Simple/Easy to make crafts? (Dream pillows, talismans, etc.)

[love beats all (;]

Hello, I read in one of Ravencry's posts awhile back that when you're young you have more energy to use and it's best to harness this energy by making magical items with your hands; maybe I got this twisted around, but when I saw it I thought of talismans, charms, dream pillows, and things of that sort. So, considering I'm not able to do much that has to do with the craft (I'm still under my parents fundie-Christian rule), I thought that just to keep my hands wet in the craft I'd ask for simple, hands-on things like those to do. Any help and ideas would be much appreciated!
)O( Bright Blessings!
P.S. Sorry if this post is in anyway hard to read/understand because of punctuational errors...English is my absolute worst subject! xD

[ScarlettRose]

One fun charm to make is Macrame. By adding knots over a period of time, you can turn any macrame project into an ongoing spell. Or even just making jewelry, just a simple bracelet. By adding beads and such..
To start out your charm of blessings a good affirmation to say is,
"I'm creating a web of magic." You can really make anything and have it as your little charm to bring in blessings. You then can attach them to belts, hats, jackets... etc. Get creative(:
I hope this is what you were kinda asking for.
I have a fun book of playful magic. that has stuff like this, so that gave me the idea for you!

[Ravencry]

Samhain wreath:
Items needed:

96 natural sticks, 10 to 14 inches long (about 1/4-inch diameter) (you can make it smaller or bigger and add what decorations you like best)
Natural twine
2 x 6-inch sheet moss (available with floral supplies)
5-inch black craft bird
1 1/2-inch-wide black satin ribbon, 30 inches long
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Floral wire
Scissors
Ruler

1. Lay down 12 sticks with the thinner ends pointing in the same direction. Gather another 12 sticks and Lay them underneath the first pile with the ends pointing in the opposite direction. Combine the two piles, then pull some sticks to the right and some to the left, until you have one 20-inch-long bundle.

2. Find the center of the bundle. Wrap the bundle together with the twine in two places - 3 inches to the left of the center and 3 inches to the right of the center. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make three more bundles.

3. Crisscross the bundles to create a square wreath shape. The twine bindings should meet at the corners of the square. The inside of the wreath square should measure about 6 inches x 6 inches.

4. Bind the four corners by wrapping the twine diagonally around the crossed bundles, 10 times in each direction, to form a twine X. Knot the twine in the back and trim the ends.

5. To create a perch for the bird, hot-glue the sheet moss to the bottom inside edge of the wreath to form a little mossy ledge.

6. Perch the bird on the moss and attach his feet to a few twigs with the floral wire.

7. To hang, loop the black ribbon around the top of the wreath and tie a knot at the end. Then hang that ravishing wreath on your door.


Sachets are simple and easy to make, you can use old clothes for the cloth, or buy some.

Cinnamon Clay (these are great for prosperity and love talismans)
Items needed:

1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/3 cup white school glue (like Elmer's)
1 medium sized bowl
Flat surface for kneading
Wax paper
Rolling pin,
Cookie cutters - various types
Knife
Straw
Non-stick cooling rack
Ribbon

Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl, remove from the bowl and knead the mixture until it turns into a firm clay. Let it sit for about 30 minutes as clay is best used at room temp. You may need to dust your rolling pin, hands or working surface with cinnamon, or use wax paper as a working surface. Roll out clay with a rolling pin to approx. 1/8 of an inch thick and use cutters to cut out desired shapes. If you are going to hang them, use a straw to cut out a hole near the top of the shape. Place shapes on a non stick cooling rack - or wax paper but you'll need to keep an eye on them and turn them over occasionally so that they dry evenly and dry flat. Dry the shapes for approx. 5 days. When dry you may put a ribbon through the hole for hanging, add to packages or anything else you cam think of. Optional - you may add puffy paint to decorate your shapes or decorate with dried flowers.

Samhain straw man (Like a corn dolly of different herbs. Use what you like best)

You'll need two bundles of leftover plants out of your garden (if you don't have a garden, it's perfectly fine to gather some plants at the side of the road) and some string. If you're using plants from your garden, feel free to mix and match different branches. Make sure one bundle of plants is slightly thicker than the other.

With a long piece of string, tie the fatter bundle together about one fourth of the way from the top (See Figure A). This end becomes the head.

Separate the bundle a little bit, and slide the thinner bundle of weeds through the center. These will be the arms (Figure B). Use the string and wrap in a criss-cross shape around the body to hold the arms in place. Tie it off to keep it tight, but don't cut the string.

Finally, spread the lower part of the fatter bundle apart, forming two halves as the legs. Bring the string down (Figure C) and wrap around the "thighs" to keep the legs in place. If your branches seem like they're too fluffy, tie a small length of string in place around the wrists and ankles; as the greenery dries it won't stick out as much.

This is a very basic design, and you can either leave your straw man as rustic as you like or pretty him up a bit, it's entirely up to you. Save him until Spring, and then burn him as part of your Beltane celebrations.

figure a

figure b

figure c

Final

[Tyvnn Shroud]

Thank you for sharing Ravencry! =D

[love beats all (;]

Thanks guys! You're replie were really helpful! Ravencry, I saw the straw man on the paganwiccan.about.com page and am planning to do it sometime soon (I'm still gathering herbs that will make him smell pretty when I burn him at Beltane) Thanks again! (=

[ScarlettRose]

Ravencry, amazing wreaths! I love making them this time of year.

By the way love beats all, another fun charm to make is to get a jar and decorate it and say positive affirmations while gluing anything you want on it... Old earrings, beads, sparkles, feathers, stones, sequins. Anything! It's really fun to make and maybe make it your "Witches Bottle"
I don't have time right now, but I'll give you some good affirmations I have that you can chant while making that. It can be like a charm to bring you happiness, I have a bunch of chants like that! I'll post them later(:

Also another fun thing to do is tie ribbon around your trees and make a wish. This also is an offering to the faeries. I was just reading that and found it interesting!

[love beats all (;]

Would love to hear those affirmations ScarlettRose! Right now I have this page bookmarked because of all these wonderful and very do-able ideas! Scarlett, I really like your bottle idea and looked up a witch's bottle with contents to promote creativity (very useful considering I'm very much into the arts). Here's the link: http://asiya.org/article.php/CreativityWitchesBottle

[ScarlettRose]

Love that witches bottle link!! (:
That makes me want to do it hehe I think I just might!
Thanks for sharing that.

Here are some good affirmations while being creative with your witches bottle or anything!(: Or just say it when you wake up in the morning, that's what I do!

"My world is filled with creative opportunities.
I welcome each adventure that comes my way.
I enjoy the day to its fullest.
and meet ever challenge with enthusiasm. I welcome every challenge
as an opportunity to exercise my creativity.
I approach new problems creatively.
and dismiss old guilt with a sense of humor.
I experience the ebb and the flow, I allow life to happen"

Another one:

"My life is suffused with magic.
I live in a world of enchantment.
I am a part of a greater world or wonder.
Every moment carries rewards.
Every moment carries enchantments.
This is a day of magic, a day of wonder,
a day when anything is possible!"

Next:

"All channels of good are open to me.
Blessings come to me in unexpected ways,
and unexpected places.
I have the golden touch.
and everything that touches me is golden.
I receive golden gifts,
for I am Lady Fortune's child."

One more:

"I celebrate pleasure,
and open myself to pleasure.
I take pleasure in my body, and in my self.
I take pleasure in being me.
I revel in the flow of life.
I celebrate every life around me.
I am one with the pulse of Creation.
Success is the natural expression
of my enjoyment of life.
My day is filled with pleasurable activity,
and I make my work my pleasure."


All of those are by, Janina Renee.
I change the words up a little bit to suit me better, so do the same if you wish (: I hope you like them as much as I do. I love to start my day with one of these. I hope they work with your creative projects!! Blessings.

[ScarlettRose]

By the way... Totally random! Does anyone think my picture is too big?
haha

[Ravencry]

I like the picture very much Its a little over StarWitch's size preference, but I have seen some with insanely huge avatars (I won't point fingers) I think its a fine size as long as it doesn't over take the post.

[ScarlettRose]

haha okay! It's kinda been bugging me... I want to reduce it down a little bit more.. I have dial up, so then I'd have to load photobucket again and I'm inpatient! haha I might reduce the size again though... It's sort of annoying. hehe

[ScarlettRose]

Okay.. I didn't take that long haha
Does it look better?? (:

[Ravencry]

Its a great size

[ScarlettRose]

Yay! (: Thank youu Ravencry!

& Sorry love beats all for being random on your post hehe!
I hope you enjoy the affirmations!

[MsMollimizz]

Thank you !!!
This gives me lots of ideas
Gentle Light
MsMolli