When a gardener makes Christmas ornaments at her sister’s house after Thanksgiving dinner, she is pleased that the two main ingredients in the ornaments are of botanical interest – cinnamon (the inner bark of Cinnamomum sp. trees) and apple sauce (the mashed up fruit from the trees of Malus sp.).
While her niece mixes up the dough made from the cinnamon and applesauce, the gardener eyes all of the cookie cutters to be used to cut out the ornaments. Just as she is about to call “dibs” on the holly leaf shape…
One of her sisters automatically hands her the holly leaf shape.
Then the gardener spies the tree shaped cookie cutter and decides to make an ornament shaped like that.
Finally to show that it isn’t always about the garden, the gardener picks the star shape, thinking about how the stars quietly shine over the garden each night, making for a tranquil setting on a cold winter’s evening.
Once home, the gardener loves how the ornaments make whatever room they are in smell so nice and thinks maybe she should make some more.
So she searches high and low in her kitchen, sure that she owns some cookie cutters of her own and comes up with just one.
A watering can shape, still attached to its card, in a box.
When a gardener makes cinnamon-applesauce Christmas ornaments, apparently it is all about the garden, as it is with all her Christmas ornaments.
Cinnamon-Applesauce Ornaments – Mix equal parts ground cinnamon and applesauce (store-bought kind) and add in a little white glue, like Elmer’s glue. Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out the shapes (garden shapes optional but highly desired). Punch out a hole for hanging using a straw. Add line details with a toothpick and sprinkle with glitter, if desired. Lay flat to dry on a drying rack of you have one, otherwise lay out on paper towels or paper plates. Later, file off any rough edges with a bit of sandpaper.
Thanks for reminding me of the joy of making these ornaments. It really has been too long since I did this. Funny, but I picked up the same watering can ornament at a thrift store last week. It too was still attached to the card and the second I saw I thought, "a gardener needs one of these."
These are perfect and lovely Carol. The perfect holiday post!
Well, you need some leaves and berry ornaments too, and how about a rabbit? I have rabbit ornaments. Oh, and deer too. Bwah, ha ha. Sorry, it's been a rough week at my house.~~Dee
Lovely idea and I want to try. But what do I do about the apple sauce? I've no idea what American apple sauce is. If I made a thick puree of stewed apples and sugar would that work???
I love your watering can cookie cutter. I've never seen one. Now I want to look for garden-related cookie cutters.
Thank you for posting this. Lady K and I can make these next weekend. Perfect for nice little extra something for friends.
I'm going to have to make some of those. They would help to hide the smell of the cats and dogs!
I need to know what to use instead of 'bought' apple sauce. Can you help, it seems such a lovely thing to do. Christina