Students will create a festive Christmas decoration using mostly natural materials, transforming a simple branch into a charming winter scene. You’ll learn to work with willow to shape a reindeer, then decorate it to reflect your own style. You may choose to add a pre-made tree to your scene by drilling a hole for it, or craft your own tree from scratch. With the time available, most students will be able to complete two reindeer panoramas. *Please note hand strength is needed for this class. *Students should bring pruners, and a utility or other small sharp knife. If desired, participants may bring up to, two branches of no more than 24 inches length and no less than 1 inch diameter. Branches should sit quietly on a flat surface. “Y” or snakelike shapes work well. (Participants will need to drill holes using a provided drill.) Participants may also bring their own decorations. *Class price includes materials fee. Carol Patch I come from a family of makers. My family bought an unfinished house in the early ’60s and everyone pitched in to finish it. My father moved walls and fixed all the broken toys and bikes on the block. My mother made fantastic birthday cakes, and outfits for her doll collection. We made Pysanky eggs at Easter, worked on Halloween costumes a month in advance, and pulled out all the stops for Christmas. After college I joined VISTA (the domestic Peace Corps) and went to rural West Virginia where I was the quality control for a quilt coop. More important, I learned the quilting art from women who stayed up all night quilting. A single theme ran through my time in West Virginia and that was the need to preserve rural traditions. From quilting I went on to weaving, then spinning, felting and now that my walls have no more room I make willow baskets. I make things. In the work world I managed a department of instructional designers and taught classes for The Red Cross for many years and since retirement have taught basket making.