Ainsley Arment - Wild and Free Holidays

Pepparkakor recipe on used by permission of Gwen Welk
Workman of The Wooden Spoon, Plano, Texas.

WILD + FREE HOLIDAYS . Copyright 2020 by Ainsley Arment.
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FIRST EDITION

Front cover design: HarperCollins
Front cover photograph: Kirsty Larmour
Designed by Janet Evans-Scanlon

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been
applied for.

Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-305530-8
Version 10292020
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-299818-7

CONTENTS

Pumpkin-Beeswax Harvest Candles
by Leah Damon 1

Fall Felt Leaf Crown
by Naomi Ovando 4

Pumpkin Cottage
by Elle Celaya 8

Mother Earth Wool Felting
by Katrien Van Deuren 11

The Thankful Tree
by Lea Wu 19

Mothers as Memory Makers
by Rachel Kovac 22

Finding the Perfect Tree
by Chelsea Holland 25

A Picture Book Christmas
by Alisha Miller 28

A Celebration of Light
by Amanda Gregg 32

Winter Table Piece
by Katrien Van Deuren 38

Natural Christmas Tree
by Rachel Kovac 42

Turning Artwork into Festive Decor
by Heidi Eitreim 48

Collecting Ornaments
by Kirsty Larmour 53

Hand-Embroidered Star
by Lea Wu 54

How to Draw a Christmas Wreath
by Kristin Rogers 59

Wool-Felted Advent Spiral
by Leah Damon 62

Christmas Garland
by Carol Ann Sartell 67

A Mothers Search for Light
by Leah Boden 70

Snowflake Art
by Kristin Rogers 72

Arroz con Leche
by Cynthia Garcia 77

Nature-Stamped Ornaments
by Naomi Ovando 79

Christmas Cookies as Handcrafts
by Sharon McKeeman 84

Book Advent
by Jamie Wolma 88

Holiday Crowns
by Suzi Kern 90

Mistletoe Kissing Ball
by Lea Wu 93

Homemade Advent Calendar
by Kristin Rogers 96

Handmade Wrapping Paper
by Hannah Mayo 99

The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe
by Hannah Westbeld 102

Storybook Ornaments
by Carol Ann Sartell 104

Rustic Woven Winter Stars
by Leah Damon 107

Paper Stars
by Rachel Kovac 113

The Promise of a New Year
by Ainsley Arment 120

Midwinter Lanterns
by Katrien Van Deuren 122

Mindful Love Baskets
by Leah Damon 128

Wildflower Valentines
by Nichole Holze 133

Cupids Arrow Valentines
by Shannon Mooers 138

Royal Icing Cookies
by Erika Yung 141

The Spread Love Project
by Jillian Ragsdale 144

COME HOME FOR
THE HOLIDAYS

E ach fall, I lament the darker days and colder nights. Yet by the time December comes around, my heart settles into the home in an absorbing, contemplative, and satisfying way. Somehow, as the world embraces us a little more tightly, I feel it breathing new life into our rhythms, rather than suffocating them.

While the world rushes about doing, go- ing, buying, and bustling, we slow down and embrace the home more than ever before. We make the most of what this time of year can offer in the ways of learn- ing, crafting, reading, gifting, and eating.

We embrace the state of being house- bound due to winters chill and make the most of our togetherness indoors. We fo- cus more on caring for each other, nurtur- ing our sibling and family relationships, and cherishing our favorite holiday traditions.

This involves a lot of handcrafting, baking, and reading our favorite festive stories. Its starting a fire and piling all the blankets and pillows on the floor for a day of read- ing, board games, and snuggling. Some days, it looks like baking gingerbread or decorating sugar cookies until its dark outside and time to make dinner. And sometimes its letting everyone do their own thing, including Mama.

But most of all, its meeting my kids where they are because I cant expect them to be interested in what I want to do if I havent invested in their worlds. This is a yearlong goal of ours, but this time of year really beckons us to slow our pace and rediscover the joy of being together.

Home isnt four walls but the relationships within them.

Friends, as we enter a season when the world calls us to clutter our calendars, fill our refrigerators, and empty our pocket- books, the home beckons us to rest. Be still. Revel in simple. And savor our mo- ments.

In these pages, youll find ideas for slowing down and enjoying time with your kids around the winter holidays. From hand- crafts and family recipes, to decorating trees and reading festive books, youll find some wonderful traditions to enjoy with your family this year.

Ive included a variety of projects, so look for the icon next to each that indicates whether the project is better for beginners (easy enough for young children to do with minimal help and supervision), inter- mediate (some adult participation and su- pervision needed), or advanced (will need adult participation and supervision).

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Ive also included a resource section on that will direct you toward a sug- gested list of items to keep in your supply cabinet so that youre well-stocked to do these projects.

My hope is that we will listen to our hearts and respond with thoughtful action. That we will look our children in the eyes and know that this time together is what mat- ters most. May our homes burn bold and bright this season. And may our hearts rest in the glow of our childrens eyes reflecting the love they feel from us.

AINSLEY ARMENT

Editor

Intermediate

A s we focus our hearts on this seasonal time of gratitude for the Earths simple gifts, my children and I have been doing the academic work of studying seed types, gardens, soil, the process of decay, and the cyclical rhythms of planting and harvesting.

While we gathered the little gourds, bees- wax, and supplies for this harvest craft, I had many conversations with my son Shi- loh, the littlest in our family, about the seeds he would find inside his mini pump- kin. But it wasnt until I cut off the stem and he reached inside for himself that he ex- claimed, Mom! Guess what! I found seeds inside here!

It was a meaningful reminder of how valu- able it can be to bring tactile, hands-on learning into our homes. We can read or describe many beautiful and worthy things to our children, but feeling, tasting, smell- ing, or experiencing learning in some form of intimate sensory relationship offers the opportunity for deeper understanding.

I love that the home invites flexibility and freedom for this type of learning. It is a beautiful thing to watch children welcome life and learning into their own hands, to roll their learning around, to smell it, to squeeze it between their fingers, and dig ever deeper into the wonder that learning about the world around them can be.

This craft is a fun way to turn our fall pump- kins into works of art that give off a cozy glow as the days grow shorter and cooler.