Flourish Magazine

B eing the mom to my little Oliver Tate has made the holidays quite a special time in our household, once again. As adults, we often forget the magic and awe that can be found tucked away in the holiday memories of our childhoods. I remember decorating gingerbreads at our family farm, dressing up for family pictures, and watching Christmas movies while curled up together on the couch. These are the traditions that have become intertwined into the fiber of who I am and what I now expect at holiday time. These traditions lend themselves to the spirit of the season so it has become important that I create the same connection to the holidays for my son. Most winter nights before Christmas, hot chocolate can be found cooking on the Tools and materials for a Ball Jar Lantern stove with the accompaniment of Frank made of driftwood & rustic bells, galva- Sinatra and Bing Crosby's renditions of nized buckets to house small trees and DIY popular carols playing in the background. Ball Jar lanterns. Making a Ball Jar lantern The scent of our Christmas tree lingers is not only easy to make but it is something down the hall and eventually seeps into that can be used throughout the year. each room of the house reminding us of what time of year it is. The glow of the tree lights brighten the black night with a soft shimmer as we find ourselves wrapped in Here is how you can make your own lantern. You will need a clean, clear Ball jar in cozy blankets and eating large pots of soup whatever size you like, a roll of #9 AWG at the end of long days. wire, (I used blue plastic coated aluminum As well as all of those traditions, I decid- wire, typically used for clotheslines. Check ed a few years ago to start making home- your hardware store in the laundry sup- made ornaments and decorations. This plies aisle), wire clippers, a white unscent- tradition started out of the sheer necessity ed candle, metallic spray paint (optional), to have decorations that could withstand sprigs of greenery (I snipped some from the torment of a toddler and two tail wag- my garden), small scale ribbon, bobbles ging friends – but it's now one that brings and bells of your choosing for embellish- me the most enjoyment. I also like the nos- ment. talgia of using vintage toys and ornaments; an old rusty train set, an ornament passed down from my grandmother, it all helps to make my decorations feel more personal. When it comes to making my own deco- Step 1 Measure the circumference of your jar opening. This will vary depending on the size of Ball jar used. (The jars I used had rations I find inspiration in the normal, a 12" circumference.) Then add another Step 2 every day items around my house. I always 15"-20" to that number and cut your wire Form a collar around the jar by wrap- love to bring the outdoors in and to let the to that length – about 30" or so. More is ping the wire around the jar at the top, just natural elements become the perfect back- always better than less). Optional: After below the threads (where the lid would drop for family dinners. In keeping with cutting the wire you can paint it with the go), overlapping the wire by about 4-6". this tradition, this year, I created a center metallic spray paint. I did, just to change This 'overlapped' extra wire section will be piece for the dining room using a garland the color from blue to gold. used in step 3. WINTER 2013 • FLOURISH 29

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