Five Handmade Holiday Decorations, After the Fort Vancouver Way

At Fort Vancouver, Christmas cheer was hand-made. Only a ship or two arrived from England each year, and the Hudson's Bay Company shops in the fort had a limited selection, so the people who lived there made their own holiday decorations and even gifts. The National Park Service's Fort Vancouver National Historic Site offers five projects in that spirit.

A holiday wreath can add Christmas cheer to a home. NPS photo.

Holiday wreaths

Decorating with greenery at the holidays has a long tradition. Many believe wreaths were originally tied to Winter Solstice celebrations, the circle standing for the year and evergreen boughs for the endurance of life. In Victorian England, lavish arrangements of ivy, holly, hemlock and bay became popular. Cut greenery only where you have permission, and work safely.

You need: a wreath form or wire coat hanger, green floral wire or other thin wire, small branches of greenery (fir, spruce, cedar, holly, ivy), and ribbon.

Steps: bend a coat hanger into a rough circle or use a metal frame; wire on pieces of greenery, overlapping so each covers the wire holding the last; add holly or another colorful plant; tie a bow and wire it on; hang the wreath by wire, ribbon, thick string or the hanger's hook.

Tassels

Tassels are colorful decorations for the dark days of winter. NPS photo.

You need: yarn or embroidery floss, cardboard, tape, glue and scissors.

Steps:

1. Cut a square or rectangle of cardboard; the longer it is, the longer the tassel. A standard tassel starts with a 4"x4" piece.
2. Fold a piece of yarn 8 inches long (or double the cardboard's length) in half and tape it across the top of the cardboard, with the loop on one side and loose ends on the other. This is the hanger.
3. Wrap yarn lengthwise around the cardboard, over the taped hanger, at least 30 times, cutting at the bottom edge. The more wraps, the fuller the tassel.
4. Tie the hanger into a slip knot by pulling the loose ends through the loop, as close to the top edge as you can.
5. Cut the wrapped yarn along the bottom and slide it off the cardboard.
6. Cut a 10-inch piece of string, tie it around the tassel ½ inch down from the top, wrap it 8 to 10 times and finish with a tight double knot, with a drop of glue if worried. Trim the bottom if you like.

Pomanders

Pomanders can keep a home smelling fresh through the winter. NPS photo.

A pomander is an orange studded with cloves, used for centuries to add a citrusy, spicy scent to rooms; kept dry, it can last through the winter.

You need: one orange (thin-skinned is best), whole cloves, and ribbon, tassels or metallic cord. Optional: a pen, a fork or toothpick for starter holes, and 1 tablespoon each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

Steps: wash and dry the orange; optionally mark a pattern on the peel and prick holes that are not too large, or the cloves fall out; insert rows or a design of whole cloves from the stem end, not close together in a straight line, which could split the peel; optionally roll it in the mixed spices; let it dry on a plate for about two weeks; dust off excess spice and tie it with ribbon or decorate with tassels and cord.

Bird feeders

An easy, family-friendly activity. NPS photo.

The residents of Fort Vancouver did not make bird feeders like this one, but it helps local wildlife. Birds have always been part of life there. In 1834 the naturalist John Kirk Townsend used the fort as a base for studying animals and birds, and recorded many, including Audubon's warbler, the California condor, Townsend's warbler, the mountain plover, the sage thrasher and Vaux's swift. Like many naturalists there, Townsend relied on Indigenous peoples for guidance and knowledge; they jokingly called him the "bird chief."

You need: a pinecone (not scented, glittered or painted, which can harm birds), peanut butter or another nut or seed butter, bird seed, a spoon and twine.

Steps: tie a piece of twine around the pinecone, long enough to hang from a branch; coat the pinecone with room-temperature nut butter; roll it in bird seed, or spoon seed on; hang it where birds can reach it.

Citrus garland

A citrus garland is a way to make your own holiday decorations. NPS photo.

You need: a mix of oranges, grapefruits and lemons, twine, paper towels, parchment paper, a sharp knife (an adult should cut the fruit) and optionally an embroidery needle.

Steps: preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit; cut the fruit crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and pat them dry; lay them in a single layer on a parchment-covered baking sheet; bake 1½ hours, flip, and bake another 1½ hours, removing any that begin to brown, for a total of about 3 to 4 hours. Slices need not be fully dry; they keep drying once strung. When cool, poke two holes at least 1/2 inch apart in each slice and string them on twine. A food dehydrator can replace the oven.

Sources

• National Park Service, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, "Christmas Crafts From Fort Vancouver," https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/fovachristmascrafts.htm; rewritten in hubnx's own words.