#Christmas #ChristmasInJuly #ChristmasCrafts #writingprompt

This post is part of Teagan Geneviene’s Christmas In July blog hop. https://teagansbooks.com/ #ChristmasInJuly

Teagan suggests one of our posts be Bring A Decoration. So I’m reprinting my post about the time I got coked up on cold medicine and decided to make a tiny pickle to hang on my miniature Christmas tree.

Crafting Under The Influence

I have a cold and, possibly feverish, I decided it was the saddest thing ever that I didn’t have a tiny little pickle ornament for my tiny little tree. So I decided to make one. Now, bear in mind that, when my beloved daughter asked for a King Kong costume for Halloween, I bought a length of fake fur and cut a head hole in it and made her a mask out of a paper plate and a rubber band.

1) I tore up a bit of newspaper with green ink on it, even though I was going to paint it, apparently under the impression that this would impart the spirit of greenness to the whole project. I also found a metal poky think with a ring on it, perfect for hanging things on things. I soaked the paper in water, then added some flour to make it pasty, some salt (to make it taste good?) and some peppermint oil (because somebody somewhere told me it would keep the papier mache — you know, paper mashay — from going sour). I think. Anyway, I did it.

2 ) I wrapped the pasty pepperminty paper around the poky thing and let it dry for 24 hours or so. The pickle bit wanted to slide off the poky bit, so I hit it on the head with some craft glue. This picture is blurry, which is what you can expect when taking pictures under the influence.

3 ) I painted the pickle with green food coloring and rolled it in glitter. It didn’t have quite the effect I had envisioned, but it was green and sparkly, and that will always do.

4 ) So now I have a pickle ornament, suitably difficult to find. And I’m bound to win the prize for finding it, because nobody else would have the slightest idea what it’s supposed to be.

A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: Have a character do something reasonably complicated while under the influence of illness, medication, head trauma, alcohol or other mental disruptor. A child underfoot, possibly.

MA