Have a hearty Christmas

Plaited hearts like this are fun for all the family. 

In Denmark, you can buy packs of glossy paper already cut out
in the right shapes, ready to make up.

Here's a close-up.

But you can also make one yourself by following the video made by a
friendly craftyperson on Youtube.
click here to see how

Here it is being plaited.

And here it is, complete with handle glued on like a basket,
hanging on the tree.

They can hold very small biscuits or sweeties
- though not for long in our house.

  Short Christmas Tale

Way back when Zachary was a toddler and I'd only lived in Denmark for about three years, I tried making a heart like this for the first time. Like most Danes, Zachary's daddy had made lots of hearts when he was a child and was feeling ambitious that day. He started by making a normal heart to show me how then cut out a heart with about 8 strips in it. Wow. Of course they were very fragile, thin and fiddly. But after an hour or so he had finished it all but for the very last strip. He was having dreadful trouble with that last strip. It didn't seem to want to fit. He needn't have worried. Baby Zachary soon fixed that. Toddling over with a big smile on his face, he reached right up and helpfully ripped it off. Oops, that tore it!

Oh well, ho, ho, ho. Why make life difficult?!

You'll find loads of other amazing and intricate patterns if you search for 

'flettede julehjerter skabeloner' in Google. 

Watson came in from the garden the other day
with this lovely bespoke moss decoration
hanging from his beard. Nice one, Watson!

  Tonight he was feeling silly and decorated the floor with a serviette.
I think he's trying to tell us it's time to get out the tinsel.