Sustainability

GREEN CHRISTMAS

As we put up the Christmas decorations this year, thoughts sometimes go back to Christmases past. When I was a young child my siblings and I made paper chains to decorate the tree and lounge room. When Christmas was over the decorations went into the compost bin. We loved the smell of a real Christmas tree with the pine smell filling the house. After Christmas we cut the branches to reuse them as stakes for garden plants and, put pine needles around the blueberry bushes. My grandparents used the trunk for firewood.

Last year our Lower Juniors made fragrant Christmas tree ornaments using cinnamon sticks and star anise. 

                                     COOK UP A BATCH OF CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS   

This year our upper junior students learned how to make dough ornaments. 

Ingredients: 2 cups of plain flour (don’t use self-raising flour as it causes sculptures to expand out of shape), 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of cold water. Method: Mix flour and salt in a large bowl with a metal spoon or fork. Add water gradually and mix well after each addition until dough forms a soft ball. Knead dough for 7-10 minutes until it has a smooth, yet firm consistency. 

Refrigerate dough until you need it. It will keep for up to 5 days. If it becomes dry, pat a little more water onto the dough and knead it back to the original consistency. Use food dye to colour dough in Christmas colours. Makes about 24 Christmas trees or one Christmas wreath. 

Air Drying: On a wire rack for 48 hours until white in appearance.

Baking: Set oven temperature to 180C (never higher), brush ornaments with an egg yolk or milk before putting into the oven. Then place ornaments on a foil covered tray and bake for 45-60 minutes until the surface turns a golden brown. 

OR

Paint ornaments in Christmas colours using non-toxic paints and then varnish. 

Pathways Sustainability students learned how to collect green foliage from the garden and weave the pieces around a hoop frame or rattan wreath to make a Christmas wreath.  They used Rosemary and Leucadendron pieces and added some poinsettia flowers. Australian native flowers and foliage provide a natural display. Use a spray bottle of water to freshen flowers and foliage or leave them to dry out completely.