Craft Ideas

MUMMER'S MASK

Traveling groups of entertainers made their way around neighborhoods on Twelfth Night, performing pantomimes, singing carols and traditional songs, and providing music for dancing. They were also known to act out well-known fables, folktales and other plays. In exchange for the entertainment, those for whom they performed would offer them food, drink and coins.

These groups, known as mummers, wore colorful costumes and elaborate masks.

CRAFT IDEA: Make your own mummer's masks. This can be done using a mask template from a craft store (often made of craft foam) or by cutting a mask shape and eye holes out of a paper plate and tying a length of ribbon to either side in order to tie it around the head. Provide feathers, construction paper, markers, crayons, glitter, glue, etc. for decorating)

THE KING'S or QUEEN'S CROWN

The one who finds the bean in his or her slice of cake on Twelfth Night is crowned King or Queen for the night. This ruling monarch is given the enviable right to dictate the remainder of the evening's activities (within any boundaries set before hand). But what is a King or Queen without a crown?

CRAFT IDEA: Make your own homemade crown. Depending on the material used, this crown may be reused year after year or a new crown can be made with each annual observance.

• Construction paper makes a very simple, inexpensive, easy-to-create crown that is ideal for a single use.
• Upgrade to cardstock or a similar stiff paper for something with a little more staying power.
• If you would like your crown to last for years to come, peruse the aisles of your local craft store for more durable material.
  

APPLE DECORATIONS

Apples were a central part of any Twelfth Night celebration: from drinking wassail to "wassailing" the local apple trees to eating the last precious few time-wrinkled apples from the cellar. Any craft or decoration connected to apples would be a festive addition to a Twelfth Night celebration.

CRAFT IDEA: Make place mats painted with apples!

Needed: apples, paper towels, shallow dish (for holding the paint, so pick something accordingly), construction paper, paint

Instructions: Cut apples in various ways to create unique and interesting shapes. These apples will serve as stamps. Pour a small amount of paint into the shallow dish. Dip the ends of the apples in paint and press on paper where desired. Once paper is decorated to your liking, allow to dry. These festive works of art can be used a Twelfth Night place mats.