I have been tinkering with bits of wood and prunings to make festive things.
I have made two wonky bush stars from the hard prunings of the peach trees - this little one above and a bigger one below.
I used my 'skills' (somewhat faded) in lashing, learnt when a wee girl in the Girl Guides. It surprisingly worked - the muscle memory was still there!
But I know that Brown Owl would not be impressed - when I was a pre-pubescent lass my lashing was much, much neater than this. (Do I have to hand back my badge in Campcraft?)
I also made a wreath from the prunings from the bottle brush (Callistemon) and decorated it with Hakea nuts. It's hanging on the big Red Box tree near the house. I like it there. Don't you love the bark of this tree?
But where to hang the wonky stars? On the fence post, on a tree, on the hat stand or on the house?
Have you started to 'fester' yet? What festive items have you made? Are they vegetable, animal, mineral, textile, preserved?
Or (more importantly) were you a Girl Guide? What skills did you learn that you still use? (Come on... don't be shy!). How is your reef knot and your round turn and two half-hitches? Do you tie and tie and light a fire better than your Lad? Like getting dirty? Handy with a trenching tool in the dark? Too'wit, too'woo!
I am contributing this to My Creative Space. See what others have been making this week.
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| Hakea nuts |
Your beautiful wreath and stars are just lovely.
ReplyDeleteHang them proudly on the wall and front door, I say! x
Thank you! Unfortunately the very dry weather has crisped up the wreath - it still looks nice but now less green.
DeleteGorgeous work. Alas no festive stuff for me as I am away for Chrissy and the boys are not into the decorations try as I might.
ReplyDeleteI was a brownie and loved it didn't care for guides though. My knots? Well I do make lots of frames for veggies to grow on so I guess they are ok
There are handy knots for veggie frames arent there.
DeleteThe wreath looks fabulous against the grey tree trunk. And I love the stars. Me? I'd have a star against a plain background (wall of the porch, maybe?) to highlight its simplicity.
ReplyDeleteNope, no girl-guiding for me - it wasn't on my family's cultural radar. I can barely tie my shoelaces let alone fancy knots! :)
Thanks Nina, I really like the stars too.
DeleteGuiding wasn't on my families 'cultural radar' either. In fact I think my mother vaguely disapproved of it - hard to say why though, clearly you picked up some invaluable skills. I want to know how to lash.
ReplyDeleteDespite the marching and pledges to God, Queen and Country which I find if not found difficult to stomach, I think I learnt lots from Guides, like being confident in the bush, loving camping, making do and some very basic electrical skills.
DeleteThe comment about handing back your Camp Craft badge made me laugh. I was in Girl Scouts (American version of the same thing?) I loved it and participated for years. I still have all my badges, too. My mom made them into a shadow box when I graduated high school. Great memories.:) The things I learned don't sound as sophisticated as what you learned. I learned to roller skate, to ice skate, to cook food from scratch and over a campfire. And I learned to camp.
ReplyDeleteGosh, Girl Scouts sounds a little more activities based that Guides (prob the same thing just activities varied from troop to troop?). We did lots of camping - which a still love , and I really appreciate the fact that it gave me a confidence in being in the bush.
DeleteI am glad I still have my Guide shirt with all the badges, they make me smile.