Homespun holidays

I mean, she could be hand-stringing homegrown cranberries while taking a break from baking bread for 100 of her closest friends while decorating dozens of holiday cookies and one would think, "I can do that."

Alas, that is the illusion (or shall I say delusion) that everyone is sucked into come the holiday season.

Once Halloween hits, so do the thousands of do-it-yourself ideas -- there's the holiday baking, decorating and, if you're really crafty, hand-making gifts and even wrapping paper. It all looks so simple. That is, until one goes out and attempts to do what Martha does so deftly on television.

The illusion turns to disillusionment quickly.

This year in an attempt to show that anyone can make holiday crafts given enough time, an experiment took place. The result was a resounding "YES! Anyone can do this. But at what price?"

How this little homespun experiment turned out depends on your point of view.

Here's a day-by-day diary to give you a clue:

Day 1 -- The search begins

Search for about an hour online for craft ideas and print out some good (and easy) ones found on Web site kidsdomain.com. Excited about the holiday prospects, newly dubbed "Martha Stewart Jr." heads out for craft stores in search of ingredients for a happy holiday. The crafts to be made: candy train ornament, made of Lifesavers and other yummy candies; Kinara centerpiece, made with terra cotta pots and candles; Hanukkah gift can, to pack holiday goodies in; and candy cane reindeer.

Spend 30 minutes fighting the crowds (there's a huge 50 percent off sale going on) and not much success navigating the aisles. Decide to change gears. Trip to bookstore to locate another popular craft book with holiday ideas unsuccessful.

Not much accomplished, besides stress.

Day 2 -- Hunting and gathering

One hour of gathering items at Michael's Arts & Crafts, 2253 Pine Ridge Road. Start with a hand-held basket, end up needing a cart to haul the load around the store. Money spent: $60. Yikes.

Still need candy for several edible crafts and bottom of a terra cotta pot for handmade Kwanzaa Kinara. Also forgot glue for the glue gun. Not to worry, there's plenty of time.

Day 3 -- Planning and procedures

Candy day and planning day. Call friend (who truly is crafty like Martha Stewart) and get logistics figured out. There will be three children, ages 7, 41/2 and 2, as well as two fairly intelligent, fairly creative mothers helping out on craft day. Should be a breeze and completed in no more than two hours, including getting rest of candy for project.

Day 4 -- D-Day, or rather C-Day (as in Craft Day)

Seven-year-old son of Martha Jr. awakens with full-blown cold and is unable to mingle with others. Martha Jr. panics as she is left alone to perform the duties of head craft diva.

Take deep breath and make way to Target for last minute candy. All the while saying to self, "I think I can, I think I can." (Also keep small paper bag in purse in case of hyperventilation).

After 30 minutes in the candy aisle, toss in any old thing that looks like it could make a candy train. Decide to dump idea of candy cane reindeer as no candy canes are to be found despite seeing them last July in clearance bin.

Once home, the fun begins.

All craft ingredients are dumped onto the kitchen table in effort to see what goodies have been collected. Hard to see over pile of junk, er, stuff.

Sick Son starts to whine: "Can I have some gum?"

Martha Jr.: "No. It's for the crafts."

Sick Son: "But not all of it has to be for the crafts. I need some gum."

Martha Jr.: "Why don't you have some chocolate? We have plenty of that."

Sick Son: No comment, just flashes wild grin, as if this was his intention in first place.

Martha Jr. decides to make candy trains first. Pulls out rolls of Gummy Lifesavers as regular Lifesavers. "Aren't very popular," according to retail store cashier.

Gummies are way too big for craft. Martha Jr. panics again, but realizes there are many other crafts to do. But there's no glue for the glue gun. So nothing else can be started.

Panic -- this time in form of scream.

"OK, Martha. First you have to have all the ingredients before you begin," observant hubby of Martha Jr. says as he peeks in to check out progress.

Well, duh. If Martha Jr. knew she'd forgotten something, she would have made sure to get it.

Hubby ignores jab and happily makes way to Publix to locate any type of glue, rolls of Lifesavers and other candy necessary to make craft day successful.

Meanwhile, Sick Son and Martha Jr. pull out paint from pile and begin work on Kinara.

Happy Hubby returns and hands out glue sticks to Sick Son and Martha Jr. Trains get made and for one moment Sick Son doesn't whine, but says, "This is fun."

Ten minutes later when Martha Jr. asks Sick Son to put another coat of red paint on terra cotta pots Sick Son replies: "I think I need to check and see what Daddy's doing."

DETAILS

Total time spent: Goodness knows how long. Forever maybe. (But about three hours -- or more if you're like me -- on making the crafts). Total money spent: $77, but returned unused glue gun and crafts for the candy cane reindeer. Total experience: On a scale of 1 to 10? Martha Jr. gives it a 2, but Sick Son gives it a 10, if you can believe it. He actually had fun. Well, maybe it wasn't that bad of an experience. There was laughter, there was joy, and there were plenty of crafts -- even though they didn't all come out perfectly. But there's always next year.

Happy Hubby calls out from living room (while watching a football game) and says: "She needs your help."

Martha Jr. not sure how to take comment, but is grateful anyway.

The crafts continue another hour. The Kinara centerpiece still needs another coat of black paint and the candy trains are still not sticking together, but there's nothing else to start because Martha Jr. noticed she forgot the blue paint for the Hanukkah gift can.

Sick Son: "Can't we paint it red?"

Martha Jr.: "No. Christmas is red. Hanukkah is blue."

Sick Son: "Who made that rule?"

Martha Jr.: "I don't know." (But thinking it's probably the same person who created crafts in the first place).

Sick Son walks away and Martha Jr. looks at the big mess made. And it's almost time for dinner.

Thank goodness Happy Hubby is in charge of that craft.

CRAFTS ATTEMPTED

Here's a listing of crafts we attempted and what items you'll need:

CANDY TRAIN ORNAMENT:

What you need Low temp hot glue gun

Ribbons or yarn for hanging

1 roll of lifesavers (cylinder about 31/2 inches long)

1 small package of gum (3 inches by 3/4-inch by 3/8-inch)

4 round wrapped candies (We used peppermints and took them out of clear package)

1 Hershey's Kiss

1 large rectangular caramel like candy (I used several Starbursts)

1 mini chocolate bar (11/2-inch by 1-inch by 3/8-inch) (I got mine from Hershey's in a big bag.)

A creative imagination

How to make it 1. Glue the lifesavers roll to the gum package, letting the lifesaver roll stick over at both ends. Glue the peppermints to the lower sides for wheels.

2. Push the caramel/Starbursts onto the lifesaver body to make the cab of the engine, so that it will glue on better. Glue.

3. Cut the paper off the top of the Hershey's Kiss, and flatten the point a bit by pushing it against the table. Put a good sized glob of hot glue on the tip, and then glue it to the lifesaver roll as shown.

4. Glue the little chocolate bar on top of the cab for the roof.

5. You're done!

KINARA CENTERPIECE- for KWANZAA

What you need 3 red short taper candles

3 green short taper candles

1 black short taper candles

7 small terra cotta pots

1 very large terra cotta dish (the dishes that go under the pots)

Black craft paint

Red craft paint

Green craft paint

Gold "painters" paint markers

Paintbrush

Artificial gourds and other harvest items, loose or garland

How to make it 1. Paint the terra cotta dish black. Let dry. Paint another coat, if needed, and let dry. (We had to do three coats since we used kid friendly paint).

2. Paint 3 terra cotta pots green. Let dry. Paint another coat, if needed, and let dry.

3. Paint 3 terra cotta pots red. Let dry. Paint another coat, if needed, and let dry.

4. Paint 1 terra cotta pot black. Let dry. Paint another coat, if needed, and let dry.

5. Use the gold paint marker to write along the outer lip (or side) of the terra cotta dish the principles of Kwanzaa. Let dry.

6. Add tapers.

7. Arrange the pots in the dish.

8. Fill in the area around the pots with the artificial gourds and other harvest items.

9. Enjoy your Kinara and your holiday.

HANUKKAH GIFT CAN

What you need Food can, any size; washed and dried (a box will work too)

Blue craft paint

Silver craft paint

Clear glitter

Paintbrush

Hammer (Don't need the hammer or nail if you make a gift box)

Nail

Glitter or regular chenille stem in blue, silver, or white

Blue & silver wired ribbon (or regular ribbon)

Scissors

Piece of paper

Pencil

Tissue paper

How to make it 1. Use a hammer and a nail to punch a hole in the can near the top.

2. Repeat on the opposite side of the can. This makes the hole for the chenille stem (handle) to go through.

3. Paint the can with blue paint. Let dry.

4. Paint another coat of blue paint, if needed, and let dry.

5. Draw the Star of David on the can with the pencil.

6. Paint the Star of David with the silver paint.

7. Fold a piece of paper in half. Open the paper back up with the inside of the fold facing up.

8. Hold the can over the paper and sprinkle generously with the glitter. Shake off excess glitter.

9. Set the can aside to dry.

10. Fold the paper in half again (using the fold you made earlier) and pour back into the glitter jar.

11. Push the chenille stem from the outside of the can to the inside.

12. Fold up the end of the chenille stem to twist around the rest of the chenille stem above the can.

13. Bend the chenille stem to the opposite side of the can. Repeat the above 2 steps to make the handle.

14. Cut a length of ribbon. Tie a bow around the chenille stem right above the can.

15. Use your fingers to wind the bow ends around your fingers to make a spiral. (see photo)

16. Repeat on the other side to make an additional bow.

17. Add a gift and tissue paper.

CANDY CANE REINDEER

(We couldn't do this because we couldn't find candy canes yet):

What you need Candy cane (6-inch, individually wrapped)

8-inch piece of ribbon

2 wiggle eyes (5 mm)

Red or brown pompom (very small)

2 (18-inch) pipe cleaners (craft kind -- use any color but gold metallic is real nice)

Tacky glue

How to make it 1. Leave the wrapping on the candy cane (so the kids can eat it later).

2. Glue eyes on rounded face of the candy cane.

3. Glue red pompom on the face for a nose.

4. Tie ribbon into a bow on the straight part of the candy cane.

5. Cut one of the pipe cleaners in half.

6. Use the full pipe cleaner and wrap it around the crook of the candy cane (both sides equal) to make the beginning part of the antlers.

7. Use 1 of the cut pipe cleaner pieces to wrap around the left antler and repeat it on the right side.

8. Manipulate the pipe cleaners to look like antlers.

Source: Kidsdomain.com