How to make Chili Pepper Ornaments

chili pepper ornament

Bright red peppers shine merrily against the deep green of holiday trees. This ornament is basically a tiny ristra for decorating. It is easy to make and can be made more fancy depending on the artistic skill of the maker. The supplies are inexpensive and probably already in your cupboards.

My mother made a box of these tiny chili pepper ornaments a few years before she passed. She was an artist but her hands would sometimes shake depending on the day. This project was very satisfying to her because of their flexibility. It is also a project that children who are safe with peppers can finish is a short time with limited supervision.

This ornament can adorn packages or tree boughs or wreaths. It is also cute just hanging brightly on a wall. Don’t forget that after Christmas, you can bring your ornaments to your kitchen and use them in recipes.

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Equipment

  • Cayenne peppers with stems attachedchili pepper ornament supplies
  • Scissors
  • Brightly colored embroidery floss
  • Raffia strand
  • Corn husks
  • Small bell
  • Thread
  • Needle

Instructions

  1. Gather an odd number (3 or 5) of peppers by their stem.
  2. Cut 12 inches of embroidery floss.
  3. Tie the stems tightly together with the embroidery floss.
  4. Make a loop with the remaining floss which is big enough to hang on a branch tip.
  5. Tie the loop securely.
  6. Cover the floss which secures the stems with the raffia strand. Make a secure knot in the front.
  7. Tie a few corn husks over the center of the knot with the raffia.
  8. Snip the ends of the corn husks so they are evenly about 2 or 3 inches from the knot.
  9. Thread the needle and sew the knot that holds the corn husks to the ornament or (with a bell that has a larger hole, you can use the embroidery floss to affix it).

For More Information on Chili Pepper

Chili-Folio-3D-Cover-noshadow-432For more information on Chili Pepper, purchase a copy of The Practical Herbalist’s Herbal Folio: Chili Pepper: Naturally Hot Herbal Medicine. This Herbal Folio contains expanded information, including:

  • Gardening and Gathering
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Household Formulas
  • History, Folklore, Myth, and Magic
  • Cautions
  • Recipes
  • Quick Facts
  • References

Proceeds from sales of The Practical Herbalist’s Herbal Folio series go toward supporting The Practical Herbalist website. Support this terrific reference site by buying your copy of Chili Pepper: Naturally Hot Herbal Medicine today.

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