Group Crafts

[Vigdisdotter]

So my little group is getting big and now we are talking about public rituals. So I was thinking of getting some nice fabric, fabric paints and have the group as a whole make an altar cloth that we can use at each ritual we put on.

Have anyone of you done this kind of thing before? Please share your experiences and ideas.

[Zephyrstorm]

We got together and made short staves to represent the elements in Circle a while ago. We decorated them with ribbons and paint and charms to match each element. They work pretty well, and gave us an opportunity to explore each in turn.

We've also taught each other crafts - my study group are about to have collage projects that we'll work on together.

[Vigdisdotter]

We got together and made short staves to represent the elements in Circle a while ago.

That's a marvellous idea :) I've been thinking about doing a Stave workshop actually.

have you made any other ritual equipment as a group?

[Lunacie]

That's a neat idea, and I would jump all over it, but the altar in our Grove is a huge slab of flat rock and we use it just as it is without any altar cloth. Although it might be kinda cool to make two runner cloths with elemental and divine symbols on them so we could have the best of both.

Anyway - our group combines a class and a craft most of the time for our meetings between Sabbats (which is also when we go over the ritual for the next Sabbat - the reasons for it - who will be doing what in the ritual - and who is bringing what dish for the feast!).

So far the crafts have been things each person can take home and use or hang on the wall. And with each craft we do some research into how people got started making the craft, what the craft historically signified, and why we make them today as Pagans/Wiccans.

In the last few months we've made corn dollies, green man masks (with autumn colored leaves- very cool!), painted rocks to decorate our gardens (mine has a witch on a broom), and besoms. I think for Yule I will bring the makings for dreamcatchers with Yule/Christmassy stuff like holly. I found the grapevine wreaths already made at Dollar Tree, so all we'll have to do is wrap the string for the web part, or perhaps make a pentagram in the center. And add a few more holiday tokens and viola! something cool to hang on our door for the holidays.

[Zephyrstorm]

That's a marvellous idea :) I've been thinking about doing a Stave workshop actually.

have you made any other ritual equipment as a group?

Sorry - work called me away this morning. We got together to make the wand, but several of us felt like it didn't come out the way we'd hoped, and will be making another.

I've thought about seeing if those who knit want to each knit a square or somesuch to knit together as an Altar Cloth, and then have those who don't knit either learn to, if they wish, or make charms and the like for a beaded trim.

Admittedly, most of my crafts go into my own altar. Too many times the scheduling for the crafters amongst us aren't available all at once. When we do get together, its often to each work on our own projects while visiting and enjoying tea.

We'll be making Brighid's crosses this year eventually, I'm sure, and corn dollies. I may host another attempt at making a wand for all. I'm also thinking about talking with them about ways to personalize things that can't be made (athame blades etc.) as a topic of discussion. :)
Z

[Nitefalle]

Hm, this thread has inspired me to start thinking about Yule. For some reason, this always strikes me as the holiday when people should sit together and make crafts together, stay up all night to watch the sun rise, share lots of hot chocolate and apple cider, etc. Thanks guys!

[Rhianna813]

Here are some crafty projects I have done in Pagan groups:

Altar cloth – we used a large cloth with small slits cut into it. When decorative ribbon was woven through the slits, the ribbon formed a pentacle. This was the base and everyone brought more ribbons, beads and anything that could be joined to the fabric/pentacle.

Painted stones – medium sized river stones and everyone painted symbols of their choice on one of them.

Prayer flags – same idea as above but instead we used white fabric.

Incense – this is always a favorite! Get everyone to bring dried or fresh herbs, resins, powders, rose petals, essential oils, etc… and use a large mortar and pestel to grind it all into a unique incense blend. The mortar gets passed many times around the circle as we sing and build energy. Everyone can take some home in a bit foil for later use too.

Candle holders – get small jars and use heat proof paint to decorate. Then add a tea candle or votive inside. I like to them for the elements or directions.

As others have mentioned corn dollies or pentacles are great fun and easy to make. Cheap too :-)

If you have access to a oven – we once made some bread dough for a ritual. The women (with washed hands) took some of dough and rolled it into a ball them dipped the ball into cinnamon sugar. All the dough balls were squished into a breadpan for a second rise, then baked. The end results was delicious! It was a fun group project too.

:ringaroun

Rhianna

[Vigdisdotter]

I'm not sure if this would qualify as a "craft" but I'm going to have everyone in the group bring an unpolished stone to the next meeting, then toss them in my tumbler, put the end result in a bowl and everyone picks one to take home :)

[Lunacie]

I'm not sure if this would qualify as a "craft" but I'm going to have everyone in the group bring an unpolished stone to the next meeting, then toss them in my tumbler, put the end result in a bowl and everyone picks one to take home :)

Nope, not really a craft, but it could be interesting if you lay the stones out so people can compare the different energies in different kinds of stones. Maybe have a book on stones or a web site so you can look up the properties and correspondences of each stone.

[Vigdisdotter]

Nope, not really a craft, but it could be interesting if you lay the stones out so people can compare the different energies in different kinds of stones. Maybe have a book on stones or a web site so you can look up the properties and correspondences of each stone.


Oooh, good idea :) all my books will be god for something!

[Lunacie]

My first group did this with stones many years ago and we had some wonderful discussions about what each of us felt energy-wise with each stone. Especially later on when I picked up a flint arrowhead in Colorado and we learned that flint can hold memories, and each of us was able to access a different memory stored in that stone - or it enabled each of us to access a different past life memory. That was very interesting.

[Rhianna813]

Here's another fun idea. Make some salt dough and cut out round moon shapes. Poke a hole into the dough so you can thread some ribbon through it later.

Once it's baked, the group can use black and white paint to create the moon phases. If you want to get detailed you can do all 28 days of the cycle. Or each person can do just a few aspects. These can be hung together in a common area or each person can take some home.

[Ivy Artemisia]

I like that idea- with the moon phases- how fun!

[PandoraHealer]

i have done several of the things previously mentioned so i wont repeat them

wreaths---
At michaels- they have the grapevine circle wreaths... they also have grapevine stars... put the star inside the wreath.... ta-da! pentagram... wrap the wreath with seasonal greenery- fall leaves for fall... holly like things for yule...

I have some greenery that hangs down and covers part of the star- just so i dont scream pagan to my neighbors... the only people that notice it are pagans so it must work well...

i love it and i'm giving one to a good friend of mine for a yule gift this year- its super cheap to make-- only about 20 bucks- with all the decorations and stuff...

BB-PH

[Lunacie]

i have done several of the things previously mentioned so i wont repeat them

wreaths---
At michaels- they have the grapevine circle wreaths... they also have grapevine stars... put the star inside the wreath.... ta-da! pentagram... wrap the wreath with seasonal greenery- fall leaves for fall... holly like things for yule...

I have some greenery that hangs down and covers part of the star- just so i dont scream pagan to my neighbors... the only people that notice it are pagans so it must work well...

i love it and i'm giving one to a good friend of mine for a yule gift this year- its super cheap to make-- only about 20 bucks- with all the decorations and stuff...

BB-PH

That's what I did for Yule about 4 years ago, but I bought the wreaths already decorated at a dollar store. And that's what our group is going to do for crafts at our December class next week. Those who want can make a pentacle inside their wreath, and those who don't can make a regular web pattern dream catcher. (We have 3 Druid-Shamanic folks and 3 Christian-Witches in our group, the other 5 are Wiccans.)

What did you use to make the pentagram or webbing? I have used thick waxed thread and colored jute string.

[Zephyrstorm]

A friend of mine makes Pentacles for Yule Presents every year using metal circle frames, and different textured ribbons. She wraps the frame with one ribbon and hot glues it at the top with a loop for a hanger. Then she takes a contrasting ribbon and weaves it into the star shape.

Mine is purple and silver, and I've added bells and charms to it over the years. It was made about five years ago and still looks new.

Z

[Lunacie]

A friend of mine makes Pentacles for Yule Presents every year using metal circle frames, and different textured ribbons. She wraps the frame with one ribbon and hot glues it at the top with a loop for a hanger. Then she takes a contrasting ribbon and weaves it into the star shape.

Mine is purple and silver, and I've added bells and charms to it over the years. It was made about five years ago and still looks new.

Z

Thanks, I wondered about using ribbon, glad to know that's doable.