Make Your Own: Popcorn Balls, Knife Holder, Textured Paint

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on November 1, 1976
1 / 3

Make a knife holder from old wooden spools.
Make a knife holder from old wooden spools.
2 / 3

Decorate your Christmas tree with popcorn balls.
Decorate your Christmas tree with popcorn balls.
3 / 3

It's easy to make textured paint with cornmeal.
It's easy to make textured paint with cornmeal.

Here are a few more of THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS® syndicated features which have appeared in 100+ newspapers over the past three and a half years.

Make Edible Christmas Ornaments

Christmas always seems more festive when you have a few handcrafted popcorn balls to hang on the tree . . . especially if a certain number of the candied delights contain a little “something extra” hidden away inside.

Pop a half-cup of kernels (they’ll fill a big bowl or medium-size roaster after they’ve split open) and–while the fluffy corn is cooling–place one-half cup of light corn syrup, one-half cup sugar and one-half teaspoon salt in a saucepan.

Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, then add a few drops of red (or any color you prefer) food coloring and one-half teaspoon of lemon extract. Stir until the flavoring and color are well-spread throughout the gooey concoction and then pour the sticky mixture over the bowlful of popcorn. Stir again, until every snowy piece of corn is coated.

Finally, with buttered hands, form the coated popcorn into “edible ornaments” . . . making sure that a few of the decorations contain a small surprise, wax-paper-wrapped toy or other favor.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368