Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Miniature May Pole
This May Day craft makes a fine lawn ornament or table centerpiece for
your Beltane holiday. You can make it as small as six inches high, or up
to three or four feet tall if you prefer- it's up to you.

Start with a stick, and break off all smaller branches so it is a
single, straight (fairly) stick. If you want, you can peel off bark,
sand and even stain and paint it- but you can also leave it as close to
natural as you found it. It's a Wiccan craft, there is no right or wrong
on how to decorate it; it's up to you. When determining the height of
your stick, mind you that 1/3 of it will be buried in the pot for
stability.

Get your container, which should be at least 1/3 the height of your
pole to ensure the pole is sturdy. So if you have a 2 feet high pole,
you'll want an 8 inch high flowerpot.

Place your flower pot on a piece of scrap cardboard and trace around
it. Trim to make a cardboard insert that perfectly fits in the bottom
of the pot. Glue it down to the bottom, if desired. If you want to keep
the mini May pole on a porch or in the house, this will prevent sand
from escaping.

Fill the container half-way with sand. Set the pole in the center.
Water the sand lightly and tamp it down. Fill it the rest of the way,
dampening it lightly and tamping it down around the pole, until the pole
stands up straight.

Tie ribbons around the top tip of the pole. Fan them out around the
pole and arrange them as you please- twist them, curl them, bend them
gently to indicate movement.

Cover the top of the sand with Spanish moss and display for your Beltane
holiday

* If you prefer, you can use potting soil and grow grass, chives or
flowers around the pole.

** Another variation would be dispensing with the flower pot altogether
and sticking the pole straight into the ground.