Country Christmas Idea
By LeAnn R. Ralph, Fri Dec 9th
At first glance, milkweed plants and poinsettias don't seem to have much in common. If you live in an area where milkweed grows wild, however, you can use the dried milkweed pods to make poinsettia ornaments for your Christmas tree. Here's how:
1. Collect some dried milkweed pods. In the fall, the milkweed plants have already gone to seed but the dried pods will still be attached to the plant. You will need six "halves" of a milkweed pod for each poinsettia flower that you are going tomake.
2. After you have collected the milkweed pods and have brought them into the house, put them in a warm spot for a few days or a week to dry out more. This is especially important if it has been rainy and damp outside.
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3. Glue the milkweed pod halves together side-by-side in acircle so that they look like a flower.
A hot glue gun workswell for gluing the pods together.
4. Decorate your poinsettia flowers with spray paint and glitter, or, if you don't want to spray paint your poinsettias,just use glue and glitter. Mix and match and experiment withcolors.
5. Glue a loop of string, yarn, twine or ribbon to the back ofthe poinsettia flower. Once the glue is dry, your ornament isready to hang on the Christmas tree. You could also give these as gifts — four or six to set, or however many you want to give.
About the author:LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the book: Christmas In Dairyland(True Stories From a Wisconsin Farm) (August 2003; tradepaperback). Share the view from Rural Route 2 and celebrateChristmas during a simpler time. FREE SHIPPING on autographedcopies. Free sample chapters on-line. http://ruralroute2.com
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