Litha In A Week: Crafts and Goodies

For today's Litha In A Week, I'm also setting up a linkup where you can link to your own crafts and Litha goodies! If you want to participate, I'll have it at the end of this post. :) Looking forward to your submissions!

Here are some great craft ideas to get your Litha kicked off in a festive and creative way! These crafts, unless otherwise indicated, are great for kids, too, so be sure to get them in on the action.

Sundial

(or a really mini Stonehenge!)

Harness the power of the sun to tell time in your own backyard, and even teach your kids about science while you play! This craft is fascinating on its own, and it adds a new level when you create it yourself. "That's right, I can tell time in my own backyard... without a watch. What's your superpower?!"

You will need:

* a pole or straight stick (make it extra fun and go nature-hunting for one!)
* several large stones
* a clock or watch to calibrate your sundial

Method:

1. Find a place in your backyard that gets sun for most of the day, and erect the pole/stick straight up in the earth. (If you don't have a backyard, erecting the pole/stick in a small pot with clay or dirt will keep it up.)

2. Keep an eye on the clock, and at each hour, place a stone where the shadow falls. It's ideal to start this in the morning, but no matter when you start, be sure to get the morning hours, too!

3. When all daytime hours are marked, you're ready to tell time!

If you leave this assembled throughout the year, you'll notice that the times "shift" as the earth rotates on her axis. Use this as a great way to teach kids about the earth's movement in the universe, the sun's impact on the sun, and maybe even mark out times during different times of the year using different colored stones.

Handfasting Basket

For those special people in your life who are celebrating this life event!

When Matt and I married last Samhain, we incorporated a handfasting into the ceremony, wherein our hands were literally tied together in a series of knots to symbolize each vow made to one another.

Most couples preparing for a handfasting prefer to have their ceremony around Litha, as it's a great time to celebrate love and marriage (see my last post about Juno, one of the goddesses of this Sabbat). This project is wonderful when celebrating a couple's handfasting, whether it's the day of or their year-and-a-day celebration!

You will need:

* a basket of any size and type
* fabric to line the inside (choose romantic summer colors like yellow, red, flower patterns, and so forth)
* ribbon (again, in romantic summer colors)
* silk flowers
* florist's wire
* glue (hot glue gun is probably the best)
* thirteen items as "blessings" to fill the basket (more later!)

Method:

1. Place the basket on a flat surface, and use the fabric to line the inside. You can glue the fabric at certain points to keep it stable, with a bit over the edge as an overhang.

2. Cut a piece of ribbon about three times the length of the basket's handle, then weave it around the handle, gluing at points to keep it stable. Trim off any excess. You may use more than one ribbon -- get creative!

3. Add some small silk flowers to the handle of the basket for additional prettiness. These can be glued on or secured with florist's wire.

4. Think about the couple being handfast! What do you know about them? How are they as a couple? Are they really traditional, or are they silly? Consider these when choosing what to place in the basket as blessings.

Thirteen Blessings

Fill the basket with things that symbolize their relationship. You want to have thirteen that are meaningful. Small trinkets often work the best so they can hang them up later, but use your imagination and don't feel limited!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• A sun, symbolizing the strength and sturdiness of the male partner


• A moon, representing the woman, beautiful and mysterious*


• A cat, to guard the hearth and home


• A dog, to offer loyalty and protection


• An owl, for wisdom


• A star, for the dreams of the future


• A clock, to remind them that time is valuable


• An acorn, for strength and longevity


• A butterfly, for all the summers they will be together


• A car, for the journey they're about to embark on


• A house, so they have a place to return


• A pinecone, for prosperity and abundance


• A heart, for the love that brought them together

* Of course, for a same-sex couple, it's entirely appropriate to have two moons or two suns.

5. While filling the basket, send positive thoughts into it and into each item. If you like, this can be turned into a small ritual! Charge the basket by focusing your intent into a simple couplet, such as:

This basket of gifts I give from the heart
with blessings for [name] and [name]'s handfasting.
With these treasures I offer you joy, and hope,
and happiness and love everlasting.

6. You may also want to include a note with this blessing and/or an explanation of what each item represents. May they always have these thirteen blessings in their relationship!

Litha Fire Incense

Hopefully your herb gardens are in full bloom, and are enjoying the warming rays of the sun! If you have any around, now would be a great time to gather and dry them for this traditional loose incense for Midsummer.

Loose incense is a bit different from cones or sticks, as they are simply dried herbs tossed over hot charcoals to produce a delightful aroma. Since we're looking for a blend to celebrate Litha's strength and sun, this will be a very fiery incense, indeed!

You will need:

* 3 parts myrrh
* 1 part apple blossoms
* 1/2 part bay leaves
* 1/2 part cinnamon bark
* 1 part chamomile flowers
* 1 part lavender flowers
* 2 parts mugwort
* 1/2 part rosemary

Method:

1. Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. If your ingredients need to be crushed, a mortar and pestle is great for this!

2. As you blend your herbs together, state your intent and, if you desire, charge the incense with an incantation:

Balance of the heavens and earth below,
The power of the sun in this incense grows.
Cinnamon, mugwort, apple and bay,
Fire and water, on this longest day.
Herbs of power, blended by me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Your incense will keep best stored in a tightly-sealed jar, oddly enough kept in a cool, dry place. Use within three months so it stays fresh!

Bird House

Invite little chirping ones to your home with this easy birdhouse idea... made from a gourd!

You will need:

* gourd (these can be grown yourself, but you can also buy them online)
* sandpaper
* paints and paintbrushes (acrylics work really well!)
* drill with bits
* jute or twine for hanging
* matte spray varnish
* birdseed (I imagine that finch seed would work best)

Method:

1. Clean and sand a dried gourd. With the drill, drill two small holes at the top, large enough to thread the jute or twine through. Drill a larger hole to act as a hole for the birds.

2. Using the paints (and your kids' imaginations!), go to town, decorating with symbols, colors, and smiles for the season. Birds, bees, suns, and other things of nature are fun to add.

3. Allow the paint to dry, then cover with a coat of matte spray varnish. Allow to dry yet again.

4. Thread the jute or twine through the top holes, and tie to create a hanging. Fill with birdseed, and have your kids hang it in a local tree to feed the birdies!

Litha Lavender Dream Pillow

I looove dream pillows. Not only are they incredibly fun to make, they also smell lovely! This can be fun with kids, too, but be sure you're the one handling the needle and thread. ;)

You will need:

* rectangle of fabric in a color of your choosing (lavender is nice, as is white... but let your intuition guide you!)
* stuffing to fill the pillow
* matching thread and a needle (or, if you're like my mom, a sewing machine!)
* herbs to fill the pillow (lavender is obviously one, but you can choose other fragrant herbs, too)

Method:

1. Fold the fabric over to create a square, and sew up three of the four edges. You want to leave one to fill your pillow. Turn inside out so the seams are on the inside.

2. Stuff the pillow with the stuffing and herbs, interchanging the two as you go along. Kids will find sprinkling in (and sometimes taking a huge whiff of) the herbs a ton of fun.

3. When finished, sew up the final side. You can also decorate at this point with acrylic paints and anything else to make your pillow your own.

4. Take the pillow to bed with you, either under your own pillow or as something to snuggle and lull you to sleep.



Don't forget to link up!! :)