Cinnamon Candles

You will need
Long lengths of dried cinnamon sticks
Church candles – varying sizes
Elastic bands (to fit around the outside of your candles)
Garden string/ribbon
Dried fruit and trimmings
Microwave

How to make
1 Using your candle as a guide cut the lengths of cinnamon sticks as evenly as you can to the correct length.
2 Using two elastic bands, place one at the top and one at the bottom of the candle and place the cinnamon sticks side by side around the edge. Once all the candle is covered, wind the garden string tightly around the outside and cut away the bands.
3 Have an old tea towel to hand. Place your candle onto an old microwavable plate and microwave at maximum heat for 25 seconds. Remove from the microwave using your tea towel and give it a good squeeze. Place back into microwave for a further 25 seconds and repeat.
4 The wax should have now melted into the cinnamon to hold it in place. If you feel you need to repeat this process, do it one more time for 15 seconds. Leave to cool fully.
5 Once cool, remove the string and decorate your candle by wrapping rustic garden string or ribbon around the middle and attaching the dried fruit or trimmings.

Cookie Mix Jar

You will need:
Large clip-top jar
Cookie cutter
Cinnamon stick
Red gingham ribbon or natural twine
White card
Brown card
Glue
Rubber stamp (optional)
Pen
Mini peg
Cookie mix

How to make
1 Fill a large jar with a dry cookie mix, available pre-mixed from most supermarkets.
2 Use natural string or gingham ribbon to tie a cookie cutter and cinnamon stick to the neck of the jar.
3 Cut a piece of brown card and a piece of white card that’s slightly smaller and glue in place as shown. Rubber stamp or hand write the instruction card to go with your gift.
4 Decorate with co-ordinating ribbon and a miniature peg.

Party Votives

You will need:
Glass votives
Green and red polka dot paper
Red woven ribbon
Green woven ribbon
White ribbon
Brown shell buttons
Small bells
Glue

How to make
1 Decorate the circumference of a votive with a strip of polka dot paper and ribbons as shown, sticking in place with glue.
2 Tie a brown shell button or small bell around the middle with a thin piece of white ribbon.

For crafting supplies and more crafty ideas visit www.hobbycraft.co.uk