Craft Uses for Fresh Cranberries
The deep-red color of cranberries and their association with Thanksgiving and Christmas make them a useful tool for decorating for a holiday party. Fresh cranberries can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores during the holiday season. Fresh cranberries stain easily, however. Refrain from placing them in areas where they could be squashed or in areas near or over cloth furniture, rugs and carpets.
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Cranberry Ice
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Drop a few fresh cranberries into each compartment of an ice tray and then cover them with water. Because cranberries float, do not fill the ice trays completely with water. Place mint leaves with the cranberries to add more color and to mimic mistletoe. When completely frozen, add the ice to a punch bowl and serve.
Christmas Tree Decorations
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One craft that is easy for a family to do is to use a needle and thread to make a chain of fresh cranberries. Because cranberry juice can stain easily, wear a smock or craft clothes. When complete, hang the garland around the Christmas tree. You can also decorate Christmas ornaments by threading the cranberries onto a wire and then bending the wire around a Christmas ornament. If you have children, hang these ornaments out of their reach to prevent stains.
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Floating Cranberry Centerpieces
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Cranberries are unique among berries because they float. As such, you can create a floating candle and cranberry centerpiece. Fill a wide dish with water and add a few floating candles. Then, add enough cranberries to cover the top of the water. Consider adding a few drops of red or green food coloring to the water. You may also want to cut the stems off of a floating flower, such as chrysanthemums and dahlias, and float it beside the cranberries.
Hanging Mistletoe and Cranberry Ball
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Push a hanging wire through the center of a foam ball so that a loop extends out the bottom and the rest of the wire comes out of the top. Use toothpicks or hot glue to stick cranberries onto the foam ball. The cranberries should completely cover the ball. When the hot glue is dry, hang the mistletoe from the top and bottom of the ball. To make it last longer than a week, spray it with shellac. This process can also be used to make a faux topiary.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit cranberry image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
