Christmas in July will be Saturday
Published 12:02 am Sunday, July 3, 2011
NATCHEZ — Guests at the Green Alliance’s upcoming summer workshop might be humming their favorite Christmas carols by the end of the event.
Christmas in July participants will turn junk into keepsakes and gifts Saturday under the creative supervision of three Natchez artists.
The event, hosted by the Green Alliance — a nonprofit arm of the Community Alliance, will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Historic Natchez Foundation, located at 108 South Commerce St.
Christmas in July guests will make Christmas ornaments, cards and luminaries out of items normally discarded.
Clay artist Nathalie Harris will show participants how to preserve treasured lace forever by putting it on the face of clay ornaments.
Harris said using lace from a garment worn at a significant life event is a good way to see and remember it on a small scale.
“It’s a wonderful keepsake,” Harris said. “Your wedding dress is put away, but you can see the lace every day. You can hang it in the kitchen, in the hallway or on a Christmas tree.”
Harris said guests are welcome to bring their own special lace for the project.
“And you don’t have to fire this kind of clay,” Harris said.
“So you can take it home that day.”
Local folk artist Deborah McNeal will demonstrate how to create original Christmas cards by recycling old cards and seasonal images from publications. McNeal will also demonstrate how to transform discarded cans into outdoor luminaries.
Artist Teri Taylor Roddy of Faux de Lis Decorative Arts will also present an art project at Christmas in July, giving new life to old light bulbs.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own used light bulbs.
“I will be able to supply all paints, ribbon and glue for my ornaments, but they require old light bulbs — all sizes and varieties,” Roddy said.
“We will take spent incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs and use eco-friendly paints and left over tidbits of ribbon, fabric, broken ornaments and old jewelry, to create beautiful new ornaments.”
Admission to Christmas in July is free, and donations are accepted. For more information call 601-238-8325.