Year’s Day makes it all the more fun. We get to enjoy the decorations for an entire month.
Anyone who has ever made anything knows that the joy of making something to give as a gift goes beyond the creative experience. Watching someone open something you’ve made is a real pleasure. Everyone appreciates the thoughtfulness that’s delivered with a handmade gift. You know the recipient will keep and treasure it and enjoy it over and over again.
So, even if you feel all thumbs at any other time of the year, Christmas is a time to take out all your odds and ends: ribbons, sequins, fabric scraps, buttons, paint, stencils, and other craft materials. Put on some Christmas music, make cider, eggnog, or a good cup of tea, and settle in for a day of crafting. You will feel incredibly satisfied from your endeavors. The following are some quick and easy projects for you to consider:
Shell Wreath
It’s easy to make an island wreath with scallop shells, a natural wreath and a hot glue gun. While you’re on a visit here take a walk down to Jetties Beach and collect a bagful of shells to take home. Clean the shells in boiling water with a little bit of bleach added to the water. Set the shells on a paper towel to air dry or put them in the oven set at 350 degrees for 3 minutes. Arrange the shells around the wreath and secure each one with a hot glue gun. Tie a bow made from raffia at the top.
Hydrangea Wreath
You’ll find dried hydrangea blossoms in a few stores around the island (Flowers’s on Chestnut and Leslie Linsley/Nantucket on India). They make gorgeous wreaths of silvery blue and shades of wine. Using a wreath form and wire or green florist’s tape attach the blossoms tightly together around the wreath. This is strictly an indoor decoration, but will last for years.
Country Heart Wreath
Wreaths made of honeysuckle, grapevines, and other natural materials provide a country wecome at Christmastime. Some people hang them all year long. They are easy to find at most garden shops and come in several sizes. Patchwork hearts add a personal touch and are lots of fun to make. Make five to attach around the bottom half of the wreath and more for delightful Christmas tree ornaments. They are also good sachets when filled with potpourri. This is the perfect small gift to bring when visiting during the holidays.
Braided Wreath
It takes 3 long strips of red, green, and white Christmas fabric to make a braided wreath. Add a big red bow, some pinecones, bells, ribbons, or tiny balls for a festive door decoration. Cut 3 pieces of fabric into a strip 6 x 45 inches each. Fold each strip in half with right sides facing and stitch lengthwise. Stitch across one short end. Turn right side out and stuff each tube firmly with stuffing. Pin the open ends of all 3 tubes together. Braid the tubes together and form the braid into a circle. Stitch the ends together. Make a fat bow to secure at the top over the joined ends.
Cross-Stitch Heart Ornaments
Use red or green and white checked or gingham fabric to cut heart shaped ornaments. A cookie cutter is perfect to draw around for a pattern. Use the squares for cross-stitch and using white embroidery thread cross stitch each family member’s initials on the ornaments. Stuff and hang with ribbon.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks are quick little projects that are easy to make with yarn and plastic canvas. Choose a simple pattern such as an initial, a Christmas tree, or an island symbol such as an anchor, the shape of the island, the Nantucket flag or a small sailboat. Use colored pencils to draw the design on graph paper. Then, using the Continental stitch fill in the colors with Persian yarn. Bind off the cut edges around the canvas. Cut a ribbon approximately 10 inches long and stitch one end to the back of the needlepoint square.
Needlepoint Ornaments
Use the plastic canvas to cut small ornaments to needlepoint in a variety of simple geometric quilt patterns. Some can be red and white, others green and white for a striking tree decoration with a theme.
Scallop Shell Ornaments
Gather scallop shells and clean as for the wreath above. Cut a length of satin ribbon about 8 inches long and fold in half to make a loop. Using a hot glue gun run a line of glue around the inside rim or one shell. Place the two short ends of the ribbon on the hot glue at the top of the shell and place a similar size shell over this to create the three dimensional ornaments. Hold the two scallop shells together for a few seconds to secure before hanging. You might want to add a bow to the top of the ornament by gluing it in place.
