Posted on 25th November 2014 at 09:24 by LCBC News in LCBC News Blog
Christmas Craft Night
Friday 21st November saw 71 folk attending our very first Christmas Craft Night, where crafters and non-crafters alike watched demonstrations and got to try some hands-on crafting into the bargain. The church was transformed into a craft studio, with guests seated ten to a table and presented with a goody bag on arrival. Despite being mid-November we got into the Christmas spirit with a tree on the platform, some strategically-positioned fairy lights and even a Santa hat worn enthusiastically (?) by each demonstrator.
Christmas Gift & Craft Fair
This was the perfect opportunity for all the talented crafters at LCBC to display the fruits of their labours and raise some money for mission overseas as well as a contribution towards our building project and some of the outstanding furnishing tasks. On Saturday 22nd Nov, we opened the doors of our lovely new building to the local community to get into the festive mood and do some early Christmas shopping.
Friday evening began with an expert demonstration of the art of making sugarcraft snowflakes by Sian Mace, followed by a very entertaining presentation on the art of gift-wrapping by Lesley McCaig which included pom poms, Christmas baubles and black & white photos amongst its suggestions for how to make your gifts stand out.
Our first hands-on craft was a fabric wreath, using a wire coathanger bent into a circle and strips of fabric knotted around it to create an unusual take on a festive wreath, and one which could be used year after year. Thirty minutes later the room was awash with beautiful creations, and we were glad to stop for a refreshment break – delicate canapés, warm festive punch and mulled wine to tempt our taste buds. Then it was back to the tables for our second craft, the intriguingly-named Exploding Box, which turned out to be a box made out of strips of card which springs open when you remove the lid, to reveal cracker-like items on the inside (a joke, sweet and party popper). For the more adventurous crafters, the lid could further be decorated with a bit of teabag-folding (nothing to do with the beverage, by the way).
The final item on the programme was a quick tip on how to turn the Asda Christmas catalogue into a Christmas tree (or possibly an angel, depending on whether you spray it gold and add wings or not!) using only three folds and no glue, scissors or staples – if you want to know how, you’ll have to come next year!
Next morning we opened the doors of our lovely new building to the local community to get into the festive mood and do some early Christmas shopping.
Craft items on sale ranged from handmade wooden items, fabric advent calendars and hand-stitched tree decorations,
beautiful silken cushion covers and other items (specifically made to raise money for Senegal),
homemade preserves and truffles, knitted dolls and stylish tea cosies, cookie jars, cards and more.
The ever-popular cake stall enticed the sweet-toothed to reach for their purses/wallets, and should the temptation prove too much, the church itself had been transformed into a tranquil sanctuary for coffee, cake and a bacon buttie.
Children were catered for too, with their own craft corner where parents could leave them under supervision to make a sock snowman, decorate some iced biscuits or do some colouring.
It was lovely to use our new building to welcome in family, friends and neighbours who may not yet have visited, and continue to build links with the community.