Meridian’s Ornament Drop Kicks off December 11

This is the holiday scavenger hunt we didn't know we needed! Crafters and makers, it's time to get creative and start your projects! 

If you live in Meridian, chances are you are familiar with their "Art Drop" event that takes places during Meridian Art Week. It's a peer to peer art exchange where artists of all types, painters, sketch artists, musicians and authors, create a small piece of art work and hide it throughout Downtown Meridian. Residents are encouraged to search for those pieces of art, connect with the artist on social media and share it on social media. It's a scavenger hunt that was created long before the day and age of social distancing and people have always loved it.

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That's why the Meridian Arts Commission thought it might be fun to put a holiday twist on the Art Drop and invite the entire community to participate in a winter edition of the scavenger hunt! They want residents of all ages to create their own handmade Christmas ornaments and come "drop" them throughout Downtown Meridian over the weekend of December 11-12. You can hide them in trees, window sills or one of the other dozens of creative locations in Meridian. The community is invited to go hunt for them, take one (only one so more families can enjoy the event) home to decorate their tree with and post a photo on social media with the hashtag #meridianornamentdrop.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE making ornaments of all types but these cinnamon ornaments that I made for the very first time in elementary school are probably my favorite to do! Mostly because they smell so good for YEARS! Here's the DIY instructions if you want to try your hand at them for the ornament drop! Chances are you have almost everything you need to make them in your pantry right now!

Ingredients and Supplies

• (2) 2.37 oz containers of ground cinnamon ($.84 at Winco)
• 3/4 Cup Sugar Free Apple Sauce
• (2) tablespoons Elmers white school glue
• Rolling Pin
• Cookie Cutters
• Skewer or Drinking Straw
• Cookie Sheet
• Ribbon
• Puffy paint, glitter, etc

Directions

• In a medium bowl mix together the cinnamon and applesauce.
• Fold in glue and stir until mixture reaches consistency of sugar cookie dough
• Roll into a ball and flatten with rolling pin to about 1/4" thickness
• Use cookie cutters to shape ornaments
• Place ornaments on cookie sheet and poke a hole where the ribbon goes using a skewer or drinking straw
• Bake ornaments at 200º for 2 hours
• Let cool and decorate with puffy paints.  String ribbon through hole once paint dries.