The Christmas Tree in the Nursery
With wild surprise
Four great eyes
In two small heads,
From neighboring beds
Looked out--and winked--
And glittered and blinked
At a very queer sight
In the dim starlight.
As plain as can be
A fairy tree
Flashes and glimmers
And shakes and shimmers,
Red, green and blue
Meet their view;
Silver and gold
Their sharp eyes behold;
Small moon, big stars;
And jams in jars,
And cakes and honey
And thimbles, and money,
Pink dogs, blue cats,
Little squeaking rats,
And candles, and dolls,
And crackers, and polls,
A real bird that sings,
And tokens and favors,
And all sorts of things
For the little shavers.
Four black eyes
Grow big with surprise;
And then grow bigger
When a tiny figure,
Jaunty and airy,
(Is it a fairy?)
From the tree-top cries,
"Open wide! Black eyes!
Come, children, wake now!
Your joys you may take now!"
Quick as you can think
Twenty small toes
In four pretty rows,
Like little piggies pink,
All kick in the air--
And before you can wink
The tree stands bare!
~Richard Watson Gilder
From The Home Book of Christmas: A Treasury of Songs, Stories, History, Tradition and Much More--May Lamberton Becker
Here's the craft...I'm definitely going to be doing this one myself!
What you'll need:
-6 or more 1.5" wooden balls
-Red and green spray paint
-White and gold painter pens
-Acrylic sealer spray or glaze
How to make it:
1. In a well ventilated area, place wooden balls on a large piece of cardboard, or prop them in an upside down egg carton. A garage with the door open also works very well.
2. Spray half of the balls green and the other half red and let the paint dry. When dry, turn the balls over and do the other side, let dry. Repeat for a minimum of 2 coats, 3 if needed (see image).
3. When balls are dry, use paint pens to write holidays words such as: HO HO HO, SANTA, NOEL, JOY, HOPE, PEACE (see image).
4. Spray balls with sealer as you did the paint, alternating sides after they dry.
Display in a clear bowl, glass or jar.
Tips:
-Make a pretty container from a pickle jar! Wrap a piece of tulle around the rim and tie a piece of holiday ribbon around the tulle.
-Display in a clear vase. Find them for less than a dollar at your local thrift store.
-Try other colors such as ice blue and white or gold and silver.
from Kaboose
May the Christmas Spirit be with you all year long!
