Every year Haslingfield's Methodist Church holds a popular charity Christmas Market which enables people to shop locally while supporting a wide range of charitable causes. This year we were delighted to be invited to take part. We decided to raise money for the Little Owls preschool as well as our environmental funds - but what to sell? It was already the start of autumn when we agreed to a pitch - a bit late to take up a new crafting skill! But as I walked around our beautiful local countryside, I saw so many things that inspired me. The wild hops which draped across other plants just like a Christmas festoon, and smelled so delicious. The changing leaves, each one a different colour, shape and pattern. The red berries and glossy nuts that were everywhere this year (a "mast" year for nut trees). And the cones and seed casings of all sorts, with all their shapes and texures. I didn't know what I'd do with this stuff, but I started collecting it. And the more I looked, the more I found. Perfect, empty snail shells, in every colour from lime green to rich brown. Honesty seed cases, like mother of pearl. Feathers. Crabapples. Kardoon seeds.
I got hold of a book on Eco Friendly Christmas Crafts. That was inspiring. But I also remembered some crafts I'd learned from our local Forest School teacher, Solveig Symons. I asked her if she would show some of us grown-ups some ideas, and she happily did so. We made Christmas candles out of elder twigs, vines and rosehips, and Christmas Stars from music paper, sticks and string. As time went on people started letting their creativity flourish, and we got more elaborate decorations, as well as jars of potpourri. We ate cake and drank tea and chatted while we worked. It was fun, and it cost almost nothing, produced nothing that can't be composted or re-used, and we raised £110 to share between Little Owls and our group.
With things tough for lots of people this winter, it's nice to know that beauty and fun with friends can still sometimes be had for free - gifts from nature!