Day 20 ~ Samhain's Sirens' Craft-tacular Saturday Giveaway

Hello Everyone and Happy Saturday! Today we have an awesome Craft-tacular project from  Sosanna, a recipe and some groovy music. Don't forget to stop by and visit with Kallan on Sunday over at The Secret Life of the American Working Witch for this week’s Sunday Stew.

Saturday Craft-tacular!

Welcome to the 3rd installment of the Samhain’s Sirens'Saturday Caft-tacular!  

Today we’re going to look at making your very own Dream-Catchers. Dream-catchers are a Native American craft that some believe came from the Ojibwa. Traditionally dream-catchers were made of twig, sinew and feathers.  They were woven by the grandparents of the tribe and hung above cradles to give babies peaceful sleep.  Good dreams could see through the web and bad dreams were caught and trapped where they evaporated in the sun. This is an example of a traditional dream-catcher.  It is made from grapevine harvested from my yard.  The “twig” historically used for dream-catchers is red willow or from other members of the willow family.

The dream-catcher we’ll be making today is made with modern materials.

 Materials:

1. (1) 4 in. metal ring

2. Hot glue gun

3. Sinew (artificial available at local craft store)

4. Colored suede

5. Wooden beads (7 for tassels)

6. Center bead (your choice)

Steps

1. Wrap suede around metal ring, start with 5 in. tail as one tassel, finish wrap around ring leaving another 3-4 in. tassel. Hot glue wrap at joint to metal ring.

2. Weave inner webbing until ¾ filled. Weave is accomplished with an inner and over weave method.

 

3. Add center bead to weave. Continue weave until desired hole is achieved, tie off in small knot. Add wooden beads to tassel ends.

Voila! Dream catcher!

Now you can create your own dream-catcher!!  Or... You can win your own!

This is the dream-catcher you'll be trying to win.

To Enter the Giveaway for the dream-catcher you have seen being created here please complete the following:

Comment that you would like to win this dream-catcher.

Like Sosanna's Closet on Facebook

Follow Sosanna's Closet on Twitter 

Tweet about this Giveaway and post the URL to your tweet in the Comments here on Samhain's Sirens

That's it! Winners will be announced on Monday and prizes shipped within 5 business days! GOOD LUCK!

Saturday's Yummy Goodness! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Frankenstein's

From Very Best Baking 

Ingredients

1 pkg. (16.5 oz.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons water

Green food coloring

2/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels plus additional for “bolts”

2 tablespoons or 40 NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels

Chocolate and orange sprinkles

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease and flour 40 mini-muffin cups. Cut dough into squares. Place one square into each cup.

BAKE for 10 to 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes in pans on wire racks. Run knife around edge of cups; remove cups to wire racks to cool completely.

MELT 2/3 cup mini morsels in uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread melted chocolate on top of one cup; top with second cup. Press down slightly. Return to wire rack. Repeat with remaining cups for a total of 20. These are the heads. Let stand for 15 minutes or until set.

MEANWHILE, cut tails off of 40 white morsels to make eyes. To make pupils, dip toothpick into melted chocolate and make a small dots on bottoms of morsels.

PLACE a piece of wax paper under wire rack. Combine powdered sugar and water in small bowl. Add food coloring to desired green color. The glaze will be slightly thin, not spreadable like a frosting. Hold each head by seam and dip top cup into glaze. Return to wire rack to allow glaze to drip down over bottom cup. Repeat with others. Additional glaze can be spooned over the tops if needed. While glaze is still wet, sprinkle tops with sprinkles and press down lightly.

TAKE two morsel eyes and press onto glaze on top cup. For “bolts” use two mini morsels and lightly press onto side of bottom cup, using glaze for glue if needed. While glaze is setting, the eyes may slide; keep an eye on them and put them back! Allow to set.

Sounds on a Saturday! 

Chosen by our music Siren ~ Kestril Trueseeker

I know. I know. It seems like every Pagan gets handed a Loreena McKennitt CD along with a bundle of sage and a rose quartz with their introduction packet (optional broomstick skirt for the ladies or poet’s shirt for the men’s packet). But although it’s a cliché, I do love her music and what’s better for Halloween than a good ghost story?