Well, we're back in the drawing room and now we're going to have some fun with a few Victorian crafts projects. Although commercial ornaments are available, they can be expensive and still, some of us enjoy making our own. So if you'll all take a seat around the table we'll begin.

Dough Ornaments

3 cups of flour
3/4 cup of salt
3/4 teaspoon powdered alum
1-1/4 cups water

First, we'll mix all the ingredients together. The dough will be very stiff. Knead until smooth, adding some flour if dough becomes too sticky. Coat rolling pin with light dusting of flour and roll out dough on large board. Take cookie cutters and cut into desired shapes. With knife, make a small hole in the top of the cookie for hanging the ornament. Bake and set for 24 hours (to save us time of course, we'll take cookies which have already been baked by Mrs. Dobbs).

Now we're going to paint designs on them. When dry, insert ribbon, yarn, cording or string through the hole to hang on tree.

Pine Cone Trees

Take pine cone with the wide part on the bottom. Glue to cardboard base. Then glue tiny beads and buttons on to its petals. Take a cardboard star which has been painted in gold and glue to the top.

Dresdens

As briefly described while we were decorating, Dresdens are ornaments which appear "metal-like", but are made of cardboard painted in metallic colors of silver, gold and copper. Click where noted for some patterns which can be traced on to cardboard. Cookie cutters are also good for this purpose. Once traced, cut out the cardboard pieces, punch a small hole in the top for hanging and paint as desired. Go to patterns.

And now that we've created enough ornaments to decorate the tree on Christmas eve, how about making a sweet treat?

Sticky Popcorn

8 cups of popcorn (popped over the fire)
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup

Mix sugar, butter and corn syrup in a bowl. Heat to boiling. Boil for two minutes and remove from heat and stir. Pour over the popcorn and mix well. Wait until syrup has a chance to cool.

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